The Cowgirl Rides Away (Bluebonnet, TX Book 1)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Jessa

For my Thursday lunch with Zack I went with the khaki capris and a form-fitting, lavender button-up blouse picked up on my shopping trip. It looked fine, cute even, but I still felt off-kilter after a restless night spent trying to process Kane's revelations. In a way, I suppose it was symbolic. These two parts of me that didn't quite mesh.

I'd even considered cancelling today's lunch, but then I'd be stuck in a hotel room moping. I could barely process it all. My best friend, my traveling companion—my cousin.

I wanted to go home. I wanted my dad. Which somehow led me back around to yesterday's conversation with Kane.

"You're frowning," Zack said as he pulled into the crowded parking lot of a Mexican restaurant.

Startled and more than a little embarrassed at where my train of thought had been going, I burst out laughing. It was either that or cry and I wasn't about to confide in Zack. He'd rubber stamp me 'crazy' and I'd never see him again.

"What was that for? Jessa?"

"What?" My smile faded at the serious expression on his face.

"Are you having second thoughts? About being here with me?"

I'd worry about Kane later. I could do this, with Zack. At least, I hoped I could. I slid across the seat until we were thigh to thigh, all the while scrambling around in my head for the right words. My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth, so I forced myself to look at him and keep it simple. "T-there's no other place I'd rather be right now than here with you. I thought you knew that."

And that, at least, was the God's honest truth. His face softened, but my confession was interrupted by a knock on his window. Thank heaven for small favors. No telling what else I might have said. Like "I love you" or "let's make babies."

Zack muttered a "Great," as he slipped the keys from the ignition.

"What's wrong?" I leaned forward, surprised to find a laughing blonde couple outside his truck. The humorous expression on the woman's face was replaced with raised eyebrows.

"Say hello to my aunt," he said while opening the door. We slid out and he performed the introductions.

He slid his keys into his pocket, cleared his throat and added, "Rowdy and I play at the dancehall that my aunt owns."

"Honey, it is so nice to meet you," Susie Boudreaux, the aforementioned aunt, gushed. She looked incredibly smug as she squeezed my hand.

"It's very nice to meet you, too." I shook hands with her and Rowdy. No wonder he'd taken us to Gruene yesterday—privacy. Thank goodness he had since I'd spilled my soul all over the place, but today, with my crappy cranky mood, public was definitely better.

"Zack, honey, what are you doing?"

"Having lunch, and you?" His flip reply left Susie blinking and Rowdy snickering. His one quirked eyebrow left me giggling, especially after that solemn moment we'd just had in the truck.

"Stop looking at me like that. I'm a grown woman, Zack Boudreaux, and if I wanna have lunch with one of our local bad-boys I will." Susie slipped an arm around Rowdy's waist. "Now, did you invite this nice young lady to the cookout on Sunday?"

Oh my God! Sunday supper with...His aunt shrugged and gave me a tiny smile. I guess she caught my slack-jawed look. And Zack had gone awful quiet, while my insides quaked the tiniest bit.

"I haven't had a chance to...yet."

"So what's the holdup?" Rowdy asked.

Despite my nerves, I bit back a tiny laugh of my own. Talk about aiding and abetting.