The Love Goddess Brands Her Cowboys (7 page)

“Yeah, you want him to sell it to you so we can join our properties, but he doesn’t like you so he won’t. I wonder why he doesn’t like you.”

“Chad, don’t,” Star whispered to him, squeezing his hand.

She could feel his muscles relaxing just a little bit. As she took in the aura in the room, she was fascinated as well as a little bit confused.

“What do you want me to do about Withers?” Chad asked, in a calmer voice.

“Go talk to him and see if you can soften him up at all. I mean, you won’t be able to do it, but it can’t hurt anything, and maybe it’ll teach you a lesson on negotiating with assholes. You’ll have to do plenty of that.”

Star felt Chad’s muscles harden again. “How do you know I can’t do it?”

“He hates you too because you’re my son and heir to the ranch.”

“He doesn’t know me. Maybe I can talk him into it. You never think I can do anything right so I don’t know why you even ask me to try.”

Star could see Chad’s face growing red and noticed a tic in his temple.

“Chad…try it,” Star said.

“Well?” his father asked, in a harsh voice. “It’s a chance to double the size of our ranch and you know you’ll have heirs one day.” He chuckled. “Or, if not, Diego will and the ranch will go to them. He
is
as close to me as another son. Should I send him over to try?”

“No! I’ll go!”

“Then go. I hear he had a good offer yesterday so this is our last chance.”

“I’ll go right now, but not for your sake.” He spun around, pulling Star with him.

As they left the office the old man was chuckling. “I don’t care who you do it for. Just do it.”

Chad could see Amos Withers sitting on his front porch, drinking coffee as he looked over the railing. When Amos saw him coming, he stood up and set his coffee cup on the railing, a placid look on his round face. Chad nodded at the tall, pot-bellied man wearing bib overalls. Amos had a receding hairline and hard light blue eyes. Chad knew that he hated his father for many reasons.  As Chad squeezed Star’s hand, he felt a strange surge of energy rushing through him, giving him both courage and confidence. Suddenly his father’s approval or lack thereof didn’t mean so much. He was fighting for his future. He slid his hand down Star’s back and rested it briefly on her ass to ease the tension. As he squeezed it, she gasped and looked at him and Chad seemed to feel even more energy, including sexual. The woman, no doubt, was good for him.

No time to think of sex now. He slid his hand back up and tweaked Star’s hair.

“Hey, Amos!” He waved to the older man and Amos beckoned him over. “How are you doing, sir?”

“Doing great after that heart attack.”

“I heard. Glad you’re on the mend.”

Amos patted his stomach and laughed, his eyes crinkling up in a pleasant way. “Damn cardiologist has me going to the gym an hour a day now.”

Chad smiled and suddenly Amos grew serious.

“I can guess what this is about. I can tell you, y’all picked a great day to ask me. For some reason…”he paused and looked a bit befuddled, “I’m in a great mood today…and I think it started when I saw you stepping on the lawn with your lovely young lady…very odd. Well, talk to me. If there was ever a good time, this is it.”

Chad felt a jarring inside of him and wondered if Star was helping him. The idea ticked him off, but he would deal with her later. Giving Amos his best grin, he pulled Star closer to him and said, “Good.”

 “I see you’re keeping company with a better class of women.  Who’s your pretty lady?”

“A good friend,” Chad said as he tried to wipe out the image of Star naked earlier that day. His cock twitched, but he knew he had to ignore his stupid dick for now. Amos shook hands with Star and, as he did so, Chad noticed that Amos visibly relaxed like he’d just drunk three fingers of rye whiskey, and his blue eyes seemed to glaze over. What the heck? Again, he grew suspicious of Star. Yet he felt an odd power all his own, swelling inside himself, apart from Star. How could that be unless Star’s power had rubbed off on him when they made love? 

“Want to come in and have coffee?” Amos asked shaking his head as if to clear it.

“Sure,” Chad said, surprised, again by the invitation to socialize, knowing his old man wouldn’t have made it across the threshold. Glancing over at Star, he saw that she had a serene smile on her face. Did she know what was going on? He thought of spanking her as a punishment and his zipper almost busted open.

Amos led them to his kitchen island and poured them each a cup of the fragrant brew and Chad, feeling strangely confident, decided to give it the All-American try. What did he have to lose? And he needed the extra acres and the water rights that came with them for the ranch to survive and prosper. Under his management he’d build it into something he could be proud of.

His
management? The thought took him aback. When had he started thinking of the ranch as his?  Since Star showed up naked on his doorstep. He slanted a curious glance at Amos seeing a further softening on his weathered face. “You know, Amos, I’d like to buy your south parcel of land at a very generous price. It really has nothing to do with my father. I have a feeling he’s tired of running the ranch and wants me to take over.”

Amos chuckled. “He said so, boy?”

Chad paused. Asa hadn’t ever said it, just hinted at it, but somehow Chad suddenly knew it was something his father was serious about doing soon. Maybe his father had even tried to buy the land for
him
, but the old cuss would never admit it. Shit, he swore he could read his father’s mind at that moment. “I know he’s thinking about it,” was all he said. He glanced at Star again, but she was just listening politely to the exchange.

Amos held out his hand. “Give me the offer, boy.”

Chad quickly obliged, handing over the contract, his heart racing. It couldn’t be this easy. He watched as Amos put on his glasses and read, frown lines forming around his mouth. Star put her arm around him and he felt an even stronger swelling of that magical confidence. He couldn’t wait to question Star.

“I just don’t like your old man…” Amos mumbled and then suddenly he looked up from the paper, his eyes appearing sharp and alert behind his thick glasses lenses.

Chad stopped breathing as he looked on.

“Well, damn!” Amos finally said, in a softer voice and Chad could see his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “If that wasn’t the queerest thing!”

Chad didn’t know what to say so he said nothing.

Amos looked down at the offer again. “Yes, yes, dear, stop nagging at me!” Amos said out loud as if addressing somebody who wasn’t there.

Now Chad wondered if Amos had lost his mind. Star moved even closer to him and gripped him tightly around the waist. “Are you all right, sir?” she asked Amos in an innocent voice.

Amos looked up and shook his head, a puzzled expression on his face. “Would you two think I was crazy if I told you Jezebel was talking to me from the Great Beyond?” He sounded both puzzled and defiant. “You remember my lovely wife, Chad. In Heaven five years now, she still nudges me at times and whether or not you two think I’m crazy, I know it’s really her.”

“People don’t really leave us,” Star said, in a consoling voice, and Chad just froze, completely befuddled. Star continued, sounding soothing yet sure of herself. “Sir, our loved ones pass into another realm, but they are always with us, and sometimes they speak to us, if we are open minded enough to listen. You obviously are.”

Amos’s throat was working as he stared at her. “You some sorta psychic? I don’t…I didn’t believe in that stuff…until Jezebel started talking to me.” He lifted his chin as if to dare anyone to refute him.

“I believe you, sir,” Chad said, and, the strange thing was, he did!

Amos cleared his throat. “She told me to sell you the land,” he said, mumbling as he looked down at the offer again. “She was always a smart lady and I’m sure she still is. The land is yours.”

Chad tried to keep his jaw from hitting the ground as Amos signed and handed him the papers.

“And say hi to ole Asa for me,” Amos said. “Jezzie says it’s bad to hang onto anger.”

When Chad was too shocked to move, Amos sharply pointed at the door. “Go, boy, before I get my senses back and change my mind!”

Chad grabbed Star’s hand, shot Amos a quick, “Thank you, sir,” and rushed out of the house with the lady he was starting to think of as his.
How can I think like that? Last night I didn’t even know
her.
Well, that didn’t seem to matter. She was already stealing his heart but he did have an issue to resolve. He took her small, soft hand and started walking toward his father’s ranch, very aware of Star’s feminine, erotic presence.

He couldn’t let her sexual allure distract him. Chad took in a shaky breath and asked, “Star, I wanted to do that myself. If you had anything to do with the change in the atmosphere, I’m…I’m giving the contract back. I wanted to get it on my own.” He stared into her hypnotizing eyes, not flinching at all.

Star kept her own gaze steady. “I had nothing to do with it, but I did notice the changed atmosphere.” She paused and he felt his heart pounding as she said, “It was your vibes, Chad, not mine.   Maybe making love with me gave you some of my magic, although it isn’t supposed to work that way with humans.” She shrugged. “Seems like it may have this time though.”

Chad felt dizzy. Could it be? He shot her a sharp glance. “We barely know one another.”

“Doesn’t matter, at least not on Venus. There’s such a strong connection between us.” Star was breathless as she watched him, her eyes unmistakably burning with lust.  “Maybe the Love Goddesses on my planet are sanctioning our union and allowing you to become a part of me. I…I hope so.” She turned her head and dropped her gaze.

Chad swallowed hard as he stared down at her erotic form. He grabbed her other hand and made her face him. 

“Oh, Chad…” She tried to free her chin, but he tightened his grip.

“Look up at me, sugar.”

She did, her forehead wrinkled. “Ok, I’m looking.”

 Peering down into her beautiful, dark gaze, he took in a deep breath. “I don’t understand all this magic talk, understand that,” he growled, “but damn, maybe you’re right.” Then he kissed her with rough but demanding lips, swirling his tongue around her sweet mouth, he swore as she kissed him back he could hear a beautiful harp playing in the background.

When they broke apart, the music ceased and he wondered if he’d heard it at all, or if Star’s presence was befuddling him. Probably the latter.

“Come on,” he whispered to her into her ear, liking to be near her. “Let’s go tell the old coot I bought the land that Amos wouldn’t sell him.”

“I wouldn’t miss that for the world,” Star grinned and her smile made the sun even brighter. He swore it did.

Chad was dazed over many things when he reached his father’s ranch, the rush surging through him was strong and indescribable. He believed that Star hadn’t deliberately interfered in his exchange with Amos Withers. He even wondered if she was right and that maybe he had acquired some of her magic. Crazy!

No time to ponder that now.

“This will be interesting,” Chad said, grinning at his beautiful lady, whose eyes were as bright as two candles.

“Indeed,” Star said.

Chad turned and rang the doorbell.

He could hear his father’s footsteps and then the door swung open and his old man raised his eyebrows. “Look, don’t get angry at
me,
boy.
  
I told you it was a lost cause!”

Chad shoved the signed contract into his father’s hands wanting to make him eat his words. “Read this.” He held his breath, watching Asa checking it out, his eyes growing round. “Damn!” he finally said. Then he looked up. “You did it. How did you ever fucken do it?”

“I used my magic,” Chad said, his heart filling with pleasure as he glanced at Star, his lucky charm.  Then he faced his father again. “I told him you were thinking of retiring and I think you are…and I even think, although you’ll never admit it, that you wanted that land for me. Maybe you like me, after all.” He cut off his words, puzzled that he had spoken them. In fact, he froze as his father’s eyes darkened.

“How did you know about my retirement plans?” Asa asked in a rough voice. “I haven’t told a soul.”

So it was true, he realized with amazement, knowing his mindreading had been accurate. He glanced at Star who winked at him and then looked back at his father. “Oh, I’m sure you mentioned it to somebody and I don’t remember where I heard it, but the hands know everything.” He sure as hell wasn’t going to tell his dad he was psychic now.

Asa flashed an unpleasant smile. “You assume a lot. I could give it to Diego.”

Chad’s Insides tightened up, but he shrugged.
No, he wants me to have it. He just won’t say so.
“It’s your choice. Now I’m getting out of here.” he said turning to go.

“I’m not retired yet, you know,” Asa called after him.

“Yes.” Chad stopped to face him sensing that this was important and found his gaze freezing on his father’s, “but I went with my gut and told him anyway and it worked.”

Chad watched Asa as his face went stoic and his gaze dropped to the deed. He expected his father to throw him some sort of demeaning comment, in spite of his accomplishment.

“Good job,” Asa finally mumbled softly and turned away. “Now get out of my sight.”

Chad couldn’t help grinning. He turned to Star and motioned to the door with his head. “Thanks, Pa.”

Pulling Star with him, he started walking away with a lighter tread as some of his cares seemed to vanish. His father had just given him a bigger compliment than any he could remember.

As Chad and Star walked across the grass hand in hand Star said, “Are the two of you always so hostile toward one another?”

Chad laughed but not joyfully. “Yes. The old man is forever telling me how I remind him of my mother who disappeared when I was two. Word has it, she ran off with a young stud and he hates her so he hates me too.”