snores filling the cab of his truck. Struck by the thought that he wanted to see them again, he started going over the next dayâs never-ending list of chores in his head, all the while wondering how he could wheedle a chunk of time out of his day to drive on into town to pick them up⦠because he couldnât wait to show them around the Circle G tomorrow.
His head told him to slow down, but his heart told him to downshift and gas it, because even though there were dangerous curves ahead, he knew theyâd be sugar-sweet and just ripe for the tasting. âWhoa!â he mumbled aloud coming to a halt. âHell.â Thatâs what women were on your heart, and other parts of your body, once they moved on to greener pastures. That was the one lesson he learned when Lori left him for the second time.
Walking back over to the house, he decided he wasnât ready to turn in yet, so he settled on the porch swing and gently pushed off. The soothing motion, moving back and forth in the cool night air, was just what he needed. He remembered the night and the fight that had smashed the slats of the bench apart. He was glad Dylan had been able to repair the gift their father had built for their mother before heâd been deployed; if he hadnât, the guilt would have eaten them both alive.
Life was precious. He and his brothers had learned as children that it didnât matter if you were ready for what lay ahead of you or not; sometimes life came at you with both barrels, and as his grandfather often said, âBest you be ready, boys.â
But was he ready for the subtle changes a certain divorcée and her little girl might make in his life? His body stood at attention and said , Hell yeah , but his heart put up both hands and said, Whoa!
Distracted, disturbed, and discouraged, Jesse stopped swinging. âA cold one would be good right now.â
As he walked to the back door, a feminine moan of ecstasy drifted toward him on the night breeze. He gritted his teeth and reached for the door. He missed the soft touch of a woman but it probably wouldnât kill him. Admitting that it had been a while longer than either of his brothers thought wouldnât happen in this lifetime. After all, a Garahan had his pride to think ofâthat and his reputation in certain circles in town.
He slammed the back door and felt perversely better for having given it an extra push. Grabbing a hold of the refrigerator door handle, he yanked and pulled it open. He knew he should calm down, but the frustration had been building inside of him for about a month now. Heâd known something was up, but Lori hadnât wanted to confide in him⦠and then she was gone.
Opening the bottle, he tipped his head back and drained a third of the bottle in one big gulp. âDamn shame that I couldnât have fallen in love with someone like Emily or Ronnie.â
Thinking about the two newest additions to their life out at the Circle G, he wondered if he would have noticed someone special. Heâd been so hung up wanting someone he couldnât have that he probably wouldnât have noticed if the woman came wrapped in a bow with a note that said, âIâm the one youâve been waiting for.â
Snickering, he lifted the beer to his lips and sipped. The cool, yeasty flavor had his taste buds cheering. Sometimes there wasnât anything better than a cold longneck.
The breathy moans were getting louder. Shaking his head, he drained the rest of his beer. âGotta find me a womanâfast, before I lose my frigginâ mind!â
Trudging up the stairs, he headed to his room. A shaft of moonlight lent an eerie glow to the darkness, and he could just make out the balled-up sleeping bag on his bed. Why bother to put clean sheets on the damned bed if he wasnât sharing it with anyone? Only women cared about that kind of thing. Well, now that the ladies had moved out to the ranch, his
His head told him to slow down, but his heart told him to downshift and gas it, because even though there were dangerous curves ahead, he knew theyâd be sugar-sweet and just ripe for the tasting. âWhoa!â he mumbled aloud coming to a halt. âHell.â Thatâs what women were on your heart, and other parts of your body, once they moved on to greener pastures. That was the one lesson he learned when Lori left him for the second time.
Walking back over to the house, he decided he wasnât ready to turn in yet, so he settled on the porch swing and gently pushed off. The soothing motion, moving back and forth in the cool night air, was just what he needed. He remembered the night and the fight that had smashed the slats of the bench apart. He was glad Dylan had been able to repair the gift their father had built for their mother before heâd been deployed; if he hadnât, the guilt would have eaten them both alive.
Life was precious. He and his brothers had learned as children that it didnât matter if you were ready for what lay ahead of you or not; sometimes life came at you with both barrels, and as his grandfather often said, âBest you be ready, boys.â
But was he ready for the subtle changes a certain divorcée and her little girl might make in his life? His body stood at attention and said , Hell yeah , but his heart put up both hands and said, Whoa!
Distracted, disturbed, and discouraged, Jesse stopped swinging. âA cold one would be good right now.â
As he walked to the back door, a feminine moan of ecstasy drifted toward him on the night breeze. He gritted his teeth and reached for the door. He missed the soft touch of a woman but it probably wouldnât kill him. Admitting that it had been a while longer than either of his brothers thought wouldnât happen in this lifetime. After all, a Garahan had his pride to think ofâthat and his reputation in certain circles in town.
He slammed the back door and felt perversely better for having given it an extra push. Grabbing a hold of the refrigerator door handle, he yanked and pulled it open. He knew he should calm down, but the frustration had been building inside of him for about a month now. Heâd known something was up, but Lori hadnât wanted to confide in him⦠and then she was gone.
Opening the bottle, he tipped his head back and drained a third of the bottle in one big gulp. âDamn shame that I couldnât have fallen in love with someone like Emily or Ronnie.â
Thinking about the two newest additions to their life out at the Circle G, he wondered if he would have noticed someone special. Heâd been so hung up wanting someone he couldnât have that he probably wouldnât have noticed if the woman came wrapped in a bow with a note that said, âIâm the one youâve been waiting for.â
Snickering, he lifted the beer to his lips and sipped. The cool, yeasty flavor had his taste buds cheering. Sometimes there wasnât anything better than a cold longneck.
The breathy moans were getting louder. Shaking his head, he drained the rest of his beer. âGotta find me a womanâfast, before I lose my frigginâ mind!â
Trudging up the stairs, he headed to his room. A shaft of moonlight lent an eerie glow to the darkness, and he could just make out the balled-up sleeping bag on his bed. Why bother to put clean sheets on the damned bed if he wasnât sharing it with anyone? Only women cared about that kind of thing. Well, now that the ladies had moved out to the ranch, his
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