Read Online His Heart to Have (Cowboys of Whispering Winds) by Renee Peterson - Free Book Online
Authors: Renee Peterson
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cowboy hats, finding her way to the bar.
“Where is he?” she asked when Damien came over to her.
“At the pool tables. I don’t know what you did to him, but he’s pissed. Just giving you fair warning,” Damien told her, while simultaneously filling two mugs from the tap.
She sighed, knowing this wasn’t going to be pretty. “I’ll take care of it. Thanks for calling me.”
“Here’s his keys.” Damien tossed her a key ring with a Ford emblem hanging from it.
Pushing her way through the crowd, she worked her way to the pool tables.
“Look everyone, it’s my wife.” She heard Jase before she saw him. He was drunk alright, swaying and pointing toward her. “Who wants to vouch for me that I’ve been here all night and not off cheating on her. A week into marriage and she’s already nagging me.”
Allie’s face turned bright red, both from anger and embarrassment. She didn’t think Jase had it in him to be cruel like this. It was a new side to him- a side she didn’t like one bit.
Marching over to him, she pulled on his sleeve. “Let’s go,” she hissed.
The crowd around them parted. Their audience looked at each other not sure if this scene was amusing or awkward. Thank God Jase didn’t say anything further and let her lead him out. He followed her to her truck and climbed into the passenger seat. The trip home was made in complete silence. By the time they returned to the ranch, she thought he’d fallen asleep. She turned off the ignition and went to open the door.
“Why do I love you, Allie?” Jase mused, his sudden words striking her. “You take my heart and use it for a bull’s-eye, but I still love you. It’s always been you, but you can’t see it. You’re a bad tattoo that I can’t erase.”
The pain of betrayal laced his tone. He didn’t love her; that was the alcohol talking. But his other words- those stung because in her heart she knew they were true. She wasn’t good to him. What had he ever gotten from this friendship? Nothing but aggravation.
“It’s late and you’re drunk. We’ll talk tomorrow,” she told him. Without waiting for him, she went inside, changed into pajamas and crawled into bed. A weight pushed down on her heart and soul. She knew what she had to do and it would break her heart.
***
Jase shielded his eyes from the light coming through the window. The smell of strong coffee reached his nose. He sat up, gathering his bearings. His head spun and he leaned over, rubbing the back of his neck. Man, he felt like hell sucked him in, chewed him up then spit him back out. Unwrapping himself from a sheet, he pulled on the jeans piled at the sofa’s corner. As an afterthought, he also threw on a shirt. Allie and he would have a lot to discuss today. His shirt, or lack of, didn’t need to be added to the mix.
In the kitchen, Allie stood at the sink, staring off at some unknown object outside the window.
“Good morning,” he said hesitantly, with hands shoved in his pockets.
“Good morning,” she echoed, turning around. From the looks of it, she hadn’t had a much better night than him. Dark circles were planted under her red-rimmed eyes. Her lips were turned down in a melancholy frown.
Their stiff communication thundered the tension between them.
“Thanks for picking me up last night.”
“It’s the least I could do after all times you’ve helped me.” Her gaze looked everywhere but at him.
“I’m sorry for what I said before I left. It was uncalled for. And anything I said after you picked me up. I can’t remember much, but I’m sure there’s a good chance I said something offensive,” he apologized.
“You were kind of a jerk, but I deserved it. I’m sorry for not believing you.”
Something wasn’t right. She still wouldn’t look him in the eye. “Maybe we can just put yesterday behind us,” he suggested.
“Let’s sit down. We need to talk.”
He poured a cup of coffee,
“Where is he?” she asked when Damien came over to her.
“At the pool tables. I don’t know what you did to him, but he’s pissed. Just giving you fair warning,” Damien told her, while simultaneously filling two mugs from the tap.
She sighed, knowing this wasn’t going to be pretty. “I’ll take care of it. Thanks for calling me.”
“Here’s his keys.” Damien tossed her a key ring with a Ford emblem hanging from it.
Pushing her way through the crowd, she worked her way to the pool tables.
“Look everyone, it’s my wife.” She heard Jase before she saw him. He was drunk alright, swaying and pointing toward her. “Who wants to vouch for me that I’ve been here all night and not off cheating on her. A week into marriage and she’s already nagging me.”
Allie’s face turned bright red, both from anger and embarrassment. She didn’t think Jase had it in him to be cruel like this. It was a new side to him- a side she didn’t like one bit.
Marching over to him, she pulled on his sleeve. “Let’s go,” she hissed.
The crowd around them parted. Their audience looked at each other not sure if this scene was amusing or awkward. Thank God Jase didn’t say anything further and let her lead him out. He followed her to her truck and climbed into the passenger seat. The trip home was made in complete silence. By the time they returned to the ranch, she thought he’d fallen asleep. She turned off the ignition and went to open the door.
“Why do I love you, Allie?” Jase mused, his sudden words striking her. “You take my heart and use it for a bull’s-eye, but I still love you. It’s always been you, but you can’t see it. You’re a bad tattoo that I can’t erase.”
The pain of betrayal laced his tone. He didn’t love her; that was the alcohol talking. But his other words- those stung because in her heart she knew they were true. She wasn’t good to him. What had he ever gotten from this friendship? Nothing but aggravation.
“It’s late and you’re drunk. We’ll talk tomorrow,” she told him. Without waiting for him, she went inside, changed into pajamas and crawled into bed. A weight pushed down on her heart and soul. She knew what she had to do and it would break her heart.
***
Jase shielded his eyes from the light coming through the window. The smell of strong coffee reached his nose. He sat up, gathering his bearings. His head spun and he leaned over, rubbing the back of his neck. Man, he felt like hell sucked him in, chewed him up then spit him back out. Unwrapping himself from a sheet, he pulled on the jeans piled at the sofa’s corner. As an afterthought, he also threw on a shirt. Allie and he would have a lot to discuss today. His shirt, or lack of, didn’t need to be added to the mix.
In the kitchen, Allie stood at the sink, staring off at some unknown object outside the window.
“Good morning,” he said hesitantly, with hands shoved in his pockets.
“Good morning,” she echoed, turning around. From the looks of it, she hadn’t had a much better night than him. Dark circles were planted under her red-rimmed eyes. Her lips were turned down in a melancholy frown.
Their stiff communication thundered the tension between them.
“Thanks for picking me up last night.”
“It’s the least I could do after all times you’ve helped me.” Her gaze looked everywhere but at him.
“I’m sorry for what I said before I left. It was uncalled for. And anything I said after you picked me up. I can’t remember much, but I’m sure there’s a good chance I said something offensive,” he apologized.
“You were kind of a jerk, but I deserved it. I’m sorry for not believing you.”
Something wasn’t right. She still wouldn’t look him in the eye. “Maybe we can just put yesterday behind us,” he suggested.
“Let’s sit down. We need to talk.”
He poured a cup of coffee,
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