Page 45 of The Other Fork in the Road

CHAPTER11

MADISON

Jax carried the bags of gifts, and once we reached the house worry washed over me. Would everyone know what had just happened between us? Just as I was getting to know my father again, would he think I was a tramp? OMG, he would! And it’s just what I deserve for behaving like that. Seems Montana had turned me into a trampy trollop. And what about the psychic? She sent me here to reconcile with my father, not to get down and dirty with Montana’s finest in the barn.

I jumped when Jax whispered in my ear. “I’d better go first. Your cheeks will give us away otherwise.”

I nodded as he went into the living room, and I stood by the front door, out of sight. My mind raced as I focused on inhaling and exhaling. The last thing I needed was to die of a freaking heart attack today. Eastmas would be ruined. I’d miss out on where that orgasmic kiss could go and never have another single SpaghettiO. I peeked at my reflection in the mirror next to the door and saw my cheeks were definitely on fire. Phooey!

I scurried into the powder room next to me, closed the door, and put some cold water on my face,trying to regulate my pulse, which was sky-high.

The thought of Jax and how wrong it was to be involved in any way overtook my brain. He was a man who’d been with a zillion women, I was certain. After all, it was his self-proclaimed superpower, just like Steve. Yeah, that was the answer. All I had to do was conjure the image of stupid Steve, and my attraction to Jax would evaporate into thin air.Poof.Steve. Steve. Steve. Nope, my better judgment was saying ‘Steve,’ but my lady parts were doing cheerleader jumps shouting ‘Jax.’ No can-do, lady parts. Your bits will be on a plane out of here after the wedding. Wait! So that’s his game. Jax knew I was leaving in a few days. I was appealing because I was a short-term guest. He probably hoped he would get his kicks, and then I’d be wheels-up on a plane, just another notch on his saddle.

As far as I could see, I had two options. One, I’d do the smart thing and not let him anywhere near me with his superpower. Or two, I could just say fuck it and get my own kicks. I am woman; hear me roar.

The coloring on my face finally normalized, and I headed to the living room. And by damn, I wanted what was owed me. “What does a girl have to do to get an ugly sweater around here?”

The room broke into laughter as my dad reached into a box and tossed me a sweater. I held out the red and green plaid garment, sporting a sickly-looking cat, wearing a red shirt and bow tie on the front of it, along with little bells around the neckline and waist. I pulled it over my head, and they all cheered my tacky, tacky look. It was kind of amazing.

Over the next few hours, we laughed so much my face hurt. Not only was Daisy a hoot—I mean, even my mother would get a kick out of her—but she served up eggs and turkey bacon for Thanksgiving, prime rib and all the trimmings for our Christmas celebration at lunch, then an Easter egg hunt and cheesecake for Easter. Finally, 4thof July fireworks and a New Year’s toast with champagne that should have ended with a glass. Instead, we killed three bottles.

Throughout the day, I felt like an awkward sixteen-year-old chick. In the living room, we were all sitting on the sofa and chairs, which made a circle. Whenever I stole a look at Jax, I’d find him staring at me with a knowing grin on his face. Clearly, he liked making me nervous, and all I could think about was the way he forcefully pulled me to him and ravaged me earlier. How could someone so freaking gorgeous possibly be into me?

* * *

I woke up the next morning to the sound of what I swear was a cowbell. One look out the window proved me correct. Jax and Austin were apparently fighting over who got to ring it.

“Okay, how about we all work off the many calories of Eastmas?” Daisy shouted from the hall outside my door.

I looked out the window again and agreed that it was a beautiful day for a walk.

Daisy knocked before poking her head into my bedroom. “How about we go shoot some shit up? The boys are already waiting on us. How about you and me go show ‘em a thing or two.”

Though I’d never shot a gun, I agreed it was a beautiful day to shoot some shit up. Yeah, a sentence I hadn’t used before. But when in Montana.

It turned out that they had a lot of fun toys on the ranch, and before I knew it, we were all driving four-wheelers across pastures towards a forested area at what appeared to be the base of the mountains.

Another thing I had never done was drive a four-wheeler, but apparently, I would learn today. After Daisy showed me how to turn it on and use the pedal and brake, we were off. “Just like driving a car,” she’d said. If I was going to save face, there was no need to point out that most of us city dwellers used cabs and, therefore, didn’t have a license.

As the group took off, I inched my way behind them. The nerves in my tummy were playing ping pong; even the squirrels running around us like lunatics were calmer than me. But after hearing Jax and Austin shout, “Get the lead out, granny,” and “Step on it, Speed Racer” enough times, I decided to put the pedal to the metal and let her rip. It was open land. What was the worst that could happen?

In the distance, I could see they had stopped and were standing next to their four-wheelers, and as I grew closer, it became clear that I couldn’t stop the thing. My foot frantically searched for the brake, missing every time as if my brain was paralyzed—no traumatized—and unable to communicate to my foot to just hit the brake and stop the damn thing like Daisy showed me.

Instead, I hit a massive tree root, flew in the air, and hit the ground off to the side of the four-wheeler. As I heard everyone running toward me, all I could see was my own funeral flashing before my eyes. Zoey would be there live streaming it for our followers like the bitchin’ brave soul that she is. My sweet, sweet mom would be crying into a hanky from the 1950s. My dad, of course, would feel compelled to be there since I died on his land, after all.Goodbye, Dad. I hardly knew ya.It’s possible that Steve would be there, his cojones having finally dropped. Gasp, the psychic would show up, shaking her head and apologizing for giving me the wrong tea.

“Madison. Madison, are you with us?” I opened my eyes to find my dad leaning over me and lightly shaking me by my shoulders.

I shot up to a sitting position, running my hand gingerly about my head, checking for blood. “Of course I’m okay,” I lied. “What kind of wimp do you take me for?”

Jax turned his baseball cap around like a nervous nelly. “Uh, a city girl wimp, that’s what.”

Well, damn it, I am a city girl, so what kind of argument can I put up against that? Oh well, time to save face as much as I can. Taking my dad’s hand, I came to my feet, wobbling about before finally getting my bearings. “See, not a wimp.” I paid careful attention to wiping the dirt off my backside so Jax wouldn’t notice me grimacing in pain.

Daisy pointed ahead. “Do you feel well enough to carry on, honey, or should we get you back to the house?

In the distance, there were some targets and a fence with a wooden crate next to it.

“I can carry on.” My voice was stronger than I felt.

---