Cowboy Love (18 page)

"But I love you, and I want to be with you," Jack said on the other end.

She turned her back to Tanner, whispering into the phone. "I don't care if you say you love me. You cheated on me for God's sake. Why can't you leave me alone? You aren't going to be faithful, so just stop this."

"I want to see you."

Her voice quivered as she tried to keep Tanner from hearing what she said.

"I love you. I miss you."

"Just for a minute, Amy, please? I'll come up so we can talk."

"I'll talk to you later, Jack. I can't talk about this right now. No, don't come up here. I need to think and I can't do that with you here. I'll call you tomorrow," she murmured. "Bye."

She turned back around to face Tanner. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

He walked over to her and put his arms around her, pulling her to his chest. "It's all right."

"This isn't fair to you," she said, shaking her head. "You shouldn't have gotten involved with me. I'm afraid I'll end up hurting you in the end and I don't want to do that."

He ran his hands up and down her spine as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her face to his shoulder as tears burned the back of her eyes.

"I knew you had just gotten out of a relationship when we met. I didn't think things would happen this fast between us, not that I'm complainin'. I won't pressure you."

Her heart clenched at his words.
I wish I'd never met Jack Miller.
"I wish I had met you first," she whispered against his neck, before her lips traced along the column. She desperately wanted to reassure him, but her heart felt split in two.

"It probably wouldn't be a good idea to start that now. Dinner on the stove, remember?"

"Oh crap! I forgot!" She stepped back from him and headed back into the kitchen.

* * * *

He smiled as he saw her bustling around the stove, but then a frown settled on his face. He really didn't like the idea of her talking with this guy, Jack. She sounded too vulnerable on the phone, vulnerable to persuasion.

"I'll be right back. I want to get somethin' out of my truck." He pulled on his boots and headed for the door.

"Okay. Supper should be ready in a few minutes so don't be gone long."

He grabbed his keys, walked out the front door, and headed for the elevator. The doors opened and he stepped in, punching the button for the bottom floor. With any luck, this Jack character would still be hanging around outside. He wanted to have a little conversation with him.

The elevator opened and he walked toward the front doors. George talked with someone who appeared to be agitated. The man yelled and argued with the guard, his belligerent tone reaching Tanner before he had even got close to the desk.

"I'm sorry, sir, I can't let you go up there without permission from the resident."

"Why the hell not? It's not like I haven't been up there before and you know I have. You've seen me with Amy on several occasions." Tanner's steps slowed as he got near the man. At the mention of Amy's name, curiosity got the better of him, and he walked closer.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Miller. You can't go up to Ms. Russell's apartment without her permission," George reiterated.

The condescending tone he gave the security officer made anger race through Tanner. No one deserved to be treated like that, especially someone hard-working and only looking out for the residents of the building.

He walked up behind the man saying, "Hi, George."

"Well, good evening, Mr. Lewis," George responded, tipping his hat to Tanner.

"I'm going to run out to my truck for a minute, before I head back up to Amy's. I'll be right back," Tanner said, making sure the man standing in front of the security desk knew who he meant.

"Amy? You mean Amy Russell?" Jack grabbed Tanner's arm before he could turn away.

"Yeah," he growled, pulling his arm out of the other man's grasp, suppressing the urge to wipe off Jack's touch.

"Who the hell are you?" Jack yelled in his face.

"The man who will be lyin' next to her tomorrow mornin'." They stood toe-to-toe as Tanner balled his hands into fits at his sides, trying to keep his temper in check.

Raking Tanner with his gaze, Jack replied, "Well, well. She's hooked up with some nobody, has she? A step down, I'd say."

"At least I'm not about to cheat on her."

"You bastard."

"Actually, no. My parents were married at my conception. What about yours?"

Jack stepped back, apparently looking to take a swing as Tanner growled, "I wouldn't if I were you."

Jack dropped his fists and took a couple of steps back as he snarled, "Stay away from her."

"Not on your life," he snapped, his chest heaving from the tight rein he held on his temper.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you weren't the one sharin' the shower with her several minutes ago." He smiled at the look of shock that rippled across Jack's face.
Let him wonder.

Jack lost control of his temper, and swung but missed connecting with Tanner's face. The younger, more agile one, he sidestepped and brought his fist up, placing his well-aimed knuckles against Jack's chin. The other cowboy hit the floor, skidding across the tile several feet before he was out cold. Tanner stood over him waiting, hoping he would move so he could hit him again, but he lay silently in the same spot.

"Mr. Lewis, you had better go on back up to Ms. Amy's place. I have to call an ambulance and the police. I don't want you to get into trouble. I'm aware he swung first, but I'm sure there will be a stink."

"Thanks, George." He smiled at the security guard as his anger dissipated and he flexed the knuckles of his hand. "Let me know if the police want to talk to me.”

"No problem. I like Ms. Amy, and I didn't like seeing her with this no good guy in the first place.”

He stuck out his hand and George took it in a firm handshake before he headed back for the elevator and the beautiful girl he'd left upstairs. When he reached her floor and the door slid open, she stood on the other side.

"Where did you go? Timbuktu?"

Tanner smiled as he grabbed her around the waist and dropped his head so he could take her lips with his. He needed to feel her against him, wanted to feel her respond to him like she'd done before.

"No, just downstairs for a minute."

"It took you long enough. The food is ready."

"Good, I'm hungry," he said, following her through the door.

She had already set the table with two plates and dished up the food, setting a beer down for him and some wine for her. He pulled out her chair and after she sat down, she picked up her fork.

Tanner moved to his own chair, grabbed the beer and took a long sip before setting it back down.

When she saw the blood across his knuckles, she asked, "What happened to your hand?"

"It's nothin'."

"It's not nothing, Tanner, you're bleeding." She stood and went back into the kitchen, returning a moment later with a wet paper towel and some ice.

"Amy, its fine." He could tell by the look on her face when she realized what he had done.

"You met Jack downstairs, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Releasing a heavy sigh and rolling her eyes, she murmured, "Men! You knew he was downstairs and you just had to go down and confront him." She tenderly wiped the blood from his hand and placed the ice across his knuckles. "I should kick your butt for doing this," she murmured. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I care about you and he hurt you," Tanner replied, wondering how she couldn't understand.
Doesn't she realize how much I care about her?
"You said you were going to call him later."

"You don't need to get involved in this, Tanner. This is between me and Jack."

"Bullshit!" The look on her face almost enough to make him laugh, almost. "Do you love him?" He pulled his hand out of her grasp.

"I don't know, Tanner. I'm confused." She stood and walked over to the sliding glass door.

"After all he's done to you and you still care about him?" He stepped behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"I don't know what I want anymore."

"I can't help you make up your mind. I care about you, but I won't try to compete with him for your affections. We're good together."

"Don't you think I know that? Don't you think I know he's not good for me? He cheated on me and abused me."

"What do you mean, he abused you?"

"I didn't tell you this before, but he smacked me around a little. I got tired of it and when I found out he had been sleeping around, that just sealed the deal and I left."

"How can you think about being with him?"

"I don't know. I wish I did."

"I wish I knew what to say. He used you. He took your love and crushed it." He slid his hands down her arms, making goose bumps raise along the surface.

"I wish I'd never met him. I know I shouldn't ever want to see him again, but…" she whispered, turning so she could look into his face.

"I think I should go. You don't need me here complicatin' things." He dropped his hands and turned to leave.

"I don't want you to," she murmured. "Please stay."

God, the look on her face tore him up inside. He knew what it felt like to love someone who ripped his heart to pieces and didn't care where the tattered remains landed. Diane had done that to him. He was beginning to care for Amy more than he wanted to, but she didn't know what she wanted.

"I think its best I head for home. You need to decide what you want before anythin' more happens between us. I'll call you when I get there," he said, gathering his belongings. He almost changed his mind when he heard Amy whimper behind him, but he didn't, he couldn't. She needed to figure things out and as long as he stayed, he was afraid it would sway her one way or the other. If she decided she indeed wanted to be with the other guy, it would hurt.

"Please don't go."

"I can't stay, Amy. You need to decide what you want."

He grabbed his bag and headed for the front door as she followed on his heels. As he reached the opening, he turned and pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her before stepping back.

Caressing her face with his eyes, he whispered, "I'll call you when I get home." The door shut behind him, but he could hear the heavy sobs on the other side. Forcing his feet to move, he moved toward the elevator as he resisted the urge to turn around.

As he reached the main lobby, the police were finishing up their report so he stopped and gave them a statement. They didn't hold him after he supplied them his phone number and address, since George corroborated his story of self-defense.

He felt like his heart was breaking in two as he looked up at the black windows of Amy's apartment complex before he started his truck and pulled out onto the dark highway.

Chapter 13

True to his word, Tanner called her when he got home but the conversation came out short and clipped with frustration.

"I guess you're home." Her voice sounded curt and hoarse from crying, even to her own ears.

"Yeah, I just rolled in."

"I'm glad you made it okay. The drive wasn't bad, I guess."

"Maybe I can drive down myself in a couple of weeks."

"I suppose," he answered, noncommittal.

"If you don't want to see me, say so." Her voice rose as the anger built in her chest.

"I want to, but I think you need to take some time away from me and from your other friend. You said you are confused about your feelin's for him and I assume for me, too."

"I care about you, Tanner. I don't want to lose what we started."

"But I don't want you to be with me on the rebound. If you are in love with him, then you need to do what you need to do."

"I'm not in love with him."

"That's not what you said."

"I didn't say I'm in love with him, either. I said I'm confused. I know I'm tired of being used. He just wants a plaything, and I don't want to be his toy of the week. I want someone who cares about me for me. Can you be that guy?"

"I can be anythin' you need me to be, but I'm not gonna be your second choice. Give it a couple of weeks. Okay?"

"All right, I won't call you or anything." A lump formed in her throat as she choked on tears. "I miss you already."

"I know. I miss you, too. I'll talk to you in a couple of weeks."

"A couple of weeks. It's going to be hard."

"Well if it's meant to be, then two weeks isn't too long."

"Yeah…well, I better go. I've got a lot of thinking to do. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye," she whispered. The tears came again as the final click echoed in her ear, signaling the end of their conversation and maybe the end of their relationship, too. She hoped with all her heart it wasn't the latter as the silence stretched into the darkness of the night.

* * * *

She avoided Jack like the plague until she ran into him at a rodeo her and Jason competed in a week after Tanner left, sporting a huge bruise to his jaw. Amy didn't ask him about it, but she smiled behind her hand, knowing Tanner stood up for her. Having that hunky cowboy on her side, felt wonderful.

Chris rarely went with her to shows, but this competition, her friend tagged along. Amy shivered as Jack sauntered by and gave her a wicked grin on his way to the arena.

"I really hate him, but it makes me wonder how he got that big bruise on his chin."

"Tanner gave it to him."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No." She went on to tell Chris about the incident, filling her in on the details.

"I'm confused. You didn't see what happened?"

"No, but that's the impression I got."

"Wait, a minute. Tanner spent the weekend with you?" Amy blushed.

"Don't read more into this than there is. We aren't serious or anything."

"Sure. I can tell by the blush on your cheeks. You two slept together, didn't you?" Chris questioned and Amy's blush deepened. "It's not something to be embarrassed by, Am. I'm glad you two hooked up."