pressure them into something that they don’t want. They’ll think I’m pushy and taking a lot for granted if they thought that I moved here expecting something from them.”
“I don’t think they will think anything like that, Jesse. You need to tell them.” Jesse felt Nat touch her shoulder. “I really think that Clay and
Rio want you to stay. Please tell them, Jesse.”
“Not yet, Nat. And remember your promise. You are not to tell anyone yet, okay?”
Nat blew out a frustrated breath. She had also promised her husband that she wouldn’t repeat the conversation she had overheard when Clay and
Rio ordered an engagement ring and wedding bands for Jesse. Both men appeared to be flat out crazy for her and seemed confident that she was the one that they had been waiting for.
“Yes,” Nat agreed reluctantly. “I remember my promise, Jesse. I won’t say a word to anyone.” Everything seemed to be falling into place for three of her very good friends, even if they didn’t realize it yet.
When Jesse’s cell phone rang, she grinned. “It’s Alex.”
Rifling through her purse, she found it.
“Hello, sweetheart. How are you?”
Nat watched Jesse’s face crumble.
“Is Alex alright?”
Jesse patted Nat’s arm reassuringly and frowned.
“Why are you calling me, Brian, and from Alex’s cell phone?”
“The reason that you didn’t have my cell number is because I didn’t want you to have it. You have the other numbers, although I wish you’d stop using them. We have nothing to talk about.” Nat watched Jesse rub her forehead.
“You’re visiting Alex? Why? So you could get my number? Where is he? So, you used his phone to find me while he’s taking a shower. What’s so important?”
Nat paced back and forth across the windows as she watched Jesse listen to whatever her ex husband had to say. The frown on Jesse’s face told her it couldn’t be good.
“It’s really none of your business what I’m doing in
Oklahoma
. No, I’m not sending you any money! If you would stop conning people out of their money, you wouldn’t have to worry about things like that.”
Nat wondered if Brian heard the change in Jesse. She sounded angry and animated as she talked to him, a far cry from the woman she had met at the airport. Her relationship with Clay and
Rio had brought her back to life.
“Nothing is wrong with me, Brian, except that I don’t want to talk to you and I want you to leave Alex out of your problems.
“No, I don’t have a lover. I have two!”
Jesse snapped the phone shut with a grimace.
“Are you okay, honey?”
Jesse sighed. “Yeah. He just makes me so mad. He never paid any attention to me when we were married, except to ask for money. Now that we’re divorced, he thinks he can still ask me for money and ask about my private life.”
Jesse rubbed her forehead. “I’ve got to talk to Kelly today and make a decision about what we’re going to do. Then, I’ve got to tell Brian, or he’ll hound Alex to find me. If he’s pissed someone off by cheating them out of their money, I don’t want him anywhere near Alex.”
Nat watched Jesse pace and could see the headache forming in her eyes.
“Do you think he’ll show up here looking for money?” Nat thought about how much money Clay and
Rio had and knew Jesse didn’t know. But if Brian learned it, he would pay Jesse a visit.
“I doubt it.” She turned away. “He wouldn’t want to go to the trouble of coming here.”
* * * *
“Thanks, Jake. I appreciate the call.”
“Damn it!” Clay slammed his cell phone shut, barely resisting the urge to throw it.
“What is it?”
Rio turned from where he had been leaning on the fence watching the horses being exercised.
“Jake called. Evidently Jesse was with Nat today. Nat told Jake that Brian went to see Alex when he couldn’t reach Jesse at home.” When
Rio lifted a brow, Clay continued. “Brian didn’t have Jesse’s cell number but knew that Alex does.
“I don’t think they will think anything like that, Jesse. You need to tell them.” Jesse felt Nat touch her shoulder. “I really think that Clay and
Rio want you to stay. Please tell them, Jesse.”
“Not yet, Nat. And remember your promise. You are not to tell anyone yet, okay?”
Nat blew out a frustrated breath. She had also promised her husband that she wouldn’t repeat the conversation she had overheard when Clay and
Rio ordered an engagement ring and wedding bands for Jesse. Both men appeared to be flat out crazy for her and seemed confident that she was the one that they had been waiting for.
“Yes,” Nat agreed reluctantly. “I remember my promise, Jesse. I won’t say a word to anyone.” Everything seemed to be falling into place for three of her very good friends, even if they didn’t realize it yet.
When Jesse’s cell phone rang, she grinned. “It’s Alex.”
Rifling through her purse, she found it.
“Hello, sweetheart. How are you?”
Nat watched Jesse’s face crumble.
“Is Alex alright?”
Jesse patted Nat’s arm reassuringly and frowned.
“Why are you calling me, Brian, and from Alex’s cell phone?”
“The reason that you didn’t have my cell number is because I didn’t want you to have it. You have the other numbers, although I wish you’d stop using them. We have nothing to talk about.” Nat watched Jesse rub her forehead.
“You’re visiting Alex? Why? So you could get my number? Where is he? So, you used his phone to find me while he’s taking a shower. What’s so important?”
Nat paced back and forth across the windows as she watched Jesse listen to whatever her ex husband had to say. The frown on Jesse’s face told her it couldn’t be good.
“It’s really none of your business what I’m doing in
Oklahoma
. No, I’m not sending you any money! If you would stop conning people out of their money, you wouldn’t have to worry about things like that.”
Nat wondered if Brian heard the change in Jesse. She sounded angry and animated as she talked to him, a far cry from the woman she had met at the airport. Her relationship with Clay and
Rio had brought her back to life.
“Nothing is wrong with me, Brian, except that I don’t want to talk to you and I want you to leave Alex out of your problems.
“No, I don’t have a lover. I have two!”
Jesse snapped the phone shut with a grimace.
“Are you okay, honey?”
Jesse sighed. “Yeah. He just makes me so mad. He never paid any attention to me when we were married, except to ask for money. Now that we’re divorced, he thinks he can still ask me for money and ask about my private life.”
Jesse rubbed her forehead. “I’ve got to talk to Kelly today and make a decision about what we’re going to do. Then, I’ve got to tell Brian, or he’ll hound Alex to find me. If he’s pissed someone off by cheating them out of their money, I don’t want him anywhere near Alex.”
Nat watched Jesse pace and could see the headache forming in her eyes.
“Do you think he’ll show up here looking for money?” Nat thought about how much money Clay and
Rio had and knew Jesse didn’t know. But if Brian learned it, he would pay Jesse a visit.
“I doubt it.” She turned away. “He wouldn’t want to go to the trouble of coming here.”
* * * *
“Thanks, Jake. I appreciate the call.”
“Damn it!” Clay slammed his cell phone shut, barely resisting the urge to throw it.
“What is it?”
Rio turned from where he had been leaning on the fence watching the horses being exercised.
“Jake called. Evidently Jesse was with Nat today. Nat told Jake that Brian went to see Alex when he couldn’t reach Jesse at home.” When
Rio lifted a brow, Clay continued. “Brian didn’t have Jesse’s cell number but knew that Alex does.
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