“Let me drive him home,” Alex said once Josie came inside and announced her intentions. “You shouldn’t be dealing with that jerk.”
“I appreciate your protectiveness, but better me than you.” Josie smiled at him. She loved having Alex here, although she hated his reason for coming.
His divorce from Crystal had become final this week, and Alex had taken unused vacation time to get some perspective on the situation. Josie was happy to give him the hide-a-bed for as long as he needed it, but she didn’t like seeing her brother in pain. Crystal had initiated the proceedings, and Alex still hadn’t recovered from the shock.
“What if I promise not to rough him up?” Alex said.
Josie laughed as she headed into the bedroom to change out of her bathrobe. “I wouldn’t believe you. You should have seen yourself once you knew who he was. You all but pawed the ground.”
Alex followed her down the short hallway. “Have you forgotten how miserable you were when he pulled the plug on the relationship?”
“No, I haven’t forgotten.” She turned and looked at her blond Adonis of a brother. Crystal was an idiot who’d never appreciated him. “Tell me this, Alex. If you thought there was a chance to start over with Crystal, would you take it?”
He hesitated. “I don’t know. We’ve said some things that can’t be unsaid.”
“Same with me and Jack. But we meant a lot to each other once.”
“Be careful, sis.”
“I will.” And she would be, she vowed as she went into her bedroom to exchange her robe for the western shirt she’d thrown on the bed. Ten months ago, when she’d been more gullible, Jack had been capable of cutting her off at the knees. She was stronger now. And she had the advantage, because he’d come to her.
Then again, he was slightly drunk and his guard was down. Ever since the painful phone call announcing Jonathan’s death and the end of their relationship, Jack had avoided the Spirits and Spurs. Josie had run into him a few times in town, and he’d remained polite but distant. He wasn’t that way now, but he could be again.
In fact, she could count on it. Jack didn’t like to be vulnerable, and he’d shown himself to be vulnerable tonight. He didn’t want her driving him home, but she’d played her trump card by reminding him that his dad had been killed behind the wheel.
She’d played that trump card willingly. Jack might be able to navigate the rural two-lane between Shoshone and the Last Chance Ranch, but she wasn’t going to take that chance. If anything happened to Jack…
Grabbing her wallet, her cell phone, and the keys to her Bronco, she headed down the hall.
Alex stood and tossed aside the magazine he’d been reading. “I’m going. Mom and Dad told me to keep an eye on you while I was out here, and this certainly qualifies.”
“You’re not going.”
“I don’t trust him.”
“I’m perfectly safe, Alex. Jack may have broken my heart, but he’d never harm me. Underneath all that bluster is a very gentle soul.”
Alex snorted. “So I noticed when he assaulted me.”
“That was a mistake.”
“Oh, it was a mistake, all right. Now he’s on my list.”
“Please don’t judge him by tonight. He’s not that kind of guy.”
“What kind of guy is he?”
“Confused. His mom left when he was three. He pretends it was no big deal, but I think it colors everything.”
Alex gazed at her. “You’re still in love with him.”
Josie opened her mouth to protest, but she knew it would be a lie. She’d tried to stop loving Jack, but she hadn’t had much luck. She’d meshed with him in a way she hadn’t with any other man. Their conversation came easily and their silences were never uncomfortable.
Then there had been the sexual connection. His deep voice still haunted her dreams. She’d wake in the middle of the night hot and aching for his touch.
With Jack she’d lost all her inhibitions. She’d felt alive, sensual, beautiful. Although rumor painted Jack as a playboy who never stayed with a woman for long, their affair had lasted six glorious months. He’d shown no signs of leaving.
Extraordinary circumstances had ended the relationship, but Josie believed if Jonathan Chance hadn’t died, she and Jack would still be together. The proof was that he’d come here tonight ready to fight for her.
Alex sighed. “So you’re in love with him. Unfortunately, I don’t think that he’s—”
“Maybe he wasn’t, then. We were building something, though, and then when his dad died, it all went to hell.”
“He was cruel and insensitive. Those are your words, by the way, not mine.”
“I know, but people can change. They can escape their past.”
“Oh, Josie, don’t fall into that trap.” Then he laughed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Listen to me, giving you advice when my love life is in the dumper.”
Josie moved closer and gave him a hug. “I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me.”
“Too late. I’m already worried. Listen, tell that guy that if he doesn’t treat you like royalty, he’ll answer to me. He doesn’t want to mess with somebody who grew up on the mean streets of Chi-town.”
“You did not. You grew up in Arlington Heights.”
He grinned. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have connections. I know people who know people. Mention cement overshoes to him.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll do that.” As if it would matter, but she didn’t say that to Alex. Jack Chance had been through hell and back. He wasn’t afraid of anyone or anything.
Except falling in love.
Chapter Two
Jack chose to wait for Josie beside her dark green Bronco. As he leaned against the fender, cool night air blew most of the cobwebs from his brain and left him with a clear and present truth. He’d behaved like an ass tonight.
He’d been behaving like an ass quite a bit lately, but tonight could qualify as his most spectacular display of assholeness in his entire thirty-two years. If they gave out medals for being a complete loser, he would win the gold, hands down.
As his punishment, he would accept this ride home from Josie, because he didn’t have a lot of choice. Rousting Gabe out of Morgan’s bed and demanding the keys to Gabe’s truck would only add to Jack’s list of transgressions. Sure, he could walk home, but that would take a good hour, maybe closer to two. And besides, everyone knew cowboys didn’t walk.
So instead he waited for Josie and stared up at the unlit sign of a cowboy on a bucking bronco, with Spirits and Spurs lettered underneath. The bar used to be called The Rusty Spur, but Josie had changed the name when she’d bought the place three years ago. Newcomers to Shoshone assumed the Spirits part referred to alcohol. A person had to stick around awhile to find out that Josie considered the bar haunted. Many locals played along and called the after-hours visitors Ghost Drinkers in the Bar.
Jack didn’t believe in ghosts. More specifically, he didn’t want to believe in ghosts. All he needed was to have his father come back from the dead and tell him he was screwing up the management of the ranch.