Wildcat Wedding (Wranglers & Lace #2) Read online

  Brett would love nothing more. He didn’t like prickly women, either in business or his personal life. His gaze moved over Jessie’s paint-speckled face. He wanted to smile, but the vulnerable look in her eyes stopped him. Now he was a little sorry that he had gotten Katie to tell him where her sister had gone. All he had been thinking about was getting Jessie’s signature.

  Instead, he’d ended up climbing a ladder into a loft where he’d found a jean-clad Juliet. Rubbing a hand over his face, he remembered how quickly he’d jumped into playing Romeo without a second thought. Damn! The woman had him acting crazy. To keep his head straight, he had to keep picturing her holding a rifle on him.

  “I need your signature since you’re the guardian charge until Mac is twenty-one.”

  Embarrassed, she glanced around the small area. “Well, couldn’t you have waited until I came back to the house?”

  Brett raised a hand in defense. “Believe me, Jessie, from now on, I promise I will wait till you’re ready. But right now, I need your signature on the contract.”

  Jessie started for the ladder and Brett followed close behind her. “Why are you in such an all-fired hurry, anyway?”

  He smiled. “We want to start the seismic testing in two days.”

  Chapter Three

  Hearing the loud roar of engines, Jessie looked up from her task of weeding the garden. She raised the brim of her floppy hat, and with her hand shielding her eyes from the bright sun, stared unbelievingly at the parade of vehicles coming down the gravel road. The first was a normal-size pickup, behind it a much bigger truck, the back looked to be carrying a large boxy compartment. Next came a long, white motor home with the name of Murdock Oil printed across its side.

  “Would you look at that,” Josh said breathlessly.

  Jessie glanced over her shoulder at her brother’s flushed face, realizing he must have run all the way from the barn. It was the fastest she’d ever seen him move, unless food was involved.

  “I wish I didn’t have to,” Jessie said. And she meant it. Thanks to Brett Murdock, everything around the farm was changing. She couldn’t help wondering when all the upheaval was over if she’d ever again feel the peace and serenity she’d once known.

  “Ah...c’mon, Jess,” Josh coaxed with a smile. “They’re drilling for gas. We’re gonna be rich.”

  “Last I heard, they were just coming here to do some testing. And that’s all we agreed to.”

  “But you are gonna let them drill, aren’t you?”

  Jessie didn’t answer. She was too busy watching as the trucks pulled off the main road and started along the truck path that ran beside the garden. She quickly dropped her hoe when the motor home didn’t make the sharp turn, and ended up in her patch of tomatoes.

  “Hey! What do you think you’re doin’?” Jessie hollered as she ran down the freshly hoed trench bordering the neat rows of vegetables.

  A man in his fifties climbed out of the pickup. He wore a pair of jeans and a light-colored Western shirt over a stocky build. He was taller than Jessie, but not by much. Pulling off his hat, he revealed a head of thick, gray hair. And his “Howdy, ma’am” didn’t sound like any she’d ever heard before.

  The last thing Jessie wanted was to be friendly. “Get that bus out of my garden,” she demanded, pointing at the leaning vehicle.

  The man’s gaze followed her direction, then called out to the driver. “Hey, mate, move back onto the road.” Then he turned to Jessie once again. “Sorry to be such a nuisance. We’ll be out of your way shortly.”

  “I guess I’m going to have to get used to it,” Jessie murmured, busy watching the motor home clumsily trying to get traction in the soft earth.

  “You must be Miss Burke,” the man said, holding out his hand. “The name’s Marcus Braden. I’m the geologist for the project.” He flashed a grin, and Jessie wondered if everyone at Murdock Oil used the same technique.

  She ignored his friendliness. “You ran over my tomatoes.” Marching down the row to survey the damage, she had to hold back a gasp at seeing the crushed vines. She’d lost a third of her crop, and tomatoes were the best sellers at the vegetable stands.

  “Yer not wrong, ma’am.” The geologist studied the destruction. “I guess Charlie did a right good job on your veggies, eh?” He sighed. “My oath, we’ll reimburse you for your loss.”

  Jessie swung around. “Not everything can be fixed with money. What about the weeks of coaxing and nurturing these plants? The hours of weeding and watering...” She paused in her rage to take notice of the other men who had come out of the vehicles. Suddenly, she was embarrassed by her outburst. “Just...just keep your trucks away from my garden,” she finished.

  Marcus looked truly apologetic. “She’ll be right, ma’am.”

  “See that you do.” Jessie started to walk away and nearly ran into her brother. She could tell he wasn’t about to leave. “Josh, are your chores finished?”

  “Mostly,” he said, but he still didn’t budge from his spot. “Where are you from, mister?”

  Jessie placed her hand on her hips. “Don’t be botherin’ Mr. Braden...”

  “No worries, I don’t mind answering the boy,” Marcus said to Jessie, then turned to Josh. “My home has been Dallas for the past five years, but I’m a bloke. I was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia.”

  “Wow!” Josh’s eyes widened. “I always wanted to go there.”

  Unlike Jessie, her brother had a long list of places he wanted to visit. It wasn’t a secret that Joshua Burke was planning to spend a lot of time traveling after he finished school.

  “Wanna show us around the area?” Marcus asked. “It would be keen if you’ll allow the boy to show us sections eight and nine.” The older man smiled once again. Not a flirting smile, just a nice friendly one.

  “Please, Jess, let me go,” Josh practically begged. “I can finish my chores later.”

  “Have you fed the livestock?”

  “Yeah, but I still have two stalls to clean.”

  Jessie saw her brother’s eagerness. He was about to jump out of his skin. “Just make sure you’re in time for supper. And don’t smother Mr. Braden with too many questions.”

  “I won’t,” Josh promised. “Thanks, Jess.” She was surprised when he hugged her.

  “We’ll make sure he stays out of trouble,” Marcus assured her. “G’day, Miss Burke.”

  Jessie watched as her brother climbed into the front seat of the truck along with Marcus. The vehicles started up and began moving along the dirt road toward the northern sections.

  Well, it had begun, Jessie thought, releasing a tired sigh. At least the testing wouldn’t be taking place that close to the house and it was out of her way. Maybe with a little luck, the survey wouldn’t show anything and they would decide not to drill. She wouldn’t mind it at all if they’d pack up and leave for good.

  Suddenly, good-looking Brett Murdock came to mind. This wasn’t the first time in the past few days, either. The man had been invading her thoughts more than she cared to admit. She couldn’t go to the loft now without feeling his presence. Blast it! Why did he have to follow her up there, anyway? Didn’t she have a right to some privacy?

  Jessie remembered how hard it had been for her to stay in the house after her mother’s death. Caring for the kids and her daddy took a lot of her time, and no matter where she went, it seemed that someone always wanted her for something. So she had cleared out a place for herself up in the loft. She could escape the noise and confusion of the house, come out to the barn and sit quietly by herself to collect her thoughts.

  There had been so many times when the responsibility of the kids and the farm got to be too much for her. She needed the calming silence that the loft gave her. It had been her haven, where she talked to her mother about problems. Jessie smiled. Sometimes it seemed that Emily Burke had heard her daughter’s plea, because Jessie somehow found the strength to go on. Few people knew of her secret hideaway, and only something short of an
emergency had given her family the right to bother her there, until three days ago...when Brett Murdock had appeared, uninvited.

  Jessie closed her eyes, remembering how easily he’d taken to playing Romeo. She felt a shiver go down her spine, recalling the kiss he’d placed on her hand. It had been a long time since anyone had attempted to kiss Jessie Burke. In earlier years, she’d been too shy to let boys get close, later, too busy to put up with the foolishness of teenage flirting. Now, at twenty-three, she knew she was inexperienced, when it came to men, especially good-looking, educated men like Brett Murdock. Jessie picked up her hoe and headed for the barn.

  And it was too late to take lessons.

  * * *

  Katie was setting the table and Jessie was checking the biscuits, when she heard her brothers’ voices on the porch.

  “Wash up, boys, I’m about to dish up the stew,” Jessie ordered as she set the big clay bowl on the table. “The biscuits will be ready by the time y’all are finished—” She stopped midsentence when she looked up and saw who’d come in the back door. Along with Josh and Mac stood Brett. He was busy talking with Josh about the afternoon’s events. Rolling up his sleeves, he exposed large tanned forearms, letting her know that he wasn’t a soft city fella. Then his gaze caught hers and there was a glint in his clear blue eyes. Jessie felt her pulse leap with excitement. Was he, too, remembering what had happened in the loft?

  “Hey, Jess, I asked Brett to join us.” Mac walked across to the sink and turned on the water. “I told him we always have plenty to go around.”

  Jessie found she had been staring and quickly glanced away. “You’re welcome to stay.”

  “Thank you.” Brett studied Jessie a moment. Her face was flushed from the warm kitchen, and little curls circled her face. She had such big expressive eyes, light and dreamy. And he wondered how in the world he could have mistaken her for a boy. His gaze darted over her usual attire of baggy jeans and big shirt and found himself itching to get a better look, especially at her long legs.

  “Oh, boy.” Kate broke into his thoughts as she took his hand, guiding him around the table. “You can sit next to me.”

  “Sure, sweetie, but let me wash up first,” Brett said, then looked back at Jessie, wondering if she really wanted him here, or was just being polite. He smiled slowly. She’d never been polite before and he doubted she’d start now. Maybe she was weakening to his charm.

  “Jess, you wouldn’t believe what they’re gonna do,” Josh began as he went to the sink. “Marcus has old maps of our farm and what’s underneath it, rock formations and stuff like that. In a few days, they’re going to set off dynamite charges to make small earthquakes. Wow! It’s so awesome...” The fifteen-year-old soaped up his hands, then rinsed. “The explosions move through the earth and then bounce back from the different rock layers. That will tell us what kind of rock we have—strong waves, hard rock. Weak waves, soft rock.”

  Jessie was having trouble listening to Josh, she was busy watching Brett as he washed up, cradling the soap in his palms, rubbing the bar over his large hands and long fingers. She drew a breath and remembered the feel...

  “Jess, are you listening?” Josh asked, giving her a puzzled look.

  Embarrassed, she reached for a pot holder. “Josh, I’m sorry, maybe you can tell me about it after supper.”

  When he nodded, she pulled the biscuits out of the oven, then went to get the green salad from the refrigerator. Once everyone was seated, Mac said the blessing and conversation started up as the food was being passed around the table. Jessie found she didn’t have much of an appetite. Every time she looked up, Brett was watching her.

  Once the meal was finished, Josh went off to finish his homework, with Katie right behind him. Mac needed to check on the animals and asked Brett to go with him.

  “No, I think I’ll stay and help Jessie with the dishes,” Brett said and began to stack plates.

  “Really...that isn’t necessary,” Jessie quickly protested as her brother headed out the door, and left her alone with Brett. “I usually do them when the kids are doing homework.”

  Brett carried the dishes to the counter, knowing Jessie was uncomfortable with him around. Once he got past her quick temper, what he found there was a shy young woman. “Hey, can’t I return your hospitality and help out?” When she started to disagree once more, he placed a finger over her mouth, her soft, smooth mouth. Big mistake. As if he had gotten burned, he pulled away and went to the sink.

  “I’ll even wash,” he promised as he stared at the metal washbasin. In his Dallas apartment, he had a dishwasher, but he ate out most of the time, so dirty dishes weren’t usually a problem. He began to look around for the soap and heard her giggles. He glanced over his shoulder and discovered Jessie laughing.

  “You’ve never washed dishes in your life, have you?”

  “I swear, I have,” Brett said as he raised a hand. “You can call my mother.” He glanced toward the shiny new phone on the wall. “It’s just been a while.”

  “What you consider washing dishes is using a dishwasher, I bet.”

  “Well, you should get one. You work too hard,” he said as Jessie reached under the sink and handed him the liquid soap.

  “We’ve spent too much money already.”

  “It would save you time. Save your energy for cooking more great meals,” he praised. “Right now, you should be sitting with your feet up, reading a good book. Maybe a little Shakespeare?” When he turned, he saw her stiffen and he knew she was still bothered about the other day. “Look, Jessie, I’m sorry about what happened in the loft. I had no right invading your privacy.”

  He caught her blush as she turned away to clean the counter. “It’s not important,” she muttered.

  The bubbles filled the tub and Brett placed the stack of plates in the water. “My sister would disagree. Jenny hated when I used to bother her, especially when she wanted to be alone. And as busy as this house is, you definitely need time to yourself.” Brett found himself smiling. “You recite Shakespeare beautifully, and I’m glad I didn’t miss that.”

  Jessie leaned against the counter. “Yeah? Well, you’re not so bad yourself.”

  “Thank you, my high school English teacher would be happy to hear that all her hard work and threats of detention paid off.” He ran the dishcloth over a plate. “Where did you learn?”

  “My mother.” Jessie’s eyes sparkled. “She used to read to me all the time. I tried to memorize the lines, but sometimes I forget.”

  “Well, you were a great Juliet.” He turned on the faucet to rinse off a plate and sprayed water and bubbles down the front of his shirt. He felt silly, but it was worth it to hear the laughter coming from Jessie.

  “So you think that’s funny?” Brett scooped up a handful a suds and came after her.

  “No, no,” she said and quickly moved around the table. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have laughed.” She giggled again. “You just look so f-funny.”

  “Well it’s going to be twice as funny when I give you your share.” He lunged for her and grabbed her wrist, then, showing no mercy, rubbed the bubbles across her cheeks, careful not to get any into her eyes. By the time he’d finished, he had her pressed against the table and he was nearly on top of her, staring down at her startling blue eyes, as blue as the summer sky. He found it difficult to breathe as he caught the soft fragrance of fresh flowers. His attention was drawn to her parted lips and he was overwhelmed by how much he wanted a taste. Slowly, he lowered his head.

  “Are you going to kiss my sister?”

  Both their heads jerked around to find Katie standing at the kitchen doorway. Brett glanced at the woman he had pinned under him, and smiled. “Sure.” Ignoring the killer look Jessie tossed him, he brushed his lips across her forehead and stood. He walked across the kitchen to Katie. “I’m going give you one, too.” He leaned down and placed a noisy kiss on the eight-year-old’s cheek, making her giggle.

  Brett looked back at Jessie who was bu
sy wiping the remaining suds off her face. His heart took off racing once again, his body still feeling the effect of her closeness. Damn! He had to get out of here. “I guess I’d better go. Thanks again for dinner.”

  Jessie nodded. “You’re welcome.”

  He walked to the screen door and paused long enough to say, “I’ll be back when we have the results of the seismic testing.” Then, not waiting for a reply, he hurried down the porch steps hearing Katie’s faint goodbye echo in the night.

  * * *

  Touching Jessie Burke hadn’t been a smart idea, Brett thought as he rolled over in bed and glanced at the clock. It was 6:00 a.m. Groaning, he dropped onto the pillow once more and rubbed his tired eyes. He doubted he’d slept at all, thanks to one tall brunette. He groaned again. For God’s sake, he had the hots for a woman who wore men’s jeans. Once again, his body reminded him how good she’d felt pressed against him, and how he wanted...

  The phone ringing interrupted his thoughts. He grabbed the receiver and laid it next to his ear. “Hello,” he grumbled.

  “Brett?” Caroline Murdock’s voice came over the line.

  “Mom. Is something wrong?” He sat up in bed.

  “No, nothing’s wrong,” she denied. “Can’t a mother call her son to see how he’s doing?”

  Brett caught her lecturing tone and smiled. “I’ve been pretty busy. Marcus got here yesterday and the survey crew started putting the flags in the ground for the testing.”

  “I know, he told me.”

  Brett knew his mother was checking up on him only out of love. “Then why did you need to call me?”

  “Because...I miss you.”

  Brett could hear the loneliness in her voice. “Mom, I could come home.”

  “Don’t be silly, son. You’re needed there. Remember, now that your father is...gone, you’re in charge.”

  Brett closed his eyes to get a grip on his own emotions. “You sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Okay, Mom. But plan on hearing from me in a few days. I’ll be back in Dallas to take the survey printouts to the processing house.” He glanced at the clock. “Right now I have to get showered and out to the farm. I’ll call later in the week. I love you, Mom. Bye.” He hung up.