Spurs and Heels (25 page)

Chapter Twenty-two

Ash figured it might be best to let her say whatever she needed to say right from the beginning. Not allowing her to say her piece was what got him into trouble yesterday, so he would allow her to say or do whatever she needed.

Juliana looked beautiful, dressed in a white, long-sleeved top that hugged all her pretty curves just right, revealing a hint of her luscious cleavage. He couldn’t stop it when his cock tingled. He took a calming breath because he thought she might not take too kindly to seeing him with a hard-on when he still had explaining to do.

She opened the screen door and stepped out, allowing it to swing closed behind her. She crossed her arms, unknowingly pressing her breasts up, then he noticed the snug, super-faded blue jeans she had on and her bare feet.

Damn, but she was the most gorgeous thing he’d ever seen. His dick would’ve barked and howled if it had been capable. He was such a horn-dog for her. She gave him the once-over and glared at him venomously when she noticed the pronounced bulge at his groin. That seemed to jump-start her mouth because her lips popped open, and she sputtered for at least ten seconds before she finally got some traction.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here, Ash Peterson.

Everything I needed to know I heard and saw yesterday and last night.

You were right. There’s no commitment between us, and maybe I
don’t
know you as well as I thought I did. You got over the disappointment of my news pretty quickly, judging by how fast you were able to get up to The Dancing Pony last night, to avail yourself
218

of no less than
four
obviously willing women.” She poked him in the chest with a fingertip.

“I don’t know why you’re here. You said everything you needed to say when you cut me to the bone yesterday at the ranch.” She pushed him backward off the porch, and he didn’t offer her any resistance. He felt like he owed her. She batted against his chest with her balled-up little fist. If she wanted to get a few licks in, as well, the good Lord knew he deserved those, too.

He let her pummel him, staying close enough that, if she lost her balance lashing out, he could catch her. “I can’t imagine what more you might have to say that would make it worth it to you to make the long drive out here. You are cruel, unfaithful, irresponsible, pushy, and just plain mean! What the
hell
is that
smell?
And why are you so filthy?”

Backing away and leaving wasn’t an option. This was his one chance. “I broke down last night on my way here. Between Ashburn and Wilton. I had to walk back to Ashburn for a mechanic, in the rain.

I had to walk through some low-water crossings. The water must have been full of that stuff they spread on the fields out here. I know I stink to high heaven. I must look like a drowned rat. I’ve been trying to call you since I got back on the road this afternoon. It took that long to get my truck’s generator replaced.”

A light came on next door, and the front door opened. A man poked his head out and called to her, “You okay, honey?”

She turned to the neighbor and waved in a friendly fashion. “I’m fine, Bill. This is someone from Divine. Thanks again for supper.”

The man nodded and frowned at Ash before going back inside.

Another light came on, on the other side. He was grateful that she had people looking out for her.

She beckoned to him as she waved at that neighbor, too. “Come on inside before someone thinks I’m being accosted by a transient.

But leave your damn boots on the porch. Don’t say a word. I’m not

219

ready to listen. Your clothes are as bad as your boots. Come with me.”

He followed her through the house to a bathroom down the hall.

Ashes meowed to him in friendly fashion as he passed the kitchen.

“There are towels in the linen closet. Put all your clothes on the floor in the hallway here. I’ll wash them for you because that cannot possibly be healthy to be wearing something that smells that bad.

You’re about the same size as my uncle, Charlie. I’ll put a change of clothes on the counter for you. Take a shower and then we’ll talk.”

Her eyes flashed blue fire at him as she glowered and poked his chest again. “And don’t for one second think you are even close to being off the hook, you sorry bastard. Just because I’m willing to wash your clothes doesn’t mean I give a damn what you have to say, only that I’ll let you say it, and then you can drive your ass right back to Divine.”

He nodded and watched her shut the door, before unbuttoning his shirt. He allowed the smile to form on his lips once she was gone.

Damn, but he loved her fiery spirit. His granite-hard cock agreed, judging by its long attention span. She was willing to hear him out.

He’d explain, and Juliana would realize the misunderstanding. Then he’d throw himself upon her mercy.

He placed the clothes in a semi-damp pile on the floor in the hallway and groaned gratefully as he stepped into the steaming hot shower, leaving the bathroom door open for her.

When he was finished, he toweled off and found a terry cloth bathrobe lying on the counter. He slipped it on and ran his fingers through his hair to make it neat.

When he came into the living room, he heard noises in the kitchen. On silent feet, he approached across the tile floor.

“Meow.”

“I know, but I can’t take in a stray. You wouldn’t like it, anyway.

You’d have to stay cooped up all day. I’d have to get you fixed, and you’d wind up miserable. Here you have freedom. At least until
220

someone takes you to the pound.” Ash frowned as he heard her small sob. His brows drew together, and his heart lurched a little at the sound.

“Meow.”

“No, Ashes. You’d wind up hating me for taking away your freedom. That’s what it all comes down to. You’re better off here. At my house, there’s no one cleaning fish for you to scavenge from, like there is here.”

“I’ll take him home with me, darlin’, if you want me to.”

Ash realized he’d startled her when she shifted against the cabinet and plopped hard on her ass, wincing when she hit bottom.

He hurried to her and squatted down to help her. “Darlin’, let me help you up.”

Her eyes rose to his and then traveled down his chest and below.

She turned beet red and slid back from him. She literally hissed at him and pushed against his chest. “Don’t you call me darlin’. Just don’t.

I’m not your darlin’, you asshole. You go over there and sit down.

Go
. Then you can say anything you need to say to me.” Her chin trembled and tears overflowed her eyes, which seemed to make her even angrier. She had a lot of pride and didn’t want him to see her cry. She snatched the box of Kleenex he located and handed to her, and then he did as she asked. He drew the too-small robe closed as best as he could.

“I’ve had some dumb moments in my life. Real dumb. But yesterday, I outdid myself. I’ve been desperate to reach you since yesterday evening. My head was so far up my ass I should’ve been able to see daylight every time I opened my mouth.”

Ashes the cat meowed and rubbed against her knees then nibbled on her chin. She didn’t say a word but allowed him to continue explaining, and he noticed the tears continued to flow. It made his heart clench to see her like this, so sad and angry.

“I told you someone overheard you, but what they heard they got completely wrong. I know I should not have trusted the source, either,

221

when compared with you. He probably enjoyed bringing me bad news. I wouldn’t let you explain because I thought it would hurt less that way. That was dumb. I’d been hoping for the day you would tell me that you loved me. When that day came, I rejected you. I was as sorry as a man can possibly be, walking fifteen miles in the rain and wind last night. I’ve got nobody but myself to blame for that or what happened yesterday.”

Ash heard a small gasp, but she said nothing, so he continued. “I thought you had come to tell me you were engaged to the man who gave you the ring in the restaurant. I thought
that
was your big news.

And when you told me you loved me, I thought you were saying we could still have something together while you were married to him.”

She gasped again, in outrage and surprise.

“Stupid. I know. The man is your cousin, and the ring is your grandmother’s. I saw you slip it off when you came out to talk to me, and I assumed that was because you wouldn’t want me to see it until you broke the news to me. You see, I had a ring in
my
pocket, too. I was planning on asking you to marry me yesterday. If I’d just let you explain,
trusting
that there was a misunderstanding somewhere, this would have all turned out different.”

He looked up at her, but her head was in her hands. He didn’t think she was quite ready for him to go to her yet. “Teresa explained it all to me. Then my sisters damn near beat me to death.”

“Your sisters?”

“The women you saw me with at the club. If we’d been closer, you’d have seen the resemblance, not that it’s any excuse. They’d decided to come out for a visit and surprise you with a welcome to the family bridal shower.”

“Those were your sisters?”

“All you’d have to do is see them to know it. We all have the same color hair and eyes.”

She lifted her head from her hands. “So you thought I was coming to tell you I was marrying another man?”

222

“Yeah.”

“And when you told me we had no commitments and that I should do what I needed to do you meant get married, not that I should have an abortion.”

“God no! Oh, Lord, no! No!” He lurched from the table, not caring that he cried or that he was on his knees in front of her, begging. He cupped her cheeks in his palms. “Juliana, please tell me you didn’t.”

Tears flowed from her eyes, and she sniffled. “We could go for the world record for most serious misunderstandings in one day, couldn’t we?” she said and smiled through her tears. “No, Ash. I was having this baby, no matter what you thought I should do. But you can see how I would’ve thought that, right?”

Ash nodded mutely, wiping the heels of his hand across his eyes before wiping her own tears. She allowed him to lift her from the floor, and he carried her into the living room to one of the huge, comfortable-looking, overstuffed chairs in the corner.

“Your cousin was ready to kick my ass,” he said, cupping her cheek in his palm, feathering in the strands of auburn hair that framed her face.

“I know. He told me when I let him know I was coming out here. I told him not to.”

“Will you forgive me for ruining your moment and not letting you tell your news? Knowing what I know now, I can’t believe I said things that would hurt you so much. I’m sorry for being such an asshole. You must have been excited and nervous, and then I shut you down like that. I hurt you when you reached out to me. You want to beat on me some more?”

“No, but I reserve the right to revisit that option later. So you drove all night?”

“Until my truck broke down in the middle of nowhere.”

“Where is Ashburn?”

“I took a shortcut through Ashburn and Wilton.”

223

“Oh, that’s no shortcut. You got all turned around in the highway construction, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but that wasn’t until this afternoon once I was back on the road. I realized it didn’t take any time off of the drive and cost me the rest of the night. I’d have been here at five o’clock this morning if I’d followed Allen’s directions. Nice guy, by the way. Is he the one that taught you to dance?”

“Yeah. He’s a great guy and very protective.”

“I know that now. Got a lot to thank him for. So, you’re carrying my baby, huh?” The shaky quality of his voice touched her heart.

“Yes, Ash.”

“You’re going to marry me, right?”

She scoffed and drilled him with her wolf-blue eyes. “Not if that’s the best you can do for a fricking marriage proposal.”

He lifted her out of his lap and sat her in the chair and knelt right there on one knee and took her hand.

“Juliana Meyer, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Make me the happiest man in the world and become the mother of all our babies?”