Rules of Protection (Tangled in Texas) (Volume 1) (16 page)

“Yeah, they all want to get a look at the girl I brought home. You’re the first, you know.”

“Considering the circumstances under which we came here, I’m not all that flattered.”

“I guess I understand, but none of them know about that. They all still think you’re my girlfriend, remember?”

“I’m nervous. What if everyone gawks at me?”

Jake kissed my temple and squeezed my hand in his. “Then it won’t be any different from any other day.”

We barely made it out to the yard when Floss stopped us in passing. “There you two are. Momma Bell is here,” Floss said, pointing across the yard at an elderly woman. “I told her all about Emily and she’s dying to meet her. Be sure you go over and introduce her.”

Jake rubbed at his forehead. “God, maybe we could hide inside for a while, just until it’s past her bedtime and she leaves.”

His callousness toward a little old lady appalled me, though Floss wasn’t the least bit surprised. “Momma Bell may be overbearing at times, but she means well. Say hello to her, Jake. It won’t kill you. But if you don’t, I might,” Floss threatened as she walked away.

“Yoo-hoo! Jakey, over here,” Momma Bell said, waving.

He plastered on the fakest smile I’d ever seen and waved back to her.

“Aww. Look at her. She’s fond of you…
Jakey
,” I said, laughing.

“Don’t start,” Jake said with a serious face. “You don’t know her. She’s a pushy pain in the ass.”

“She seems delightful. With a name like Momma Bell, how could she not be?”

“Her name is Maebelle, but she constantly mothers everyone, hence the name. I wish the old bat would’ve had kids of her own before her husband died. Then she would’ve left all of us alone. She adopted us the same way a kidnapper adopts a child…against our will.”

“Oh, that’s a terrible thing to say. Maybe she’s lonely. You wouldn’t know anything about it since you have family, but I know how she must feel. I’ve been alone for years.” I glanced back to the elderly woman chatting with Hank and couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. “Let’s go say hello,” I said, starting in her direction.

He grabbed me and yanked me back. “Before I go anywhere near that woman, I need a beer. In fact, you do, too. You just don’t know it yet.”

“Jake, knock it—”

“Emily, I’m telling you, if I have to hang out with her for more than five minutes, I’m hitting the hard stuff in my uncle’s liquor cabinet.” A bead of sweat ran down the side of his face.

“You’d think she’s the devil the way you’re acting,” I said. His eyebrows rose as if to confirm the accusation. “Fine, we’ll get your beer first, you chicken, but then you’re going to say hello, or I’m going to tell Floss on you.”

“Oh, real mature,” he said, guiding me toward the coolers his friends congregated around.

“I need a beer,” Jake said. “Possibly two.” Cowboy pulled two bottles out of the ice, handed one to Jake, and then opened the other, passing it to me with a wink. That annoyed Jake more. “I meant two for me, numb-nuts.”

A smile spread across Ox’s face. “If you’re double fisting, then it can mean only one thing, huh,
Jakey
?”

“Jakey! Jakey!”
the three men chanted.

Jake showed them all an up-close view of his middle finger and pushed me in Momma Bell’s direction. “Let’s get this over with.”

We approached the elderly woman from the side, but she didn’t notice. Momma Bell sat in a plastic lawn chair with her pudgy hips sticking out the sides along with her flowery sundress. Her fluffy white hair reminded me of the baby chicks in Hank’s brooder box.

Floss motioned to us and gave the introduction. “Momma Bell, you remember Jake. And this is his girlfriend, Emily.”

Momma Bell wrenched herself out of her chair, pinched Jake’s cheek lovingly, and then slapped him in the back of his head. “Jakey’s all grown up, but obviously didn’t learn any manners,” she told me, before looking back at him. “You took long enough getting over here.”

“Sorry about that, Momma Bell. How have you—”

“Jakey, put a sock in it. It’s time I met my newest granddaughter. Why don’t you leave us girls alone to get acquainted?”

As big a smile as Jake wore, you would’ve thought the guy had just gotten laid. Blissfully happy, he didn’t argue or waste any time making tracks back to the ice chests for another beer.

I turned back to Momma Bell to meet the granddaughter she spoke of. That’s when I realized she was referring to me. Granddaughter? I just met the woman. And Jake wasn’t her grandson, nor did he wish to be.

Momma Bell grabbed me in a bear hug, practically squeezing the life out of me. For a second, I wondered if Frankie Felts had put her on his payroll. Seconds before I passed out, she released me. But that wasn’t the extent of the torture. She felt me up, from my shoulders all the way to my hipbones.

“You’re too scrawny, girl. Need some meat on your pitiful bones. Floss, you go get this girl a plate of food, and pile it high. I’m going to see to it she eats every bite.”

“Oh, no, that’s okay. I’m not hungry.”

“Nonsense,” Momma Bell argued. “You’re going to eat or we’re going to have one of them there telethons for you. You’ll make yourself sick being so skinny.”

Floss smiled at me before changing the subject. “I need to check if Hank watered my garden. He sometimes forgets.”

Momma Bell looked beside herself. “Men these days. They don’t pay attention. Why, if my Earl had ever done that, I’d have cooked his goose.”

“Earl is Momma Bell’s late husband,” Floss explained.

I nodded. “Jake mentioned him earlier.”

Momma Bell patted the chair next to hers as Floss walked away. “Sit, girl. I’m going to tell you all about Earl.”

Floss cut out after the first five minutes and never came back. And to think I used to like that woman. I glared across the yard, giving Jake a
help-me
look, but he just shrugged and tipped his beer at me. I returned a look, promising retribution, and resisted the urge to rip out my hair.

I tried to be polite, but an hour later I found myself scooting away like a coward. “Nice to meet you, Momma Bell.”

“I’m not through with you, young lady. You come back and visit me.”

“Okay,” I said, forcing my mouth to curl into a smile. What I really thought was
right after I commit suicide, you crazy loon
.

I couldn’t find Jake, but saw Cowboy standing near the coolers. “If Jake ever leaves me alone with that woman again, I’m going to borrow her pitchfork and stab him with it.”

He grinned. “What happened?”

“That crazy ass woman put a dip of snuff in her mouth and made me hold her spit can. Then she pulled a jar from her purse and made me take a drink. I think it was poison.”

“Moonshine,” Cowboy corrected with a chuckle. “Why didn’t you refuse?”

“The woman carries a gun in her purse. I’m not nearly as crazy as she is.”

“Now you know why
Jakey
avoids her.”

I blew out a breath. “No kidding. I’m surprised Jake hasn’t fed her to Charlie yet. Where is he, anyway?”

“He’s…uh…well, he’s…” Cowboy looked around, as if he was searching through the crowd. “Um…I don’t reckon I know.”

“What a crock of bullshit,” I said, which made his head turn to me with wide eyes. “Since the day I met you, you’ve never been at a loss for words, Mr. Smooth Operator.” My eyes pierced into his with an unnerving stare. “Now, let’s try this again. Where’s Jake?”

Cowboy sighed. “He didn’t want me to tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“He went to the barn with Bobbie Jo.”

First, I was shocked. Then hurt. Then enraged.

“Hey,” Cowboy called after me. “Where are you going?”

“To the barn. Where else?”

Chapter Thirteen

The thought of Jake and Bobbie Jo in the barn alone was unbearable. Him asking Cowboy to keep it from me only worsened the feeling.

I made it to the barn as they came out. Her face reddened and her eyes wouldn’t meet mine. Signs of guilt—all the confirmation I needed. Jake, on the other hand, didn’t look embarrassed or guilty. Surprised, maybe, but definitely not guilty. Fucking jerk.

“Hello, Emily,” Bobbie Jo said solemnly, keeping her gaze lowered. “I’m sorry I borrowed Jake for a few minutes. He helped me figure something out.”

“Well, did you get it fingered…er, figured out?” My icy tone matched the look I gave her. Jake wrapped his hand around my wrist, tightening his grip as a warning.

Bobbie Jo gave him a slight smile. “Thanks for your help. I’ll leave you two alone now.”

Jake nodded as she turned to walk away. “Sure thing,” he said, letting her get out of earshot before he turned back to me. “Got a problem?”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Who said I have a problem?”

“Don’t play games, Emily. If you’re mad, just say so.”

“What’s there to be mad about? If you want to sneak out to the barn with another woman, then that’s your business. After all, I’m just your pretend girlfriend, right?”

“Stop it. It wasn’t nearly as scandalous as you imagine it to be. She needed to talk.”

“About…?”

“It’s personal.”

“I thought
we
were personal. Guess I’m the only one.” I tried to walk away from him, but he wouldn’t turn my wrist loose.

He dragged me back and held me by my shoulders. “Don’t walk away from me. It didn’t have anything to do with you. I asked Cowboy to keep his big mouth shut only because I knew how you’d react.” He breathed out as if trying to control his temper. “Look, I can’t tell you what we talked about because I’m not going to break her confidence. Bobbie Jo is still a good friend of mine, but it’s no reason to be jealous.”

“I bet she is. I know I always sneak off to barns with my good friends.”

“Jesus. You don’t trust men at all, do you?”

“Why bother? They all disappoint sooner or later.”

“Get over yourself, Emily. Not everything is about you. God. Maybe you’re right, after all. You
do
need therapy.” He let go of my arms and stormed toward the house.

I stood alone, wondering how in the hell it happened. How was it possible I found him with another woman, yet I ended up feeling bad? Jake wouldn’t have been Mr. Understanding if he caught me alone in the barn with Cowboy.

Annoyed, I followed him, but stayed far enough away until I could control the frustration burning behind my eyes. Once I pushed it back to a manageable level, I sat on the edge of the picnic table and quietly processed what he had said. Jake lingered nearby but didn’t say anything directly to me. He didn’t have a problem talking to Ox or Judd, though.

Bobbie Jo walked around the yard saying good-bye to everyone in the safety zone—ideally anyone who wasn’t near me. Her radiant blond hair hung past her shoulders and flipped out at the ends. Her boobs bounced in her top as she leaned over to hug someone’s child. She was well liked by everyone here. A little too well liked for my taste.
God. Why am I so insecure?

She waved at Jake and he smiled at her.
Oh, yeah, that’s why.
It made me want to rip every strand of her shiny, bleached blond hair out of her scalp. Instead, I crossed my arms and blew out a large breath, showing my irritation.

Ox looked over, puzzled by my expression. “What’s wrong with her?” he asked Jake.

“Who knows? She’s moody. Maybe it’s Mad Cow Disease,” Jake answered, unfazed.

A loud gasp came from behind him, and everyone around us stopped moving. Jake froze in place, closed his eyes, and let out a silent curse. Momma Bell stood there, giving Jake the stink-eye with her fists balled up on her plump hips. Reluctantly, he turned to face her.

“Why, you little shit. Don’t you dare talk about her like that. Why, if my Earl had ever said that about me, I’d have blasted him between the eyes.” Momma Bell stuck her gnarled finger in his face. “Now, you apologize to her or I’m going to tan your hide. I don’t care if you’re nearly a man.”

All irritation left my body as I swallowed a giggle. Nearly a man? At thirty years old? Jake’s a late bloomer.

“Aw, Momma Bell, Emily knows I’m kidding,” Jake said, taking a swig of his beer.

“Jakey, I mean it. You apologize to that girl,” Momma Bell ordered, her harsh eyes glaring at him. “My Earl wouldn’t have hurt my feelings for nothing in the world.”

“Okay, fine.” Jake had to will himself to do it. “Emily, I’m sorry.”

I smiled, but more out of sympathy for Jake. Everyone watched and listened as Jake apologized to me. It was almost comical, since I should’ve been the one offering an apology for how I acted at the barn.

Momma Bell wasn’t satisfied, though. “You two having a spat, are you? Jakey, kiss that girl and make up with her. Don’t you know anything, boy?”

Jake and I stared at each other. Neither of us wanted to be in that position. He tried to finagle out of it, but no one could tell Momma Bell no. The lady didn’t take no for an answer. The crowd watched as she pushed Jake closer to me, stood off to the side with her arms crossed, waiting, as Jake and I faced each other awkwardly. Everyone whispered amongst themselves, making me wonder if they’d placed bets on whether we’d follow through. Hell, if they were smart, they’d bet on Momma Bell.

Humor twinkled in Jake’s eyes. “Should we try to make a run for it?”

“Momma Bell’s packing,” I warned him.

“I guess we don’t have much of a choice, then.”

The crowd watched intently as we stood there like idiots.

“Maybe we should ask for a drum roll or something,” I suggested.

Cowboy walked closer and planted himself next to Ox and Judd. “I’d be happy to stand in for you if you’re not feeling up to it,
Jakey
.”

Jake gave his friend a wicked grin. Only then did I understand the sensible, if not mundane, kiss I’d expected wasn’t going to be as mild as I’d thought. Cowboy issued a dare, and Jake never did anything half-assed.

I refused to let Jake put on a show for his friends. Resentfully, I dug in my heels, hoping to keep the kiss polite and viewer-friendly. But before I could stop him, Jake ratcheted me into his arms and drew his mouth over mine. I forced my body into rigidity, as if I were a wooden puppet. Unfortunately, my strings were attached to my heart. Jake’s tongue demanded my lips to part, and I responded as if he were my master. It was ravenous and indulgent and no longer just a kiss. In front of everyone, Jake made love to my mouth, and I forgot he was using me to prove something.

“Ahem.” The sound cut the air around us as Momma Bell cleared her throat. We stopped kissing and saw everyone standing there, watching, mouths opened in awe. Or possibly disgust.

“That was a real doozy of a kiss…almost as good as the potato salad. Why, my Earl never gave me a saucy kiss like that.” She leaned over and whispered, “My Earl was a real flash in the pan, if you know what I mean.” Then Momma Bell winked and walked away, still mumbling to herself.

Jake and I traded glances with each other and then moved farther apart, as if we were afraid the closeness would trigger another attack on one another’s sexuality.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Junior stand and take a pouch from his back pocket. He twisted his hand inside and pulled out a large wad of chewing tobacco. It was a disturbing thing to watch. I’d seen people reach into salad bowls and come out with less than what he stuffed into his mouth. When he stepped over to me, the faint scent of wintergreen drifted into my nose.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Hi, Junior.”

“Emily,” he said, nodding and tipping his black Stetson.

“I haven’t had a chance to thank you for the clothes you brought over the other day. Almost everything fit. Are you sure your daughter doesn’t want to keep them? There were some cute outfits in there. She has excellent taste.”

The corner of Junior’s mouth lifted. “I’m sure she’s glad you’re able to get good use out of them.”

“How’d you know I needed clothes, anyway?”

“Before opening the diner, I spent a great deal of my life as a tracker. I’m used to spotting things invisible to others.”

“Good guess, in other words?”

He tossed his head back and a deep, bellowing laugh came out. “Something like that,” he said as he walked away.

Jake strolled over. “What’d you say to him?”

“Nothing. Why?”

“You made him laugh. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him laugh before. Most people are usually afraid of him.”

It struck me as odd, since I found Junior to be a kind, considerate person. He came off as a hard man who probably lived a hard life, but in his presence I felt safe, protected even. Nothing bad would ever happen as long as Junior was around. Probably because he smelled of wintergreen and the scent reminded me of my own father. But either way, I wasn’t afraid of him. In fact, I was quite fond of him.

A few minutes later, Floss announced it was time to eat, and the crowd zipped over to form a line as the feeding frenzy began. I headed to the back of the line, but as I passed Jake, he grabbed me and slid me in front of him.

“We’re taught in elementary school not to cut in line.”

“And you say I never break the rules,” he said teasingly, handing me a foam plate, plastic fork, and a napkin.

“Never any that matter.”

We made our way down the line, and our plates got heavier with brisket, jalapeno sausage, potato salad, baked beans, carrot-raisin salad, and ambrosia. Floss offered some pickled quail eggs, but I passed, managing to grab one of the last deviled eggs.

“Here, Emily, try this,” Cowboy said, shoving a piece of meat under my nose.

I picked it up with my fingers and gave it a sniff. It smelled okay, but I was leery of anything attached to telltale words like “try this.” I nibbled on a tiny piece until Jake grinned.

“Okay. What is it?” I asked, not sure if I wanted to hear the answer.

“Fried backstrap,” Cowboy said. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing weird.”

I finished chewing and swallowed. “Then why are you smiling, Jake?”

Jake laughed. “It’s deer meat.” I closed my eyes and breathed out of my nose, but didn’t say anything for a full minute. “Are you going to be sick?” Jake asked.

I opened my eyes and glared at both of them. “No, I’m trying to decide which of you I’m going to kick in the balls first.” Obviously, they weren’t too concerned, since both of them laughed.

“Shit, it’s nothing,” Cowboy said. “Judd is over there right now eating a bowl of squirrel stew.”

I fought the urge to gag. “Do you people kill and eat anything that moves or has a heartbeat? God, I hope a homeless guy doesn’t wander onto the property.”

They all smirked as we sat at the end of a picnic table. Ox offered to get me some pink lemonade and brought it back to me in a clear plastic cup.

“No opossum blood or anything strange in it, right?”

“No, ma’am, not unless you think vodka is strange.”

I peered around at the other tables and saw some young children drinking pink lemonade as well. My eyes enlarged to the size of dinner plates. “Don’t tell me…”

“No,” Ox said, laughing. “I added it to your cup, not the pitcher. We don’t start off that early around these parts.”

“Thank God.”

…

After sunset, the party continued.

Hank turned on the outside lights to the barn to light up the pool and threw some logs in the burn pit to ward off the mosquitoes. Kids swam tirelessly, women stood around chattering like a flock of hens, and the men took turns telling stories and picking on a guitar around the fire.

Jake found me lying on the top of the picnic table away from the crowd, looking up at the stars. He leaned over me, blocking my view. “Hey, I’ve been looking for you.”

I peered around his big head. “I’ve never seen this many stars before.”

“Yeah, they don’t have starry skies in Chicago,” Jake replied dryly.

“No, that’s not what I mean. The atmosphere is different here. No honking horns, no cars, no city lights—just the sounds of nature. It’s quiet, like I’m the only person in the world seeing this.”

“You might be cut out for country life, after all.”

I laughed and sat up. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Well, I was looking for you because Big Jim and the twins haven’t met you yet.”

“Excuse me?” I nearly choked on the saliva in my mouth.

Jake stepped to the side and pointed across the yard to a large man with a beard standing next to two toddlers. “His wife, Amy, talked to you earlier and wanted him and the twins to meet you before they left. It’s past their bedtime.”

I stifled my giggles while we talked to them, but every time Jake called him by name and referred to his twins, the laughter bubbled in my throat. I’d met too many people to remember all of their names, but some stood out more than others. Big Jim was one of them. Then again, I wasn’t bound to forget Catfish or Slick, either.

After making our rounds to say good night to the guests who were leaving, Jake ended up back over near the ice chests with his boys. I gathered empty beer bottles from a neighboring table.

“Hey, Jake, everyone’s leaving. Why don’t we all go down to The Backwoods for a few drinks?” Cowboy suggested. “They have a live band tonight.”

Jake’s back was to me, but I saw him give Cowboy a noncommittal shrug. “Nah, that’s okay. It’s been a long day. I think I’m going to take a shower and turn in.”

“Come on, Jake. It’s been a long time since we’ve all been out together.”

“Emily’s a homebody,” Jake argued. “She wouldn’t want to go.”

They all looked at him as if he was crazy, but Ox spoke up. “Your girl? You’re kidding, right? She has party written all over her. What’s the real reason you don’t want to go?”

“Look, guys, Emily can’t—”

“I had a headache earlier,” I said, approaching from behind. “But it’s gone now. Why don’t we go, Jake? It sounds like fun.”

Jake shot me an unappreciative look. “No.” His definite tone meaning “end of discussion” was easily deciphered.