Country Lightning

Chapter 10

The memorial was two weeks after Grandpa was cremated. Jillian’s heart ached. She thought about him every day and found herself tearing up every time a memory came back to her. CJ had been so supportive and there for her.

A week after the memorial, on the first Sunday in June, Jillian drove out to CJ’s ranch and parked in front of his home.

Talk about handsome—he was in a forest-green T-shirt, Wranglers, and boots as he and Sadie met her at her SUV. He opened the door. “You sure look cute.”

“Thanks.” Jillian took his hand and stepped out. She wore jeans, a royal blue T-shirt, boots, and a baseball cap with her ponytail through the back opening.

She knelt to hug the Aussie before CJ put her in the kennel inside his home. It wasn’t safe for a puppy to be out due to coyotes living in the area. According to CJ, once Sadie was a little older, she could accompany him on rides and while working with cattle. Her training was progressing well, and her herding instinct was strong.

“Everything is ready.” CJ took the soft-sided cooler with the lunch she’d prepared for their fishing trip off her back seat.

They strode toward the barn, CJ carrying the cooler while his herd lowed from the pasture. He’d purchased Hereford cattle that had the characteristic red bodies with white faces and underbellies.

He shifted the cooler in his grip. “I bought our fishing licenses.”

“Great,” Jillian said. “Thanks for doing that.”

The day was already starting to warm. In Central Arizona, June’s average temperature was in the mid-100s, and today would be no exception.

“I’ve been looking forward to this trip since we first talked about it.” Jillian followed him inside the dim, cool barn.

He’d saddled the horses shortly before she arrived. “The rancher I bought Molly from said she’s a gentle mare and doesn’t spook easily. Faith is a little more headstrong, so I’ll take her. I’ve worked with Molly over the past three weeks, and I think she’ll be a good ride for you.”

Jillian stroked Molly’s neck and spoke quietly to her. “We’ll get along famously.”

CJ put the fishing tackle, including collapsible rods, and the cooler with their lunch into the saddlebags. He also included another soft-sided cooler, this one filled with ice for the trout.

“You are such a beautiful girl,” she said to the black Quarter Horse that had a blaze and white socks. “We’re going to have a lovely ride today.”

After she spoke to Molly for a bit, Jillian put her left boot into the stirrup, then swung her right leg over and mounted the mare. It had been a while since she had ridden, and she felt exhilarated to be in the saddle again. Sitting so high and feeling the powerful animal shift beneath her was a heady sensation.

When CJ finished preparations, he climbed into his own saddle atop Faith and smiled at Jillian. “Ready for some fun?”

She beamed at him in return. “I am so ready.”

CJ clicked his tongue, and Faith started forward. Jillian encouraged Molly to follow, and they headed for the pasture gate. He dismounted and opened it, let the mares pass, then closed it before mounting his horse again.

The cloudless sky was as blue as a piece of azure crystal, stretching over their heads for miles. The air smelled clean, of dried grasses, creosote, horse, and the leather of Molly’s saddle. Warm air brushed her cheeks as the horses’ hooves clopped along the path leading to the Superstition Mountains.

She held the reins loosely as the mare plodded along the path bordered by mesquite, palo verde trees, and cacti. “Have you gone fishing since you came back to live in King Creek?”

He shook his head. “It’s been a long while since I’ve fished in Arizona. I went on trips with my friends while I was in the service. But there’s nothing like casting a line in the Superstition Springs Lake.” It was a small man-made lake, not that much bigger than a pond, but he’d had some great times there in his childhood and as an adult.

She sighed. “Grandpa and I last went well over a year ago. We had a great time and came home with a cooler full of Rainbow trout that we gutted at the lake. We fried it up with cornmeal, and it was delicious.”

CJ glanced from the trail to Jillian. “Can’t wait to get it in the pan.”

She looked ahead as they entered the foothills, passing by brittlebush, chollas, prickly pear, ocotillos, yuccas, and catclaw trees. A jackrabbit bolted across their path, and a red-tailed hawk circled overhead.

The higher they traveled, the denser and greener the vegetation grew, including ironwood, oak, pinon, and pine trees.

“How are you holding up?” CJ looked at her with concern in his gaze. “Are you still having a hard time with your grandfather’s passing?”

“I think about him all the time.” Her throat felt crowded as she spoke. “He used to call me to see how I was doing, and I miss hearing his voice.” She swallowed past the lump. “But I’m working through it and getting better as time goes by.” Their gazes met. “Thank you for helping me get through this.”

His gaze held hers. “Any time you need me, I’m here for you.”

“Thank you,” she said, this time quietly.

An oak branch nearly knocked off CJ’s baseball hat, but he clapped his hand on it in time. “Tell me more about your grandpa.”

Jillian thought about it. “He grew up in Arizona, his parents coming here from Texas before he was born. He met my grandma when he was twenty, and they married a few months later. They had four sons, all of whom live in the valley surrounding King Creek.”

She glanced at CJ before she continued. “My dad was the youngest by ten years, so by the time he was old enough to appreciate his brothers, they’d already moved out. Dad worked so hard to keep the eight of us close since he didn’t have the same kind of relationship with his siblings.”

“I’ve known a lot of other McLeods in the area, but not like your immediate family,” CJ said. “Except for your cousin, Ellie. Her mom was good friends with my mom, so I saw her every now and then.”

“Ellie is my age.” Jillian smiled. “She’s one of my cousins that my sisters and I are close to.” She shrugged. “Everyone is so busy these days that there isn’t much time to socialize with extended family.”

When CJ asked, Jillian told him stories about her grandpa, and her heart felt lighter with every one of them.

When they reached the small lake, they went to Jillian’s favorite tree and laid an old, flowered quilt that he’d brought in a saddlebag beneath it. She set the soft-sided cooler on the quilt and then helped CJ with the fishing tackle.

Some boulders were nearby, close to the water’s edge, and they picked two close to each other. CJ took an aluminum stringer and staked the end into the ground at the water’s edge.

They put their lightweight poles together, tied hooks onto the fluorocarbon lines, and rigged bobbers and a split shot onto them. They used glittered PowerBait for trout.

“I’ve never seen the glitter version.” Jillian rolled a bit into a ball and slid it onto her hook. “We always used the neon pink stuff or nightcrawlers.”

“I’ve had good luck with this kind in the past.” He slid some onto his own hook. “I think it attracts their attention better. Nightcrawlers are excellent, too.”

Jillian cast her line, and the wheel made a whirring sound before it plopped into the water a good distance from the shore. She settled onto her rock as CJ cast his own line.

A few minutes after her hook hit the water, the bobber wiggled and then jerked. She got to her feet as the bobber dove below the surface, and her pole bent as the trout tried to take off with the bait.

“I’ve got one.” The thrill that came with fishing sent tingles through her limbs. The trout fought her as she reeled him in. He burst from the surface, his rainbow-colored scales flashing in the light.

“Nice one.” CJ’s bobber dove beneath the surface, and he started to reel his in. “I think yours is a good nine inches long.”

Jillian put the trout on the stringer and removed the hook with needle nose pliers before putting the stringer with the trout into the water. CJ pulled in his catch and did the same.

They spent the next couple of hours keeping their voices down to avoid scaring off the fish. The sun’s rays grew more intense, and CJ produced sunblock, which Jillian rubbed on liberally.

Sparrow and cactus wren calls filled the air, and Jillian caught sight of a brilliant red cardinal as well as a red-capped woodpecker. Colorful hummingbirds darted around the lake’s edge. Squirrels and chipmunks scampered in the trees, and lizards scrabbled up and down the bark.

“I’m hungry.” Jillian set down her pole after catching her fourth fish and putting it on the stringer with CJ’s three. “How about you?”

“Starving.” CJ reeled in his line and set aside his pole. “We’ve done well.”

Jillian brushed off her jeans with her palms and walked stiffly to the picnic blanket, where she knelt and unloaded the cooler. “I packed ham and cheddar plus roast beef and Swiss sandwiches.” She held up one of each. “Your pick?”

“Both sound good, but I’ll go with the roast beef.” CJ sat across from her, one long leg stretched out and one knee bent. He took the sandwich she offered and thanked her before opening the bag and taking a big bite. He chewed and swallowed, looking satisfied. “Fantastic. Freshly baked bread, too.”

She handed him a small bag of potato chips and a canned soda. “I like to bake on occasion. Glad you like it.” She bit into her ham sandwich and had to agree that the bread came out great.

He finished his roast beef, and she gave him a ham and cheese.

When the sandwiches and chips were gone, she offered him a brownie. “I baked these last night.”

“You are a good cook.” He patted his flat stomach after eating three brownies. “You’re going to have to roll me downhill if you keep feeding me like this.”

“Someday, I’ll make a whole meal for you.” She leaned back, bracing her palms on the quilt. “When I’m not so tired from working for six days straight at a time.”

“You have been at it hard since you opened your store.” He looked at her thoughtfully. “How close are you to taking a whole weekend off?”

She sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m being too controlling. I just have a hard time with the idea of not being there every single day. I worry that something will go wrong, and if I go out of town, how would I fix it?”

He cocked his head. “How’s your assistant manager turning out?”

“Pretty good.” Jillian blew out her breath. “I know that one of these days, I need to let Kristen handle the shop on Saturdays. But when I do, I think I need to stay in town just in case.”

CJ gave a slow nod. “Understandable and a smart way to handle it.”

She shrugged. “I do need off more than one day a week, though. The business is starting to wear me out. I’ve been running on adrenaline for months now.”

“Why don’t you do your trial run next Saturday?” He smiled. “Spend the rest of the day relaxing. If there’s an emergency, you’ll be close enough to run down to the shop. Then, on Sunday, I’ll whisk you away to any place of your choosing.”

She gave him a mischievous smile. “Any place?”

“Yep.” He nodded. “We could take a day trip to Tucson or the Phoenix area.”

She tilted her head to the side. “I saw somewhere that Chicago, a Broadway musical that I’ve wanted to see forever, is playing at the Arizona Broadway Theatre this Saturday.”

“Then we’ll make it a date.” He reached out and ran his finger along her arm, causing a shiver to run through her. “We can go out to dinner afterward.”

Her throat worked as she swallowed, and she found it impossible to tear her gaze from his. “All right. I’ll find out all the details and let you know.”

“Great.” He shifted so that he was only inches away. He eased his hand up her arm, and she bit her lower lip as he slid his fingers up the side of her face.

Her heart thumped, and her breathing hitched in her chest. He took off his ballcap then knocked hers off and cupped the back of her head before he lowered his mouth.

She gasped when his lips claimed hers. He kissed her long, slow, and sweet, and she didn’t think she’d ever be able to breathe again.

Her entire body started to tremble with need for him. Would he take her now, right on this quilt, under the mountain skies?

When he finally drew away, she stared up into his eyes, unable to think clearly or say a word.

He gently stroked a strand of hair from her cheek. “Ready to do a little more fishing?”

No, she wanted him and not to fish anymore. Instead of voicing that thought aloud, she shrugged and said, “Sure.”

He put her hat back on her head, then tugged on his own.

They spent another hour fishing, and then together, they gutted and cleaned the fish before packing it in the ice he’d brought in the second cooler.

Jillian helped him load the saddlebags. “I brought cut-up mixed vegetables to steam, plus cornmeal for the trout and the fixin’s to make cornbread for dinner.”

“Perfect.” He smiled at her. “We’d better get back so you’re not out too late.”

The ride back to the ranch was just as pleasant as the rest of the day had been. By the end of the ride, she felt dusty and sticky from the sunshine and sunblock.

When they reached his place and got to the barn, they dismounted, and Jillian went into the house to let Sadie out of her kennel. The dog peed and then merrily scampered around Jillian as they headed to the barn.

CJ had unloaded the saddlebags, hung them over a sawhorse, and removed Faith’s saddle.

Jillian put her hands on her hips and stretched her lower back. Her muscles ached, especially on the insides of her thighs. “It’s been so long since I’ve been riding that I know I’m going to be sore tomorrow.”

He began taking the saddle off Molly. “I had a great time fishing with you today.”

“It’s been an awesome day.” She rested her palm on the Quarter horse’s neck. “I’ll brush her down if you’ll point the way to your supplies.”

He gestured in the direction of the back of the barn tack room, and she grabbed what she needed, along with peppermints from a jar. She returned and gave Faith and Molly the treats before brushing down Molly.

CJ carried Faith’s saddle and blanket to the tack room, then returned for Molly’s saddle and blanket and took those to the room. He came back with another brush to work on the Appaloosa.

Once they finished and had given the pair grain and alfalfa, they headed to the house, throwing a Frisbee for Sadie along the way. CJ stayed out to give the puppy more exercise while Jillian started dinner.

She hummed to herself as she put the glass pan of cornbread mixture into the oven, then coated trout filets to fry. She put the bowl of mixed vegetables she’d brought onto the counter turned on the heat under a steamer with a couple of inches of water, then began frying the fish.

The back door opened and closed, and she looked over her shoulder to see Sadie and CJ. Sadie trotted up and wiggled her butt in excitement, and Jillian took a moment to scratch behind the puppy’s ears before returning to frying the trout.

“Everything smells delicious.” CJ moved behind her, slid his arms around her, and rested his chin on her shoulder. She shivered inside and reveled in his closeness. He kissed the side of her neck, and she wanted to lean back into him, but she focused on the pan so that she didn’t burn herself.

He moved away and put the butter dish on the table for the cornbread and vegetables. He retrieved plates, silverware, and glass tumblers and set the table.

“Iced tea?” he asked.

“Please.” She used a pair of tongs to move a fried filet onto a paper towel-covered plate, then set another piece of cornmeal-coated trout into the pan. She set aside the tongs and took a moment to put the vegetables into the steamer, then returned to frying the fish.

It popped and sizzled, and the smell, along with the aroma of baking cornbread, made her stomach growl.

“I heard that—you must be as hungry as I am.” He set her iced tea on the counter. “I can take over.”

Jillian stepped aside and handed him the tongs. She picked up her glass and sipped from it as she watched the play of muscles in his tanned biceps and forearm as he turned the filet. He was so yummy from head to toe, with his tall, lean, muscled form and the light brown hair that brushed the collar of his T-shirt. He shifted his warm, sable eyes from the pan to her as the timer went off for the cornbread.

She looked down, her cheeks hot from CJ having caught her watching him. She met his gaze again. “Where are your oven mitts?”

“I’ll get it.” He set down the tongs on the plate of trout and pulled a couple of hot pads from a drawer. Heat rolled over her when he opened the oven door. He pulled out the pan and set it on the stovetop.

She busied herself, taking the steamer off the stove and pouring out the water before setting the pot on a cool surface of the stovetop.

When everything was done, they filled their plates and settled in at the kitchen table. Sadie crunched puppy food in the corner, where CJ kept her food and water bowls.

He took a forkful of trout, chewed, and swallowed. “Delicious.” He made a satisfied sound after eating another bite of fish.

The taste of fresh-caught trout was amazing, and she enjoyed every bite. CJ raved about the cornbread, and he liked the steamed vegetables as well.

They had a pleasant dinner. They never seemed to run out of things to talk about, which made her even more comfortable around him. It was hard to believe they’d been dating for almost three months, yet at the same time, it felt like they’d been together for much longer.

While they talked, she had the feeling that he wanted to tell her something but couldn’t get it out. But then it could just have been her imagination.

After they finished dinner, CJ and Jillian cleaned up and loaded the dishwasher. Then, he walked her out to her SUV, Sadie trotting out with them. The stars were brilliant overhead, the only illumination being the floodlight at the kitchen door, some distance away.

Desert temperatures dropped at night unless one lived in Phoenix, where the asphalt, concrete, and glass absorbed the heat and kept everything from warm to hot. King Creek was far enough away from the metro area that it still grew chilly at night. Jillian grabbed her jean jacket off the passenger seat and shrugged it on with CJ’s help.

She wished she didn’t have to open the store in the morning because she may have ended up staying the night with CJ. She was ready, she just didn’t know if he was. He was a man, after all, and every man she had known had been ready to move the relationship forward faster than she’d cared to. Now, was the situation reversed?

CJ raised his head, looked into her eyes, and seemed on the edge of saying something but instead captured her hand. “Goodnight, Jillian. Be careful driving home.”

“I will.” She smiled as his fingers slipped from hers.

After he opened the driver’s side door, he helped her inside and shut the door.

She buzzed down the window. “Goodnight, CJ.”

“Get some rest, beautiful.” He leaned in and kissed her before stepping away.

She backed up, gave him a little wave, then took off and headed to King Creek.

Memories from the day made her smile all the way home. When she finally climbed into bed, she thought about the kiss and wondered when they would take the next step in their relationship.