Honey Kisses (Romance on the Ranch Series #2) Read online

  Honey Kisses

  Romance on the Ranch Series

  By

  Verna Clay

  This book is dedicated to everyone who has a secret.

  Honey Kisses

  Romance on the Ranch Series

  Copyright © 2012 by Verna Clay

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  For information contact:

  [email protected]

  Website: www.VernaClay.com

  Published by:

  M.O.I. Publishing

  "Mirrors of Imagination"

  Cover Designer: Elaina Lee (For the Muse)

  Pictures: Dreamstime

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Dear Readers,

  I'm very happy with the way Honey Kisses unfolded. Although unusual, I went with the flow. I think Ann Hackstetter's secret is going to surprise everyone. I know it certainly surprised me. As for Jackson's reaction, well…that's unveiled in the story.

  The next book in the series is the love story between Tooty Townsend and Miles Brightman in Baby Kisses. Miles is eighteen years older than Tooty and confined to a wheelchair. Harris, Tooty's four year old son, born when she was sixteen, is always looking to find himself a daddy. Needless to say, these star-crossed lovers have much to overcome. Of course, the more conflicts and challenges, the more fun the story is to write.

  Verna Clay

  Sequence of books in Romance on the Ranch Series:

  Dream Kisses

  Honey Kisses

  Baby Kisses

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1: Wedding Day

  Chapter 2: Decisions

  Chapter 3: Career Move

  Chapter 4: Try Me Out

  Chapter 5: Cozy Cottage

  Chapter 6: Tour Guide

  Chapter 7: Changes

  Chapter 8: Someone for Jackson

  Chapter 9: Molly's Surprise

  Chapter 10: Alligator

  Chapter 11: Bad Man

  Chapter 12: Show Me the Money

  Chapter 13: HFH

  Chapter 14: Mud Madness

  Chapter 15: Hogtied

  Chapter 16: Surprise Visit

  Chapter 17: Annie's Secret

  Chapter 18: The Big Apple

  Chapter 19: Change in Plans

  Chapter 20: Flirting with the Enemy

  Chapter 21: Double Vision

  Chapter 22: Jackson to the Rescue

  Chapter 23: Annie's HEA

  Epilogue

  Author's Note

  Chapter 1: Wedding Day

  Pastor Porter boomed, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

  Ann lifted a tissue to blot tears as she watched her only child, Jacob, kiss Julie Tanner, now Julie Hackstetter. Across the aisle, Julie's father and stepmother, Sage and Sarah, lovingly held hands. Sage lifted Sarah's hand to his lips and kissed it.

  Pastor Porter asked the newlyweds to face the congregation. To everyone's delight, Jacob sneaked another kiss as the portly pastor announced, "I now present Mr. and Mrs. Hackstetter. Please congratulate our newlyweds in the foyer and then head on over to Lazy M Ranch for the reception. Everyone's invited!"

  There was a little crackle over the speaker system and then Shania Twain sang, From this Moment. The happy couple descended the few steps of the chancel platform, followed by Julie's maid of honor, Tooty Townsend, and Jacob's best man, Bobby Joe Banyon. Julie's gown, a simple strapless A-line with lace overlay, matched her easy going personality, and Jacob, in a gray cowboy tux with black vest, looked striking. The pair had insisted on a small wedding, so there were no bridesmaids or groomsmen.

  Beaner, a ranch hand from the Lazy M, and now an usher in the wedding, stepped to the first aisle and offered his arm to Ann. She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. Sarah and Sage stepped into the aisle behind Tooty and Bobby, and Beaner led Ann behind them. The bride and groom waited just outside the entrance to the sanctuary ready to greet their guests. Ann took a position beside her son, and Sage and Sarah stood next to her.

  Mr. and Mrs. Mercer, the parents of Julie's dead mother, and Mr. and Mrs. Carter, Sarah's parents, exited the sanctuary followed by Sarah's sister, Libby, on the arm of another ranch hand, Ned Waldo. Next, Ann's parents, Abby and Bert Baxter, and her grandmother, Molly Baxter, entered the foyer. The old cowpoke, Newt Tucker, escorted Molly, who was talking a mile-a-minute and gesturing with her hands to emphasize her words. He'd craned his bony neck downward so he could hear. Ann grinned at the sight of granny talking Newt's ear off. Of course, Newt could hold his own in spinning a tale. Between the two of them, they could probably talk nonstop for days.

  Ann returned her attention to accepting congratulations from guests and tried to keep her emotions at bay. Her son was married. She blinked rapidly, wishing Jerry had lived long enough to see their son wed, and dabbed at her eyes again. Jacob bent and whispered, "You okay, Mom?"

  "Oh, yes, Jacob."

  He looked into her eyes and read her unspoken thoughts. "I know. I wish he was here, too."

  Julie stepped around Jacob and hugged her. "I love you, Mom," she said to her new mother-in-law.

  "I love you, too, Julie."

  For the next half hour the bride and groom and family members greeted guests. Ann was exchanging pleasantries with Sally Higginbotham, a vocalist in the wedding, when she heard a familiar voice that shifted her heartbeat into triple rhythm. She wanted to look in the direction of the voice, but kept her gaze riveted on Mrs. Higginbotham's red lipstick teeth. She smoothed a hand down her pale green chiffon-over-satin, form fitting dress, with satin bolero jacket, and hoped it didn't make her look too matronly. Sarah and Julie had assured her the color contrasted beautifully with her olive complexion and set off her hazel eyes. She hoped so.

  Jackson Martinez continued speaking, "Julie and Jacob. You're a fine looking couple. After you're back from your honeymoon and settled in, I'd like to invite you to the Triple T for dinner."

  Jacob responded, "We'd like that Jackson. By the way, congratulations are in order for you, too, now that you own the Triple T."

  "Thanks. Tommy always said he'd give me first dibs if he ever put it up for sale, and when he did, I didn't have to think twice."

  Mrs. Higginbotham moved on and Ann chanced a glance upward at Jackson. He was looking at her with a little smile. Her face flooded with color. He continued talking to Jacob while still looking at her. "I'll check back in about a month. Give you time to get settled. I'd like you to come too, Annie, if you're still in town."

  Ann smiled and nodded; afraid her voice would sound breathless if she spoke.

  "Sounds good," said Jacob.

  "It's a date," Julie agreed.

  Jackson leaned over and kissed Julie's cheek. "You done good, baby girl."

  "Thanks, Jackson."

  The tall cowboy stepped in front of Ann. "Hello, Annie," he said, low and deep.

  "Hello, Jackson. Thank you for coming to the wedding." Stupid thing to say, and damn, you do sound breathless.

  His little smile turned into a grin. "I wouldn't have missed it." For a second he just looked at her. "Hey, I like your hair that darker color."

  Self consciously, Ann lifted a hand to a soft curl on her shoulder. "Thank you."

  "Hello, my name is Pritzy Purvis." A beautiful young blond stepped up beside Jackson and possessively snuggled her hand under his elbow,
interrupting the moment. She stuck her other hand out toward Ann."

  Ann accepted the woman's gesture. "I'm happy to meet you Pritzy."

  Pritzy said, "How does it feel being the mother of a grown man who has just gotten married?"

  "It feels wonderful. And now I have a grown daughter, too."

  There was an uneasy silence and then Jackson said, "Well, I guess we'll see you at the reception."

  Pritzy gave her a sugar-coated smile and then looked up at Jackson, turning it into a sexy one. They moved on and the pastor's plus-sized wife stepped into their position squeezing Ann in a bear hug that swallowed her in folds of taffeta.

  After the last guest bid best wishes, the wedding party headed back to the Lazy M in the ranch's shuttle van. They couldn't have asked for a more perfect spring day for the festivities. Most of the guests had already arrived when they reached the dorm, and the moment the newlyweds stepped inside, the crowd hooted.

  The great room had been hung with paper bells and draped with blue and yellow crepe paper, the colors the bride and groom had selected. Furniture had been pushed against the walls to make space for a dance floor in one corner and dining in the rest of the room. Taking center stage on a round table with a sky blue table cloth was an eight-tier wedding cake, the pride and joy of Cowgirl Confections. Blue and yellow flowers danced up the sides of the frosting to the top tier where a cowboy groom and cowgirl bride, both wearing white cowboy hats and leaning toward each other for a kiss, created the perfect effect. Scattered throughout the room were more round tables, some with blue tablecloths and some with yellow, inviting guests to sit and take a load off.

  Tooty, who had left the church right after the ceremony to make sure everything was prepared, rushed to Jacob and Julie as soon as they entered. Her strawberry blond hair contrasted beautifully with a pale blue strapless, mid-calf gown set off with dainty yellow flowers at the empire waist that crossed to one side of the bosom. While she was giving instructions to the bride and groom, Ann glanced down at Harris, Tooty's four year old son, trying to get his mother's attention by pulling on her skirt. When that didn't work, he yelled, "Mommy, I gotta go to the bathroom!"

  Ann rushed to assist. "Tooty, I'll take him."

  "Thanks, Ann, I've got to get the band lined out."

  Ann grabbed Harris' hand. "Come on, little man."

  Poor Harris. Holding the front of his pants, he tried to waddle to the bathroom. The strain on his impish face showed the effort he was making to keep from having an accident. Ann swooped him up and practically ran to the ladies room. When he'd finished, he said, "Thanks, Aunty Ann. I almost pooped and peed my pants."

  Ann tried to keep a straight face. "Harris, you did real good. Now let's go back to the party."

  "Yeah. I like parties. Maybe Mommy'll find me a Daddy and get married like Jacob and Julie."

  Ann's heart broke at Harris' statement spoken with so much longing. Tooty was the same age as Julie, twenty, and already had a four year old son. She'd dropped out of high school late in her pregnancy and then gotten her GED later. Ann admired the girl. From what Julie had told her, Tooty's family had just about disowned her, but after Harris was born, he'd wiggled his way into everyone's hearts. Although Ann had never asked, she had heard Julie telling Sage and Sarah that the father wasn't someone Tooty wanted to be saddled with.

  Ann brought Harris back to Tooty, but when he spotted Toby and Preston, the four year old twins of Sarah and Sage, he begged his mother to let him play with them. She smiled and knelt, kissed his cheek, straightened his little bow tie, and said, "Okay, but remember your manners!"

  He grinned and rushed to play with his friends.

  "Thanks for taking him to the bathroom, Ann."

  "He's adorable. You let me know if you need help with him or anything else."

  "Sure thing."

  Sage called for everyone's attention and announced that the buffet line was open. He invited his guests to fill their plates and enjoy the feast that Curley and his helpers had prepared.

  The bride and groom were called to the front of the line, followed by their family members. Ann helped her grandmother dish her plate and then ushered her back to their table. Newt, who had been helping Curley, exited the kitchen and Molly yelled, "Hey, Newt, I saved a place for you next to me." Newt looked at Molly and winked. Ann ducked a smile. I think Granny and Newt are sweet on each other.

  Ann returned to the buffet and stood at the back of the line. Pastor Porter said with his big voice, "Ann, you get up to the front." She started to protest, but he insisted, as did everyone else. Self consciously, she walked to the front and dished a few items before returning to eat with her family.

  After all the guests were seated, Sage proposed a toast. "To the happy couple; may you always dream big, argue little, learn from life's challenges, and savor life's blessings."

  "Here…here," the guests shouted. After the toast, the room was filled with conversation, clanking dinnerware, and laughter. As supper wound down, more toasts and roasts were proposed. Ann's heart expanded at the happiness lighting her son's face whenever he gazed at his bride. She remembered the day he'd confided his love for Julie. He'd been seventeen and just returned from working the summer at the Lazy M. He'd said he'd known she was the one, the first summer they'd met. It was a summer Ann would never forget. Five years ago, her son had fallen for Julie, and Sage had fallen for Sarah. Both couples had experienced their happily-ever-after. Ann sighed. For her, an HEA with a husband wasn't in the cards.

  She stared at her plate, moving the food around with her fork. All night she had been painfully aware of Jackson and his date. Although she'd tried to ignore him, it was impossible. He always made her feel like a giddy school girl experiencing her first crush. Of course, she was the dorky girl and he was the jock. Unable to stop her wandering eyes, she glanced sideways at his table to see him looking in her direction. Her breath hitched and she darted her eyes back to her plate.

  A band member switched on a microphone and it screeched. He made a motion to another band member to turn the sound down. Again, he lifted the mic and tested it before announcing the cutting of the cake. Julie giggled and Jacob helped her out of her chair. At the cake table, Tooty handed them the knife and Jacob cut the first piece with a pretty yellow flower in the center. Everyone laughed when he pretended he was going to smash it all over his bride's face. Instead, he lifted a small portion to her mouth and followed it with a kiss. The crowd sighed.

  Next, Julie pretended the same but followed through by shoving a huge bite in his mouth. He wagged his finger as if to say, "Later." Ann laughed and surreptitiously glanced back at Jackson. Pritzy had pulled her chair close to his and pressed her body against his side. The pretty cowgirl reached to smooth a lock of his golden hair and whisper in his ear. He smiled and then glanced in Ann's direction. Ann quickly turned to Molly and asked how she liked the green bean casserole.

  The band leader announced the father/daughter dance. Sage grinned and led Julie to the dance floor. The musicians played Butterfly Kisses. At the end of the song, Jacob walked over and tapped his father-in-law's shoulder. Everyone laughed as Sage handed Julie over to her husband. The band kicked off, It's Your Love by Tim McGraw, and the newlyweds danced lovingly. At the start of the next song, Sage stood and offered his hand to Sarah. She looked up with stars in her eyes and placed her hand in his. When he took her in his arms on the dance floor, the singer crooned a Charlie Rich tune, And when we get behind closed doors, then she lets her hair hang down and she makes me glad that I'm a man. Oh, no-one knows what goes on behind closed doors.

  Sage bent to whisper in Sarah's ear and tears filled Ann's eyes at the love simmering between them. She looked from Sara and Sage, to her son and Julie wrapped in each other's arms, and a tear trickled. In her heart, she knew her son would never be like his father. While some sons repeated their father's mistakes, Jacob had learned from Jerry's. He would be an attentive and caring husband and father, of that she was sure.


  The grandparents joined the dancers and then all the guests were invited to the floor. Newt extended his arm to Molly and she giggled like a school girl. Ann sat alone at their table and watched.

  The country western musicians kicked off a new tune, I Cross My Heart by George Strait. "May I have this dance?" The deep timbre of Jackson's voice made Ann's heart trip. Looking up into smoky gray eyes, she couldn't form a coherent word. She indicated her acceptance by pushing her chair back. Jackson held her elbow and guided her into the midst of the couples. Placing her hand in his, she followed his lead in a slow dance.

  "You look beautiful," he said, bending his head down.

  "Thank you," she replied softly.

  More people stepped to the floor, which forced Jackson to move closer.

  The singer sang, "I cross my heart and promise to–give all I've got to give to make all your dreams come true. In all the world you'll never find a love as true as mine." Ann wanted to lay her head against Jackson's chest, but doing so would only make her look foolish. She was at least ten years older than him.

  Against her ear, he said low, "Annie, do you remember the first time we danced?"

  She nodded. He was the only person who called her Annie and it made her heart flutter. He made her feel twenty-one instead of forty-one.

  * * *

  Ann shifted in bed and turned to stare past curtains opened to a full moon. It hung big and yellow and cast rays across wispy clouds. She thought about Jacob and Julie in their fancy hotel in Denver. Tomorrow, they were catching a plane to Seattle and then leaving on a ten-day cruise to Alaska. Most honeymooners would have chosen the Caribbean, but when Sage had asked the couple where they wanted to spend their honeymoon because it was his and Sarah's wedding gift, they'd looked at each other and both said, "Alaska."