The Rough and Ready Rancher (14 page)

Jenna slid over to the passenger side and hugged the door. “You can mail me a check.”

Flint parked the truck next to the house. “I don't do business that way.”

“It's about time you started.”

When they got out, Flint waited for Cooper to park Daisy. “I need to talk to you, too.”

“Cooper, are you just going to stand there and let him order us around?” Jenna demanded.

“Yep.” When she glared at him, Cooper grinned and splayed his hands. “I'm not well enough to kick his butt.”

“You wouldn't, even if you could.”

Cooper glanced at Flint, then his sister. “Nope.”

Flint led Jenna into the study. “Stay put while I talk to Cooper.”

Closing the door before she could protest, Flint motioned
for Cooper to accompany him to the kitchen. “Have you given any thought to what you'll do now that your rodeo days are over?”

Cooper shook his head. “Not really.”

“Good.” Flint handed Cooper some papers. “I just talked to a friend of mine. He's looking for a commentator-announcer for his rodeo company. Think you'd be interested?”

“Hell, yes!” His grin wide, Cooper shook Flint's hand. “Thanks, McCray.”

Flint shrugged. “You'll have to talk to him, but the job is yours if you want it.” He paused. “I have something else to ask you. Do you have a problem with me marrying your sister?”

Cooper laughed. “No, but I gotta warn you. She's a handful.”

Relieved the man had no objections, Flint grinned back. “It should make life interesting.”

Whiskers came out of the pantry, his face glowing. “It's 'bout time you got back.” He pointed a gnarled finger toward the hall. “Now git in there an' lasso that little filly, 'fore she gets away.”

 

Why couldn't he let her leave with at least a modicum of her dignity? Jenna thought as she clenched her fists and paced the floor. She was furious with Flint for forcing the upcoming confrontation.

When she walked by the mantel, she stopped and turned back. Something wasn't right. Something was missing. Before she could figure out what it was, Flint walked into the room.

“Miss Adams, please be seated.” Flint walked to the desk and picked up some papers. “We need to discuss the terms of our contract.”

Jenna blinked as she sat down in the chair. “Don't you think it's a little late for renegotiations, McCray?”

“No.” Flint sat on the edge of the desk in front of her and held up one of the documents. “I find our contract completely unacceptable.”

“Now, hold it, cowboy. You agreed—”

“I want a new agreement.”

“That contract is legal and binding.” She came to her feet. “You can't just suddenly decide after the terms have been met, that you want things changed.”

Flint tore the offending document in half. “Yes, I can.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Ripping up your copy means nothing. I still have mine.”

“I want our arrangement to be completely different.”

“How?”

“You merge your training business with my breeding program and train
our
horses exclusively.”

“And?”

“I'm giving you Black Satin as payment for the training. You'll live here. The Rocking M will be the home you've always wanted, and we'll share the profits from the merger.” Handing her Satin's ownership papers, Flint reached out to take her into his arms. He drew her forward for his kiss. When he lifted his head to stare down at her, he finished, “We'll also share my bed.”

The look in his smoldering brown eyes took her breath. “What are you trying—”

It was then she realized what was missing. Her gaze flew to the mantel. The diamond necklace in the glass dome was gone.

Staring at the empty space, Jenna tried to suppress the hope that began to blossom. The necklace's absence could mean everything—or nothing.

She turned to face him, her heart pounding like a jack-hammer. “Where's the necklace, Flint?”

“In a safe deposit box at the bank.”

“Why?”

“Since it belonged to Nicole, I thought Ryan might want it when he gets older.”

Jenna nodded. “I'm sure he will.”

“But I don't want to talk about that now,” Flint said smiling. “We have more important things to discuss.”

“The merger?”

He nodded. “I want this partnership to state in no uncertain terms what will be expected from both of us.”

“My contract covered all that.”

Flint brushed a strand of hair from her face and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Too many details were left out, darlin'.”

The love she saw in his eyes caused her toes to curl inside her boots. “What…details?”

“For one thing, there were no witnesses to the signing of the first contract. When this document is finalized, I intend to have half of Texas bear witness to the terms we agree on.”

Her heart came to a screeching halt, afraid to believe what he was telling her. “And what would that be?”

Flint grinned. “It's really quite simple. I'll promise to stay with you for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.”

Tears filled Jenna's eyes as love and happiness filled her heart. “What will I promise?'

His expression rapturous, Flint smiled. “In return, you'll promise to love, honor and o—”

“Don't say it, cowboy.”

Flint laughed. “Cherish me?”

Grinning, she nodded. “Do you really mean it?”

He hugged her close. “More than I ever meant anything in my life. Will you marry me, Jenna? Be a mother to Ryan and the children we'll have together?”

But he still hadn't said the words she wanted to hear. “Why, Flint? Why do you want me to marry you?”

“Because I can't live without you.” He kissed her. “You've become part of me.”

“And?”

“I love you, Jenna. With every breath I take, I love you.”

He sat her back down in the chair before removing a small velvet box from his jeans pocket. Dropping to one knee in front of her, he opened the box to reveal a diamond-and-sapphire engagement ring. He placed it on her finger, then cupped her face in his hands. “Now will you say yes?”

“Oh, Flint! Yes!” She threw her arms around his neck. Happiness, complete and pure, engulfed her. “I love you, cowboy.”

“And I love you, darlin'.”

J
enna reached down to give Black Satin a reassuring pat. This was it. They'd made it through the preliminary rounds of competition with flying colors and gained an automatic berth in the National Reining Horse Association Futurity finals. Only one ride separated them from the championship.

When she heard their names come across the loud speaker, she took a deep breath. “We're playing with the big boys now, Satin. Let's show them what you can do.”

Riding against veterans with more than a quarter of a century of experience under their belts, Jenna walked Satin into the brightly lit show ring, his blue-black coat gleaming. The texture of the ground in the arena was excellent, and she knew early on they were in complete control.

The NRHA pattern called for eight spins, then large and small circles in each direction. The stallion executed them flawlessly, and it appeared his hindquarters dropped from
beneath him as he came to a sliding stop. The ride was picture-perfect, and as they left the arena, Jenna knew they'd won the prize.

Passing the box seats, her gaze searched out and found Flint among the spectators giving her and Black Satin a standing ovation. Ryan and Cooper stood beside him, but she barely noticed. Flint's smile held her captive. All the pride and happiness for the win were there, but more than that, his expression revealed all his love for her.

 

Later in the hotel room Flint held Jenna close. He ran his finger along the neckband of her turquoise nightshirt. “Darlin', you know what I like best about your night-shirts?”

“What?” she asked, snuggling against him.

“I love taking them off you.” When he started to do just that, Jenna stopped him.

“Did you notice what this one says?”

He kissed the pulse at the base of her throat. “No.”

“Maybe you should.”

He glanced at the garment. An arrow pointed down to the word Baby Buckaroo.

Jenna reached for his hand to place it on her flat stomach. “You told me one time that T-shirt slogans were based on fact.”

He slipped his hand beneath the hem of the shirt. “Do you have something you'd like to tell me, Mrs. McCray?”

“You know that little getaway we had a couple of months ago at the Circle S shack to celebrate our one-year anniversary?”

He nodded.

“You gave me more that weekend than just a wonderful memory. You gave me a baby. In about seven months you're going to be a daddy again, Flint.”

Emotion like he'd never known welled up inside. “Ryan is going to be thrilled.”

Jenna nodded. “He's been asking me when he's going to get a brother to play with.”

“I wouldn't mind if he got a little sister,” Flint said, his hand caressing his wife's warm flesh. “A little girl who looks just like her mother.”

“Boy or girl, this time you won't be cheated the way you were with Ryan. You'll be there for everything. We'll go to childbirth classes—”

“Now hold it, darlin'. I'm not sure—”

“You hold it, cowboy.” She poked his chest with her finger. “This was a joint effort.
We
got me into this, and
we
are going to get me out of it.
Together.
”

Unable to stop grinning, Flint held her gaze and caught her hand in his. “Together, darlin'.” He kissed the finger she'd used to make her point. “Always together.”