Storms Over Texas
Table of Contents
STORMS OVER TEXAS
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
STORMS OVER TEXAS
Dreamcatchers Series Book 3
TESSA GRAY
SOUL MATE PUBLISHING
New York
STORMS OVER TEXAS
Copyright©2020
TESSA GRAY
Cover Design by Wren Taylor
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
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Published in the United States of America by
Soul Mate Publishing
P.O. Box 24
Macedon, New York, 14502
ISBN: 978-1-64716-056-2
www.SoulMatePublishing.com
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
To my brother, Jerry Collins who,
along with me, survived growing up in foster care.
It was always ‘you and me against the world.’
I love you to the moon and back.
Acknowledgments
A special thank you to Debby Gilbert and her team at SoulMate Publishing for taking a risk and publishing all three books of my Dreamcatchers series women’s fiction novels. I am humbled by your faith in me.
Prologue
Rachel Martin shifted her weight on the barstool, trying to get a better look at the sinfully handsome bartender—a man clearly out of her league. It was hard to recall the last time she’d seen a man so mesmerizing.
As he swaggered about the bar, refilling everyone’s glasses, several women ogled him. But he appeared to take it all in stride as he milled about—smiling, laughing, occasionally hugging the women.
She tensed when he sauntered toward her, his cowboy boots clomping across the wooden floor. He moved closer—his dark eyes penetrating her. As he raked a hand through his hair, the woody scent of his aftershave intoxicating her, she felt tongue-tied.
“Can I get you a refill, pretty lady?” The husky tone in his voice intrigued her.
Clearing her throat, she leaned forward. “Yes. I’ll have another chardonnay. Would you mind getting one for my friend, too?”
“Don’t mind at all. You gals aren’t locals, are you? I don’t recall seeing you around these parts.” His mouth tugged into a smile, and he strode toward where the wine bottles were kept before she could answer. As he poured the wine, she thoroughly examined every single inch of his lean, muscular body.
He whirled around suddenly, leaned against the bar, and smirked, as though aware she was ogling him.
Drumming her fingers on the terra cotta tiled bar, she tried to look casual. “To answer your question, I’m Rachel, and this is my friend, Meredith. We’ve come from Dallas to attend the cowboy poetry gathering.”
“Good. Then I’ll see you around.” His eyes bore through her, and she decided he was the type used to women fawning all over him. When he spoke again, his tone was raspy. “I’m not real good with names, so to make things easy, I’ll just call you Dallas.”
She swallowed several times, trying to think of something clever to say. By the time she thought of a snappy comeback, he’d already moved on.
Chapter 1
(Three years later)
Rachel frowned when Jake ran his hand down her backside as they danced at the Blue Depot. He cupped her bottom firmly, as though announcing to the entire room that they were a couple. The room reverberated to the beat of the music—the bass notes thumping loudly—making it impossible to carry on a conversation.
His mouth grazed her ear as they continued dancing, and when he traced a hand along her mouth, his gaze holding her, she felt a rush of guilt for being so critical of him. To his credit, he’d taken off work, devoting the entire evening to her. And until lately, she’d always been on board with his open displays of affection. But something had changed; something she couldn’t put her finger on.
When he pressed her body against his, she’d had enough.
“I don’t feel comfortable with you groping me in front of everyone. I wish you wouldn’t do that.”
He stopped dancing and backed away, his dark eyes penetrating her. For a second, he said nothing. But then he moved closer, cupping her face in his hands. “You’re a beautiful woman, Rachel, and the fact is, I’m proud you’re my girl. I can’t imagine why you’d have an issue with that. You never have before. What’s going on with you?” Cocking his head to one side, he frowned.
Maybe she should tell him. Tell him how the trip back to Dallas to attend her class reunion had impacted her. Tell him that two of her classmates had married millionaires and spend three months a year in Europe every single summer, and that it made her envious. Tell him that she missed the finer things in life Dallas had to offer. Initially, life in a tiny West Texas town had intrigued her. But after living here for three years, she’d grown restless.
She would tell him . . . eventually. But not now. Her parents were arriving tomorrow. The last thing she and Jake needed was to get into another argument.
“I guess I’m just in a bad mood. Sorry to put such a damper on things.”
He leaned over, nuzzling her ear, the scent of his aftershave filling her. “I’ll get you another glass of wine. Be right back.”
As though that would help.
When he left, she glanced at an older couple dancing in the dimly lit room. They swayed to the music, their hands clasped together. The two gazed at one another and smiled—a secret smile, perhaps. She continued watching them, mesmerized by their deep affection for each other.
What was their story? Were they thinking about the first time they held the children they’d had together? Or perhaps they’d suffered through a tragedy and shared something intimate—something no one else would understand.
A wave of nostalgia washed over her as she thought of her own parents. Mama and Daddy had been together nearly fifty years—unlike her marriage which had lasted only twelve.
She’d never forgiven Michael for tossing her aside for a much
younger woman, leaving her with twin daughters to raise. Her ex had rarely paid much attention to her, so his abandonment shouldn’t have come as a shock. But it had. Her pride had been hurt, and from that day forward, she’d told herself never again. Never again would she put all her trust in someone.
And maybe on some level, Jake was paying the price. She should probably count herself lucky that he continuously announced to the world that they were a couple. A woman could do a lot worse than Jake Crenshaw.
She glanced across the room as he continued making his way toward the bar. He was the sexiest man in the room with his tight blue jeans, red Henley shirt, and alligator cowboy boots that thudded loudly with each step he took. God, he was a beautiful specimen of a man. Most women would trade places with her in a heartbeat.
The older couple had gone back to their table, and when they stood up to leave, Rachel continued watching them.
The man placed his arm about his wife, ever so gently. When the woman kissed his cheek, he dropped his arm from about her shoulders and the two walked out, holding hands.
She couldn’t recall the last time Jake held her hand. Cupped her ass—yes. But not held her hand.
~ ~ ~
Jake looked across the table as Rachel sipped her wine. Setting down the glass, she twisted several fingers through her thick, ebony hair and smiled. He counted himself damn lucky that a woman this smart—this freaking beautiful—this talented was his girl. The woman was sexy as hell just sitting here drinking, and she didn’t even realize it.
It always surprised him that she never tried to make him jealous. Never flirted with another guy. Never gave him any reason to think she’d stray. Maybe that was because she knew what it felt like to be cheated on. Or, maybe it was a lack of self-confidence, on her part. Of course, that worked in his favor.
But there was a part of her he could never have. He’d known it from the very beginning. Could feel it in his bones. And maybe to some degree, he was the one lacking self-confidence. As women went, she was well-educated. Something he’d never given much thought to. While it didn’t bother him all that much that she was probably a whole lot smarter than him, he suspected there was a part of Rachel that felt superior. She didn’t say it in so many words. It was just a vibe he got from being around her.
But the sex was great, and really, in the grand scheme of things, that was what mattered. He’d found a beautiful woman not particularly secure about herself—one who didn’t want to remarry. And, of course, since she’d had her tubes tied, she didn’t want more kids. Yup—he was probably living out every guy’s fantasy having a girlfriend like this.
He took a swig of beer and continued watching her stare out onto the dance floor.
Frustrated, he put an end to what he considered a lousy evening. “Guess we’d better drink up and head home.”
She nodded, the light in her eyes dimming. Setting down his beer, he spoke. “You’ve barely said two words since we’ve been here.”
Her eyes clouded, and she leaned across the table. “I-I’ve had a lot on my mind. My parents are arriving tomorrow. Guess I’m kind of stressed about that.”
Determined not to start an argument, he took her answer at face value. No need to pick a fight. With any luck, she’d be in a better mood when they got home and maybe, just maybe the two would make love. It’d been a while.
For all her issues, when it came right down to it, Rachel was an amazing lover. She’d been that way from the get-go. And in his book, great sex went a whole long way.
The fact they hadn’t made love in a while ate away at him. Because, if the physical aspect of their relation died, they’d be left with nothing.
Climbing to his feet, he reached out, placing his hand on her arm. “Let’s go home, Dallas.” He hadn’t call her that in a while. He hoped she’d gotten the hint.
As she rose, he studied how snuggly the tank top she wore hugged her breasts. He’d memorized every inch of her beautiful, perfectly placed curves. And he knew exactly where to touch her to get her engine humming.
But any hopes of making love were dashed when she looked at him and frowned. “Yes, let’s head home. I’m awfully tired.”
That was code for ‘you won’t be getting any tonight.’
~ ~ ~
The instant they pulled into the driveway, Rachel noticed a large RV parked on the street.
Mama and Daddy had arrived a day early—giving them no advance warning.
Knowing Mama, she’d want to spend half the night talking about the trip. So much for sitting down with Jake and having a heart-to-heart talk.
Jake turned his head and stared out the truck window. “Isn’t that your parents’ RV?”
She nodded, frustrated her parents had changed their plans at the last minute. “They must have decided to come here early. I’m sorry, I had no idea they’d pull a stunt like this.”
Popping open his truck door, he bolted from the vehicle. “No problem. They’ll probably want to stay up a while and talk. I’ll head inside and make some coffee.”
As she walked over to greet her parents, she wished she could be more like Jake; willing to change his plans when something came up. He didn’t do it grudgingly as she often did, but pretty much went with the flow. Something she rarely allowed herself to do.
She walked over to the RV and her father climbed out. “We decided not to stop overnight and drive straight through. I hope you don’t mind.”
Her mother emerged and stood beside her dad, the brilliant, amber moon shining on them. Moving closer, Mama touched her shoulder. “I was the one who talked your dad into driving straight through. I hope you’re okay with this.”
Shrugging, she smiled at her mother’s confession. It was difficult to recall a time Mama didn’t get her way. In that way, the two were a great deal alike.
For now, the talk with Jake would be put on hold. But eventually, she’d need to tell him. Because the longer she delayed, the more difficult telling him would be.
She wanted someone to grow old with. And like it or not, Jake Crenshaw wasn’t that person. She’d known it all along. While she dreaded ending things with him, she couldn’t put it off too much longer.
~ ~ ~
Jake poured Rachel’s dad a second cup of coffee, wishing her folks would head back to the RV so everyone could get a decent night’s sleep.
But the Donohues were retired and had more time on their hands than they knew what to do with. No telling when they’d hunker down for the night. Maybe he should switch them to decaf.
Intent on being a good host, he continued talking with them. “So Tim, Rachel tells me you and Barbara have been doing a lot of traveling.”
Rachel’s dad took the bait immediately. “We sure have. So far, we’ve seen forty-four states. I suspect the last one will be Hawaii since we’ll have to fly there. To be honest, I’m a little freaked out about going there. Knowing Babs, she’ll have me dancing around in one of those hula skirts.” Tim Donohue jerked his head back and snorted, as though confident everyone would laugh with him—which they all did.
Smiling, Rachel lightly punched her father in the arm. “Stop, Daddy. You know Mama would never do that.”
Jake watched everyone at the table continue laughing. Rachel, in particular. She appeared more relaxed now. Funny how she grew weary of his jokes but appeared totally engaged in her father’s shenanigans.
Rachel’s mother leaned across the table and looked him squarely in the eye. “Tim and I want to head out to the McDonald Observatory tomorrow night and watch the stars. We already booked the tour. We’ve included you and Rachel. I hope you don’t think it presumptuous of me to do that.”
He studied the outline of Barbara Donohue’s chin, at the way her eyes crinkled when something interested her and realized he was staring into the eyes of Rachel in twenty
years.
Despite the fact he’d need to get someone to fill in for him at the bar—someone he’d have to pay, he didn’t have it in him to disappoint her. “That sounds fine, Barbara. I’ll get Adam to fill in for me at work. I’m sure he can use the extra cash.”
After he said it, Rachel’s eyes lit up, and he realized although it was a small gesture, Rachel appeared pleased that he was being so congenial.
Tim Donohue took a swig of coffee and set down the cup. “Since you’ve lived here most of your life, Jake, I suspect you can give us a few tips about the star gazing tour.”
He looked away, feeling Rachel’s eyes on him.
“Actually, I went there once as a kid when I lived with the Wainwright’s. Can’t say I’ve been there since.”
Both Rachel’s parents stared at him, a shocked expression on their faces.
He wanted to defend himself—to remind them that a guy running his own business didn’t have time to gallivant around the countryside, staring at the stars. He’d spent every spare minute working his ass off to get ahead financially, but Rachel’s parents probably hadn’t a clue what that was like. He’d been with her long enough to know she never wanted for anything.
Rachel sat stone-faced. When she finally spoke, her tone was measured. “You look tired, Jake. Why don’t you go to bed? I’ll stay here with Mama and Daddy.” The light in her eyes dimmed, as though she might want to speak with her parents privately.
Taking his cue from her, he climbed to his feet. “Goodnight, then. I’ll see y’all in the morning.”
Disappointed she’d excluded him, he left.
When he reached their bedroom, he gazed out the window, wishing he could turn back the clock and live the past three years all over again.