Secret Pressure (Rhinestone Cowgirls Book 4) (3 page)

Diane crushed her lips to his and he didn’t pull away right then. He parted her mouth with his tongue, telling his mind to stop overthinking and his dick to respond.
Nothing.
Maybe he needed to put his back into it. He reached up and squeezed her breast. She moaned and arched her back, ready and willing…but it wasn’t happening for him. Guilt slammed through him. Why? Ruby blew him off like yesterday’s news. But he wasn’t in the mood for a vindictive lay.

He pulled his chin up. “I’m afraid even if I tried, I couldn’t,” he said.

“Is there someone else?”

He rolled the question around in his head until it was well marinated in doubt and truth. There was definitely someone, but she’d made it clear that she’d used him up real good and would be hitting the road back to where she came from.

It didn’t matter. What if she didn’t mean a word of it? He’d go along for the ride even if it ended in his heart being ripped from his chest.

Diane gyrated her hips against his, and his dick lay flaccid in his boxers like a turtle in its shell.

Fuck! He was definitely a goner.

And with that juicy detail, he took a step back, broke Diane’s locked hands and they fell to her sides. “Sorry, darlin’.” He tore a hand though his hair. “Not going to happen today, tomorrow, or ever.”

“I guess there’s no changing your mind.”

“Not a chance.”

He guessed he needed to brush away his pride and tell Ruby the truth. He’d fallen for her.

CHAPTER TWO

A familiar bitterness climbed Ruby’s backbone as she thought back to the hot and humid day when she walked up on Jobe’s porch, looked through the screen door, and her world came crashing down around her. She still got pissed when she recalled how the pretty blonde clung to Jobe, their faces close and their bodies closer. His hands touching her…just as he’d touched Ruby merely hours before.

It hadn’t taken him long to find another cowgirl to warm his bed. A man like Jobe wouldn’t have trouble in that area.

Surprised and on a roller coaster of emotion, she’d realized there was no changing the facts. No man with feelings could jump from one woman’s bed into another. And she couldn’t face him knowing she’d actually hoped for more.

She guessed this was the shrapnel from a fun-only relationship.

When she arrived back at Rhinestone, she told Em that she didn’t see Jobe at the ranch. Ruby packed her bags and before she’d left, she’d made Em swear to secrecy about the baby.

Whether Ruby had made the right decision or not, she never told Jobe that she was pregnant.              

She broke the news to her mother and father several weeks after she was back home. They’d been ecstatic, promising to help her every step of the way. And they did. Her family embraced the idea of Ruby’s pregnancy with good charm, positive vibes, and an understanding that she never wanted to talk about the father—not one peep. She’d told them she’d had a one night stand with a stranger, and the conversation was never brought up again. They didn’t push for answers, and she didn’t volunteer any information. Deep down, she believed her mother had known the relationship had been more than a meaningless affair, but she respected Ruby’s need for privacy.

Every day that had gone by, a heavy guilt weighed on her for not telling Jobe about their child. Conflicting emotions had her up and down, and at times she was so close to calling him, phone-to-ear-close, and then she would lose her bravery.

In her third-month of pregnancy, things took a nosedive.

Em had called and reluctantly told Ruby the news that Jobe was engaged to be married. She’d played off her surprise, pretending she didn’t feel like traveling to Walter’s R&R and tar and feather him for breaking her heart. After she’d hung up with Em, she’d given in to the deepest regret and sadness she’d ever known. Ruby had fallen into depression. For days she stayed in bed, crying and upset. Her parents had tried consoling her. Her sisters hadn’t left her side, but her emotions were out of control. Keeping a secret had never been her strong suit, especially from someone she cared for.

Then came the positive she needed—the one thing that had made the sun shine in her world again. Her doctor’s visit. As her sisters, her biggest supporters, stood around the exam table watching as the technician did her magic, Ruby’s growing baby appeared on the ultrasound screen, a black and white blob and a healthy, beating heart. With each beat on the screen came a new hope. Every nook and cranny of her body filled with love for this precious gift she’d been granted.

Although she lived with many regrets, being pregnant wasn’t one. Her growing stomach had been proof of the special memory she had of Jobe. She wished for his happiness, even if it wasn’t with her. Unfortunately, the realization of how much he meant to her came a little too late.

Jack was born with a head full of black curls, so dark it reminded her of a clear, blue-tinged sky. His dimpled rosy cheeks were a target for his aunts who wanted to pinch them. He had the longest eyelashes and cute, little fists that pumped the air as if he practiced throwing a ball. The first time Ruby had held him she’d fallen madly in love and knew there’d never be anyone or anything that could mean more. She’d whispered in his ear, “I love you,” and she swore he’d looked up at her and smiled. He looked just like his father and somehow that pleased her. She couldn’t wait to see if his eyes stayed brown, like hers, or lightened to his father’s pale blue. Either way, there was no mistaking he was the spitting image of a Walters.

Jack was the best baby, seldom crying or fussing, even when hungry. He was the sunshine of her life. The core of her existence. She was happy, and yet she couldn’t kick the feeling of wondering what could have been if she’d told Jobe about Jack.

She’d forced herself to move on, not dwell in the past, especially in something that wasn’t meant to be. Jobe had moved on, quickly and without burden.

Ruby’s mother had succumbed to her illness when Jack turned a year old and they buried her on the family plot on the north side of the ranch. Their father couldn’t get over the pain of losing his wife and died six months later, now they lay in peace together. It’d taken the Stone sisters some time to pick up and carry on, but would never be the same without parents who’d always been loving and kind. The sisters still mourned and would for many years to come.

Jack had grown into a high-spirited toddler and, even as his looks became more like his father’s, so did his character. Stubborn, smart and full of a desire to explore. Jack loved the horses, the cows and the worn cowboy boots Violet had bought him. He was a cowboy in the making.

Three years after her affair with Jobe, Ruby sat across from her sister, Sapphire, who was giving Jack a funny fish face. The boy was rolling on the floor erupting into belly laughter. No one could get the kid going as much as she could. Watching the scene, Ruby was filled with an unexplainable love for her son. She couldn’t imagine life without him, didn’t even want to consider how different things would be if he hadn’t been born—even if his conception hadn’t been under the best of terms.

“You seem in deep thought,” Sapphire said, her dark eyes settled on Ruby.

She shrugged. “Thank you for watching Jack tonight. Although, truth is, I’ve rethought this evening a hundred times. Maybe I should stay.”

Sapphire tugged strands of her long ebony hair behind her ears, showing off sparkling sapphire studs that matched the twinkling in her eye. Before their mother had passed, she’d given each of her girls a pair of earrings that matched the stone of their name. Ruby never took her earrings out. They’d always been her favorite and somehow made her feel closer to her mother.

“Being a mother doesn’t make you an old maid, Ruby. There’s nothing wrong with having fun, going out and seeing people. Living a little.” Sapphire nuzzled Jacks’ curls.

“I’m too busy to have fun, at least the kind you’re talking about. Jack keeps me running. Not to mention, I’m starting a new book.” Ruby’s defense of her lack of a relationship had become second nature.

“I do believe that’s called hiding.” Sapphire tickled Jack’s stomach. He then sat up, smiling so bright it could light up the world.

“Hiding? From what?” Ruby huffed. Her sisters never stopped lecturing her on life passing her by. One would think the world was ending tomorrow.

“Good question. From what? Maybe from your feelings for Jack’s father. You don’t think it’s obvious?”

Ruby’s throat constricted. They’d never talked about her time back at Rhinestone Ranch, or who Jack’s father was. As close as she was with her sisters, there were some things Ruby wanted to hold close. Jobe was one. She often thought of her time with him as her own fairytale—a time when life was magical and ended with a gift. And would they understand why she walked away?

The sisters were a year apart in age, like a step ladder. There wasn’t one memory of her childhood that didn’t include all of them. Growing up at The Stone Hedge Ranch, there wasn’t a day that went by that the four sisters weren’t out on the land, side by side, hanging with their father and the hands that were always patient and helpful with the young girls. Ruby could ride a horse and sit on a tractor before she could walk. Then they grew up, went away to college, yet they all came back to live at home. They supported each other, helped each other reach their goals. When their mother and father passed, they’d relied on one another for strength.

“I’m not hiding from anything, especially anyone. But we’re talking about a cowgirl auction for Pete’s sake! Why did I ever agree to this?”

“Because you love Violet and it’s for a good cause.” Sapphire wagged her brows. “She loves working with the children on her floor, cares for each of them. This benefit always brings in lots of help.”

“She could have asked Crystal.”

“She’s on a business trip.”

“I love Violet, but I’m going to kill her.” Ruby stood and twirled. “How do I look?”

Sapphire shrugged. “Like Mary Poppins is screaming to be released from those too baggy pants and shirt.”

“Seriously?” Ruby frowned. “Think anyone will bid for a date with me?”

“Yes, because we’re going to fix this.” Sapphire picked up Jack and headed for the stairs. “I know what’s inside of that closet of yours.”

Ruby followed Sapphire up the stairs and into the bedroom where Ruby had lived all of her thirty-three years, minus the four years of college. “And how do you know exactly?” As kids, they’d always shared clothes, but once they grew into adults, they’d formed a hands-off rule when Violet had worn a pair of Sapphire’s favorite Manolo stilettos and broke the heel.

“Because I borrow them.” Sapphire winked and placed Jack on the floor with a foam football.

“We might live under the same roof, but that doesn’t mean my things are your things.” Ruby shook her head, biting back a smile. Since Sapphire could talk, she’d always ‘borrowed’ Ruby’s things, even a boyfriend once or twice. Thankfully, they were losers and she hadn’t missed them.

“Someone has to wear these things.” Sapphire stepped into the walk-in closet, skimming through the full racks.

“True.” Ruby sighed. These days, if it wasn’t wash and wear, it wasn’t going on her body.

“I saw something in here…still had tags…that I thought would be very cute. Hmm…oh, here it is.” She took out the blue, sleeveless, low V-neck dress and held up the tags that were still attached. “This dress is beautiful and you’ve never worn it.”

“That was a pre-mommy dress. Back when I dated.”

“This is as good a time as any.” Sapphire shoved the dress toward Ruby.

“Petty, ma.” Jack pointed.

“See, even the kid thinks it’s pretty.”

Ruby shook her head and pushed the dress back. “I probably don’t even fit into it. I’ve gained weight.”

“In the boobs. And wouldn’t we all want that problem.” Sapphire laid the dress over Ruby’s shoulder and pushed her toward the adjoining bathroom. “Now go.”

“Go, ma.” Jack encouraged.

“Don’t teach my child anything while I’m in the bathroom, you hear?” Ruby turned and saw Sapphire’s reflection in the dresser mirror. Her tongue was stuck out, aiming right at Ruby’s back. “I see that.”

Sapphire sucked her tongue back in and smiled. “And I thought you would.”

Ruby had always been close with Sapphire, the baby of the bunch, and very seldom told her no. She could make anyone feel better with her bubbly, energetic personality. Whether she’d admit it or not, Ruby knew her younger sister had suffered most from the loss of their parents.

Heading into the bathroom, outvoted by a stubborn woman and a playful toddler, Ruby changed out of her comfortable clothing and into the dress. It fit snug on her hips and breasts, and she started to unzip it when she looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She actually liked how the dress fit her frame and was surprised. It’d been so long since she’d dressed in anything but loose cotton that she’d forgotten she had legs and breasts which, in the dress, looked longer and firmer. Right after her son was born, she’d taken up yoga, which seemed to help her mind and body, especially her creativity. She was glad to see it’d done some good.