Spurs and Heels(Divine Creek Ranch 5)(77)

back at her. Life would be so boring without passionate women.

Ash acted like he deserved the ineffectual beating he was getting

and rubbed his face with his hands as one sister pointed her finger at

him then jerked her thumb at his truck, her eyes blazing. It was easy

to read her lips and the condemnation on her face as she said, “Just

wait ’til I tell Mom.”

Then, in a change of mood only a woman could have managed,

they all hugged him sympathetically and nodded at him as he spoke to

each one, hugged Teresa and Rachel, shook hands with the guys, and

then headed to his truck. Eli held the door open as they all came back

inside the club, talking quietly.

Rachel hugged him and said, “You’re not going to believe this.”





* * * *



Ash climbed in his truck, opened the console, and fished around

for a notepad and something to write with. He punched in the phone

number Teresa had given him and prepared to have his ass handed to

him. The line connected, and a male voice answered.



204

Heather Rainier

“Allen Jacobs.” Concise and professional, expecting the person

calling to get to the point.

“Sheriff Jacobs, this is Ash Peterson.”

“You sorry, mother fucking son of a bitch!”

Ash let him go on for about a minute.

When Jacobs showed signs of tapering off, Ash interrupted.

“Yeah, you’ve never met a sorrier son of a bitch.”

Allen paused before speaking again. “The only reason you would

know how to reach me is if Teresa gave you my number. The only

reason I can think of for you to call me is that you’re planning on

doing some heavy-duty groveling in the near future. What the fuck

are you doing out with four women after sending my cousin away

brokenhearted? This had better be good.”

“The women in question are my sisters,” he replied as he pulled

the diamond ring from his pocket where he’d hidden it that morning.

“They’re here because they all wanted to meet your cousin. They

planned to surprise Juliana with a bridal shower.”

He’d planned to propose to her that evening and bring her to The

Pony so his sisters could meet her. He’d ruined it all though, listening

to the gossip of someone he should’ve known better than to trust,

instead of allowing her a chance to explain the precious reality to him.

“Bridal shower?”

“Yes, before my head took its vacation up my ass, I had planned

on proposing to Juliana when I saw her this evening. Now it turns out

Juliana showed up at the club and saw me with them, thinking I was

out partying.”

“Teresa told you everything?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Can you imagine how Juliana must have felt?” Jacobs asked in a

grating tone.

Ash opened his mouth, and his breath left him as he remembered

the way she’d placed her little forehead on his arm and reached out to

touch him and how he’d rejected her. He’d done that to the woman



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205

who was carrying his baby. His heart froze when he realized she was

on the road somewhere alone right now. And knowing her, she was

probably driving straight through the night to wherever she was

headed.

“No, sir. I can’t.” Nothing he could say would make it sound any

better.

“Are you going to her?”

“Yes, Sheriff, if you’ll let me. I need you to tell me where she is.”

“That depends. What are you going to do when you get to her?”

“Grovel. Beg her to marry me. Take responsibility for the baby

she carries. And then do a little more listening than talking.”

Jacob’s voice carried the barest hint of good humor. “Teresa tells

me you’re a good man, not normally prone to such stupidity. I trust

what she tells me. You got a pen?”

Allen gave him directions to get to the family Gulf Coast getaway

house in Rockport, northeast of Corpus Christi. Ash thanked him,

checked his watch, and jumped out of the truck and hurried back into

the club. His sisters came all that way, and he couldn’t leave without

letting them know where he was headed.

Twenty minutes later, he was gassing up at the station on the

corner. It was nearly ten o’clock, and she had at least three hours head

start on him. If he drove straight through, he could be there by four

the next morning.

He was still deeply troubled, but a hopeful thought made his chin

tremble. He whispered in a shaky voice, “I’m gonna be a daddy.”





* * * *



Ash cursed a blue streak as he set the phone down in his console.

Part of him felt like he deserved all of this as he looked out into the

black desolation of the country road he was stranded on. He was so