Midnight Ride (23 page)

Intrigued by his insight into Tyler, Janie couldn’t help but ask, “Defense against what?”

“I think he’s got big dreams for himself, but I think he’s afraid of failing. So he pretends he doesn’t care. Like it doesn’t matter. He grew up in the shadow of an older brother who could do no wrong. State rodeo champion. War hero. It’s hard for a young guy to live up to that kind of standard, so he adopted the persona of the family screwup. That way no one expected anything from him, and he couldn’t disappoint them.”

Janie’s eyes widened at Rohn’s analysis. He was a lot more intuitive than she’d ever expected him, or any man, to be. “Wow.”

He laughed at her reaction. “Don’t be too impressed. I’m not looking to get my own talk show or anything. I happened to grow up with a brother just like Tyler’s, so I know more than most how he feels.”

Janie nodded, feeling a warmth, a camaraderie with Rohn she didn’t feel with many others. “Thanks for this. I know it didn’t work out exactly as you’d planned.”

He dismissed that concern with the wave of one hand. “Eh, you know what, I’m glad it worked out this way. A good friend is far more valuable to me at this point in my life than a girlfriend. God, how I hate that word
girlfriend
. Almost as much as I hate the term
dating
.”

She smiled at his cringe. “I know. Me too.”

“So, you hungry? Because I’m ready to gnaw on this here table.”

“Yeah, I am.” Far more important than dinner, Rohn had given her some pretty heavy food for thought regarding Tyler. What she was going to do about it, she still wasn’t sure, but that was something to think about later. Janie tried her best to push him to the back of her mind and give Rohn her attention. “So what did you decide on?”

Chapter Thirty-Three

“You’re looking mighty cheerful this morning.” Colton tipped his head toward Rohn where he stood pouring coffee. “How’d the date go last night?”

Rohn turned toward the table where Justin, Colton, and Tyler sat. “Dinner was very nice.”

“And?” Colton prompted.

Tyler prepared himself to hear the worst and hoped the coffee he’d drunk didn’t come back up as his gut twisted.

“And that’s all I’m gonna say about it.”

Colton frowned deep, looking as unhappy as Tyler felt when Rohn sat, his satisfied smile not quite hidden behind the coffee mug as he took a sip. Justin shot a sideways glance at Tyler, who regretted ever letting him in on his secret. Bad enough to lose Janie, but to have Justin know and watch the whole thing happen made it feel all the worse.

To lose her just because he didn’t fit into whatever age bracket she thought acceptable was a bitter pill to swallow. Rohn fit her criteria. Tyler didn’t, and his age was the one thing he couldn’t change.

At least Rohn was a good guy. Time to man up and stop wallowing. If Janie preferred Rohn, there was nothing Tyler could do about it. That didn’t mean he could sit by and watch, though. If Rohn and Janie really were together, Tyler would give his notice and find another job. His heart could only stand so much, and standing by watching Janie with another man was more than he could take.

The puppy whined from the floor, standing up on her back legs to scratch at his jeans with her front paws. “Daisy, be good before boss man kicks you out.”

“Aw, she just wants some attention.” Rohn reached a hand down toward the floor. “Here, girl.”

She skittered across the floor beneath the table to Rohn’s side. Tyler pretended to ignore the dog’s abandonment, but he feared his mug couldn’t quite hide his scowl.

Justin watched the dog’s move, shot Tyler a glance, and then asked, “What’re we doing today, boss?”

Before Rohn could answer, Tyler said, “If we’re not too busy, I wouldn’t mind cutting out early. I still need to bale that hay over at the Smithwick place.”

If he remembered correctly, Janie had lessons scheduled for this afternoon. He could jump on the machine, get the job done, and leave, hopefully without ever having to talk to her.

Rohn’s eyes met his. “Sure. Head over whenever you want. I don’t have too much planned for today.”

Tyler nodded. “Thanks.”

Talk of plans for the day went on around him, but he didn’t participate. With Colton and Justin chattering away, he didn’t think anyone would notice.

When the coffee was finished and it was time to start the day, they all stood to head out to work.

Justin and Colton were headed out the door when Rohn laid a hand on Tyler’s shoulder. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Uh, sure.”

Rohn waited for the screen door to slam shut behind the other two before he said, “So, you and Janie?”

Tyler felt the blood drain from his face. “Rohn, you hadn’t asked her out yet.”

“Relax. It’s okay.”

He frowned, surprised when it began to sink in that Rohn knew. “She told you about us?”

“No. I figured it out on my own. You don’t exactly have a poker face, kid. At first, I couldn’t figure out why you looked so strange whenever her name came up. Then last night when she told me there was a young, wild rodeo cowboy she was interested in, it all made sense.”

“She said she was interested in me?”

“Yup.”

“She dumped me because she thinks I’m too young.”

“Yeah, so I gathered, but it was more than that.”

Tyler nodded, trying to be a man and accept her decision. “Yeah. It was because she was interested in you.”

Rohn surprised him by laughing. “No, she’s definitely not interested in me. At least not like that.”

“She’s not?” He forced himself to meet Rohn’s gaze head-on.

“No, she’s not. Son, it took me about five minutes to figure out her heart is already promised somewhere else.”

Tyler’s brows shot up. “To me?”

“Yes, to you. Jesus, I took you for smarter than this when it came to women.”

He wasn’t stupid, just confused. “But she broke it off with me. I got Daisy for her, and she wouldn’t even hold the pup.”

“Ah, so that’s where the dog came from.” Rohn nodded. “Listen, not everything is about you. Maybe you need to consider where she’s coming from. She lost the man she thought she’d grow old with, and not all that long ago. Death changes a person. Makes them wary to open themselves up to that kind of hurt again.”

The knowledge hit Tyler like a lightning bolt. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen it before, because it was so damn clear now. “You’re right. She’s lost everyone she’s ever really loved. Her mother, her grandfather, her husband.”

“Yup.” Rohn nodded. “And you couldn’t know this, but she even had to put their old dog down, right about the time her Tom died. It was a lot for her to handle all at once.”

Tyler felt so stupid. Of course she’d be afraid of loving again. She’d rather be alone than bear another loss. She didn’t even want to risk loving the puppy because one day it would be gone. “So what do I do?”

The older man shook his head. “That is up to you. All I can tell you is don’t give up too easily on her. Give her time. I think she’ll come around. Oh, and take the day off, with pay, and get that hay baled at her place before the rain they’re predicting comes. She and I discussed my buying her harvest last night, and I expect a quality product for what I’m going to be paying her for it.”

Rohn was like a guardian angel, for both of them. Sending Tyler to her place to work for the day where he’d no doubt run into her and hopefully be able to make things right. Making sure she had the cash she needed by probably overpaying for the hay. Stepping back to let Tyler have a shot at Janie when he’d obviously had an interest in her himself.

Tyler had always liked Rohn, but now he had even more respect for the man.

He dipped his head. “A’ight. Thanks.”

“Don’t forget to take the dog.” Rohn glanced down at the pup on the floor. “If that face doesn’t win her over, nothing will.”

Tyler had a few ideas up his sleeve that might do the trick, but Rohn was right, the dog couldn’t hurt. Daisy following closely behind, Tyler left Rohn’s kitchen and headed toward his truck with a lot lighter step than when he’d walked in barely an hour before.

He and Daisy had a big job to accomplish today, and the least of it was baling that hay.

“Do you feel better now that you finally talked to me about things, instead of dodging my calls?” Rene asked through the cell phone.

“I guess.” Janie had known she wouldn’t be able to hide from the conversation with Rene forever. Since Rene had cornered Janie after church, there was really no getting out of talking to her.

“Why do you still sound so down? You’ve got not one but two incredibly handsome and eligible bachelors interested in you at the same time, and you’re acting like it’s the end of the world.”

“First of all, I told you Rohn and I agreed we’re friends and nothing more. Second, I was a total bitch to Tyler when he came over last time, so there’s no guarantee I’ll ever see him again.” Phone in hand, Janie walked down the stairs from her bedroom.

She heard the rumble of the tractor and her heart leapt. Tyler. “Oh, my God.”

“What?” Rene sounded as panicked as Janie felt. “What’s happening?”

“I think he’s here.” She ran down the remainder of the stairs and to the window. She spotted him bouncing along in the tractor seat, heading toward the hayfield. “He’s finishing up the haying. Rene, what do I do?”

“Put on your prettiest dress and some lipstick, and go out there.”

Her heart thundered. A sleepless night spent reviewing her conversation with Rohn about Tyler, all while missing Tyler horribly, had her emotions even closer to the surface than usual. “Lipstick isn’t going to make up for my acting like a lunatic.”

“Not alone, no, but a good amount of cleavage and a sincere apology might.”

Hell, maybe Rene was right. It couldn’t hurt.

“Okay. That’s what I’ll do. I have to go.” Janie turned back toward the stairs, running up them. She didn’t know how much time she had. He’d work for at least a little while, she was sure, even if he had to go back to Rohn’s. Long enough for her to get herself together and intercept him before he got back to his truck and left.

“Call me and tell me what happens.”

“I will. Bye.” Her head spinning from all she needed to do in a short time to make herself presentable, Janie tossed the phone on the dresser and started to strip off her farm clothes.

She ran to the bathroom. One glance in the mirror told her she looked like crap as yet another sleepless night showed clearly on her face. Reaching for her makeup bag, she dug for the cover-up that she hoped would camouflage the dark circles beneath her eyes. But the lipstick she slicked on her lips next wouldn’t help if he was past listening to her.

What she was going to say still remained a mystery. What could she say after she’d flipped out on him? She’d have to figure something out, and soon.

Janie reached for her mascara and thought better of it. The way her emotions were all over the place, there was a very real chance she’d cry off any eye makeup the way she had last night during dinner. Poor Rohn. She owed him one for being so sweet during that episode.

The need to catch Tyler before he left pushed her forward, toward the closet. She stared at the selections for the second time in two days, only this time she glanced past the dresses she usually wore to church and landed on a little red cotton sundress. It was much too bare so she’d never worn it for service, but it would do when she needed to catch a certain cowboy’s eye.

She pulled it off the hanger and held it in front of her, glancing in the mirror. The red floral print brightened her features, and the low cut showed a good amount of cleavage. Decision made, she slipped it over her head.

Thinking she might as well go all out since she was pretty over-the-top already, Janie reached into the back of the closet and grabbed her good cowboy boots.

As she sat on the bed to pull the boots on, her wedding ring caught her eye. She swallowed hard and stared at it. Rohn didn’t wear his wedding ring anymore. When she’d asked him at the restaurant how long it had been before he’d taken it off, he’d smiled and said about a year, but that he still kept it in the bedroom and looked at it every day.

Reaching down, Janie slid the diamond and gold band set off her finger and saw the white indentation left where it had been for so long. Drawing in a bracing breath, she stood and put the rings on top of the jewelry box on the dresser. It felt like a big step, and she was about to take another one—if Tyler still wanted her.

One more glance in the mirror and she turned for the door, hoping it wasn’t too late to win back the man she’d been foolish enough to push away.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Tyler raked the hay in the smaller of the two fields with Janie’s nine-inch tractor and had just headed back to the barn for the larger machine to start baling when he saw her. He’d been a little worried when she didn’t come out right away. A small doubt in the back of his mind had kept him from going to her first, thinking Rohn might have been wrong about her feelings. That maybe she was avoiding him.

But she was there now, standing next to his truck and looking like a vision. Her dress blew in the breeze that ruffled her hair. She’d left it down and her hat off, and the closer he got, the more he wanted to bury his hands in her long waves and kiss her senseless. He held that impulse in check as he slowed the tractor to a stop and cut the engine.

Daisy wagged her tail, hopping around between his legs. Whether the dog was excited by the prospect of someone new to meet, or she could sense Tyler’s anticipation, he couldn’t be sure, but the puppy practically vibrated with energy. If he could face the truth, he’d admit he might be shaking a bit himself.

He climbed down and, once his boots were on the ground, reached back up for the dog, who was dancing in the seat. He supposed in her little puppy brain, she thought Tyler had taken much too long to climb down.

“Hey.” Puppy under one arm, Tyler forced the greeting to sound casual. No need for Janie to know that he was shaking like a leaf.

“Tyler, I’m so sorry.” Her voice broke on the apology. Janie took a step forward, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “I’m sorry for how I acted, and that I was so stupid, and how I wouldn’t go out with you. Just for everything.”

He smiled. That was all he needed to hear. “I’m sorry, too.”

“For what?”

“For springing Daisy here on you. For pushing you into something you weren’t ready for.” He took a step forward, put the pup on the ground, and laid his hands on Janie’s arms. “I want you to know, I’m not giving up on you and me, but I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

“I’m ready now.” Her answer didn’t quite convince him.

He moved his hands down her arms and grasped her hands in his, wondering if she was really ready. Rubbing his thumb over her fingers, he felt something different. He glanced down and saw her wedding rings were missing. His gaze shot to her face.

She must have seen his reaction. “I figured it was time I took them off.”

Emotions ricocheting through him, Tyler pulled her closer. She was in his embrace in an instant, her arms wrapped around his neck, her lips pressed to his.

The kiss could have easily led to his lifting her pretty little sundress up and claiming her right there against the tractor, but he wasn’t going to let that happen. They’d already begun this relationship backward. Time to get things back on track.

He pulled away from her mouth. “I want to go on a date. A real one. Out in public at a restaurant, like you did with Rohn.”

“Okay.”

His brows rose. “Really? You’re not just saying that?”

“No, I’m not. Though can I request we go to a different restaurant from the one he took me to? I don’t want to look like the kind of woman who has a date with a different guy every night.”

“Fine. Wherever you want to go.” He kissed her again, only allowing himself a quick peck before he continued. “And I want you to meet my family. Come with me to Logan and Emma’s baby’s christening next month.”

“Okay.”

“And no sex.”

“What?” Her eyes widened and her voice rose.

He smiled at her surprise. “I know, it sounds funny, but I need to prove to you I’m serious. I want a real relationship with you, not just sex.”

Her brow wrinkled. “No sex for how long?”

“I don’t know. A month.” He shrugged. The furrow deepened in her brow and he laughed. “Okay, how about two weeks?” When she still didn’t look happy, he added, “How about we discuss the details later?”

She cocked one brow. “Good idea.”

The puppy wasn’t happy, either, but for a different reason. She didn’t like being ignored and jumped up to lean her front paws on Tyler’s leg.

He grinned. “Someone wants to meet you officially. And don’t worry. I’m keeping her. I talked to my parents and to Rohn and they don’t mind if I keep her at my house at night and bring her to work with me during the day. So I’m not trying to unload her on you.”

Janie glanced down at the dog. “I’m sorry I overreacted the other day.”

“No. I’m sorry I sprang her on you.”

“You named her Daisy?”

“I did.” Tyler reached down and picked up the pup. It seemed the only time she was content was when he was holding her. “After the daisies growing along the fence in your hayfield. And the ones on the dresser in your bedroom.”

It was as if he could see the walls Janie had erected around her heart crumble. Then Daisy leaned over and licked her face, and he knew she was a goner.

“She is sweet.” Janie raised her gaze to his. “So are you.”

“I try,” Tyler joked, but he also needed to be serious for a moment. “Janie, I want you to know something. None of us knows how long we have on this earth, but as long as there is breath in my lungs, I will never willingly hurt you.”

She was quiet for so long, he knew she had something to say. He put the puppy down again and pulled her to him. “What? Tell me.”

Her eyes filled with tears again. “I’m so afraid of losing you.”

“I know. But you won’t.”

“I’m trying so hard to have faith, but you could meet and fall for someone else, and want to be with her instead—”

“Nope. Won’t happen.” He shook his head, firm in his answer.

“How can you know that?”

“Because I’ve already fallen so hard for you, there’s no room left in my heart for anyone else.” The puppy whined at his feet. He laughed and tipped his head toward the dog. “Maybe room for her, but no other woman, Janie. Only you. It’s you I love. Nobody but you.”

Now the tears did fall, sending long streaks down her face. She opened her mouth and he pressed a finger to her lips. “Don’t say it back just because I did. Don’t say it until you mean it, Janie. I can wait.”

He was doing his best to give her the space and time to move slowly. Like Rohn said, she’d had a lot to deal with in her life, but he needed her to know that he was there for the long haul. If that meant he had to reveal his feelings and risk her not sharing them, then he’d do it.

Janie reached up and, after kissing his fingertips, moved them from her mouth. “It’s okay. I made my peace with this, and with Tom. I think I can love the memory of him and still be okay with loving somebody else, too.”

“Any chance that somebody could be me one day?”

She smiled through the tears. “It already is you.”

His heart full to bursting, he leaned down and gathered her as close to him as he could while standing.

Giving in to the urge he could no longer fight, he ran his hand up her back and into her hair. He tugged her head back and took her mouth with the kind of kiss he’d been holding in for fear of scaring her. He claimed her mouth, but it felt like more than that. It was a promise of love, of their future.

By the time he pulled away, they were both a little breathless.

“Wow.” She let out a short laugh, her cheeks adorably pink. “You sure about waiting two long weeks before we have sex?”

“Less sure with every second.” One more kiss like that and he’d lose all control. They might not even make it to the house if that happened. He squeezed her harder and groaned. He could feel her, warm and soft, beneath the thin cotton of the dress. “Maybe we could just wait until after our first date.”

She laughed. “All right.”

He drew in a breath through his nose. “What are you doing tonight?”

“I think I might be going out to dinner with somebody.”

Her sly look had him smiling as he asked, “Oh, really. Anyone I know?”

“Some cocky cowboy I can’t seem to get off my mind.” Daisy yipped and Janie glanced down. “He’s got a real cute dog, though.”

“Sounds like a hell of a guy.”

“He is. I’m hoping he’ll be around for a long time.”

Tyler leaned in low. “Just try getting rid of me.”

“Never.” Rising up on tiptoe, she wrapped her arms around his neck and paused with her lips just shy of his mouth. Her eyes on his, she asked, “How early do you think restaurants open?”

“Hungry?”

“Not for food.” Her smile looked devilish.

He grinned, lifting her up against him. “God, how I love you.”

“I love you, too, Tyler.”

After possibly the five most wonderful words he’d ever heard, he figured the day couldn’t get any better . . . and then Janie wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him like she meant it, and he realized they were just getting started.