Chapter 9
NINE
AUbrEE
“Look at you.” I grin as I approach Jesse’s truck.
He’s standing there, waiting for me. His back rests against the passenger door of his truck, and those green eyes are tracking me as my boots crunch on the gravel driveway. “Look at me, what?”
“Out here waiting for me. You gonna be all gentlemanly and open my door?” I tease, my tongue coming out to swipe at my dry bottom lip.
“Yeah,” he reaches forward, rubbing the moisture off. “Now get your ass up in this truck before I show you what I’d like to do to those ruby red lips.”
The heat in his gaze is enough to ignite a fire between the two of us.
I know I’m playing with this flame, and I might get burned, but I can’t think of a better way to go.
Grabbing hold of the door handle, I yank it open and go to hitch my foot on the running board, but a warm hand around my hip stops my forward motion.
I’m tugged back to Jesse. “Don’t make me fight some asshole guys at this bar who watched Yellowstone and decided they wanted to ride a horse.”
I close my eyes when I feel the palm of his hand caressing my ass. “Don’t give me ideas, Jesse Nelson. I’m just going to have fun with my friends. My brother asked you to be my bodyguard.” Without another word, I take the passenger seat and then reach out to close the door.
He moves back with a smirk on his face. “We’re gonna end up acting on this, Bree.”
“What’s that?”
“The unfinished business we have between us. You kissed me once, and I didn’t respond the way I should’ve.
You do it again? I’m not letting the moment stop me.
Truett and our relationship be damned.” He doesn’t say anything else.
He just closes the door and walks around the front of the truck before getting in on his side.
The air in the cab feels thick and charged as Jesse starts the engine. The rumble of the diesel fills the silence between us, but it doesn’t mask the tension that’s been building all evening. I can feel it crackling like electricity, dangerous and irresistible.
I steal a glance at his profile as he backs out of the driveway.
The dashboard lights cast shadows across his strong jaw, highlighting the dark scruff that covers it.
His hands on the steering wheel are large and calloused from years of ranch work, and I find myself remembering how one of them felt against my hip just moments ago.
“You’re staring,” he says without taking his eyes off the road, but there’s amusement in his voice.
“Maybe.” I don’t deny it. There’s no point. “You were pretty quiet at dinner.”
His jaw tics. “Had nothing to say.”
That’s a lie, and we both know it. I saw the way he was watching me, the way his grip on his knife kept tightening every time one of his brothers made me laugh. Jesse Nelson has plenty to say. He’s just not saying it.
“Right.” I turn in my seat to face him better. “Nothing at all to say about Denver calling me prettier than most women he knows? Or Austin complimenting my shirt? Or Carson bringing up skinny dipping?”
His knuckles go white on the steering wheel. “They’re flirting with you.”
“And that bothers you because…?”
He shoots me a look that’s all heat and frustration. “You know why.”
I do know why. But I want to hear him say it. I want him to admit what’s been simmering between us for years, what nearly boiled over that night I kissed him and he pulled away like I’d burned him.
Instead of pushing, I settle back in my seat and watch the familiar landscape roll by.
We pass the old Miller farm, the abandoned gas station that’s been closed for as long as I can remember, and the creek where we used to swim as kids.
Everything looks different in the darkness, but the memories are just as vivid.
“Remember when we used to sneak out here on Friday nights?” I ask, my voice softer now.
His expression gentles slightly. “You mean when you used to sneak out and drag us along with you?”
“I never had to drag you anywhere, Jesse Nelson. You were always right there, ready for whatever trouble I was cooking up.”
“Someone had to keep you from getting yourself killed.”
“Is that what you were doing?” I study his profile again, noting the way his mouth curves slightly. “Keeping me safe?”
“Always.”
The simple word hits me harder than it should. There’s something in the way he says it, like it’s not just about the past. Like it’s a promise that extends to right now, to the future, to whatever comes next.
We fall silent again, but it’s a different kind of quiet now. Less charged, more…expectant. Like we’re both waiting for something to happen, something that’s been building for years.
The Rusty Spur comes into view, its neon sign flickering against the night sky. The parking lot is already crowded with trucks and SUVs, and I can hear the faint sound of music drifting from inside.
Jesse finds a parking spot near the back, away from the main crowd. He kills the engine but doesn’t make any move to get out. Instead, he turns to face me, those green eyes serious.
“I meant what I said earlier, Bree. About the unfinished business between us.”
My heart starts beating faster. “I know you did.”
“And I meant what I said about not letting the moment stop me next time.”
“Good.” The word comes out breathier than I intended. “Because I’m tired of pretending too.”
Something flashes in his eyes. Surprise, maybe? Or relief, like he wasn’t expecting me to be so direct about it.
Before either of us can say anything else, my phone buzzes with a text. Nora, wondering where I am. The spell is broken, and Jesse’s pulling his keys from the ignition.
“Come on,” he says, his voice rougher than usual. “Let’s go before I do something that’ll get us both in trouble.”
The Rusty Spur is exactly what you’d expect from a small-town bar.
Dim lighting, peanut shells on the floor, and a mechanical bull that nobody’s brave enough to ride after eight o’clock.
The crowd is a mix of ranchers, college kids from the community college, and tourists who wandered off the beaten path.
I spot Nora immediately. She’s claimed a table near the back, away from the main dance floor, but with a perfect view of everything happening. Her dark hair is pulled back in a messy bun, and she’s wearing the kind of outfit that says she’s trying to look casual but still wants to turn heads.
“There you are!” she calls out as I approach, but her eyes immediately shift to Jesse, who’s hovering behind me like a gorgeous, brooding shadow. “And you brought a chaperone.”
“Truett’s orders,” I explain, sliding into the chair across from her. “Jesse’s supposed to make sure I don’t get into trouble.”
“Right.” Nora’s grin is wicked. “Just trouble, huh?”
I feel heat creep up my neck. Nora’s been my best friend since high school, which means she knows exactly what kind of trouble Jesse Nelson represents. She also knows about the kiss, about the years of unresolved tension, about the way I’ve never quite gotten over the boy who grew up next door.
Jesse doesn’t sit down. Instead, he nods toward the bar. “I’ll be over there. Holler if you need anything.”
“Such a gentleman,” Nora says once he’s out of earshot, but her tone is teasing. “And by gentleman, I mean he looks like he wants to murder every man in this place who so much as glances your way.”
I watch as Jesse claims a spot at the bar where he has a clear view of our table. He orders what I know will be a beer he’ll nurse all night and settles in to watch. Even from across the room, I can feel the weight of his attention.
“So,” Nora says, pulling my focus back to her. “How’s it going with the whole living-in-the-same-house-as-the-man-you’ve-been-in-love-with-since-forever thing?”
The other girls at the table—Lennon, Atlee, and Emerson—all snicker. We’d all been friends in high school, except for Atlee, who’s Lennon’s little sister. And while I’d kept up with Nora, the other ones I didn’t check in with like I should’ve.
“It’s…” I struggle for the right words. “Complicated.”
“Everything about the Nelson family is complicated,” Atlee says, lifting her beer in salute. “Wish I could get Devlin to look at me the way he’s looking at you.”
The group snickers as Nora comments, “The best kind of love stories usually are complicated.” She signals the waitress and orders us both drinks. “Tell us everything.”
So I do. I tell them about the tension at dinner, about the way Jesse’s been watching me, about the conversation in the truck.
“Damn, girl,” Nora breathes when I finish. “That man has it bad.”
“You think?”
“Honey, I think if any of those cowboys over there even think about approaching this table, your bodyguard is going to end up in jail for assault.” She glances toward the bar, where Jesse is still watching us with predatory focus. “The question is, what are you gonna do about it?”
Before I can answer, the energy in the bar shifts. There’s a buzz of excitement near the door, and I turn to see what’s caused it.
Truett.
My brother cuts an imposing figure as he scans the room, his business apparently finished earlier than expected. He’s still in his work clothes—dark jeans and a button-down shirt that shows off the physique that comes from a lifetime of physical labor.
But I’m not watching Truett. I’m watching Nora.
The expression on her face is one I’ve seen a thousand times over the years, but she always thinks she’s hiding it.
The way her eyes soften, the slight parting of her lips, the unconscious way she straightens her shoulders—it’s the look of a woman seeing the man she’s been in love with for most of her adult life.
“Earth to Nora,” I say softly.
She blinks and turns back to me, a flush creeping up her neck. “What?”
“You’re staring.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Right. And I suppose your face always turns that particular shade of pink when you’re not staring at my brother.”
She groans and drops her head into her hands. “Is it that obvious?”
“Only to someone who’s known you for fifteen years.” I lean forward, lowering my voice. “When are you going to tell him?”
“Tell him what? That I’ve been harboring a pathetic crush on him for the last ten years? That I’ve turned down three marriage proposals because none of them were him? That I lie awake at night wondering what it would be like if he looked at me the way he looks at his precious ranch?”
Her voice cracks on the last words, and my heart breaks a little for my best friend. I’ve watched her love my brother from a distance for years, always hoping he’d finally see what was right in front of him.
“It’s not pathetic,” I tell her firmly. “And maybe it’s time to take a chance. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“He could say no. Things could get weird. I could lose the best friendship I’ve ever had.” She lifts her head, and there are tears threatening at the corners of her eyes. “I could lose him completely.”
“Or,” I counter gently. “You could gain everything you’ve ever wanted.”
Before she can respond, Truett appears at our table. Up close, I can see he’s showered and changed since dinner. His hair is still damp, and he smells like the expensive cologne he only wears when he’s trying to impress someone.
“Ladies,” he says with that easy smile that’s broken hearts from here to Austin. “Mind if I join you?”
“Of course not,” I say, shooting Nora a meaningful look. “We were just talking about taking chances.”
Truett slides into the chair next to Nora, and I watch as she goes perfectly still. He’s close enough that their arms are almost touching, close enough that she could lean into him if she had the courage.
“Speaking of taking chances,” Truett says, his attention focused entirely on Nora. “Would you like to dance?”
The question hangs in the air between them, loaded with possibilities. Nora’s eyes go wide, and for a moment I think she might actually faint.
“I…what?”
“Dance,” Truett repeats, standing and extending his hand. “With me. Unless you’ve got two left feet since the last time we tried this.”
I hold my breath, watching as Nora stares at his outstretched hand like it might bite her. This is it, her chance to take that leap she’s been too scared to take for ten years.
Finally, slowly, she places her hand in his. “I’d like that.”
They head toward the small dance floor, where a few other couples are swaying to the slow song the band is playing.
I watch as Truett pulls her close, one hand settling on her waist, the other still holding hers.
Even from across the room, I can see the moment something shifts between them.
The way Nora’s face tilts up toward his, the way his thumb traces gentle circles on her waist, the way they move together like they’ve been doing this for years instead of minutes.
“Looks like your friend’s finally getting her shot.”
I turn to find Jesse standing beside our table, two fresh drinks in his hands. He sets one in front of me before taking Nora’s abandoned chair.
“About time,” I agree, accepting the drink gratefully. “I was starting to think they’d both die of old age before one of them made a move.”
“Sometimes the best things are worth waiting for.”
There’s something in his tone that makes me look at him more carefully. He’s watching Truett and Nora on the dance floor, but I get the feeling he’s talking about more than just their relationship.
“Is that what you’ve been doing, Jesse? Waiting?”
He turns those green eyes on me, and the intensity in them takes my breath away. “Maybe. Question is, are you done waiting too?”
The music shifts to something faster, but Truett and Nora don’t seem to notice. They’re lost in their own little world, finally allowing themselves to feel what they’ve been fighting for years.
“Dance with me,” I say suddenly, standing before I can lose my nerve.
Jesse looks surprised. “Bree…”
“You heard what you told me in the truck. About not letting the moment stop you next time.” I hold out my hand, mirroring what Truett did with Nora. “Well, this is a moment, Jesse Nelson. What are you gonna do about it?”