brides for brothers 04 - cowboy surrender (16 page)

“Is he? Want me to show you?” He tugged on her hands to pull her toward him.

“No! I don’t need a demonstration. I was there the first time, remember?” She pulled her hands free and put them on Jake’s chest to keep him apart from her.

“Yes, ma’am, you surely were,” he drawled, his grin widening.

“Jake, you’re getting off the subject here. What are we going to do? Stage another fight? If I go with you tonight, everyone will assume…” There was no point in saying it. Jake knew as well as she did. “I just can’t go.”

“Well, I’m not telling Lucy. She’s been cooking all day and is excited about the party. And Mildred is the one who said you’d go.”

“Mildred?” B.J. gasped, feeling betrayed. “Why would she do that? She knows we were only pretending.”

“I reckon she heard the same gossip my sisters-in-law did. And they all believed it.”

B.J. closed her eyes in despair. “You mean they
wanted
to believe it. Didn’t you tell them we were pretending?”

“Nope. It’s none of their business.”

Her fingers were still resting on his hard chest, growing warmer each minute. She wanted to splay her hands against his muscles, feel him pressed against him. When she realized where her thoughts were taking her, she jerked her hands away. “Jake—”

“Hi, Mr. Jake.”

They both looked to the porch, to discover Toby leaning against the post, a wistful look on his face.

“Hi, sweetie, I was just coming in,” B.J. said, and tried to move past Jake.

He blocked her way, his hands going to her waist. “How are you, Toby? Your mom said you were waiting until your birthday to wear your hat.”

“I didn’t think I should since I’m not five yet,” Toby said soberly.

Jake grinned that lopsided smile that always caused her stomach to flip over, and B.J. knew her son wouldn’t be able to resist it. “I think you’re being a really good boy, Toby. I don’t think I showed such discipline when I was your age.”

Toby, as B.J. expected, returned Jake’s smile. “I’ve been really good, Mr. Jake. I haven’t had to stand in the corner or anything.”

“Good for you, son. Will you be ready for the Halloween party on Friday? Got your monster costume ready?”

Before Toby could answer, B.J. whispered, “Jake, let me by.”

She was a little surprised when he readily stepped aside, but he immediately looped an arm around her shoulders and walked with her to the porch.

“Yeah. I’m gonna be
real
scary!”

“All right! And you’re going to stay with Red and Mildred again tonight?”

Jake ignored B.J.’s attempts to shrug off his arm, but she saw Toby staring at them. She’d explained so carefully that she and Jake wouldn’t be kissing again. How would Toby interpret Jake’s behavior?

“Mommy said she wasn’t going to go places with you anymore,” Toby said slowly, continuing to stare at them.

Jake looked down at her, one eyebrow sliding up before he turned his attention back to her son. “Well, Toby, it’s like this. Your mom was unhappy with me. But ladies change their minds all the time. I told her I was sorry.”

“Oh. Like when I’ve been bad and I say I’m sorry?”

Jake nodded, still smiling.

Toby really grinned. “Oh, good. ’Cause Mommy always kisses me and forgives me.”

“Exactly.” He came to a stop, pulling B.J. around to face him. Leaning closer, he whispered, “We’ll figure out what to do later. But you’ll have to come tonight if you’re not going to upset Lucy.” Then he brushed his lips across hers, lightly this time. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

He waved to Toby and strode across the yard, leaving B.J. standing like a statue, her mind seething with ways to punish the man. He was driving her crazy!

A
FTER DINNER
that evening at the Turnbulls’, B.J. followed the rest of the women into the kitchen. Though Lucy protested she didn’t need any help, they ignored her.

B.J. wasn’t reluctant to help, but she was hesitant to be alone with her friends. She’d felt all of them watching her and Jake all evening. If he so much as touched her hand, everyone’s eyes had been trained on them.

To be alone with the women now meant she would have to answer questions. And she had no answers. None at all.

She’d tried to come up with a reason for refusing to attend, but Jake was right She couldn’t refuse without appearing terribly rude. And she couldn’t be angry with Mildred. After all, she had been told about the morning’s events. It was B.J.’s fault, hers and Jake’s, that everyone thought they were dating again.

That stupid kiss.

The one in front of everyone.

She’d told Mildred again this evening, before she left, that the kiss was a mistake, that she and Jake weren’t—whatever. Mildred had apologized for accepting the invitation for her, but there had been a look in her aunt’s eyes that told B.J. she hadn’t convinced her.

“What a lovely dinner, Lucy,” Megan said as she carried dirty dishes to the sink. “I’d love the recipe for that casserole. Did you see the way Chad ate it? I don’t dare tell Red.”

“I’d be glad to give you a copy of it. It’s one of my mother’s.” Lucy began organizing the dishes and rinsing them.

“This has been so much fun,” Janie said.

“We don’t socialize enough,” Lucy agreed. “But we have the party at your house in two days. Are you all ready ?”

“Almost,” Janie said. “Of course, we have Red and Mildred to handle a lot of the work.” She looked at B.J. out of the corner of her eye. “Mildred is a godsend.”

“Yes, she’s wonderful, isn’t she?” B.J. agreed, hoping the conversation would stay on the party.

“Yeah. Will you miss her when she and Red marry?” Anna asked.

Uh-oh. B.J. got nervous whenever the subject turned to marriage. “Of course we’ll miss her, but we’ll manage. We want Mildred to be happy.”

“It’s so nice, the way things have worked out,” Anna said with a happy sigh. “No one’s alone while the rest of us are happy.”

Stark silence followed her words. B.J. was careful not to look at anyone.

Finally Megan said, “Anna didn’t mean to leap to conclusions, B.J., but you know we’re all hopeful that you and Jake—”

“Jake and I are friends, that’s all. It’s awkward around here not to be a couple.” B.J. hoped they believed her.

“Then you’re not—” Lucy began, and then halted, blushing. “I mean, the other night we got the impression that the two of you—That is, you seem to make such a nice couple.”

“No! No, we’re not a couple. There’s nothing between us. In fact, I would describe our relationship as a, uh, professional one. I work as Jake’s vet, and that’s all.”

B.J. was standing with her back to the door to the dining room and didn’t realize anyone was entering until strong arms wrapped around her and Jake kissed her cheek.

“Hi, honey. You got dishpan hands yet?”

Closing her eyes, B.J. fought to hold back a groan. Had he heard her words? Or was he still role-playing? She’d noticed during the dinner he had treated her much as his brothers treated their wives, but he hadn’t caressed her in any way. There had been a gentle playfulness, but no actual flirtation. Until now. How could she explain this?

“Jake!” she protested even as the others chuckled.

“What?” he asked, turning her around to face him.

“I just explained to the others that we’re not—not a couple! Now what are they going to think?” Better to face him than the knowing smiles on her friends’ faces.

“Probably that I can’t keep my hands off you. That’s what the guys are saying.” He grinned as if he were happy about their conclusion.

“Stop acting!” She spun around to the women. “Really, Jake’s just teasing. We’re not a couple.”

Instead of backing her up, Jake drawled, “Well, honey, we’re a couple in the sense that there’s two of us. But we’re not a couple who’s going to get married. We’ve both tried marriage, and I, for one, can do without that complication in my life.”

B.J. should’ve been pleased as she watched the happiness fade from her friends’ expressions. After all, Jake had done a good job of explaining their situation. But her heart felt heavy. Probably because Jake had kind of left it hanging that they might have a relationship, just not a legal one.

“Sometimes it’s awkward to be alone when everyone else is a couple. Jake and I are helping each other out,” she added, stepping away from him before her body gave her away.

She sat down at the kitchen table and looked at Jake. His eyes narrowed, as if in challenge to her words. She couldn’t imagine what he had to complain about. She’d only echoed his sentiments.

“But, Jake, surely you don’t compare B.J. to Chloe? Can’t you see that B.J. is our kind? That she’d make a wonderful wife?” Janie insisted.

“Janie!” B.J. protested.

“Janie,” Jake joined her in saying, but he continued, “I told the boys to warn you about matchmaking. I’m happy the way I am. There are enough happy couples and babies at our house. Leave well enough alone.” By the time he finished, his voice was stern.

Turning to Lucy, he said, “I apologize for letting family things intrude, Lucy. You fixed a wonderful meal, and we all enjoyed ourselves. I came in here to ask if you ladies weren’t going to join us. We’re lonesome.”

His dramatic complaint raised laughter that eased an awkward moment, and there was a general movement toward the door.

“We’ve finished,” Lucy said. “We wouldn’t want you men to be lonesome.”

B.J. moved faster than the others. Right now she didn’t care if Jake was lonesome or not. In fact, she would like him to be lonesome! But she also didn’t want to be alone with him.

An hour later, she couldn’t avoid him, since he’d driven the two of them to Ben and Lucy’s. She’d tried to catch a ride with one of his brothers, but Jake made sure she didn’t succeed.

Once they were alone in the truck, he turned to her. “What are you trying to do? Embarrass me in front of my brothers?” he demanded, anger in his voice.

“Why not? You embarrassed me in front of my friends.” She refused to look at him.

“What are you talking about? I didn’t do any such thing.” He gunned the engine and roared down the driveway to the road.

“You
implied
that we were going to have an affair, or were already. I don’t appreciate my reputation being smeared.”

“Maybe your reputation wouldn’t be smeared. Maybe it would be boosted if everyone thought you were having an affair with me.”

There was a challenge in his voice, but B.J. wasn’t intimidated. “How arrogant! Do you think you’re that wonderful?”

“Nope. But I think you’ve gotten a reputation for being a cold fish.”

She was stunned by his words. “What are you talking about?”

“A lot of the guys have asked you out, flirted with you, but you haven’t responded.”

“How can you—?” She turned bright red as she thought about her response to this man.

“Hey, I’m not complaining, lady. If you responded any more to my kisses, we would know each other a lot better than we do. But you’ll have to admit you don’t usually let anyone get that close.”

Now her cheeks were flame red, and she stared straight ahead of her into the darkness. “I didn’t think it would be a good idea to mix business with—with pleasure. I don’t like to date my customers.”

“I think maybe you’re just afraid to get close to anyone. I’m wondering if maybe your marriage wasn’t as good as you’d like people to believe.” His voice cut through the shadows, making her angrier.

She wasn’t interested in discussing her marriage with Jake Randall. It was none of his business. Going on the attack, she said, “I don’t think you have any room to talk, Jake. Your marriage wasn’t a blueribbon winner.”

“Nope. But I never pretended it was. That’s why I don’t intend to marry again.”

“I think you’ve made that abundantly clear. And I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your distance. That flirting routine you pulled in the kitchen has to stop!”

“Hey, I thought you wanted people to think we were dating. I was only playing the game.”

“The game is over. I told you!”

He turned off the road onto Randall property without responding to her curt words. She didn’t care. Too many times she’d let him touch her, even encouraged him, but now the touching had to stop.

Everything had to stop. No more pretense.

No more Jake.

“Just like that?”

“Yes, just like that. If anyone has the audacity to ask what happened, just tell them you dumped me.” She didn’t care if people thought Jake didn’t want her. It was the truth. He didn’t want her forever, and that was the only way she could consider—She shook her head to dismiss such silly hopes.

“I’m not sure they’ll believe me, since I haven’t been able to keep my hands off of you,” he growled.

“They will if you’ll keep your distance.”

“Hey, I’m not the only one who needs this lecture. You didn’t exactly fight me off, honey. Maybe I wouldn’t keep coming back if you ever said no.” He pulled his truck to a stop. His brothers and their wives were right behind them in the sedan. When B.J. reached for the door handle, she discovered Jake’s hand over hers. “Wait,” he said in a low voice.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t think we’ve finished this discussion.”

“Yes, we have, Jake. There’s nothing more to discuss, nothing more to do. I’ll keep my distance. You keep your insinuations to yourself. It’s over.”

“Fine!” he snapped, releasing her hand. “And next time don’t involve me in your schemes!”

Her mouth worked as she tried to find the words to lambast him. Finally she sputtered, “You started it!”

“You continued it!” he returned.

In the light from the porch, she could see his eyes snap with anger. She pretended she didn’t care. After all, she was fighting for survival, hopefully with her heart intact. “So we’ll
both
finish it. Good night, Jake!”

This time he didn’t stop her from opening the truck door. She slid out and ran the short distance to her house and safety.

A
S SOON AS
the Randall men left the house the next morning, Mildred and Red joined the female side of the family at the breakfast table.

“How did it go last night?” Red asked.