The Cowboy's Housekeeper Read online

  His muscular shoulders lifted in a slight shrug. “You can believe it, or not. I’m tired of fighting. I want you to come home with me.” His throat moved as he swallowed. “I—I love you and I want you. If I can’t have it all, then I’ll take what I can.”

  The words fell on her ears like feathers, soft and caressing. Did he really just say that? Could he really love her?

  “Why would you think that you couldn’t have it all?” she whispered. “I’ve always been yours.”

  The green eyes darkened. “Then why were you able to give me up so easily eight years ago?” Pain flooded his tone.

  Tears blurred her vision. “Easily? Is that what you think?” A lump lodged in her throat. “You’ll never know how many times I wanted to call you those few days before I left for college. I desperately wanted to beg you to come for me.” She averted her eyes, unable to watch the torture in his face. “I felt like I owed Uncle Fred and Aunt Rainey their dream that I go to college. I—I was so young. I know that’s no excuse, but…” She took a step toward him, and extended a hand to hover in the air between them. For the first time in eight years, she spoke without thinking, letting her heart utter the words she’d wanted to tell him for almost a decade. “If I could put back the hands of the clock—and, Jason, I’d give my life to—then there would be no power on earth that could separate me from you. Don’t you know I’ve loved you from the first day I set eyes on you? I know I’ve hurt you, but believe me, my pain is as great as yours.” She poured as much emotion into her words as she could dredge from the bottom of her soul. “I love you beyond belief. Please believe me.”

  In the next instant, the distance between them dissolved. With two long-legged strides, Jason swept her into his arms and pulled her close to his chest. Jessica breathed in the manly scent of him and buried her face in his shirt.

  “I thought I’d never hear you say those words, Angel.” His whisper came out ragged, stark with emotion. “I’m sorry for what I’ve put you through.”

  “Shhh-shhh.” Jessica looked up to lay a finger over his lips.

  Ever so gently, he removed her hand and entwined his fingers in hers. “No, let me say this—I love you, Jessica Cole. I love you.”

  The bubble of hope burst, flooding her heart with joy. He loves me!

  She tilted her head to assure him again of her deep and abiding love, but the words died when she was swept up in his emerald gaze. Slowly, deliberately, without looking away from her, Jason’s head descended toward hers. Jessica slid a hand up his wet chest and around his neck, and sank her fingers into his thick, damp curls. In the moments before their lips touched, she breathed deeply, inhaling his warm breath.

  And then she was swept away to another world, a world where nothing existed but her and the man she loved, their mouths locked in a kiss that rocked her to the soles of her feet. An eternity passed while she poured eight years’ worth of unexpressed love into her kiss.

  Finally, he ended the embrace. “Whoa, there, Angel. We’d best put the skids on this before things get out of hand.”

  The ‘bad girl Jessica’ did a quick battle with the ‘good girl Jessica.’ Thank goodness Jason possessed more self-control than she did. Reluctantly, she loosened her hold on him.

  “I hope that kiss was a wedding proposal,” she teased. “Because if not, I’m about to sink down on one knee and pop the question myself.”

  He threw back his head, and his joyful laugh echoed in the small room. “Consider yourself proposed to, Cole. In fact, the sooner the better. I want us to go back home as Mr. and Mrs. Rawlings. Can we make that happen ASAP?”

  She smiled. “You bet I can.”

  Nineteen

  Though thrilled to meet Jessica’s new fiancée, Mrs. Houseman apparently felt it her duty to act as chaperone in the two days before their hastily-arranged second wedding. She offered Jason the guest room in her house, conveniently located next door to hers. Jessica giggled at the consternation in his face as he accepted what was clearly not a mere suggestion.

  Though it rained over the next two days, the morning of their wedding dawned bright and glorious. Jessica had insisted on a private event, but how could she exclude Barb and Celeste? Before she knew it, word had spread through the Fancy Duds factory, and the guest list came close to fifty.

  Throughout the morning, Jessica kept peering through the windows at Mrs. Houseman’s glorious back yard. The rain had greened everything up nicely, and flowering hedges bordered the small space behind the comfortable house.

  “Are you ready for this?” Barb asked as she twitched at a fold in Jessica’s skirt—a Fancy Duds denim with an elaborate sequined design, naturally.

  Jessica found it hard to contain her grin. “Honestly? Readier than for anything in my entire life.”

  Barb swept her in a hug. “I’m so happy for you, girl. But how are we going to manage without you here every day?”

  “You will,” Jessica promised. “And I promise to fly here one week every month. After all, we’re going to have a new children’s designer line to launch!”

  They grinned at one another. Then Ginny Lou, her belly round with child, stuck her head in the door. “The minister’s here. Are you ready?”

  A flutter started in Jessica’s heart. “Am I ever!” She started to race toward the door.

  Barb grabbed her by the crook of her arm. “Hold up, girl. You don’t want to look too eager.”

  Jessica couldn’t manage to dismiss the grin from her face. “Why not? This is the best day of my life.

  Together, the three friends descended the stairs to the back yard…to Jessica’s future.

  “Do you, Jason Rawlings, take this woman, Jessica Rainey Cole, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

  Jessica barely managed to focus on the minister’s words as he rattled on about having and holding, so caught up was she in Jason’s green gaze.

  When he spoke, his voice held a solemn finality that set her heart fluttering.

  “I do.”

  The minister turned to her. “And do you, Jessica Rainey Cole, take this man…”

  The words blurred as Jessica lost herself in her husband’s eyes. Her true husband. He’d been that since the first time they took these vows.

  Now came the time for her to promise. She’d one it once before, and then broke her word.

  “…until death do you part?”

  Jessica held Jason’s shining green gaze.

  “Even longer—if that’s permissible.”

  The soft patter of rain falling on the roof made a melodious backdrop for the two lovers. The ceremony over, the friends greeted, the gifts opened. Jessica and Jason had celebrated their wedding with their friends in a manner neither of them would soon forget.

  Jason unlocked the door of her apartment, and then turned to sweep her up into his arms.

  “Tradition, right?” He grinned.

  “Absolutely, Sir Toad.”

  She was swept across the threshold and into the apartment where she’d spent so many lonely days.

  But never again.

  He set her down in the living room and captured her lips with his. Once again Jessica was caught up in an emotional heaven.

  Finally, he lifted his head. Holding her hand close to his lips, he kissed the tip of each finger, whispering, “Mrs.—Jason—Rawlings—Jessica—Rawlings. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

  Delight swept through her. “Oh, yes.”

  “I love you, Angel.”

  Jessica raised her face to his. “Now, that really has a nice ring to it.”

  “I love you, I love you, I love you,” Jason whispered over and over in her ear.

  She splayed fingers, admiring the wedding ring that she’d saved from eight years before. How could she get rid of it, when it had been a gift from the only man she would ever love?

  “When we get back home, I’ll buy you a diamond the size of Texas,” he promised.

  She laughed. “I don’t want it. This ring is perfect.”
Nuzzling into the delectable curve where his neck met his shoulder, she whispered, “And since we’re married, you can have all my money to do with as you wish.”

  A low rumble of laughter came from Jason’s throat as he smoothed her dark hair back from her face. “I don’t need your money, sweetheart.”

  “But you’re welcome to it,” Jessica insisted. “You’ve nearly killed yourself the last few months working both farms.”

  Pulling her head closer, he whispered in her ear, “I guess that was my way of telling you I loved you— every day for the last five months. I needed another thirty thousand dollars like I needed another day’s work.”

  Jessica drew back, giving him a puzzled look.

  “Honey, listen to me.” He put a hand on each of her arms. “Just before my dad died, they found oil on the five hundred acres he owned in Dallas. It made us all millionaires. Eric stays up there and runs the business for us because I wanted to work the farm.” His hands slid up to her shoulders. “Jessica, I’ve got enough money to burn a wet mule. So, every day I ran that farm for you was a labor of love. I was doing it because I loved you and couldn’t let you walk back out of my life again. Do you understand?”

  Jessica brought her hands up, running her fingers along his smoothly shaven jaw, her eyes shining with love. “Yes, my darling Jason. I believe you and—thank you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly,

  “You’re more than welcome, Angel.”

  They kissed tenderly, savoring the sweetness of the moment.

  “I—can I ask one more thing?” She dredged up the question that had clouded her mind the past few days. “About Monica… Did you—well—did you love her?”

  He paused for a moment. “Honestly, I tried to. I wanted to. And maybe there was a time when I thought I did, but I think she knew all along how I felt about you.” He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face toward his. “She is really a nice person, Jessica, but it’s you I love. I told her just before I flew down here, and she understood.”

  Jessica had to fight the urge to do a cartwheel. “Finally, Jason Rawlings loves Jessica Cole!” She showered his face with a multitude of feather kisses, lulling him into a peaceful glow.

  Laughing, he grasped her wrists and wrestled her arms down to her sides. “Right now, Angel, I think we need some sleep. We have a long trip ahead of us in the morning.”

  She indulged in a tiny frown. “Uh—Jason… I have something to tell you.”

  His eyebrows cocked to attention. “Yes?”

  “Uh, you know I have a car. She’s a sweet little sports car and I love her.”

  “Okay, sweetheart.” He grinned. “Will you let me drive her? We can ride home together instead of flying.”

  “Well…” She paused, hesitant to confess the last secret she had kept from him. “There’s just one small thing.”

  “What’s that, honey?”

  She backed up and allowed her agitation over the incident to show. “Jason, you’re not going to believe this, but on the way to the market the other day, some idiot pulled out in front of me, and—.”

  One large hand reached out to cover her mouth.

  “It’s okay,” he reassured her. “After all, you’re going to buy me a car lot, right?”

  Laughing, Jessica threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close for another kiss, confident that this one would last forever.

  A Note from Lori

  I began my publishing journey long ago. When my first few books were published, I thanked God for the opportunity and then followed the guidance of a series of editors employed by large publishing houses. After a while, I felt an unmistakable nudge from the Lord—He wanted me to write books that honor Him, and some of my work didn’t. He directed me to a Christian publisher, and from that time until now I’m pleased to say God is honored in every book I write.

  Some of those old books are still floating around. If I could buy up every tattered copy in every used bookstore and yard sale across the world, I would. Alas, that’s an impossible task. I cringe to think my precious readers might stumble across one of them.

  But even though I blush at some of the content, I love the characters. Since I can’t obliterate the old books, at least I can redeem the stories. That’s what I’ve done with The Cowboy’s Housekeeper. This story was my very first published novel, and to this day I love Jessica and Jason. What a pleasure it has been to turn their book into a wholesome, clean romance that I’m proud to show my readers. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did re-writing it.

  About Lori

  Lori lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her husband, Lance. Lance and Lori have three sons, three daughters-in-law, six wonderful grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters.

  Lori began her writing career in 1982, writing for the secular book market. In 1999, after many years of writing, Lori sensed God calling her to use her gift of writing to honor Him. It was at that time that Lori began writing for the Christian book market.

  Lori is the author of more than 100 titles, both historical and contemporary fiction. She has developed a loyal following among her rapidly growing fans in the inspirational market. She has been honored with the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award, The Holt Medallion, and Walden Books' Best Seller award. In 2000, Lori was inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame.

  Lance and Lori are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work through School to the Nations.

  Love a good mystery?

  Don’t miss these!

  Three generations of women under one roof. All they want is to live a harmonious life in the small town of Morning Shade. The last thing they need is a mystery!

  The Diamonds in the Rough Series

  Bad Taste

  Crooked Letters

  Nosy Neighbors