Chapter 7
As she and CJ headed toward the far end of the fairgrounds, Jillian couldn’t help but think about the reading. The first two cards were so accurate that it made it difficult not to believe. She mentally shook her head. No sense in dwelling on it. She pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind, determined to immerse herself in their time together and continue to thoroughly enjoy herself.
They ate the last two chocolate-covered strawberries on their way to the games. Jillian’s was just as delicious as the first one she’d eaten earlier.
A couple of teenagers were playing at the ring toss booth when CJ and Jillian arrived. The boys joked with each other and traded rude remarks.
CJ leaned close to Jillian. “Their language is a little rough. We can move on.”
Jillian was tempted to agree, but the young men were moving away. “They’re leaving.”
He touched the small of her back, and they stepped forward. Stuffed bears, pandas, and puppies of all sizes hung from above and down the sides of the stall.
“Win a stuffed animal for your girl.” The carnie manning the stall flipped a rainbow-colored ring in the air. “It’s easy to do.” The man held out five of them to CJ. “Five dollars is all it takes. Just get three of these on the pegs, each ring on a different peg.”
After taking his wallet out of his pocket, CJ pulled a five, handed it to the carnie, and took the rings in return.
Jillian stepped aside and watched him line up the ring, holding it in front of his face. He tossed it underhand, and it hooked itself on one of the five pegs. He aimed another, but this one missed. He made the third toss but missed the fourth.
He glanced at Jillian. “One more chance.”
She smiled. “You can do it.”
He lined it up and tossed, but it fell short.
“Good try,” she said.
“I’ll go another round.” CJ handed another five to the carnie and accepted the rings. This time he missed the first two but ringed the last three successfully.
“We have a winner!” the carnie shouted and gestured to the smaller stuffed animals. “Pick one for the lady. If you win again, you can trade up.”
“All right.” Once again, CJ passed cash to the young man and received the rings in exchange. He made the first three tosses, then the fourth and fifth as well.
“That gets you one of the bigger stuffed animals.” The carnie gestured to a medium-sized bear. “Try again for the jumbo-size.”
With a smile, CJ looked at Jillian. “What do you think? You’re taking it home.”
“The medium one is big enough.” She gestured to a bear. “How about the purple one?”
The carnie unhooked the amethyst-purple bear and handed it to Jillian before turning his attention to a waiting group.
“It’s soft.” Jillian hugged the bear to her. “I’ll name her Pansy.”
CJ looked at her with amusement. “Pansy, huh?”
Jillian grinned. “I had a make-believe friend named Pansy when I was in kindergarten.”
Shaking his head, CJ chuckled. “Good choice.”
They moved to the basketball hoop game. Jillian handed CJ the teddy bear and then made four of five baskets. The points resulting from her throws didn’t add up to enough to qualify for a prize.
A breeze caused Jillian to shiver as she turned to CJ. “Justin’s daughter, Kaycee, is competing in the youth rodeo this evening at the rodeo grounds. She’s almost eighteen, so it’s her last year. Would you like to see her barrel race?”
“Sure.” He put an arm around her shoulders as they turned to head back in the direction of the entrance to the fairgrounds. “You need your sweater, too.”
“I do.” She looked up into the darkening sky as they walked. “The day has gone by so quickly.”
“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?” CJ asked.
She shot her gaze to his, surprised at his change in conversation, and felt embarrassment and pleasure at the same time.
His intense eyes held hers for a moment. “Thank you,” she managed to get out before tearing her gaze from his, her face burning.
Along the way through the fairgrounds, he bought a cone of baby blue and pink cotton candy, and they shared the sticky confection.
“I feel like the floss is stuck to my lips,” she said. “But the festival wouldn’t be the same without cotton candy.”
He lowered his head and brushed his mouth over hers, catching her off guard. “Yep. Your lips are sweet.”
Her face heated again, and her lips tingled.
CJ held Jillian closer to him as they strolled back through the crowd and out the front entrance. Once they reached his truck, he put the teddy bear on the back seat and helped her onto the front passenger seat. He made his way to the other side of the truck and climbed in.
By the time they reached the rodeo grounds on the other side of the fairgrounds, pink, yellow, and orange streaked the western sky on the horizon. The rodeo lights were on, their brilliance clearly illuminating the grounds.
After helping Jillian out of the truck, CJ held her sweater for her to put on, immediately alleviating the spring night air chill.
A bullhorn sounded, and the air filled with cheers and shouts, indicating a rodeo activity had just begun. When they reached the front gate, another blurt of the bullhorn signified the end of the turn.
CJ paid the entrance fee, and Jillian accepted and scanned the program a youth handed her.
“Junior and senior barrel racing along with saddle and bareback bronc riding are tonight.” She looked up. “Kaycee is a senior, so her event will come after the junior event ends.”
“Been a long time since I’ve been to a rodeo,” CJ said. “Colt and I did team roping in high school then both competed in the steer wrestling and bareback riding events.”
“That’s right.” Jillian cocked her head. “When we met, you said you rodeoed with Colt.”
“A helluvalot of good times.” CJ smiled as if with fond memories. “We were always trying to outdo each other. Sometimes, Colt would be the champion, and the next time, I would. We had a bit of a reputation back then.”
“I’m not surprised.” Jillian shook her head. “I’ve heard a lot of stories about my brothers over the years. We’re always learning about some mischievous thing one or the other did.”
“Did you or your sisters ever compete?” CJ asked.
“Just Leeann,” Jillian said. “She was pretty good at barrel racing.”
They walked across the dusty ground until they reached the grandstands brimming with spectators. CJ followed Jillian until about mid-way up the stands, and she scooted over on the metal bench so that he could sit beside her.
The junior barrel racing event was going on. A slim young woman rode her horse tightly around the barrels, her blonde hair flying out from beneath her western hat.
“Kaycee told me they call it ‘chasing the cans.’” Jillian looked at CJ. “But you probably knew that.”
He shrugged. “I’ve likely forgotten more than I remember.”
“I doubt that.” She turned back as the girl and her horse crossed the line. A time was called, and cheers rose in the stands. “I wonder how good that time is for a barrel racer.”
“I couldn’t tell you,” CJ said. “Who knows how many records have been broken since I rodeoed.”
They got absorbed in the competition, and Jillian found herself cheering with the crowd. When the junior event was over, the winning time and horse and rider were announced, and the crowd roared. The town mayor presented a championship buckle to the young woman to great applause.
“Kaycee’s event is next. She’s racing in the number five position.” Jillian looked up from the program. “When she was younger, she was thrown from a horse, and she developed a fear of riding. Justin took her to a horse therapist and then ended up marrying the therapist, Miranda. Along with Kaycee, Justin and Miranda have a five-year-old named Jacob, and Karley, who’s hit the terrible twos.”
CJ smiled. “Do you want children?”
“I think so.” Jillian shrugged. “Right now, I can’t think past the next week of my grand opening.”
He laughed. “Can’t say that I blame you.”
Jillian almost asked him if he wanted children but stopped herself. He’d asked her, yet she felt like asking him would be like they were on a dating game. She wasn’t sure why.
A young woman brought her horse to a stop behind the starting line, and the announcer gave the name of the horse and rider. They looked poised on the edge, ready to go. The bullhorn sounded, and they shot toward the cans. They made it look easy, weaving their way in and out. Jillian had never been interested in rodeo other than being a spectator on occasion. But she loved watching barrel racing, especially the times she’d seen Kaycee participate.
Horse and rider shot across the finish line, and the bullhorn rang out again. A few moments later, they called the time, and the crowd cheered.
The next three racers were very good, but one pair bumped a barrel, which would penalize the rider’s score. The other riders’ times were just shy of the first racer.
“There she is.” Jillian pointed to Kaycee as she rode her horse toward the starting line.
“Our next racer is Kaycee McLeod, a King Creek High School senior, on Princess,” the announcer said.
The bullhorn sounded, and they bolted toward the cans. Watching Kaycee’s artistry in the sport was breathtaking as she and Princess raced around the cans effortlessly.
They shot toward the finish line, and the bullhorn rang out. A moment later, time was called, and the crowd cheered even more loudly.
The announcer shouted, “Kaycee McLeod takes the lead,” and Jillian stomped and cheered along with a host of others in the grandstands.
Five more racers followed Kaycee, but no one beat her score.
Jillian and CJ shot to their feet, applauding, when she was announced the winner, and the mayor presented her with a championship buckle.
“I’m so excited for her.” Jillian sat down again, breathless from cheering so much. “She’s the sweetest girl you could ever imagine.”
Jillian had fun watching the saddle bronc and bareback events next. She could tell that CJ enjoyed watching the sports that he once participated in. Jillian knew a couple of the young men, one of whom Kaycee had been dating for the last year, Tatum Holbrook. She saw Kaycee avidly watching her boyfriend bareback riding.
Tatum won the bareback championship, and Jillian saw Kaycee jumping up and down and shouting her excitement. After the mayor presented Tatum with a buckle, Kaycee met him outside the gate with a flying hug.
The end of the bareback competition signaled the end of the rodeo for the evening, so CJ guided Jillian through the crowd, out the entrance, and to his truck. After they were both in, he started the vehicle’s big engine and headed out of the parking lot, away from the rodeo grounds.
“I had a wonderful day.” She looked at CJ as he drove through the darkness, the amber glow of the dashboard lights illuminating his strong features. “Thank you for a great time.”
He cut his gaze from the road to her and put his hand over hers on the center console. “You made the day special, Jillian.”
Heat radiated from his hand, filtering its way through her. She turned to look at the bit of scenery she could see speeding by, lit by the headlights.
They arrived at her home a short time later and he remembered to grab the teddy bear off the back seat. As he walked her up the sidewalk and steps, she decided that if he wasn’t going to kiss her, she would take the bull by the horns and kiss him.
At the top of the stairs, he brought her into his arms and studied her features.
Tingles raced through her body. “Would you like to come in? I didn’t see Leeann’s car, though, so no chaperone.” She tried for a teasing note, but she was afraid her voice sounded a little shaky.
“I wish I could.” He brushed loose hair away from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. “I need to get home to Sadie. We ended up being out later than I expected.”
“I understand,” she whispered.
He held her gaze and then lowered his head.
Her breath caught at the firmness of his mouth as it met hers. She sighed as he slipped his tongue between her lips, and she tasted his warm male flavor and breathed in his scent. He kissed her sweetly and thoroughly until she grew lightheaded.
When she was afraid her knees would give out on her, he raised his head and smiled down at her. “I’ve been wanting to do that since I met you.”
Her throat worked, her lips still tingling. “I’ve wanted the same.”
He gave her a slow, sexy smile that stole her breath again. “Honey, that was the first of many.”
CJ made Jillian feel so hot that she wanted to fan herself. She managed a smile even though she trembled from the kiss. “I like that idea.”
“It’s a promise.” He kissed her again, and she found herself leaning against him for strength.
After another devastatingly sensual kiss, he took a step back. “Get into the house before I throw you over my shoulder and take you home with me.”
She laughed. “All right. I’ll let you get home to your other woman.”
He grinned. “Does that mean you are my woman? I like that thought.”
Her face burned, and she was glad he couldn’t see her clearly because she was probably bright red. “Go on now.”
He flashed her another grin, then waited for her to unlock her door and let herself in. “Goodnight,” she said through the screen door.
“Goodnight, beautiful.” He turned and headed down the steps and cast a look over his shoulder. “Lock that door, or I’m not leaving.”
“Okay, okay.” She grinned to herself and shut the door firmly so that he could hear the thud. She flipped on the lights and blinked rapidly in the brightness.
The rumble of his truck engine faded as he drove away, and she waited in the living room, hugging the purple bear, until she couldn’t hear the motor any longer.
She was in heaven, and she nearly skipped to her room. His kisses had been worth waiting for. They had been everything she could have imagined and then some.
The entire time she got ready for bed, she relived the taste of him, his touch, and his wonderful masculine scent.
She finally climbed into bed but didn’t sleep for a long time. When she finally did, it was with a smile on her face and in her heart.