When Sparks Fly (67 page)

One year earlier…

July 4th

“No, Nathaniel. Please don’t go in there!” I screamed. I watched as my husband climbed up the gate and hopped over, landing in the mud. “Nathaniel, he is going to kill you. That animal hates you! Please get out of there!” I pleaded and begged him. I hated bulls. Always had, but Nate loved the fear and the thrill. I would never understand it.

He stepped even closer to the beast who easily weighed in at 2500 pounds. I held my breath like I do every single time. For whatever reason I didn’t squeeze my eyes shut this time as he approached the beast. I understood he needed to check out the wound on his back. The animal barely tolerates other animals near him and I wonder how in the hell Nate will get close to him. I’ve voiced my concern again and he just groans. He said he had his ways.

Ways my ass. More like a hope and prayer that Patriotic Rodeo doesn’t come after him and fork him with his horns. I have seen too many bull riders end up with broken bones and gorged bodies to know that stepping inside of the pen with a large animal is not the wisest choice in the world.

“Kennedy, I am not going to touch him. I just want to get a better look.”

“You are nuts.” Thunder clapped above making not only me jump but both Nate and Patriotic Rodeo. I started to turn and head back to the house when out of the corner of my eye my worst nightmare started to unfold. The bull lunged forward just as the rain started pounding the tin roof of the barn.

Everything started to happen in slow motion. I couldn’t get back into the pen fast enough. My brother Kaleb had scaled the fencing as soon as he saw the big beast spooked, but he was too late. Patriotic Rodeo had Nate pinned down, slowly crushing him. All I could do was scream. Several other ranch hands had jumped in with Nate and Kaleb, trying to help, but by the time they had gotten the bull back and out of the pen, Nate had been crushed. I scaled the fence kneeling in front of my husband as the tears blurred my vision. His chest heaving for air. Slowly the gasp began to fade and then there was nothing. No movement. Paramedics were on their way, but wouldn’t matter; Nate was dead.

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Chapter One

I slammed the phone down. The conversation with my dad had not gone as well as I had hoped. He asked me to stay until the last shipment had arrived tonight. I swear he was beginning to become forgetful in his old age. I didn’t mind. It kept me from going back to the ranch. For the first few months after Nate’s death I slept on the couch in the lounge in the back room. I couldn’t go home. Nobody said a word. I doubt anyone would have.

Nate had been gone a year and I had yet to really return to the barn. I wanted nothing to do with bulls, horses or any type of livestock. My world was lost when Nate died. I let my brother run the day to day operations of the Montgomery Ranch while I started working at the General Store with my dad and uncle. I couldn’t handle not being busy, but being on the ranch brought too much pain. I couldn’t sell it, but I also couldn’t run it either.

My mother died of breast cancer six years ago when I turned twenty-one. When she died, I never imagined I would have to be faced with a greater pain. In grade school, Nate would always pull my hair, and one day, I turned around and punched him square in the face. I gave him a bloody nose but he never touched me again until we turned sixteen, when he kissed me under the Fourth of July fireworks. My first real kiss and our worlds melded into one. Inseparable is the only term I can perfectly use to describe us. Nate and I did everything together. We were married at eighteen and we were each other’s first.

Nearly ten years later we had just started discussing children and now that dream of having little dark haired blue eyed boys had faded. Dad told me to give it time. I would find love again. I didn’t want to fight with him over the loss of a spouse, but damn it, losing Nate before our lives really began fucking sucked.

I had my head stuck under the counter when the bell on the door chimed letting me know someone had come inside. I had been trying to clean out years of crap my uncle and his wife had just let collect under and in things all over the building. I mean really who needs shit from twenty years ago?

“Hello.” The deep sexy voice boomed. I gasped as I nearly knocked myself out trying to pull my head from under the counter.

As I stood and brushed the dirt from my hands, I looked up into the most beautiful sapphire eyes I had ever seen. “Hi there. How can I help you?” I blew the piece of hair out of my face. Damn of all days to look like death warmed over.

He nodded and bared a full wide smile. “This is really stupid of me, but I didn’t book a room or a place to stay and everything here is full and or out of my price range. Are there any other options or a place to rent that’s close to here?”

I just shook my head. I didn’t say it out loud but he was a ‘naive newbie’. “Well I know Mabel may have a place. If not, I do have room in my bunk house.”
Shit! Did I just tell this handsome man he could stay on my property? I am nuts or in need of something else to look at besides the men who work for me. Oh Lord please help me and don’t strike me dead.

“You mean the little lady at the Bed and Breakfast my friend suggested on the edge of town?” The man raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, she is a little eccentric, but the biggest sweetheart you’ll ever meet.” I’d have to agree that when you first meet this feisty blue haired woman that you’d never think she was seventy years old. Her wild flame red hair and her hippy tie-dyed t-shirts make her seem years younger than she is. I’ve known her my whole life and she’s the sweetest woman on the planet, apart from my mother. She would give you the shirt off your back if you need it and it fit.

“Yes, ma’am. I did talk to her. She is full this week; in fact, she’s the one who told me to come ask you.” He smirked.

“That damn woman!” I growled out. Mabel, God love her. It wasn’t a month after Nate’s death and she was lining men up for me. I mean really woman! She kept telling me I should not be alone and I needed some male companionship. I knew what she meant. Sex. She wasn’t afraid to tell you either. I said I was doing okay on my own. I just shook my head. “Well I will have to have another long chat with her.”

“I take it this is not the first time she has done something like this? I apologize for putting you on the spot. My name’s Tucker Jackson.”

The younger man reached his rough calloused hand out to me. I took it firmly in my own and shook it. Something my daddy had always taught me to do was to shake a man’s hand firmly and to look him in the eye and not to let him know I was a sissy girl.

The moment we touch a flaming fire spread over my body. I stepped back taking my hand with me. Damn it. What the hell was that? I looked up at Tucker who seems to be completely unaware of the sharp electrical current running through my body. As the heat spread, I made the mistake of gazing over his body. Nothing about him said little. I stood roughly five foot five, but he had to be a foot taller, at best guess. His shirt clung tightly across his tight rippled chest muscles and arms. Yes, my mind went directly south. If his upper body looked this damn good through just his shirt, what in the hell did this boy look like underneath and below the belt? I had to clear my thoughts. I hadn’t even thought about another man… until this moment. Was I beginning to forget Nate? I suddenly felt flush and my whole world started to spin. I stumbled backwards until I hit the counter. What in the hell is wrong with me?

“You okay? You look a little pale.”

I nodded. “I just need to sit down.” I lied. I needed Tucker Jackson to leave me alone. He was screwing with me and I really wasn’t sure if it was in a good way. Damn.

Just as I turned to walk over to the chair in the office, I felt my knees go weak. If he had not been standing behind me, I would have hit the floor.

“Whoa there. Let’s get you to the chair.” As soon as his arms wrapped underneath my breasts his earthy dirty sexy sweat filled my nose. If I hadn’t already gone down, I would have then. Nate never made me go weak in the knees. Who the hell was this dude? He was doing a number on my womanhood.

“Thank you. I am not sure what is wrong with me.” I didn’t really lie. “If you will hand me my phone, which is underneath the register, I can call my Daddy to come close up.” I frowned as I remembered Daddy and Uncle Dale left town to go fishing.

“What is with the frown?” He questioned as he walked towards the register.

“I am just going to have to close up. My daddy went fishing.” I twisted my lips in a pouting way.

Tucker just smiled then laughed. “You know I do know my way around a store. I can help, then I will drive you home. It doesn’t seem fitting that I should let you get behind the wheel of a car.”

“No, it’s okay. I can call Kaleb.” I spoke softly. I hated calling Kaleb. He had always been protective, but ever since Nate died, he had become even more protective, and some days it rather sucked.

“Kaleb, your husband?” He raised his cowboy hat to give me an even clearer view of those beautiful eyes.

“No,” I spoke softly ensuring my eyes were averted from his. “My husband was killed a year ago.” I closed my eyes letting the moment of his death wash over me again. The shuffling of his worn boots across the floor brought me to open my eyes again. I didn’t look up. I couldn’t. Tears threatened to surface.

I closed my eyes willing the tears to stop. I wasn’t going to cry in front of a man…. let alone a stranger. Suddenly I felt his presence. I fluttered my eyes open. Tucker Jackson had knelt in front of me inches from my body. Inches from touching me again. His hand cupped my chin raising it up to meet his gaze.

“I am sorry for your loss. I am sure it is still a very raw feeling at times.” He took his thumb and wiped the stray tear that had breached the dam.

“At times.” My voice broke as I spoke. I didn’t know how else to respond. Everyone else around me knew about how I watched Nate die. Shaking my head to clear my mind, I sat up and slapped my hands on my thighs. “I am sorry Tucker. I am Kennedy Montgomery. Thank you for your offer, but I can close up. In fact I am waiting for another delivery to arrive.” I tried to brush him off. I really wanted him to leave. What he was doing to my body, I hadn’t ever felt. And the fact that it was a simple touch made it even harder to comprehend. If I didn’t get Tucker Jackson out of my store soon, I might just have my way with him in the back room. Placing my hands on his shoulders to stand, I froze. Big mistake. The feeling came rushing back. This guy couldn’t be over twenty and probably was still wet behind the ears. Where was my common sense when I needed it? Every sense of my being was telling me to get the hell out of dodge and away from this man. But my heart was telling me otherwise. I was feeling every emotion at once. I felt like I was betraying Nate’s memory by being attracted to another man. Then another piece of me was saying ‘let it go and feel for once’ but my brain is saying ‘you just met this man’. Get a grip girl!

“Well Kennedy Montgomery, I can do no such thing. My momma did raise me to be a gentleman and if you don’t mind I will stay and help. If she knew I left you alone after nearly falling over, she would tan my hide with a belt and not in a good way.” He winked with a sly grin.

Shit! He knew more than I thought. Fuck, I was in deep shit and nobody around to save my stupid ass. I should have known the moment Mabel sent his hot ass in the store I was in deep, deep trouble. Reminder to self-speak to her about sending strange men to hit on me.

“Well Tucker Jackson, since you insist on staying then grab a broom and start sweeping.” I turned on my heel and headed straight for the bathroom. I needed to splash my face a few times with water. The heat in the room had been turned up several degrees. I wasn’t joking when I said I’d have taken him in the back room and had my way with him, but that “tan my hide” comment really showed me he’s not as wet behind the ears as I thought.

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Chapter Two