Smoke. Fire. Cowboy (Cowboys of Nirvana Book 3) (18 page)

“So, what you’re saying is, if you lived closer, you’d be all for a long-term relationship with Jobe? That’s like saying you’ll skip the ride of your life because your hair will get messy.” Em lifted a thin eyebrow, her gaze full of question. They had always been close and if anyone knew Ruby, Em did.

“I’m saying that I haven’t allowed myself to think about a relationship with him, at least not beyond my stay here at Rhinestone.”

“Liar.”

“I am not. Jobe and I went into this with eyes wide open. Neither of us want a relationship. Trust me, he feels the exact same way.” Ruby played with the frayed hem of her shorts, incapable of making eye contact with Em.

“Keep telling yourself those words and eventually you might believe them. I sense the doubt in your tone. I’ve also seen the way you look at him. You have been successful at keeping this relationship or whatever you two are doing, from everyone else, but I see how things have developed.” Em hooked her bare feet on the coffee table. “You’re only afraid of the truth. You’ve made these silly, illogical rules for you and Jobe, and now you’re not sure you like them much. Sometimes it’s hard to admit you’ve made a mistake. Don’t be foolish, hun.”

“Okay, that’s totally unfair.”

“Is that right? Well, let me point out the facts. You were supposed to leave Rhinestone three weeks ago, and you’ve pushed it off. I’m not complaining. I love having you here, but you aren’t homesick, besides missing your sisters. You wake up smiling and when you came here two months ago, you wore the saddest frown I’d ever seen.”

Ruby thrummed her fingers against her thigh. “I stayed because I wanted to finish my book. And I did.”

“Yes, weeks ago. Have you started another?” Em lifted a shoulder and let it fall.

“Uhh, you say you want me here, but it sure sounds like you’re convincing me that I should leave.”

Em patted her shoulder. “What you have with Jobe is more than a one night stand, sweetie. You two text each other every chance you get. You’re at his house every night, even if you pretend you slept here. I hear you come in every morning. And the last get together we had, you don’t think it was obvious that you two couldn’t keep your hands off each other and then you mysteriously disappeared for an hour?”

Feeling her cheeks warm, Ruby cocked her chin. “How is it possible that you know so much?”

“I’m a Stone. We see and hear everything.”

“Okay, I admit it, I become a slobbering, weak-kneed schoolgirl when Jobe is near. I think of him often—most of the time. I can’t wait to see him.” Ruby rubbed her forehead. “I’m infatuated. But lust fades and this will pass.”

“Jobe must have some magical tool.” Em wagged her brows.

Ruby pinched Em’s arm playfully. “You’re rotten.”

“Or, maybe you’ve found yourself liking more than just ripping the sheets with the cowboy. You’re not a robot. You’re a woman with a big heart.”

“I do wake up feeling, well, different. It’s been good to get away from home. And I won’t deny how Jobe makes me feel, things I haven’t felt in a long time, if ever. But I can’t do another long distance relationship. Do you remember how horrible it was for me with Stan?”

Em sighed. “That was different. Stan was in the military and reenlisted without your knowledge, even though you two were engaged to be married. You told him if he deployed again you couldn’t do it. You wanted a family, remember? What has changed? You might get what you’ve always wanted.” She lowered her gaze to Ruby’s stomach.

“I wish I could believe that, but distance is distance.”

“Four hours isn’t much.”

“For me, it is. What if things get deeper between us? He’d never leave his home and I couldn’t leave mom. You know how her illness is progressing. I can’t dump that into my sisters’ laps, especially since Crystal is busy, Sapphire is helping at the ranch and Violet started at the hospital working in the emergency department. She works twelve hour shifts.”

“Okay, let’s break this down. Things wouldn’t work out between you and Jobe because you live far away from one another. That’s a logical excuse, but what if you’re pregnant?” Em countered. “That certainly switches things up.”

Ruby laid her head back and closed her eyes. What would she do? She had no clue. Up until now, she never thought she’d have to face something like this. She was a grown woman and she’d known there was always the risk of an unexpected pregnancy.

Lifting her head and looking at the clock on the wall, she watched as the long hand clicked one minute, then two. Anticipation crawled down her spine. “It’s time.”

“Go get it.” Em nudged her.

Ruby tried to move, but her limbs wouldn’t work. “I can’t. You go look.”

Em jumped up, raced across the room and into the bathroom.

“I’m glad I had to twist your arm to do this.” Ruby laughed and shook her head.

Shifting on the cushion, she waited, her stomach sick and her chest tight. Seconds turned into a minute and she thought she might lose her breakfast. She should have skipped the eggs and bacon. Then it struck her…

She never ate eggs and bacon for breakfast. Ever. But that morning when she came back from seeing Jobe, she was starving and had a hankering for food. Lots of it. She had blamed it on the argument they had before she left his house. Dropping her forehead to the cushion, she breathed in and exhaled slowly. Oh shit!

“Hey.”

Lifting her head, she met Em’s gaze, incapable of reading her expression. “It’s positive, isn’t it?” Ruby pushed the words through shaking lips.

“The straight line is negative, right?” One corner of Em’s mouth dipped.

“Oh, so I’m negative?” Conflicted emotions erupted inside of Ruby.

Em gave her head a slow, but definitive shake. “The rabbit died, honey.”

“Are you sure?” Ruby asked, pushing herself up to her knees. “I mean…you might not have read it right. Maybe the gadget is malfunctioned—”

“All three?”

“I guess the chance that they are broken is a shot in the dark, huh?”

“Sweetie, this is good news. I know it’s hard to wrap your brain around it all, but you’ll see.” Em’s soft voice made tears build in Ruby’s eyes. They flowed down her cheeks and she didn’t bother wiping them.

“Look at me. I’m already a sack of hormones.” She sniffed back a sob.

“It’ll get better,” Em encouraged.

“Yeah…in…eight months.”

“What about Jobe?”

“This is his fault,” she mumbled through sniffles. “All of his sexy moves and irresistible charm. I bet he didn’t put the condom on right. I told him he needed the bigger ones. The leak proof ones.”

Em chuckled and Ruby gave her a narrowed eye of contention. “Sorry, but listen to yourself. I know this is hard, but you both played a role in this.”

“I know. I really do. What was I thinking?”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don’t think either of you were thinking with the right parts.”

Ruby swiped the last remnants of tears from her face and sucked back another round of emotion. She had to stay in control. She could this, just as many women did. She’d raise her child, be the best mom she could be. But there was one thing…“I’ve got to tell Jobe, don’t I?”

“Yes, you do.”

“How does one tell their lover that “oops, the condom didn’t work”?”

“Honesty is always the best policy.” Em sat back down.

“Mom and dad are going to kill me,” she blurted.

“Kill you? No they won’t.”

“They’re going to be disappointed.” Ruby moaned.

“Maybe a little. However, you’re a thirty year old independent woman who has a great career. They’re going to be so happy that they’re going to come apart at the seams,” Em assured her.

“You’re right. And Mom, she’ll meet her first grandchild before…” She couldn’t even finish the sentence.

Em wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You’ve got this, sweetheart. You’re a strong woman. Now go tell Jobe. You’ll feel better.”

“I might have screwed things up with Jobe.” Ruby swallowed against the lump in her throat.”

“How so?”

“This morning I told him that we should consider not seeing each other again. He was angry and I walked away.”

“We all say things we don’t mean. You were scared. He’ll understand,” Em stood and pulled Ruby up with her. “You’ve got to be brave. I know you have it in you.”

Ruby had a whopping amount of doubt, but what choice did she have?

****

Jobe glanced up from underneath the hood of the beat-up truck as Diana leaned over the side, her large breasts practically spilling out of the low neckline of the two-tight top. He hadn’t seen her wear something this revealing since she had a thing for his brother DJ. She gave her long blonde hair a toss and brought her chin up, looking at him through a fringe of thick eyelashes. “Thank you for taking the time to take a peek, Jobe.”

“A peek?” He kept his gaze steady on her eyes since he’d already gotten a good look at her big tits.

“The truck.” She laughed and reached over, squeezing his arm. “I don’t know what’s wrong with this ol’ thing, but I need it to stay on the road to get back and forth. I can’t afford another vehicle, not right now. I’m saving up for braces for the kid.” She leaned on her elbows and her breasts pushed upward until he swore they’d pop out. His neck warmed, and not in a good way. He’d known her for as long as he could remember, and he respected the fact that she was a single mother, and he’d always thought she had a body that could make men sweat.

He dragged his gaze away from her deep cleavage, fully recognizing that nothing happened below the waist—not even one, god-forsaken twitch. Damn, it figured!

After this morning, Ruby telling him they shouldn’t see each other again, he’d been in a pissed mood. Thinking about it now made his head throb.

He was a ruined man, that’s what he was indeed. Hell, he was over-the-top, insanely smitten with a woman who didn’t give a hoot for him, except for his cock, of course. Oh yeah, she liked that part of him and did a good job of proving it night after night. She could do things he’d only dreamed about. Just last night she showed him a new move that had made him hotter than a rooster on a tin roof. Then she walked away.

Fact was, he wanted more of Ruby Stone…

His grip slipped on the screwdriver and his knuckles smacked against the engine. “Fuck!” He dropped the tool. “Sorry for the language.” He shot Diane a look of apology.

“Oh, poor baby. Let nurse Diane take a look.” She rounded to where he stood and took his hand into her palm. She didn’t even seem to mind that he had a layer of grease covering his knuckles as she lifted it to inspect. “I didn’t realize how big and strong your hands are, Jobe. And you know what they say about large hands, don’t you?”

“No clue.” He noticed how her lashes fluttered across her cheeks.

“A man with big hands also has a big…” She lowered her gaze to his belt pushing home the meaning of her words.

Shit! “It ain’t broken or bleeding.” He pulled his hand back and bent to retrieve the screwdriver. He wasn’t an expert when it came to women, but damn, if Diane wasn’t flirting then he needed his head checked. He wasn’t the least bit interested and it had nothing to do with his parts not functioning.

They not only operated above standard, but he deserved a trophy or a medal.

Since Ruby arrived, he’d been using ice packs and cream to help with the dick chafing. He couldn’t get enough, even when he tried—and oh brother had he tried. Her sweet body was an aphrodisiac and he couldn’t resist sinking his body deep. She was trouble and he’d need a twelve-step plan once she left.

“I hope that smile means my truck will live to see the road again,” Diane said with a tone that scraped his nerves.

He hadn’t realized he was grinning, but come to think of it, he hadn’t really stopped since he met Ruby. From the time she’d tripped and fallen into his arms at his brother DJ’s wedding and they ended up in his bed, Jobe had been nothin’ but a drooling fool. “I’ll need a few more minutes.”

“Take your time, handsome. In the meantime, do you mind if I use the little boy’s room?”

“Sure, go ahead. Shake the handle when you flush.” He continued to stare into the engine, realizing something didn’t look right—or rather, nothing looked wrong. He found it could use an oil change, sure, but Diane told him it stopped on her earlier. Smirking, he stepped back and shook his head.

Slamming the hood closed, he wiped his hands off on a dirty rag and went inside just as Diane was coming back into the livingroom. “Done already?” she asked.

“Sorry, Diane. I hate to break the news to you, but I think she needs a new engine.”

Her eyes widened as her tongue slipped out to moisten her crimson bottom lip. “Oh damn. That sounds serious.” Her tan paled to a shade of gray.

“About as serious as it can get.” He’d let her believe the worst for a few more minutes.

“I-I…”

“Came all the way out here for nothing? Why, Diane?” He dragged off his hat and laid it on the table. “If you’re here to see DJ, well, you know he and Pearl are—”

“Oh, honey, that ship has sailed.” She chuckled.