Cowboys-Dont-Dance (13 page)

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Cowboys Don't Dance

93

Before she could make up her mind what to do about the fire inside her, Jesse pushed his fingers through his hair once more.

“You’re kidding. Come on, baby, tell me this is a joke.”

“No. I’m sick of hiding how I feel, and I don’t like being someone’s whore. I deserve better. I need someone who loves and respects me. You’re not worth the pain.”

Jesse closed his eyes. “So you’re saying it’s over.”

“That’s what I just said.”

He lay there. “Who called you a whore?”

“No one. I feel like one. I don’t want to keep having an affair with a man who’s engaged.”

Jesse’s frown deepened. He opened his mouth to say something, and Angela stopped him. “I think it’s best if you leave now.”

“Can’t we talk about this?”

“What’s there to say? You are engaged to another woman. You are supposed to be married. Where do I fit into the picture? I’m done being your plaything.”

“But you’re not—”

“The fact is, I don’t belong to you. Let’s not pretend this is going to work out. I don’t want to get in the way or come between you and Lydia.”

“You don’t.”

“You and I’ve been friends for years, and I don’t want the sex to ruin what little is left of our friendship. You mean too much to me.”

“I can’t believe you feel that way.”

“Please just go.”

“If that’s the way you feel. I guess there isn’t anything more to be said.” He stood. Angela couldn't understand why he continued to frown. He seemed about to say something, but she didn't want her love for him to influence her into changing her mind. She needed to remain strong. She didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. All his words would do is break her fragile resolve.

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94

Missy Lyons and Cherie Denis

She picked up his weathered hat from the floor and handed it to him, careful not to touch his hand. Jesse, shoulders slumped, jammed the hat on his head. “Angela?”

“No. We’ve said enough. I want you and Lydia to be happy together, and this is the only way to handle things. As far as I’m concerned, nothing ever happened between us.”

“I can’t believe you feel this way. If you’d just give me a minute to change your mind, Angie.”

“I can’t, Jesse. Don’t you see…I can’t.” She begged him silently to not say another word. She didn’t want to cry in front of him.

“This isn’t done yet, Angie.”

“Yes, it is.”

Then Angela did the hardest thing she’d ever done in her life. She closed the door on Jesse and the part of her heart that held him close.

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Cowboys Don't Dance

95

“Hey, buddy.” Jesse gave a friendly wave to his friend, Beau, after he hopped the white fence. He dusted off his leather chaps after his fall from Max a Million. Two cowboys from his staff ran after the bull to corral the stubborn animal. Jesse didn’t watch. His crew knew how to do their job. He paid them plenty to make sure they would.

It took a team to make a working ranch successful, and when they weren’t watching the ranch, they helped him on the rodeo circuit. He had the best pit-crew on the road.

“Don’t you ‘hey, buddy’ me.” Beau’s icy glare froze Jesse in his tracks.

Something had Beau’s dander up. “Something wrong?”

“You!” In an instant, Beau’s fist connected with Jesse’s jaw and knocked him flat on his ass.

"What the hell?" Jesse sat up and rubbed his chin.

First, Angela broke it off with him and now this.

Was the entire world going crazy?

“What the hell’s the matter with you?” Jesse wiped his nose on his work glove. No blood, yet. The punch had sure as hell hurt like the devil. Jesse couldn't believe his jaw wasn't broken.

“You slept with my sister! What the hell is the matter with you?

Are you crazy? She's just a kid.”

Oh shit.
"She's not a kid anymore, Beau."

Jesse should have kept his mouth shut, and he knew he'd screwed up the minute the words were out of his mouth. Still on the ground, Jesse crab-scrabbled to get out of Beau’s line of fire. A fine cloud of dust rose, and Beau coughed. Jesse began to feel safe, when without Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

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96

Missy Lyons and Cherie Denis

warning, Beau jumped on him. The big man sat on Jesse’s gut, knocking the air out of him. Beau held Jesse down with his weight, grabbed Jesse by the front of his shirt and let loose with a roundhouse swing.

Crack!

The force of the punch knocked him off balance

“Whoa!” Jesse worked his hands free from under Beau’s knees, scraping layers of skin in the process. “Son-of-a-bitch, Beau. What the hell is wrong with you?”

Beau drew back his fist to hit him again, and Jesse covered his face with aching hands. Pain scattered his thoughts and ricocheted through his skull. One more hit with Beau’s rock hard fist and Jesse knew he’d have a concussion. He’d had enough of them to know he didn’t want another one. “Knock it off, man.”

A horse whinnied, and Beau lost concentration. Jesse took advantage of the distraction and wriggled out from under Beau. He rolled away and jumped to his feet. Fists ready to fly, Jesse braced himself. “So I slept with your sister. I didn’t hurt her. One morning our friendship changed into something else. One thing led to another and—”

“And what? You couldn’t resist breaking her heart? You’re a yellow-bellied, no good, lying, redneck shit-head. You were the one man on the planet I thought I could trust around my baby sister. Boy, was I wrong.” Beau spit on the ground, madder than a bear surrounded by a swarm of hornets.

Beau took a wide swing, but this time Jesse dodged. They circled each other. Beau looked for an opening, and Jesse, fists up protecting his face, waiting for the next attack.

What the fuck?

Was everyone going crazy today?

“You’re right, Beau. I’m nothing but an asshole.”

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Cowboys Don't Dance

97

An upper cut caught Jesse on the chin. “I know I’m right. A good man wouldn’t be stringing along my baby sister when he planned to marry another woman.”

“You mean Lydia? Hell. She’s downright evil. I broke it off with her as soon as I started seeing Angie.”

“Fight! The boss is in a fight!” Two stable hands ran toward the men to help break up the fight. Beau ignored them and kept on swinging.

Jesse had enough of all the dancing around, and he needed to end the fight. That meant knocking out Beau or restraining him, and he didn’t want to hurt his friend. Beau was his best friend, and he understood how Beau felt about his sister.

“Oh yeah, Angie told me how Lydia warned her off. She didn’t sound like a woman scorned to me. She looked pretty damn happy out there on the dance floor Saturday night.”

“It's over between us. I’d all ready promised to take Lydia to the contest, and I didn’t want to waste all the dance lessons Angie had given me.”

“Dance lessons, hell!”

“Honest. She gave me dance lessons.” And, everything else she could—her mind, body and spirit. Jesse also had a sinking feeling she’d given him her heart as well. “I didn’t want to break the date and make her daddy angry. You know I need his signature on the water rights deal or my ranch is going to be in deep trouble.”

“Was it worth it?” Beau growled. For a big man, he moved quicker than a rattler. He slipped in under Jesse’s guard, wrapping his arms around Jesse’s upper body. Beau lifted him in the air and would have thrown Jesse to the ground if two of the ranch hands hadn’t jumped in the fray and pulled Beau off of Jesse. The two men dragged Beau a few feet away from Jesse, awaiting directions from the boss.

“What do you mean? Was it worth it? You lost me, Beau.” Jesse searched his friend’s face for a hint of what was going on in his head.

“You broke her heart, you jerk.”

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98

Missy Lyons and Cherie Denis

“I did no such thing. Angie is the one who broke it off with me.”

“So you could be free to be happy with Lydia.”

“But I am in love with Angela.”

“You are?” Beau shook off the two men, but made no move to attack Jesse again. “Did you tell her you loved her?”

“No. She made her feelings clear. It’s over, and I can’t change that. As much as I want to.”

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Cowboys Don't Dance

99

“Angie, I’m so glad you came.”

“Don’t get any funny ideas, Jesse. I just came to give you back your jacket.”

“I know.” He put a gentle hand on her arm. She was shaking.

“Now, don’t get upset, Angie, but I invited Lydia to meet with us today.”

“You invited her? Here? Knowing I was coming over?”

“Yeah, Angie, there’s some things I need to clear up between us, and you’re going to listen.”

* * * *

“Lydia, I heard about what you did to Angie the other day.”

“Why, whatever do you mean?” Lydia’s bright, red glossy lips pouted.

Jesse wanted so much to smack her silly, but his mom had raised him to respect women. Even a lying bitch like Lydia. “I’m not stupid, Lydia. I found out you told Angie to stay away from me because you and I are getting married.”

“Jesse, you have to understand—”

“No, you have to understand. What we had is over. I told you weeks ago we were through. I only agreed to take you to the dance contest because your daddy begged me to, or he wouldn’t sign the water rights deal.”

“Well, I don’t think we’re through, Jesse. You asked me to marry you, and I’m planning on doing just that in about three week’s time.

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100

Missy Lyons and Cherie Denis

The invitations have been sent out and everything has been ordered.

You can’t get out of it now, mister. You’re mine.”

“I never asked you to marry me and if I were you, lady, I’d be making a whole lot of phone calls because you’re gonna be canceling that great big ol’ wedding you’re planning. I told you we're through, and I haven’t changed my mind. In fact, after the way you’ve treated Angie, I wouldn’t marry you for a million dollars. I don’t want to be married to a shrew for the rest of my life.”

Was Angela listening? It was awful quiet behind him. Had she left and not heard Lydia?

Afraid of what he’d find, Jesse forced himself to turn around.

Angela stood behind him with her sweet lips partway open, and her eyes glazed. “You okay, baby?”

She nodded, closed her mouth and swallowed with a gulp.

Speechless Angela? He couldn’t believe it.

Not to be forgotten, Lydia sobbed. She should have been an actress. Jesse had no sympathy for her.

“Look, Lydia, don’t use tears. They won’t work on me. I know for a fact you’ve been sleeping with Martin Willford for years. Did you think you could hide your unfaithfulness from me in this town?”

Lydia shrugged. Her tears dried up magically.

“Why don’t you marry him?” Jesse asked. “Willford’s a good, hardworking guy, and he doesn’t seem to mind your antics. Heck. He must even be pretty good in bed if you’ve been sleeping with him all these years.”

“You’re a hateful creep, Jesse Burke!” Lydia grabbed a Kleenex from the box Jesse kept on the kitchen counter. She patted her nose and sniffed. “He’s a hell of a lot bigger and a better lover than you will ever be, Jesse.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “But, he’s always broke.”

“So my suspicions were right…the only thing you loved about me was my money.”

“I never loved you. Marrying you would have ruined my life.”

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Cowboys Don't Dance

101

Lydia smirked but remained silent.

“Apologize,” Jesse demanded.

“Sorry,” Lydia mumbled.

“I’m sure you can do better, Lydia. Remember your mother thinks you’re a lady. I’d hate to tell her she's wrong. It would break her heart.”

“I’m sorry, Angela. I didn’t mean to wreck your romance with Jesse, but I couldn’t stand to see him be happy when I wasn’t.” Lydia wrung her hands. “I don’t know what else you want me to say, Jesse.”

Jesse took Angela’s hand.

“I’m very sorry,” Lydia continued after a moment’s thought. “I hope you’ll be terribly happy together. May you live long and prosper.” She gave Jesse an eye-brow raised smirk. “Good enough for you, big guy?”

“I guess it will have to do. Now get the hell out of here and don’t come back.”

“Before I go…you owe me money for the wedding.”

“You knew the wedding wasn't going to happen before you sent out invitations.” Jesse laughed and laughed until Angela had to pound him on the back. He took a deep breath. “No fucking way am I paying for your wedding. Like I told you, go talk to Willford. I’m sure he’d be happy to be the groom.

“I don’t want to ever see you near Angela. I know this is a small town, so if you do run into each other, you’d better be downright sweet or move to the other side of the street. ‘Cause if I hear you’ve offended Angie in any way, I’ll see you regret it.”

“I’ve never been so insulted in my life.”

“Good. Now, go.” Jesse pointed to the door.

* * * *

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