And Then You Fly Page 14

  “Don’t mind us¸the people who own the house,” said Billy coming around the corner carrying Willow. “Might want to consider there’s a child in the house dude.”

  “Uncle Jace!” squealed Willow. She wiggled herself out of Billy’s arms and came running toward Jace. He turned and picked her up, twirling her in the air.

  “Did you sleep here Uncle Jace?” she asked him, when he stopped spinning.

  “I did. Did you?”

  “Mama said I could sleep with her and Daddy last night. Right Mama?” Willow looked at Renie.

  “I did sweet girl. We had our own slumber party. Just like Uncle Jace and Aunt Bree did.”

  Willow looked over at Bree. “Hi Aunt Bree,” she waved.

  Bree thought she’d die of embarrassment. She’d spent a little time around Willow, but not that much. She knew the little girl considered Blythe her “aunt,” too.

  Renie was so casual about it all. If it was her daughter, Bree doubted she’d be so forthcoming about the “slumber party.”

  Willow climbed down and walked back over to Billy. “Time to say hi to my baby,” she told him. She led him by the hand and they both walked over to Renie.

  “Good morning baby,” Willow whispered against Renie’s belly. “Your turn Daddy.”

  “Mornin’ baby,” he said.

  “Do it right Daddy. You have to give baby a kiss.”

  Billy lifted the bottom of Renie’s t-shirt and kissed her belly. Willow did too.

  Billy stood and looked straight at Jace. “Not a word,” he mouthed at him. It was all Jace could do not to laugh. But if he did, he might hurt Willow’s feelings instead of razzing her daddy.

  He leaned back down closer to Bree. “How are you this morning?” he whispered.

  “Mortified. How are you?”

  “Tired. Really, really tired. Thinkin’ I should drive us over to Palmer Lake, so we can get some rest.”

  “We have a meeting with Ty Rinaldo today Romeo,” Billy grunted at him.

  “What do you need me for?” Jace kissed the back of Bree’s neck. “You can handle it Patterson. You…” he kissed her neck again, “and Tucker…and Ben…and your dad…and Bullet.” Jace kissed her neck between each name he spoke. “Don’t need me…”

  “You’re right,” Billy said with disgust in his voice. “Bree, get him outa’ here would ya? Before he corrupts my wife and daughter, and makes me sick to my stomach.”

  “Gladly,” she answered, and led Jace back downstairs.

  “Is there a way out down here so I don’t have to go back up there and embarrass myself all over again?”

  Jace smiled at her but didn’t answer.

  “You didn’t help matters any, standing there in the kitchen kissing the back of my neck.”

  Still he didn’t answer, but instead put his lips on her neck, just below the curve of her chin.

  “Jace,” she sighed. “You need to stop this.”

  “Your words say I should,” he went back to kissing her. “But your body and the tone of your voice are tellin’ me somethin’ else altogether darlin’.”

  She put her arms around his shoulders, and thought about pushing him back down on the bed. Wait. What was she doing?

  “Take me home,” she whispered instead.

  Jace wasn’t showing any sign of stopping, so she pushed away from him.

  “Okay, okay. You wanna pick your car up first?” He asked the question, but was unbuttoning the top buttons of her shirt rather than waiting for her to answer the question.

  “If I say we can leave my car at my sister’s house for now, will you stop what you’re doing and drive me home?”

  He looked into her eyes. “As long as you don’t button up that shirt on the ride home, you can probably convince me.”

  “What? Are you crazy? I’m not walking outside with my shirt wide open.”

  He put his arm around her, and swooped her up. “I’ll carry you with your shirt wide open then.”

  “Jace,” she couldn’t help but smile. “Put me down and put your shirt on. And your boots.”

  When he put her down and smiled Bree thought she’d lose her footing. Did he know how disarmingly gorgeous he was? And it wasn’t just when he smiled.

  ***

  Jace tried to ignore his ringing phone, but whoever it was kept calling, over and over, until he finally picked up.

  “Yeah?”

  “You and me are havin’ dinner with the Rinaldos tonight. I’m bringin’ Renie. You bring Bree.”

  “I’ll ask her—”

  “Don’t ask her, bring her.”

  Jace hung up, shaking his head.

  “What was that about?”

  “We’re invited to have dinner with Ty Rinaldo and his wife tonight.”

  “Okay…well, uh…”

  “We are, as in you and me. Billy and Renie too.”

  “Why would I go?”

  Jace pulled her into him and cupped her bottom with his big hands. “So you can spend more time with me darlin’, that’s why.”

  She rested her hands on his shoulders. “It isn’t as though I bring much to the table…so to speak. I think I’ll take a pass Jace.”

  He let go of her and turned to look out the window. The rock in the pit of his stomach was growing into a boulder.

  “We’re back to I’m me, and you’re you,” he shrugged. “That what you’re tryin’ to say?”

  “Essentially.”

  He remembered her using that word before too. “Time for me to mosey on down the road then I guess.” If she was going to treat him like a cowpoke, who wasn’t good enough for her, he might as well act the part.

  “Jace—”

  “What Bree?”

  “We’re so—”

  He held up his hand. “I hear ya sister. No further explanation necessary.” He reached around her waist and pulled her up against him and looked into her eyes. Her lips were so close, so tempting. “Good enough to share your bed, but not quite good enough to share a meal with. Got it.”

  Her eyes were open wide, her pupils dilated. That’s right, he turned her on, she wanted him. He could carry her back into the bedroom and spend the rest of the day there with her. But when it came time to leave for dinner, she’d push him out the door. He wondered if after she did, whether she’d give him a second thought.

  He let go of her and pushed his way past her, into the bedroom. He pulled on his jeans and boots, and picked his shirt up off the floor.

  “Don’t leave like this,” she said from the doorway. He didn’t answer. He walked past her again, not allowing himself to even look at her, and out the front door.

  Bree heard the truck start. She wanted to follow him out the door, ask him not to leave. But she couldn’t bring herself to move. The truck was idling. Was he going to change his mind and come back inside? She held her breath until she heard the sound of the tires on the gravel. He wasn’t coming back inside.

  It took her a few minutes to realize she couldn’t have followed him if she wanted to. Her car was still at Tucker and Blythe’s place.

  “Can you come pick me up?” she called Blythe later.

  “Of course, but why didn’t Jace bring you back with him? He was just here a few minutes ago.”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “Uh oh.”

  “I don’t feel like talking about it right now.”

  “I’ll see if Tucker will follow me over, that way you won’t have to drive me back.”

  A half hour later Bree heard a car in the driveway, but when she looked out, it was her car, but her sister wasn’t in it, Liv Rice was.

  She opened the front door of the house, just as Liv walked up the porch steps.

  “Hi, uh, thanks for bringing my car back.” Bree looked past Liv to see if anyone had followed her over.

  “I told Ben I’d text him when I wanted him to pick me up. I want to talk to you Bree.”

  Bree stood back and held the door open for Liv. “Please come in, can
I get you anything?”

  “A glass of wine would be nice, if you have something open.”

  “Red or white?”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  Bree went into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of white out of the refrigerator and poured two glasses.

  “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  Liv patted the couch. “Come and sit down with me.”

  Bree sat next to her, and clutched one of the throw pillows in front of her, almost like a shield. Liv grabbed it and threw it across the room.

  “What are you doing?” Bree gasped.

  “We’re going to have a very frank and honest talk Bree. No hiding, even behind pillows.”

  Bree’s cheeks turned pink. She picked up her wine and took a swig, rather than a sip. “I probably should’ve poured something stronger,” she muttered.

  “Probably.” Liv turned her body so she was facing Bree, and took Bree’s hands in hers.

  “Honey,” she began, “You know that I know what you’re going through.”

  Bree blinked her eyes, trying to keep her tears at bay.

  “I’m not here to talk to you about Zack, I’m here to talk to you about Jace.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s time you stopped using your dead husband as a shield, just like you were using that pillow, against moving on with your life.”

  Bree opened her mouth to argue, but decided to hear Liv out instead.

  “You’re so much like your mother,” Liv laughed. “You’ve got it all together. You know the answer before anyone else asks the question. But when it comes to seeing what’s best for yourself, it’s harder to have accurate situational awareness.”

  Bree thought Liv sounded like Zack. The next thing she’d say would be that Bree needed to get a vector on things.

  “Look at me,” she said to Liv. “How long can this thing with Jace last? Let’s be honest.”

  “Why can’t it last?”

  Bree looked at the ceiling. “Because we’re so…”

  “So…what?”

  Bree laughed. “Because I’m me, and he’s…him.”

  “You’ve lost me.”

  “I’m a buttoned-up intellectual who has had sex with exactly two men in her life. The second of which was only yesterday.”

  “And Jace?”

  “Jace is a hot cowboy who conveniently fallsin lovewith women who he knows very well aren’tavailable.” Bree made the sign of quote marks to emphasize “in love,” and “available.”

  “You believe it’s intentional?”

  “Of course it’s intentional,” she rolled her eyes. “Come on, his radar is uncannily accurate.”

  “He’s using you, is that what you’re saying?”

  “I’m convenient. I’ve never seen two people thrown together in a more convenient way than Jace and I have been.”

  “He cares about you Bree.”

  “And I care about him, but what does that have to do with anything?” Bree shook her head. “In two weeks I’ll be teaching at the Air Force Academy, and Jace will be…I don’t know what he’ll be doing. Raising livestock? Can you really seeme mucking stalls?”

  As soon as Bree said the words, she regretted them. “I’m sorry Liv.”

  Liv didn’t say anything, and with every moment of silence Bree felt worse. She hadn’t mean to insult Liv.

  “Tell me how you see him.”

  “Him who? Jace?”

  “Of course Jace, who else would I be talking about?”

  “He’s a good man…”

  “No, deeper. If I didn’t know him, how would you describe him to me?”

  Bree smiled. “Well, first of all, he’s hot as all get out.”

  Liv laughed. “You sound just like Lyric.”

  “It was intentional.”

  “What else?”

  “He’s a cowboy, through and through. A real cowboy. I used to go out to Billy’s and watch the two of them buck broncs.”

  “And?”

  “He’s honorable. When I said he’s a good man, he really is. He’s kind, and he cares about his family.” Bree stopped talking, and put her face in her hands. “He’s as patient as he is stubborn. He certainly thinks he knows what’s best.”

  “Sounds familiar,” winked Liv.

  Bree smiled. She deserved that. Liv had known her, and her sisters, since they were little girls. Bree had always had a reputation as a bit of a know-it-all. She was definitely the best student among the three girls. Brooke got married right out of high school; who knew what might’ve become of Blythe if she hadn’t met Tucker. But Bree knew she’d go to college, and not just for a regular degree. Even without them talking about it, there was an assumption between Zack and her that she’d continue her education until she had her Ph.D.

  “That’s Jace. Let’s talk about you now.”

  “What about me?”

  “Your mom and I have had many conversations about how much you’re like her. It isn’t just her, you’re like me too.”

  “I am? I mean, uh, thank you.”

  “You’re so independent. When Zack was alive, you let some of your independence go. You relied on him. The two of you made decisions together. Now that you don’t have him to talk to, you believe you’re left alone to make decisions.”

  Bree shrugged. “In a way, I suppose.”

  “Let’s talk hypothetically for a minute. Say you decided to try to make things work with Jace, what would it look like?”

  Bree stood and looked out the window. “That’s just it. I can’t imagine it. Not long term anyway.”

  “Try harder. Close your eyes. Tell me what you and Jace together look like.”

  Bree closed her eyes, and let out a heavy sigh. “I can’t Liv. I can’t see us together.”

  “Because you don’t want it?”

  “Whether I want it or not, it’s impossible.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m here, at least for the time being, and he’s God knows where. He’s everywhere. It isn’t as though he’s just going back to Montana. He’ll be on the road most of the time.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “What?”

  “I’m challenging you Bree. Spend some time imagining what your life might be like with Jace. What if there were no right or left margins? What might it be like?”

  Bree heard someone pull in the driveway. Liv stood. “That’ll be my Ben.”

  “I thought you were going to text him.”

  “He’s amazing that way, knowing what I need, or that I need him, before I know myself.” Liv winked at Bree.

  “Oh, and by the way, I’m throwing another challenge your way. Go to dinner tonight. They’re meeting at the Villa at seven. Join them. I think you’ll be surprised by what you learn if you do.”

  Four hours later, Bree decided to accept Liv’s challenge. She walked over to the Villa. It wasn’t a long walk, and after dinner she’d be better off not having her car. It would give her an excuse to invite Jace back to the house.

  She pulled open the heavy front door and waited for her eyes to adjust. She looked into the bar area, and saw Billy and Renie. Jace wasn’t at the table with them. She looked around, and saw him standing at the bar. He hadn’t seen her. He was too distracted by the blonde cowgirl whose every word he seemed to hang on.

  She’d seen that look on his face before, earlier that morning, right before he’d talked her back into bed. It hadn’t taken Jace Rice twenty-four hours before he moved on to his next conquest. It was just as Bree expected it to be.

  She slunk out before anyone saw her. At least she hoped no one had.How humiliating. Everything she’d thought about Jace Rice was true. Even the things she hadn’t said. Jace was a cowboy all right. A cowboy who could easily have a different girl in his bed every night of the week. She’d been the Friday night girl. The blonde at the bar would be Saturday night’s.

  She could no more hold Jace’s attention than she could muck out a stall. It wasn’t that sh
e thought she was above it. Liv misunderstood, and Bree didn’t try to explain what she really meant. She couldn’t see herself doing it, because she didn’t know how.

  If Blythe had been the one to walk into the bar, in her place, she would have sauntered up to Jace, insinuated herself between him and the blonde, and staked her claim on her man. Bree could never have done that.

  Instead of going home, she walked over to the Speedtrap. They’d have live music tonight. Maybe she’d run into someone she knew. It wouldn’t be unusual in the small community they lived in. She just had to be sure she sat somewhere that she wouldn’t have a view of the front door of the Villa. The last thing she wanted to see tonight was Jace leaving with the blonde.

  ***

  A few minutes after they ordered, Ty got a call on his cell phone. In addition to raising bulls, he was an EMT with the local fire department. He wasn’t on duty, but there’d been an accident on the highway severe enough that they were calling everyone in to help. He wouldn’t have time to stop at the fire house, he told them, he’d have to go straight to the scene of the accident. He looked over at his wife.

  “Go,” she told him. “I’ll get home.Now go.” He raced out of the restaurant. His wife got up and went to the bar. She wouldn’t cancel his order, but would ask them to pack it to go, so he could eat it later, when he got home. Jace walked over to where she waited.

  “Of course we’ll get you home,” he told her when he joined her at the bar.

  “Thanks,” she said. “Part of being the wife of a local hero,” she laughed.

  “Oh yeah? A hero huh?”

  “Well, he’s my hero. Always has been, always will be.”

  The look on her face made the boulder in Jace’s stomach double in size. Why couldn’t he find someone who thought of him that way?

  ***

  Bree couldn’t help herself. She looked. The sun had set but there was enough light left at dusk that she could see Jace hold out his hand to help the blonde into the passenger door of the truck. She also saw thesweet smile she gave him when it did. She felt sick to her stomach. She threw a twenty on the bar, waited for the truck to pull out the parking lot across the street, and walked home.

  Chapter 13