Nate (A Texas Jacks Novel)

  Nate (A Texas Jacks Novel)

  Copyright © 2014-2015 by J.B. Morgan

  All rights reserved.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into any information storage or retrieval systems, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means such as: electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner, and/or publisher, except where permitted, of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, media, brands, and incidents portrayed in this book are used fictitiously or are used from the author’s imagination. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, events or places, brands or trademarks, events/ incidents or media, are coincidental and not intended by the author. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Cover Design by: Wolf Cover Design

  Photography- Big Stock

  Edited by: Missed Periods Editing for Indies

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  Formatter: Champagne Formats

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Quote

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  Holly Lane

  Thank you

  About the Author

  “To love at all is to be vulnerable.”

  C.S. Lewis

  I'M THE CONSUMMATE SHY FRIEND of my group, always the one to hold back while the others have a great time. It’s not that I don’t know how to have fun, I'm afraid of completely letting go.

  I know that part of me holds back because I’m afraid that others will judge me. I don’t dare put myself out there because I’m afraid of looking silly or messing up. I was always the girl who walked with her head down, even though my mother was constantly reminding me to walk with my head held high. In fact, my mother tells me that when I was younger, I constantly walked into walls because I focused on the ground so often. However, I did outgrow that phase in my life. Mostly.

  This may contradict my shyness, but it’s the absolute truth. I’m a very social person. According to my parents, I'm what some may call a 'social butterfly'. However, I'm still the girl who thinks that the good-looking guys aren't checking her out. I’m the girl secretly wishing they would, yet knowing that it’s my friends who they really want. I’m not awkward or unattractive, in any obvious way. I just feel self-conscious, and I can’t even explain why I feel this way. So, I just go with the flow, and try to enjoy myself as I let my friends be in the forefront, while I’m content to stay in the background.

  Now I’m wondering why I can’t just let go of my silly notions for once, and just join in, like everyone else around me.

  I think it's about time I learned that it doesn't really matter what the world thinks of me. I need to step outside of the box, let my hair down, and have a good time. Okay, maybe not go too crazy, but it doesn’t hurt to flirt, right?

  However, I do have a sneaking suspicion that tonight’s my night, and something great is bound to happen. Or so I hope, at least. You see, my two dear friends want to head out to our favorite stomping grounds for some country dancing, and to check out the local cowboys. And I have to admit, not even I feel like passing that up. I mean would you? Who wouldn’t want to see cowboys in their tight jeans and Stetsons?

  Well, here goes nothing.

  Or maybe everything.

  And this is how I came to be at Texas Jacks when Nathan walked into my life.

  “CHARLOTTE, IS THAT YOU?” I hear my mom call out as I shut the front door.

  “Yeah, Mom. It’s me!” I call back as I make my way into the kitchen, where I see her and Rachel, my brother’s fiancée, hard at work.

  “Hey, Charlie,” Rachel says over her shoulder as she’s slicing Mom’s homemade bread.

  “Hey, Rach,” I reply, as I walk over to my mom. Her back is facing me, so I wrap my arms around her middle, from behind, and breathe in a whiff of her favorite perfume as I give her a hug. I get my lack of height from my mom, though her parents weren’t that short. Her mousy brown hair is starting to gray, and it’s now styled to fall just above her shoulders. She’s a little softer around her curves now, after having five kids, but she’s still in good shape. Today she’s dressed in black slacks and a turquoise blouse, with an apron placed over her outfit to protect it. The color of her blouse brings out the blue in her eyes. Her makeup is flawless, as usual. She’s the most beautiful person I know, inside and out. I let go of her waist and head over to the side counter by the phone.

  “Need help with anything, Mom?” I ask as I set my purse down on the counter and head to the sink to wash my hands so I can be ready to assist with whatever still needs to be done.

  “Could you set the table? Dinner should be ready in about 20 minutes. Rachel and I have been busy with cooking, so we haven’t had a chance. And you know the boys,” she says with an eye roll as she goes back to chopping vegetables for the salad. “Your dad and Anson are out back, probably doing manly things, which makes them too busy to come inside to set the table. As for the girls, they aren’t here yet. Bethany sent me a text that they’re on their way, though.”

  The ‘girls’ she’s referring to are my three older sisters who all live close to my parents—as does my brother. I’m the only one who moved away from my home town. I miss being close to everyone, and I hate the commute for family dinners twice a month. But, I do love having my own privacy.

  “How many settings do we need tonight?” I ask her as Rachel moves over so we don’t bump into each other.

  “How are you?” Rachel asks through a smile that shows off the cute little dimple in her left cheek. Her gorgeous, long-layered chocolate brown hair is down today, and her hazel eyes shine with contentment and happiness. She’s tall in stature, which fits Anson well as he’s a tall guy who takes after our father in looks. Rachel’s wearing a long, coral sundress that shows off her golden skin under the bright lights of the kitchen.

  “At the moment, I can’t complain.” I answer her, as I open the cabinet and reach in to pull out plates for dinner. “Though I can’t say anything exciting is going on in the life of Charlie Davenport,” I add, realizing how boring that makes me sound.

  “By the way, those are really cute sandals you have on, Rach.” I bump her hip with mine as I turn my attention back to my mom. “So, how many settings do we need tonight, Mom?”

  “Ten. Lindsay’s bringing someone home for the family to meet,” she responds with a big smile on her face. She would be smiling about this. She wants grandchildren in the worst way. Well, at least the focus will be off of me tonight. I hope.

  Two Sundays each month my siblings and I make it a point to get together with my parents at their home for dinner. This gives u
s a chance to catch up with everyone’s lives, enjoy each other’s company, and have a really good, home cooked meal. Okay, who am I kidding? It’s mostly to appease Mom so she can dote on her ‘babies’ and harass us about coming home more often. Or maybe it’s just me that she likes to hassle about not making an appearance more often. Either way, I love these dinners, and wouldn’t miss them for anything. Well, I try not to at least.

  “Rach, could you help me set the table, then? I’ll grab the plates and silverware if you can get the glasses and napkins.” And just like that, we fall into step. We set out to get the table done before Lindsay shows up with her new boyfriend.

  About ten minutes later, we hear Jen yell, “Ma, we’re here!” I guess we wouldn’t be the Davenports if we didn’t always yell something out the minute we walk through the front door. Loud — that’s the word I would say best describes my big, crazy, loving family.

  Jen and Jaxon stroll into the kitchen holding hands, and on their heels is Bethany. Mom sets down what she’s doing, wipes her hands on her apron, and goes over to give all of them hugs. Yep, Mom’s a big time hugger.

  Jaxon leans down and kisses Mom on top of her head before pulling away and flashing her his brilliant smile. He wraps his arm back around my sister and tugs her closer to him. Yeah, he’s swoon-worthy, and Jen’s a lucky woman. She’s my oldest sibling, and Jaxon’s her hunky, cowboy husband. They live just a bit outside of town, where Jaxon works on their sprawling horse ranch and Jen runs the books.

  I love to watch these two as they’re so cute together, and I’m sure I could take a page or two out of their book for my future husband. When—or if—that ever happens. I sigh just thinking that maybe, someday, I could be just like these two. Jen’s really pretty, with long and wavy brown hair. She stands proudly at a full 5’4” with a curvy figure, dressed today in her standard cowgirl boots and a white, knee-length, flowing sundress. It’s also worth mentioning that Jaxon showed up in tight jeans, a button up black rodeo shirt, and cowboy boots.

  Lindsay comes in right behind Jen and Bethany. You know, I have to give it to Lindsay — that was good timing on her part, to show up with the rest of my sisters. She’s probably hoping that some of the attention would be off of her if she tagged along behind the rest of the group. Too bad for her — that’s not going to happen. Mom will be all over her like white on rice.

  As a burst of laughter escapes my throat, I can’t help but look forward to the interrogation by my brother and dad. This should be fun, I think to myself as I look over at Lindsay with a grin on my face.

  Lindsay shoots me the evil eye and then looks back over to Mom, who’s making her way to them with a big smile on her face as she envelops her in a hug. Then she turns to the tall, handsome blond standing next to my sister. “Hi, I'm Natalie. We're pleased to meet you, Greg. Welcome to our home.” Mom says, gesturing to Dad as he walks over to shake Greg’s hand. “This old, handsome man over here is my husband, James.” And not surprisingly, Mom decides to hug Greg instead of shaking his hand. That’s my mom for you — all loving and affectionate, no matter whom you are.

  I do have to admit that this new guy is pretty good looking. If I had to guess, I would say he’s probably around six feet tall, which is the same height as my brother, and close to my dad’s as well. He’s got broad shoulders, lean in a muscular way, and has a good tan going on. He looks pretty clean cut with his khaki pants, white striped polo, and tan Sperry’s. And then there’s Lindsay, looking cute in her knee-length, pale yellow sundress.

  Wait a minute, what’s going on here? Is Bethany in a dress, too? I look over at my sister, only to realize that yes, she’s sporting a navy blue sundress. What is this? Did Mom and I not get the memo to put on a dress for tonight? Not that I love dresses that much, but come on! If I had known that Lindsay was bringing home a man, I wouldn’t have come over in my butt-hugging Wrangler jeans and a nice blouse. I would have tried to look a little nicer.

  “Heads up, big sis,” I whisper to Bethany. “When you decide to bring someone home, a little warning would be nice, please and thank you.”

  “Well, that would require me to have to choose between Cash and Ty. When I figure it out, I’ll make sure I send out an announcement to the national media,” she whispers back to me, and then laughs at me before sticking out her tongue.

  I take in Bethany’s appearance and reflect for a moment on how strikingly pretty she is. All of us girls inherited my mom’s fair complexion, curvy figure, and pretty features. Bethany, standing at 5’7”, is the tallest of the girls. She has brown hair with blonde highlights that goes halfway down her back, and blue eyes. I can see why she would have the attention of two guys at the moment.

  “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, buttercup. One of these days —”

  But then I decide to drop it and leave the subject right there. I’m supposed to be flying under the radar, here — not attracting unwanted questions. So I just shoot her a grin and turn my head back to the new man in our sister’s life, but not before I catch Jen and Jaxon grinning at me. Uh-oh…I don’t think I want to even go there with these two. I might love their relationship, but I’m the last one looking for love advice. That would require me to actually find someone first.

  I shoot them both a look. “Don’t worry, you’ll be the first to know when I sign up for one of those television dating shows in search of a husband. Then you can shower me with all of the advice you want.”

  “How are you supposed to even rope a guy in when you don’t put yourself out there, Charlie?” Jen questions me.

  “Well, thanks for that mood killer,” I say over a nervous bubble of laughter and look back to Lindsay.

  Jaxon touches my arm, letting me know not to take any offense, and that they love me and want the best for me. I sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m just tired of being hassled. Let’s just get through one sister’s man at a time, shall we?” I semi plead, giving a meaningful glance Bethany’s way and sending an apologetic look over to Jen.

  Watching Lindsay’s man make the rounds of meeting my family, he does look like he could be a good fit. Lindsay matches his height perfectly at 5’5”, not too short or too tall. She looks pretty good standing next to him, with her blondish-brown loose curls, creamy complexion, and generous curves in all the right places. But I guess we shall see if their personalities match when we sit down for dinner.

  Looking over at Lindsay, I see that she’s smiling from ear to ear, and I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen her so happy about someone. The thought makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. I’m such a hopeless romantic. Although, I’m still hoping that all of the attention will be off of me tonight. If I’m lucky, they’ll pester Bethany about finally settling down before they start on me with a 20-question inquisition. She’s older than I am, so naturally it should be her turn, right? Go in pecking order? Oldest to youngest is best, I say.

  “Greg, this is my sister, Charlotte,” Lindsay introduces as I shyly hold out my hand to shake his — which is so big that it completely dwarfs mine.

  “It’s nice to finally meet you, and the rest of your family. Lindsay talks so much about you all, I feel like I already know everyone,” Greg says through a grin and kind, knowing eyes. Oh, I bet he knows about us all right, I think to myself, and I have to wonder what exactly he knows already about this crazy family of ours. I have a feeling he knows all about our antics, and Dad’s obsession with being Mr. Competitive with any type of game, since he always has to win.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

  “All right, everyone’s here, so let’s head to the table before this dinner gets cold.” Mom announces as she starts herding us like cattle to the dining room.

  No one has to ask me twice to be seated. I look forward to coming home, as I miss Mom’s hearty meals. She usually out does herself every time we get together, but who’s complaining? As I sit down next to Jennifer, my stomach starts to growl. Jaxon sits on the other side of her, where he lays his hand on her thigh as he
gives me a smile and a wink. He really is a good guy, and is very sweet to my sister. She couldn’t have picked anyone better, in my opinion. He’s got a funny sense of humor, beautiful, piercing ice blue eyes, sandy brown hair, a golden-brown complexion from being outside at his job most days, nice muscle definition, and he towers over me. But then again, all the men in this family tower over me, and it looks like Greg will be the next in line to make me feel more like a tiny shrimp, being only 5’2” and all.

  “Greg, how did you meet my daughter?” I hear my dad ask matter of factly, which brings my focus to him. I look down the long table to where he’s sitting at the head, and notice the laugh lines around his eyes with his face in profile, hiding behind his glasses. His hair has become more salt and pepper in color, probably thanks to us kids and all of our shenanigans. He’s staring Greg down like he’s on trial and my dad’s the judge, jury, and executioner. I find this funny, since we all know Dad’s a big pushover, but don’t get him started when it comes to games, or sports, as he really is a competitive guy. Growing up, we used to hate playing board games as a family once we learned that Dad never loses. Now, as adults, we try to team up against him and overthrow his victory. It doesn’t happen often, but there have been times when we’ve beaten him, which makes him call for a rematch, right then and there. The guy really can’t stand to lose.

  Looking over at Greg, I see that he has Lindsay curled up under his long, toned arm, and she’s resting her head on his right shoulder with a tiny, knowing smile on her face.

  “I met Lindsay at work.” Greg smiles down at Lindsay, before turning his eyes back to my dad. “I had to come to her side of the building for a business meeting, and noticed that she was a bit caught up,” he tells Dad through a chuckle. He tries fighting a smile, as his lips start to rise up on the left side. Lindsay automatically blushes, and I catch her as she pulls her lips in between her teeth to hide her embarrassment. There’s obviously a story here to be told.