Chapter Twelve
The party was in full swing. Presley stood in the kitchen, fixing another tray of snacks. Who knew so many people would show up? The one she really wanted here wouldn’t show though. Jaxon was done with her. A small cry escaped her as she thought of the last time she’d seen him. The look on his face as she told him she was returning to Idaho. If he’d only asked her to stay. She would have dropped everything and stayed with the man she fell in love with. But he didn’t because he’d told her he couldn’t give her what she wanted. When she heard the doorbell ring, she sighed with relief when someone shouted they’d get it. A small smile touched her lips. The more, the merrier. Just not for her. Picking up the tray, she turned to head for the living room when her neighbor, Brenda, entered the kitchen and smiled at her.
“One gorgeous cowboy is asking for you.”
Presley set the tray down as her heart slammed against her ribs.
“A cowboy?”
“Yep. Lip smacking hot too. ”
“What does he look like?”
Presley held her breath.
“Tall, black hair, gorgeous light grey eyes. Look, Pres, if you don’t want him…”
“I’ll be right back,”
Presley said as she slowly moved toward the living room. She heard Brenda laugh.
“That’s what I thought.”
Presley entered the living room and looked toward the door to see Jaxon leaning back against it with his arms folded over his broad chest as his eyes skimmed the room. When he spotted her, he straightened up. She walked up to him and stared into that gorgeous face that had been in her dreams every night since meeting him.
“Jaxon? What are you doing here?”
He jerked his chin toward the crowd. “Some party. What’s the occasion?”
“Why are you here?”
She noticed he’d avoided her question, so she avoided his.
“Won’t the neighbors complain?”
Again, he didn’t answer her question.
“Not if they’re all here.”
A corner of his mouth rose. “Smart.”
“Jaxon—”
His eyes narrowed as he stared at her. “Presley, I…”
“Please tell me why you’re here. ”
She heard him clear his throat. “It’s so damn loud in here. How the hell do you even think?”
“It’s a party, Jaxon.”
“I suppose this is what you prefer to bonfires and camping.”
“I happen to love bonfires and camping.”
“Do you?”
Jaxon glanced away from her then back. “Presley, I’m here because—”
“Presley,”
someone yelled. “We’re out of ice.”
Presley sighed. “I’m sorry. Let me deal with this, and I’ll be right back. We can go somewhere and talk.”
When he nodded, she headed for the kitchen to take care of the ice problem. She just prayed he’d stay so she could find out why he was here.
****
Jaxon stared at the room full of people. Body to body, they gyrated to the music blaring from the speakers. Not his kind of music. It hurt his ears. He noticed the banner strung up wishing someone congratulations on the new job and he was sure it was for Presley. Leaning back against the door, he straightened up when a beautiful redhead slowly walked toward him, licking her lips.
“Howdy, cowboy,”
she purred.
Jaxon put his fingers to his hat. “Ma’am. ”
“You look out of place,”
she said as she put her hand on his arm.
He stared at her. “You’re right. I am out of place.”
The woman frowned up at him. “That doesn’t mean you have to leave. We could go somewhere and talk.”
“No, thanks.”
Shaking his head, he reached for the doorknob behind him and opened the door.
“Where are you going?”
“Back to where I’m not out of place.”
He gave a brief nod and left the apartment. Pulling the door closed behind him made him feel as if he’d opened another door to more pain. The pain of living without her. But this was her. She didn’t belong with him in Spring City, and he didn’t belong here with her. There was no way he’d be able to live in Idaho Falls. He was a Montana cowboy and a Montana cowboy he’d always be. He’d just have to learn to live without her. He’d fooled himself into thinking he could get her to leave the big city and return to Montana with him. He shook his head as he walked past the elevator and took the stairs down to the parking garage. The party was for her accepting the job, and he couldn’t ask her to give that up for him.
When he reached the truck he’d rented, he climbed in and called his uncle, Declan. Luckily, he had stayed since Jaxon planned on returning tonight with or without Presley, and it was without her. He just wanted to go home and run the ranch. Jaxon knew he’d see her everywhere on the ranch, but he’d eventually get past it. At least, he hoped so. His heart ached for the love he’d never have, but he’d go on. He’d work the ranch and get on with his life. Without her. Wrapping his fingers around the steering wheel, he gripped it until they hurt. Taking a deep breath, he started the truck, headed out of the garage, and drove to the airport.
Pulling up to the car rental agency, he returned the truck, then walked over to the tarmac where the jet waited on him. Taking a deep breath, he trudged up the steps and past Declan, who stood in the doorway.
“Jax?”
“It’s just me. Let’s go.”
Jaxon moved to a seat and sat down. He looked up when his aunt, Catherina stood beside his chair.
“Are you all right?”
she asked him.
Starting to nod, he shook his head. “No, but I will be.”
“I hope you’re right, Jaxon but it doesn’t look like it to me. She’s the one for you.”
Catherina touched his shoulder.
Jaxon glanced up at her and smiled. “Yes, she is, but this is her life. Not mine. I just want to go home. ”
Catherina nodded and walked up front to the cockpit to sit with her husband. She knew Jaxon preferred to be alone right now.
****
Presley sent someone to the store for more ice and made her way back to the living room. She panicked when she didn’t see Jaxon anywhere. He’d be easy to find since he stood taller than anyone else in the room. Quickly glancing around she didn’t see him. Did he leave? Without even saying why he was here? God, she hoped not.
“Hey girl, great party,”
a redheaded woman said to her, but Presley couldn’t remember her name.
She forced a smile to her face. “Thank you. Did you happen to see a man here with a cowboy hat?”
“Oh yeah. That man was gorgeous.”
She shrugged. “He left though. A shame. I would have loved to save a horse with him.”
Presley gritted her teeth. “Did he say where he was going?”
“He said he was going back to where he wasn’t out of place. I tried to get him to leave with me, but he turned me down. Too bad.”
She shook her head.
Presley couldn’t understand why he left. Glancing around, she saw the banner and had a feeling Jaxon thought it was for her and that’s why he’d left. He was probably thinking the party was for her for accepting the new job. Had he been here to ask her to come back? Why else would he come all this way? She had to find him and tell him the banner was for Brenda. She quickly made her way through the crowd to her bedroom and blocked out the party. Someone knocked on her bedroom door, she cautiously opened it to see Denise standing there, and she ushered her in.
“I have to leave. Can you take care of the party?”
“Where are you going?”
“I have to find Jaxon. He came here for me and then he left. I have to find him.”
“Jaxon was here? Why?”
Denise sat on the bed.
“He came here for some reason. I have to find him.”
“Pres, listen. How do you propose to do that? In a city the size of Idaho Falls, you won’t. Wait until tomorrow to see if he comes back.”
Presley shook her head. “He won’t. He told…some woman…he was going back to where he wasn’t out of place. That’s his ranch. I’ll get a flight out tomorrow and go to him. If I’m making a mistake, he can tell me so but he came here for a reason, and I’m hoping the reason is he loves me and wants me to go back with him. ”
“You’d leave here to live on a ranch in Montana?”
Denise asked in a shocked voice.
Presley looked her in the eye. “In a heartbeat. I love him, Denise.”
Denise grinned. “I’ll drive you to the airport tomorrow. Let’s get you packed, call the airlines, and then enjoy the rest of the party.”
Presley hugged her. “Thank you. I have to go to him.”
“I know you do, hon. I completely understand, especially since I know how hot that man is.”
Presley laughed. “When I saw him two years ago, I knew he was the one for me. I can’t let him get away now.”
“Good girl.”
Denise pulled a suitcase from the closet while Presley called the airlines then they rejoined the party.
****
Jaxon moved the hay with the rake in a stall in the barn. More rain was moving in, and he was glad he didn’t have any activities to deal with today. Two days had passed since he made a fool of himself traveling all the way to Idaho Falls in the hope of convincing Presley to return to Montana with him. She had her life there and had worked hard for it. When he’d returned to the airport without her, he was sure his heart was breaking. Jaxon grunted as he stabbed the hay with the pitchfork. His damn hip was throbbing today with the moisture in the air.
“Are you mad at the hay, Jax?”
Spinning around, he saw Roark standing in the doorway.
“No.”
Roark chuckled. “You are a man of few words.”
Jaxon leaned the pitchfork against the wall, pulled his handkerchief from his back pocket, and wiped his face. “What are you doing here, Roark?”
“Priscilla and I were passing by and she wanted to stop in to see Willa.”
Jaxon nodded. “They’ve become good friends.”
Roark stepped into the stall and leaned back against the wall.
“Yeah, so what’s going on with you?”
“Going on with me?”
“Dev said you were going to Idaho Falls to bring Presley back.”
“Well, he got part of it right. I went to Idaho Falls.”
“She didn’t come back with you?”
“I didn’t get to ask her. She was having a party celebrating her new job, and it was in full swing. That’s where she belongs.”
Roark snorted. “Did you ask her if that’s where she belonged? ”
“No, he didn’t. He tore out of there like a bat out of hell.”
Both men spun around to see Presley standing in the doorway. Jaxon clamped his jaw shut to keep it from going slack when he saw her. Roark slipped out to leave them alone. Jaxon frowned at her.
“Why are you here?”
She entered the stall. “You know, I seem to remember asking you the same question in Idaho Falls, and you never answered me.”
“So that’s why you’re here? To see what I wanted?”
She shrugged. “That’s a start.”
“It doesn’t matter now, does it?”
“Jaxon Callahan, you are the most hardheaded man I have ever met. Could you just tell me?”
“I saw what I needed to see when I was there.”
Presley walked to him, stood in front of him, and folded her arms.
“What did you see?”
“I saw you having a party to celebrate your new job.”
“You saw wrong. Now, why were you there?”
“What do you mean I saw wrong?”
“You jumped to conclusions about the banner. Why. Were. You. There? ”
“Christ, you’re stubborn,”
he said through clenched teeth.
She laughed. “ I’m stubborn? Oh, baby, I have nothing on you.”
She grabbed his T-shirt in her fists. “Why were you there, Jaxon?”
“To ask you to come back to me. Happy now?”
“As a matter of fact, I am.”
“What?”
He frowned.
“I’m here to tell you I want to be with you. Here in Spring City. I’ve come to love this town almost as much as I love you.”
Jaxon grabbed her arms and pulled her against him. “You want to stay here?”
“I want to stay anywhere you are, Jaxon. Don’t you know that by now? I love you.”
Pulling her into his arms, he kissed the top of her head. “I love you too.”
She gazed up at him. “Are you sure? What about Bethany?”
“I had a talk with her. I was just so scared about loving someone again. I loved her but I love you too, maybe more and that was killing me.”
Presley’s arms wrapped around his waist. “I understand.”
“I will always love her, Presley. You have to know that. She will always have a place in my heart,”
he murmured as he stared into her eyes .
“I expect that but as long as you love me too, I’ll be happy with that.”
“What about the job?”
“I turned it down and recommended Brenda. That’s who the banner was for.”
“Why did you turn it down?”
“I knew if I kept my job in the ER, I wouldn’t have much time to think about you. I’d be too busy.”
She shrugged.
“You know that doesn’t work, right? Working all the time to forget someone? I’ve been working like crazy, but you were still stuck in my head.”
“I’m happy to hear that.”
She stood on her toes and kissed his lips.
They started to walk out of the stall when Jaxon stopped and looked at her. Her eyebrow rose as he stared at her.
“I’d move to Idaho Falls if that’s what you want,” he said.
“You would?”
she asked him in a surprised voice.
“If that’s what you want. I’ve decided I just want to be with you. Anywhere. You can take the job you want, and we can buy a ranch.”
When she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, he knew he’d said the right thing.
“We don’t have to move there. I know how much you love this ranch—”
“I’d do it for you,”
he whispered .
“I know you would, but I love it here too.”
“But your job…”
Presley gazed up at him. “I have a job. I made some calls before coming here. I have a job at the hospital in Clifton.”
Jaxon raised his eyebrows. “You do? But is it what you want?”
“Actually, it is. They had an opening for a Recovery Unit nurse on daylight, and with my administrator calling them and telling them just how wonderful I am, they hired me.”
Jaxon laughed and hugged her. “You are wonderful, that’s for sure. I’m glad. I want to marry you, Presley. Soon.”
“Hey, if Devin can throw a wedding together in a month, I’m sure you can too.”
“You don’t want a big wedding?”
“Nope. Just as long as I marry you and have you for the rest of my life, I’m happy.”
Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her. “Oh, baby, I promise you will.”
“Then that’s all I can ask for,”
she whispered against his lips.
Jaxon stared into her eyes. “I was so lost until you found me.”
Presley blinked tears from her eyes. “We found each other, Jaxon, and we’ll never be lost again. ”
“You make me wonder why I was afraid to fall in love again,”
he whispered as he lowered his head to kiss her .
Epilogue
“I’m not nervous,”
she repeated as she paced in the back room of the church, making her mother and Denise laugh.
“Who are you trying to convince? I’ve heard you say that about a hundred times,”
Denise said, smiling. Betsy Reynolds laughed along with Darcy Callahan.
Presley stopped and stared at her friend. “A hundred?”
Denise shrugged. “Okay, I may be exaggerating a tad, but you’ve said it a lot.”
“You know when I told Jaxon to throw a wedding together fast, I didn’t think he’d do it this fast. It was just last month that I came to the Bur Oak ranch.”
“Never tell a Callahan to do something as quickly as possible. They won’t hesitate,”
Darcy said.
Presley nervously laughed. “I know that now. I’m ready though. I love him so much, and I can’t wait to be a part of this family.”
“Oh, honey, you were a part of this family the minute we all knew Jaxon loved you.”
Darcy adjusted the ring of flowers on Presley’s head. “He’ll love you forever. I’m sure you’ve heard that the Callahan men fall fast, love deep, and strong. He’ll never let you go but if you want to go, he’ll follow.”
Blinking back tears, Presley smiled. “I know. I can’t believe he told me he’d live in Idaho Falls if I wanted to.”
Darcy smiled at her. “See? He’d give all of this up for you. All he had to do was realize what was more important to him.”
“I would never ask him to leave the ranch. I love it here, and I can’t believe how lucky I was to get a job at the hospital in Clifton.”
Presley smiled then frowned when Darcy rolled her lips in to keep from laughing.
“Did you somehow have something to do with that?”
Presley narrowed her eyes at her future mother-in-law.
“A mother does whatever she can to make her children happy. The Callahans donate a lot of money to the hospital so when I heard you’d applied there...”
Darcy shrugged.
“But how did you know I applied?”
“I also know your administrator, Bev.”
Presley laughed and hugged her future mother-in-law. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome. Now, let’s go get you married.”
Presley looped her arm through hers, and they all walked out the door together.
****
“Are you nervous?”
Devin asked him .
“No. At least, not yet. I want to do this. Thanks for helping me get this together so quickly.”
Devin chuckled. “Hey, I was just returning the favor. You helped me with my wedding.”
“Yeah. We Callahans love a challenge, and I think we both got that with the women we love.”
“I’m glad you found love again, Jax.”
“I didn’t think I’d ever find it again,”
Jaxon murmured.
“Presley is the right woman for you, just as Willa is for me.”
“I know. You know, the day at the cemetery when I was talking to Bethany, I swear I felt a flower petal touch my cheek.”
He looked at Devin. “You think I’m crazy?”
Devin shook his head. “No. How many times has Reid told us he talks to Zeke and gets signs from him?”
“I was sure I imagined things,”
Jaxon said quietly.
“I don’t think you were. Bethany wanted this for you, and I know she’s happy you finally listened to her.”
The door opened, and the minister stuck his head in. “Your bride is here. Do you two think you can behave long enough to make it through the ceremony?”
Jaxon and Devin looked at each other and laughed .
“No promises.”
Devin winked at him, and the brothers walked out of the room to stand at the altar.
When the music started, Jaxon looked toward the doorway to see Denise, Presley’s best friend walk down the aisle. Then he saw Presley with her father, and he couldn’t breathe. She looked so incredibly beautiful with a ring of red carnations on top of her head. Jaxon smiled as he looked at her father, Oliver, leading her down the aisle. He had the biggest grin on his face. He and Jaxon had gotten along immediately but he also told Jaxon if he ever hurt his baby girl, he’d be all over him making Jaxon laugh. The man stood five eight and was thin as could be but Jaxon told him he had no worries, and Oliver was happy with his answer. Betsy and Oliver Reynolds were terrific people, and he knew he’d have a great relationship with them. Then Jaxon looked back at Presley. She beamed a smile at him, and he swore his heart stopped. Stepping forward when she reached him, he put his hand out to her. She placed her hand in his and squeezed it. He grinned and squeezed back.
“Take care of my girl, Jaxon,”
Oliver said after he kissed Presley’s cheek.
“Consider it done, Oliver.”
Jaxon looked at Presley. “Ready, darlin’? ”
“Yes, baby, more than ready.”
The ceremony began, and soon they were pronounced husband and wife. Jaxon cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers.
“I’ll love you until I take my last breath, Presley Callahan.”
“I love you so much, Jaxon. I can’t wait to see what the future brings us.”
“More Callahans for sure,”
he said then chuckled when she blushed.
“Lots of practice first,”
she whispered then suddenly touched her cheek and frowned. “I thought I felt something…”
Jaxon grinned. “You probably did. She’s happy for us. How about we go home and do some practicing?”
Presley blinked tears away and glanced up. “Thank you, Bethany.”
Then she took Jaxon’s hand and faced the guests. Everyone applauded as they made their way down the aisle to begin their lives together. She had told him she was so glad her cowboy had decided to take a chance. He was too. More than she could ever know.
**The End* *