Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Chapter 1

Chapter One

THREE WEEKS LATER …

I t was good to see Ramsey so happy. Jaxson turned on the radio and whistled softly to the song playing. He still couldn’t believe his brother had gotten married so quickly … and so spontaneously. Ramsey was the quintessential planner, never making a move without looking ten steps ahead, but Hartley had changed everything. He chuckled. To each his own.

Evidently love was in the air because the Romeos were dropping like flies. Zoe and Briggs were getting married in December. Cash and Ava probably wouldn’t be far behind. Now that Ramsey was married, it left just him and Mason. Jaxson grimaced. Mason was young enough that no one would expect him to get married anytime soon. Jaxson, on the other hand, was the second oldest. Right after the wedding ceremony, Jaxson’s mama had caught his eye and given him a hopeful smile. You’re next , her expression seemed to be saying.

“Not anytime soon,” Jaxson said aloud. He’d settle down one day; but as of now, there were simply too many beautiful fish in the sea to get hooked on any particular one. He ran through a mental list of girls that he frequently dated, mildly wondering if any one of them could be suitable marriage material. Tillie was gorgeous but too showy with her short, tight skirts and low-cut blouses. Also, she was a bit of an airhead, which was annoying. Angelica was super intelligent, but she was too much of a know-it-all. Kat was super fun to be around. She loved the outdoors and was always up for a spontaneous adventure. However, Jaxson thought of her as more of a sister than a girlfriend.

He sighed. Once, long ago, he’d been ready to make a lifelong commitment, but fate had other plans. A feeling of nostalgia washed over him as an image of Lemon Massey floated before his face. He jerked, realizing the direction his thoughts were taking. Daydreaming about Lemon was futile. It had been happening ever since he thought he saw her at the rodeo.

He channeled his thoughts back to the wedding he’d just attended. Watching how Ramsey looked at Hartley as they cut the cake. Well, it kind of got to Jaxson. He pushed aside the despondency with a steely resolve. If he couldn’t have the woman he wanted, he’d just have to love all the rest. He grinned thinly at the thought. When he got home, he’d call Tillie, see if she’d like to go to dinner tomorrow night. Heck, maybe he’d even line up a date for Friday night as well. Angelica liked to dance. He could take her to Randy’s Dance Hall. Or better yet, he’d just go by himself and meet someone new. His spirits lifted. Yeah, that was the ticket … time to explore some new pasture. Maybe the grass really was greener on the other side.

Intermittent raindrops splashed on the windshield. He peered up into the dark sky. A second later, the ceiling gave way, and a solid sheet of water splashed down. He turned on the wipers, reducing his speed. The road was slick. He tightened his hold on the steering wheel, feeling a pinch of alarm when his tires lost traction with the road. An instant later, the tires connected again. His pickup truck didn’t handle great in rain. The bed was too light. Thankfully, he wasn’t far from home. He flinched, his head instinctively ducking into his shoulders, when a loud clap of thunder rattled the windows.

He rounded a corner. It ran through his mind that a woman was standing in the middle of the road, her wet clothes pressed to her slender body. The headlights illuminated the woman’s face. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Not again!

“Lemon?” he gasped, turning the wheel sharply to miss her. The movement sent the truck sliding off the road. Panic raced through his veins as he tried to regain control. He saw the tree coming at him, then felt the brunt force at the same time he heard the splintering crash.

“Oh my gosh! Are you okay?” Birdie cried as she rushed into the room, still in a formal dress and heels from the wedding. She ran over to Jaxson’s side. Tears gathered in her eyes as she surveyed Jaxson up and down, her gaze settling on his wrapped ankle, propped up on a stack of pillows.

Jaxson grimaced. “I’m doing tolerably well … considering. According to the doc, I have a couple of bruised ribs.” His torso felt like it had been beat to a pulp. He was forced to take shallow breaths to temper the pain.

Knox stepped up behind Birdie. “You look like you came out on the wrong side of a bar brawl.” His azure eyes radiated concern.

“Tell me about it,” Jaxson grunted.

Knox motioned to his ankle. “What’s the word?”

“I’m still waiting for the x-rays to come back. They think I have a hairline fracture. It’s taking forever to get the results,” he muttered. “This place is slower than a turtle wading through molasses.”

Birdie reached for his hand and squeezed it. “I’m just glad you’re okay. When we got the news …” her voice caught, a fat tear rolling down her cheek “… I feared the worst. The whole family was freaked out, even Ramsey.”

Jaxson’s jaw grew slack. “What? You called Ramsey?”

Birdie nodded. “Right before his plane took off. We told him that you were okay, though. Officer Williams was kind enough to call your daddy and update him on the situation.”

“I’m okay,” Jaxson assured her. “It’ll take more than a tree to do me in,” he bragged with a laugh and then winced in pain.

“Take it easy there, tiger.” Knox gave him an astute look that spoke volumes. Daddy knew how rattled Jaxson was. He also knew his oldest son was using humor to minimize the gravity of the situation. “It’s a miracle that you came out as well as you did,” Knox stated firmly.

“It is,” Jaxson agreed. He’d already said half a dozen silent prayers, thanking God for preserving his life.

“What happened?” Birdie asked in the subdued tone of one still trying to come to grips with all that was happening.

For the past several hours, ever since the paramedics had brought him here to the hospital, Jaxson had been running the events through his mind. Did he dare admit that he’d seen Lemon Massey standing in the middle of the road? Her image was branded into his memory. She was wearing jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt that clung to her body.

A shiver ran through him. No way could he admit to seeing Lemon. Daddy and Mama would think he was losing his marbles. Was he? His heart began to pound. This was the second time in a matter of weeks that he’d seen Lemon. This go-around caused him to have an accident. What in the heck was happening to him? The woman in the road had been so real. It was Lemon! Yet, it made no sense. Why would Lemon be standing in the middle of the road?

Jaxson swallowed the dryness in his throat. “I was driving back from the wedding.” His voice was scratchy. A tight strip of tension was forming over the bridge of his nose, signaling that a headache was coming on. The nurse, a cute, peppy redhead, had offered Jaxson something for the pain, but he’d refused it, not liking how out-of-it heavy-duty painkillers made him. However, some ibuprofen or Tylenol was sounding pretty enticing right about now. He’d ask for some when the nurse returned.

Knox stroked his chin. “You left the church about thirty minutes before we did.”

Jaxson nodded, rushing on. “It started pouring rain. I hydroplaned and tried to correct it.” His words lost air. Carefully, he took in a breath so as not to hurt his ribs. “The next thing I knew, I hit a tree. I must’ve blacked out. I vaguely remember being lifted out of the truck. I came to in the ambulance.”

Horror washed over Birdie’s features. “Do you have a head injury?”

“I don’t think so.” Jaxson took an assessment of his head. It was okay, for the most part. “The doctor didn’t say anything about that.”

“I’m sure he would have said something,” Knox piped in. “You don’t look like your head is hurt.”

Relief wafted over Jaxson as he smiled faintly. “That’s good news.”

“How’s the woman doing?”

Jaxson’s heart lurched. “Woman?” he stammered, looking to Daddy for an answer.

“Officers Williams and Phillips were the first policemen to arrive on the scene. A woman was there. She seemed dazed and unable to answer any of their questions. At first, they wondered if she’d been in the truck with you, but then they found her car a mile up the road from the accident. It seems that she had a flat tire and was walking to get help.”

Jaxson’s heart began to pound. “Where is she?”

“Here, at the hospital. They’re checking her for injuries.”

Jaxson tried to sit up. He groaned as the movement sent jabs of pain through him.

“What’re you doing?” Birdie demanded, touching his arm. “You need to lie still.”

“I need to check on her,” Jaxson argued.

“I’m sure she’s fine,” Knox said. “Officer Williams said that she didn’t have any injuries that they could see.”

“The woman was standing in the middle of the road,” Jaxson uttered quietly.

Birdie’s eyes rounded. “What?”

“I turned the corner, and there she was.” He paused. “I swerved to miss her. I hydroplaned and hit the tree.”

Knox’s brows furrowed. “Why didn’t you just say that?”

He spread his hands. “It all happened so fast. I thought I’d imagined it.” He knew it was a flimsy excuse, but it was the best he could come up with at the moment.

A concerned look passed between Knox and Birdie. Jaxson could feel their concern. They could tell there was more to the story than what he was letting on. Was the woman Lemon? His mind began to spin. Jaxson felt like he was trying to tread water in a whirlpool. It was getting harder and harder to keep from getting sucked under. Maybe the woman resembled Lemon, and his brain had inserted the rest. That had to be it. Why was he so fixated on Lemon all of a sudden? Yes, he’d loved her, but she’d betrayed him. It happened so long ago. He’d moved so far past that event that it was merely a speed bump in his life.

And yet, he’d been seeing Lemon, thinking of her, mulling over what might’ve been. Jaxson forced the words from his lips. “Who is she?” he asked hoarsely.

Knox frowned. “What do you mean?”

“The woman. Who is she?”

“I haven’t the foggiest,” Knox said. “The officers didn’t know. The woman wouldn’t tell them her name.”

Birdie tipped her head. “That’s strange.”

“Stranger than you realize,” Jaxson muttered.

“What do you mean?” Birdie asked carefully, glancing at Knox before pinning her eyes on Jaxson.

He sighed heavily, ignoring the persistent pain in his ribs. “I thought I recognized her.”

“Who is she?” Knox asked. His posture was assertive, his eyebrows shooting down in a v, like he could somehow force the words out of Jaxson.

Jaxson looked at his parents. “This is gonna sound crazy.”

“Try me,” Knox said, squaring his jaw.

The air seemed to hold its breath, waiting for Jaxson to respond. He wondered if his parents remembered how hard he’d taken it after he and Lemon had broken up. She moved away shortly after graduating from high school and that was that … they went their separate ways.

“Spill it,” Knox demanded. “Who is she?”

Jaxson caught hold of the sheet and twisted it into a knot. “Lemon Massey.”

Birdie scrunched her nose. “The Lemon you dated in high school?”

“Yes.”

“I thought she moved away to some big city,” Knox piped in.

“Los Angeles,” Jaxson inserted.

“Maybe she’s back, visiting relatives,” Birdie said.

“Lemon doesn’t have any relatives in Franklin or Nashville,” Jaxson supplied. “She lost touch with her dad years ago. Her mother has Alzheimer’s. She’s in a care center in Los Angeles.”

Knox raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize that you and Lemon kept in touch.”

Jaxson clenched his teeth. “We don’t.”

“And yet, you know so much about her,” Knox mused as he looked at Birdie.

“What?” Jaxson grumbled.

A twinkle lit Birdie’s eyes. “Oh, nothing,” she chimed.

“Would y’all quit doing that?” Jaxson grumbled.

“What?” Birdie asked innocently.

“Y’all keep passing those looks back and forth. If you’ve got something to say, then say it,” he demanded. Jaxson wasn’t sure why he was getting so angry. Maybe it was a post reaction to the accident. It wasn’t easy staring death in the face. Had he been going any faster, hit the tree harder … A shiver ran down his spine. Life had never felt so precious or so fragile as it did right now. His ankle was starting to throb.

“Take it easy, son.” Knox held up his hand. “Your mama and I just wanna make sure you’re okay.” He slid an arm around Birdie’s shoulders.

“If we’re speaking frankly here, let me say that I’m glad a woman has finally come on your radar.” Birdie’s head swung back and forth. “I was beginning to wonder if anyone could turn your head.”

Jaxson rolled his eyes. “Do you really think this is the time to be playing matchmaker?”

A smile passed over Knox’s lips. “Well, it’s not every day your mama and I have a captive audience.” He tipped his head thoughtfully. “Maybe I’d better go check on the woman, find out who she is. I haven’t seen Lemon in so long … I’m not sure that I’d recognize her.”

“I would. She always had the prettiest blonde hair.” Birdie touched her own hair.

“I remember.” Knox looked at Birdie. “It looked a lot like yours, if I’m remembering correctly.”

A gracious grin curved Birdie’s lips. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“Hmm … let me go and see what I can find out.” Knox looked at Jaxson. “I wonder if Lemon remembers you as well as you remember her.”

“Let it go, Daddy,” Jaxson warned, but not even his foul mood could squelch the ember of hope flickering in his chest. Was Lemon here in this very hospital? Or maybe the whole thing was some trick his mind was playing. Chances were the woman wasn’t Lemon. But if she were …

Knox seemed to be reading his thoughts. “Y’all hang tight. I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t do anything dumb,” Jaxson called after him, but Knox only waved his hand impatiently.

Birdie chuckled. “You mean anything that would give away the fact that you still have feelings for Lemon?”

Jaxson scowled. “That ship sailed a long time ago.”

“Uh, huh,” Birdie chimed, “I can tell.” She glanced over her shoulder before pulling a chair next to the bed. She sat down and primly crossed her legs. “So,” she began, “refresh my memory about Lemon. What was her last name?”

“Massey.” He growled. “This whole thing is ridiculous. It’s probably not even her. I only saw her face for a second like I did at the rodeo.”

Her eyes widened. “You saw Lemon at a rodeo?” She frowned. “What rodeo?”

Crap! Jaxson had stepped in it now. Heat coiled up his neck. He really needed to put a sock in it, especially when his brain wasn’t operating at full capacity.

“What rodeo?” Birdie pressed.

Jaxson hadn’t wanted his mama to know about the rodeo, and especially not about him riding the bronco. “It was over in Lebanon.”

Her features tightened. “Did you ride?”

For a fraction of a second, he thought about lying to her, but it was Mama. He couldn’t do that.

“Yeah,” he said quietly.

Her face paled, the creases around her mouth deepening. “I thought you were done with that chapter of your life.” Concern clouded her eyes.

Jaxson didn’t want to hurt Mama. He loved her more than life, but he had missed riding. And, he was dang good at it. So good that some of the rodeo officials had been begging him to come back. His body was starting to hurt all over, and he was craving sleep. He looked past Mama to the closed door. “How long does it take to get the results of a blasted X-ray?” he muttered. “Geez, Louise, this place is slow.”

Her eyes flashed. “Don’t evade the question.” She gave him a look that could stop a grizzly in its tracks. “Jaxson Allen Romeo, you need to be straight with me.”

His mama was an attractive woman with her honey-blonde hair and even features. The owner of a dress shop, she was always dressed to the nines. With her syrupy, Southern voice and genteel manner, people often mistook her as being a pushover, but she was steel on the inside. The epitome of a steel magnolia.

“I’m considering riding again,” he admitted, cringing at the despair on Mama’s face. He sought for the right words to make her understand. “I won, Mama.” His voice picked up its pace. “Even though I hadn’t ridden in months.” He searched her face, hoping she would understand. “I can’t remember the last time I felt so alive … as when I was on that horse.”

She took in a deep breath, her lips compressing into tight lines. A tense silence settled between them until finally, Jaxson could no longer handle it. “Say something, please,” he urged.

She gave him a tight smile. “I don’t think right now is the best time to discuss this,” she clipped.

“I love you, Mama. I stayed away from riding for months because of you.” His voice caught. “Please, don’t ask me to give it up for good. It’s part of who I am.”

The door opened. Knox stepped into the room, bringing Officers Williams and Phillips with him. Also, there was a woman.

Jaxson’s jaw dropped, a gurgling sound forming in the back of his throat as he looked up. “It is you,” he uttered.