Her Unexpected Cowboy (Unforgettable Cowboys Book 1) Page 7

  She hadn’t kissed a man, nor even wanted to, for two years. That physical need took control, never once even allowing rational thought a chance. They leaned closer and closer, until only a half inch apart. Their lips brushed together and electricity zipped into her belly—

  Honk, honk!

  They jerked back, their eyes searching each other. Her heart paused before kicking into overdrive. Who could be here? She needed to go out and check, but she couldn’t move away from Jameson. The magnetic pull wouldn’t release her.

  A truck door slammed in the driveway. “Sydney!”

  Her eyes went wide, and the spell between Jameson and her broke so suddenly she flung back against the wall. She stood up in such a rush the world went black for a moment. Jameson’s hand reached out and steadied her.

  “You alright?” he asked, his deep voice somehow an octave lower. Amusement gleamed in his eyes. He wouldn’t be amused if he knew who had just arrived or what that could mean for him.

  “Wil.” She shook her head. “That’s Sheriff Whitmore.”

  “Sydney!” Wil’s voice sing-songed.

  Jameson’s eyes narrowed before glancing along the barn’s wall. He found a knothole to peer out into the driveway.

  “I’ll get him out of here.” She slapped the hay off of her clothes, breathed in deep, and took a step away.

  “Syd.” Jameson’s large hand grasped hers. Something shot through his eyes, an emotion she hadn’t yet seen in him. One she couldn’t quite place. Was it fear, anger, or something else?

  “It’s alright, Jameson. Just stay out of sight.” She squared her shoulders and walked from the barn. She could feel Jameson’s eyes on her. Somehow knowing he watched her lent comfort as she walked towards the man her childhood crush had grown up to become.

  “Sydney!” Wil sang again, almost to the house now.

  “Here, Wil,” she called out, allowing her exhaustion to show through.

  “Oh, there you are.” He turned towards her with a wide grin under a thin mustache. He tipped the beige Sheriff’s hat up, allowing his sandy hair to peek out.

  “Why are you here, Wil?” She stopped as he reached her, letting the rain mist down and plaster the hair onto her head. She wished she had her hat.

  “Always to the point. Just one of the many things I love about you.” He smiled his come-and-get-me smile that used to melt her heart. These days, though, it made her sick.

  “So?” She shoved her fists onto her hips, allowing her annoyance at him ruining her first kiss with Jameson to show through. Her heart hammered...she had kissed Jameson. Well, their lips had touched at least. Wait, maybe she should be thanking Wil for breaking that moment. What in the world had she been thinking?

  “Can’t an old friend come a’visiting?”

  Sydney narrowed her eyes, trying to focus on him and not the tingling that still burned her lips.

  “Okay, okay. Dang girl, when did you become so serious?” He chuckled hoarsely, a sound that caused her to cringe.

  When she had spent her summers here, a carefree-Sydney came out, but back home she had always been serious. Guess though he had never really seen that serious side of her. Did that free-spirit-of-a-girl still exist somewhere in her?

  “There’s been reports of criminal activity in and around the county.”

  Fear gripped her heart along with all her thoughts, but she pushed through.

  “Did the Phillips boy tip over the Anderson’s cows again? Or maybe someone is stealing chickens? Should I lock up my hen house at night?” She did her best to fill her voice with sarcasm, but the world felt as if it closed in on her.

  “Oh Sydney, you always have so many questions. Your foolhardy stubbornness of being out here all alone is going to get you in trouble one of these days.” His words trailed off as he met her narrowed eyes.

  “We live in a small, safe community, Wil. What do I have to be worried about?”

  “Looks can be deceiving.” He leaned towards her and lowered his voice. “There’s been gang activity in the area.”

  She tried to hold her laughter in, but it burst forth.

  His look of importance deflated, rapidly replaced by the false cockiness he had acquired over the years.

  “You mean Butch Cassidy is back with his gang?”

  “This isn’t a joke, Sydney.” He hooked his thumbs in his belt buckles, for once his tone subdued.

  Her laughter died instantly as her mind whirled with what this all meant. “What kind of gang would be interested in our small town?”

  “Drug trafficking, what else?” He shrugged and took a step towards her.

  Sydney’s mouth hung open and fear filled her veins. Not again... She looked back to the barn before she caught herself. James couldn’t be involved in a drug gang, could he?

  “And you’re out here, all alone.” His finger reached out to brush her cheek.

  A decade ago that touch would have had her high for a week. Today it caused a shudder of contempt to crawl through her and mix with the trepidation building up. He was a married man, though he hadn’t been forthcoming with that information.

  Her mind traveled to two years ago. She had only been back on the ranch for two months when he came for his first visit. Learning how to run this place without her aunt and uncle took time. Wil had arrived right when she needed help. She had been struggling with a few goats who had gotten loose while Homer had run into town to get parts to fix the fence.

  Wil easily helped her round up and pen the stray goats, coming to her rescue just as he used when they were kids. He had stayed for lunch, and she couldn’t help but notice he wore no ring. She wasn’t quite ready to jump into a relationship after what she had just fled, but she enjoyed the attention and couldn’t stop the hope that crept in her with what became weekly visits.

  It wasn’t until the town gossip who ran the local grocer watched their interaction and clucked her tongue. After Wil left, Sydney had taken her items up to check out.

  “Now Miss Campbell,” the grocer’s shrill voice had admonished her. “You shouldn’t go flirting with married men like that.”

  Heat had burned her cheeks only to drop into the fire that grew in her belly with those words. “Wil is married?” she had asked, barely able to hear her voice over the pounding of her heart.

  “Yes, and to a sweet girl, mind you. It’s been almost five years now.”

  That day she had decided she was finished with men. They were all liars, thieves, and abusers...all but her dear Uncle Joe.

  She took a step back from Wil as her memories flashed through, igniting that fire in her belly which reminded her of her hardened heart. “I’m not alone.”

  Wil’s eyes tilted in mirth. “Sure, Sydney, but animals don’t count.” His chuckle turned into a wheezing cough. He should have put that first cigarette down when she had told him to all those years ago.

  “I have Homer.”

  His eyes scanned the drive where Homer usually parked his quad. “He isn’t here now.”

  “He will be shortly.”

  A thump sounded from the barn, and she turned in time to see Jameson’s shadow leave the knothole. Wil’s eyes shot towards her and then focused intently towards the sound. He took a step towards the barn.

  “If Homer ain’t here, then who’s banging around in that barn?”

  Sydney caught his shoulder, plastering on a smile, hoping that he couldn’t hear her pounding heart. “Just the new kids. They were just born this morning.” She stifled a yawn, something she didn’t have to fake. “I’m exhausted.”

  He hadn’t moved, his stare burning a hole in the barn.

  She slid her hand from his shoulder and down his arm. She quelled the uneasy feeling in her stomach as her fingers wrapped around his hand, a hand that seemed small after Jameson’s. Wil turned his gaze towards her, an eyebrow raised.

  “Why don’t you come out of the rain and have a cup of coffee with me? I need to sit down.” The smile covering her lips felt strained. She
looked away to try to hide that fact from Wil.

  “That is mighty tempting, Sydney.” He twirled a finger in the palm of her hand, and she took a deep breath in to stop the bile rising up. “The boys need me at the office, so I’ll have to take a rain check.” A raspy laugh wheezed from between his lips. “Get it, rain check?”

  “Yeah, I get it.” She never knew smiling could be so painful. She pulled her hand from out of his slimy grasp, trying to stop the reaction of wiping it off on her dirty jeans.

  “If you see anything suspicious, you call me.” He took her chin in his thumb and finger. “Night or day. You got my cell.”

  “Of course,” she said, keeping her voice light and using every bit of her willpower to not tear her face from his grasp.

  His thumb swept across her lips as he took his hand away. “I’ll be back to take you up on that coffee.” He winked as he climbed into his Sheriff’s truck.

  As soon as his truck turned back down the driveway, she wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her jacket and swiped a hand down her now soaked jeans. What a jerk! She narrowed her eyes as the rain covered his tracks, her body shaking in anger.

  “So, that’s your Sheriff?” Jameson’s voice startled her.

  She pulled her eyes off the drive and connected with the brilliant green of his. Drugs and gang activity in the area...could that gang be responsible for leaving Jameson on the side of the road? Fear pounded in her chest, a familiar trembling that she didn’t like.

  “Yeah.”

  “What’s the situation between you two?” That furrow between his brows returned. Was that jealousy lining his voice?

  “Nothing.” She wiped at the rain dripping into her eyes. “There’s nothing between us. He’s married.” She turned and headed towards the house. She needed to sit down before she fell into the mud puddles beneath her boots.

  “He doesn’t act married,” Jameson added as he followed her.

  “Exactly. I told you. I don’t trust him.” She slipped off her boots and hung her dripping jacket from one of the wooden pegs next to the door.

  Jameson mimicked her movements, and then opened the door for her to step through. She froze once inside the house, completely drained. A large, warm hand rested on her shoulder.

  “You’re shaking, Syd.”

  She nodded, unsure if it was from cold, exhaustion, emotional turmoil, fear, or a bit of it all.

  “Go take a hot shower and then rest. I’ll take care of the morning chores.”

  She turned towards him, knowing full well he would read the fear in her eyes, but needing to know. “You heard what Wil said?”

  “Yeah,” he said, letting the word drop as if its heaviness could no longer be held. He put both hands on her shoulders. “We can deal with that after you rest.”

  The heaviness of his hands filled her with an odd feeling of safety and comfort. He had a way of easing her fears and maneuvering her to follow his suggestions. As exhausted as she was, she couldn’t fight it. A warning sounded in her. She would have to watch herself around him.

  “About what happened back in the barn...” Her cheeks burned. She felt foolish bringing it up, but shouldn’t they talk about what happened, or almost happened?

  “Too soon?” His green eyes pierced her as that small crooked smile played on his lips. “I’ll be more careful not let the moment carry me away next time. Now go shower and rest.”

  Her brain felt fuzzy and her heart fluttered. Was that what she wanted? Was it too soon? She shook her sleep-deprived head. He was right, she needed to go rest. “Thank you.” Yet, as she reached the bathroom, she couldn’t stop herself from turning to meet his eyes across the distance once more.

  ~*~

  Jameson waited until he heard the shower turn on before slipping back outside. All he wanted to do at the moment was drop into the couch, but he knew if he allowed himself that luxury he wouldn’t get back up. His mind roared with uneasiness. His hairs stood on end. Something was going to happen, and soon.

  A rock burned within his gut. Something was going to happen, and he put an innocent, kind, amazing woman right smack dab into the middle of it. He should leave right now before the trouble following him found him here. He had no idea where he came from or who left him on the side of the road, but a little tingling inside of him told him he was involved with this gang somehow, and they would be looking for him.

  He slammed his feet into the muddy boots, startling Guardian. The dog looked at him and woofed. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Jameson donned on the slick coat and walked out into the mist. With one look back at the house, Guardian followed.

  “We’ve got to check the perimeter, boy.” Jameson found himself talking to the dog. He reached out and patted the soaked fur. It’s too bad he had to leave. This place had grown on him. Guardian nuzzled into his hand, triggering another memory.

  Jameson was filled with longing. He saw himself as a boy running with a golden retriever. They ran down an open field towards a river. He turned and shouted to the dog to hurry before laughing and continuing onto jump into the cool water.

  “Buddy,” he whispered. He remembered his childhood dog and trips to the river. He was going to get through this. He would remember who he was.

  He scanned the land he had grown fond of, listened to the goats demanding their breakfast, and smiled as a deep, emotional longing filled him. Maybe after all of this had settled he would return. Would Syd want him to?

  ~8~

  Sydney awoke to banging in the kitchen. Her heart raced, and she sat straight up in bed. Bright, mid-day sun shone through the window. She rubbed her blurry eyes and tried to tame her wild hair while memories flooded in.

  Jameson must have gotten hungry. Poor guy. She fell asleep before making him breakfast.

  She shook her head. She wasn’t his wife, nor girlfriend, nor caretaker. In fact, she was nothing to him but a place to sleep and hide out from whatever or whomever was after him. Wil’s words came back to her. Was she putting herself in danger? Wasn’t that why she loved this place so much, to be far away from that kind of life?

  She shoved the thoughts out as she shoved her feet into some clean jeans. She should probably start sleeping in something besides a tank top and panties with Jameson here making himself at home. Heat crept up her neck as she remembered the brief moment their lips touched. She had never had such an innocent touch leave her so charged and weak-kneed.

  She couldn’t let it happen again. Whatever was going on, she didn’t want to be dragged into the middle of it. She didn’t know if she could recover from another event like that.

  Rounding the hall into the kitchen, she found Jameson standing in the middle of the room, an endearing look of bewilderment on his face. He had a loaf of homemade uncut bread, paper wrapped ham, mayo, a tomato, and lettuce all sitting on the counter.

  “Hey,” he said as he saw her watching him. A soft pink filled his cheeks as he looked at the items scattered throughout the kitchen.

  “Forgot how to make a sandwich?” she asked, not able to hide a grin.

  His face fell for an instant, and immediately she regretted the words. Mental note, Don’t joke about forgetting things with someone who has amnesia.

  “Go, sit.” She pushed him lightly towards the table.

  “I can do it.” He squared his shoulders, not budging.

  “I’m sure you can, but it’s the least I can do since you just did my chores while I slept the morning away.”

  His ego still intact, he gave a small grin before shuffling to the table. A yawn spread through him as he stretched up, his long arms making it easy for his fingertips to brush the ceiling. His size made this house feel small. He lifted his eyebrows when he saw her watching him. A rush of heat filled her cheeks as she busied herself with making lunch.

  “How were the hens? Were there many eggs?” she asked, hoping to distract them both.

  “Only one.”

  “Well, that’s pretty normal with the storm we just ha
d.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his head nod, then his hand reach down to pet Mr. Paws. The cat jumped onto his lap, and Jameson relaxed back in his chair while mindlessly stroking the purring feline. He kept his eyes trained out the window until she set a plate in front of him.

  “Thank you,” he said, meeting her gaze. Sorrow and loss lived in his eyes. What had he been thinking about?

  “You’re welcome. Thank you for helping out. I can’t believe how long I slept.”

  He gifted her another grin before taking a bite. Once he had cleared his mouth enough to speak, he said, “It’s the least I can do. It has been kind of you to allow me to stay here.”

  The way he said it made her feel like he was saying goodbye. Her heart froze, along with her hand holding the sandwich. The bite she had just taken stuck in her throat. No matter how many times she attempted, the food couldn’t get past the lump that had immediately formed there.

  “It would be advisable for me to move on.” He set his lunch down and looked back out the window.

  After several swallows of water, her food finally found its way to her stomach, where it sat heavy, almost as heavy as the doom that filled the air. How could she both fear him leaving and staying? She didn’t know, but that fear sent her skin in a wash of prickly goosebumps.

  “Where would you go?” She barely whispered the words, afraid that they would set into motion the turmoil that seemed to be hovering over them.

  He shrugged. “Whatever part I play in all this, I don’t want to put you into harm’s way.”

  The intensity in his eyes held her captive. She wanted to beg him to stay. She wanted to tell him that she could handle anything thrown at her. Yet fear-laden memories engulfed her. Before she could stop, she relived the terrifying day.

  She had finished dinner she had made for her then-boyfriend and was on her way to the bathroom when men in black, armored suits and masks broke into her house, shoved guns in her face and yelled at her to get down, put her hands on her head.