The Rancher takes his Star Crossed Love Page 3

  Porco's angel's brows drew in a frown. Her bright gaze dimmed, and she pulled her lower lip into her mouth. He had to swallow a couple of times, just to reign in some sense. He needed to get rid of Rosalind. He couldn’t even remember why he’d come over to her in the first place.

  "I'm surprised you've even come over here to talk to me," said Rosalind. "I figured you'd already be onto the next girl.“

  His angel's gaze widened at that. Not wanting any more dirt kicked up to mar his character, Porco found his voice. Unfortunately, the first word his angel would hear him utter was a curse. The foul word made her wince, and Porco cursed again, only under his breath this time.

  "I'm not here for you, Rosalind,” he said, finally turning to address his ex.

  One of Rosalind’s perfectly plucked brows lifted. Was there disappointment there in her ice-blue eyes? Porco didn't care. He couldn't remember what he'd seen in her in the first place.

  On the few dates they’d been on, she’d never missed looking into any window or reflective glass they’d walked by. Whenever he’d reached for her hand, he’d have to first disentangle her fingers from her hair. He couldn’t remember a single thing they’d talked about when they were together.

  "I'm surprised you even remember my name," Rosalind said. "I heard you’d already moved onto the new girl in town.”

  Porco glanced at the angel standing behind his ex. Her gaze was averted, as though she were trying not to listen. Of course, she’d heard every word. Not one of them had been flattering towards Porco. He hadn’t canceled the date with Paige. And right now, he definitely had different plans.

  “That is your reputation after all,” Rosalind continued her attack. “Love them and leave them. I just left you first is all."

  “I wasn't going to..." Porco didn't finish that sentence. Because that was exactly what he'd already done. But it was only because he'd felt a true spark with...

  Wait! Where did she go? Porco turned right and then left and then all the way around. To no avail. His angel was gone.

  “You want to date her,” sniffed Rosalind. “Fat chance. You'll never get anywhere near her."

  "Who is she? What's her name?"

  “Trust me, I’m doing you a favor.” Rosalind chuckled low. She crossed her arms over her chest. Her plucked brows narrowed in triumph. The dark outline of her eye makeup cast her in a sinister light. “That one is completely out of your league.”

  Out of his league? What did she mean by that? It wasn’t like Porco had never struck out before. It just didn’t happen often. He had a natural way with women. At the end of the day, he only wanted to have his way with one; the right one.

  Could his angel be that girl?

  “No, actually, she's not even on the same planet as you."

  "Look, Rosalind, I'm sorry things didn't work out between us."

  "Save it." Rosalind held up her hand. "I'm going to sit back and enjoy you chase after her and fall flat on your face for once. She'll never date a guy like you."

  A guy like him? What did she mean by that? But Rosalind was already walking away, cackling as she went.

  Porco didn't bother following after her. He turned and headed left. It had to be the direction his dream girl had gone.

  A few moments later he was proven right when he spotted her. Out of his league? To the contrary.

  She was standing at the deep-fried pork station looking up at the menu with wide eyes. It was as though the stars were aligning. She was perfect for him.

  Chapter Six

  Jules grimaced, trying not to inhale too deeply. The smell of meat and sugar frying in day-old oil was doing tricks in her stomach. That, and her head was spinning from the encounter she’d walked away from. For much of the conversation between Rosalind and that man, David was his name.

  David.

  She liked that name. It was a strong, competent name. To even utter it she had to bite her lip when her mouth formed the V at the center of it.

  David.

  She didn’t say his name out loud now. It whispered in her mind. Still, in reality, she bit her lip. A tingle crept across each of her pinky fingers, moving from her left hand all the way to her right. A shudder skittered down her spine as she stood in the noonday sun.

  Her heart thumped. Her mind whirled. It had happened.

  She'd always thought that when she felt it -that spark- that it would be like floating on a cloud.

  It wasn't.

  When she'd come face to face with David, it had been like an explosion. With each step he took nearer to her, smaller bursts of aftershocks had set off all along her body. It was as though her goosebumps had been boobytrapped.

  Her breath had left her in a whoosh. Her belly had turned a somersault -not like a child turning a cartwheel. More like a gymnast stomping into the mat after a series of flips where they land with their hands over their heads. Her own knees would not have allowed her to stick such a landing. They’d gone to Jell-O.

  He’d looked down upon her with those dark eyes that felt like a flashlight shining directly into her. Jules had wanted to shield her gaze, but she couldn’t look away from him.

  Once she and David had breathed the same air, everything around her had stopped. She felt weary and energized, and worn and whole, tired and wide awake all at the same time.

  So that was him. That was the guy who had made her heart kick into high gear. That was the man her soul recognized as it’s missing part. And, to hear Rosalind tell it, it turned out he was some kind of player.

  Great. Of all the luck.

  Aside from her hair care needs, Jules didn't know Rosalind well. She knew that the woman was strong-minded and independent. As a woman who tussled with raging bulls, wild horses, and randy cowboys for a living, Jules figured Rosalind didn't suffer fools easily. She was the type of woman that men chased after. So if she dismissed David as a lady’s man, it was very likely that he was indeed community property.

  Jules had lived her life in a community where everything was shared. Her clothes were hand-me-downs. All meals were potluck fare. For once in her life, she'd wanted something of her own.

  She'd thought that when she fell in love, it would be once and forever. Not for a moment with a man who had been passed around by the entire town. Her heart had to be wrong about him. Her soul had made a mistake.

  Jules let go of her bottom lip. She would not be saying his name again. Not in her mind or in life.

  "Hi."

  Her two front teeth reached out and snagged the plump flesh at the corner of her mouth. Her heart tap-tapped in her chest, ignoring her mind’s determination. Heat blasted from her very soul, letting her know that her life would never be the same the moment she turned to that voice.

  And she was going to turn around. It was inevitable. Because fate was not going to be ignored.

  David towered over her. He was easily six and a half feet tall. She hadn't noticed his height at first. Jules was a tall girl, and most of the boys on the commune barely came up to her chin.

  Not David. He had a good foot over her. He made her feel… Well, not small.

  Instinctively, she knew that he was the kind of man that would keep her safe and protected. She had the urge to step into his arms and nuzzle her nose right into his chest because that’s where her head would fit.

  He held out his hand. Had he read her mind? Was he giving her an invitation to do just that?

  "I'm David."

  Jules gulped once, then twice. Swallowing down her out of control desires. She took the proffered hand. The moment their fingertips touched, she felt another set of explosions go off. This time the blast tripped up her arm and set off fireworks in her heart.

  Looking up into his eyes, she could've sworn she saw sparkles reflected back at her. His lips parted as he looked down at her. His hand was warm as it enclosed hers. The aftershocks of the bomb were gone now. All that remained was a warm glow between them.

  “My name is Julia."

  David smiled like he liked her name. He repeated it quietly, as though testing it out on his tongue. Jules loved the sound of her name coming from his mouth. But something wasn’t quite right about the way he said it.

  "Everyone calls me Jules."

  Yes. That was it. She liked the way he said Jules even better.

  "I'm David."

  She grinned shyly. “You said."

  He nodded, tugging at the corner of his upper lip with his teeth as though searching for something more to say. “Everyone calls me Porco."

  Jules wrinkled her nose at that. She knew kids were cruel. Had he been overweight growing up? If the nickname was a taunt, she certainly wasn't going to participate in the teasing.

  "I like David."

  "Then David, it is."

  "David?"

  "Yes, Jules?"

  "Are you going to give me back my hand?"

  They were standing in front of the long lines of the fried food station. People moved around them to get into and out of the line with their crispy, brown foodstuffs. Jules noted that she was no longer having trouble breathing in the oily smells.

  "No," David said.

  "No, you're not going to give me back my hand?"

  He shook his head in the negative, but his lips curled in a smile. A possessive smile. The warmth emanating from that smile made another trek up to her arm and pulsed in her chest. David’s nostrils flared as though he’d sensed what he did to her.

  "You feel it too, don't you?" he said.

  Jules didn't pretend to not know what he was talking about. In answer, she gave a little nod of her head. It was all the movement she could muster being held in his gaze, being held in the palm of his hand.

  “I do,” she whispered.

  David's palm pressed firmly against hers. Hi
s thumb rubbed at the skin of her knuckles. Never in her life had Jules felt so cared for with such a simple gesture.

  The moment was so big and life-altering. But, also light and natural. It was exactly how she dreamed meeting him would be. Except for the sizzling pig meat surrounding them.

  She wanted to get away from here. To be alone with him. To know everything about him. Looking up, she saw an impediment to that desire.

  In the distance, she saw her twin. Romey hadn’t spotted Jules. Because Romey's face was turned. She was chatting with Paris.

  “I have to go," Jules said.

  Jules snatched her hand from David. She only got her palm free. But David held onto her fingers.

  “You can’t go. I just found you.”

  Her gymnast’s heart flipped from one side of her chest to the other, sticking another boisterous landing.

  David stepped closer to her. His gaze intent on her face. Then his eyes narrowed on her lips.

  The world stopped. Everything centered on him, where his five fingers held onto her, where his dark eyes focused on her. She knew without any shadow of a doubt that her life would be entwined with this man. She just had to take care of one thing first.

  “I’ll come back,” she said. “I just need to handle a family matter first.”

  “I’ll let you go,” he said. “But I’m going to wait here for you.”

  “Right here?” she grinned, looking at their surroundings. The overly sweet scent of deep-fried batter and pork made her senses rear back. David didn’t seem to notice.

  “Right here.” He planted both feet and smiled down at her. “Promise you’ll come back?”

  “I promise.”

  That was all it took. David let her go. She could make her escape. Leaving him was the last thing she wanted to do, but she had to go and talk to the two most important people in her life to let them know that her life had irrevocably changed forever.

  Chapter Seven

  He was on top of the world. Her last words to him, her promise, felt like a vow. Like a solemn oath that had left him anything but sober. Porco felt drunk as he walked through the fair.

  His footfalls were aimless. His only goal, his only care was to will the hands of the clock to move faster. He itched to reach up and push the sundown, tucking it under the cover of darkness so that night might rise, and Jules would return to him.

  Jules, his heart sighed.

  What an appropriate name for her. She had been a jewel in his eyes. He’d known she was precious after his first glance at her. When he’d come to stand before her, her entire being had twinkled at him, and he’d become lost in her shimmer. Sparking his every nerve ending to life.

  Jules, his mind exhaled.

  For as long as he'd been dating, he'd never told another girl about the spark he'd felt when he'd met them. Thinking back on it, Porco started to wonder if what he'd felt all those other times had actually been anything other than idle curiosity. Nothing had ignited him before, like what he'd felt standing in her light.

  Jules, whispered the hairs along his forearms.

  With those eyes flecked with gold at the rim. With that skin of amber and lips of rubies. Her white teeth had flashed pearls as she smiled shyly at him. But he got the sense that she wasn’t shy. Only as startled as he was to feel the undeniable pull between them.

  He'd seen the moment she'd felt something between them. Her eyes had gone wide with surprise as his had done. She couldn't deny it. Not even after Rosalind's words when she'd turned away from him. That would be the last time his jewel would walk away from him. Porco vowed it.

  If she’d doubted him then he would never give her heart another reason to falter, her feet another cause to back away. Porco would show Jules that no other woman would ever touch her shine.

  "Hey, Porco. Wanna come on a ride with us?"

  Porco looked up to find two women rising up into the sky. A honey blonde girl in a too-tight tank top. And an ebony-skinned brunette with a cowboy hat pulled over her long, wavy tresses. They sat in one booth of the Ferris wheel. The ride lifted them up off the ground, rising toward the sun. Had it been another day, Porco might have leaped onto the ride, causing it to rock. Causing the women to giggle with delight at his daring.

  He turned away from them and moved on. That ride, those girls, neither could lift him any higher off the ground than the mere thought of Jules’s return. But the sun hadn’t given a single inch of its position in the sky.

  Jules, his entire being wanted to howl.

  "How's Rosalind?"

  Porco stumbled to a halt. Rusty leaned against the railing of a petting zoo. The words Vance Ranch were proudly displayed along the fencing. Inside the zoo, young calves roamed the perimeter. Their heads dipped low as their mouths fed at the bales of hay laid next to the wooden posts. Small, eager hands reached between the rails to pet heads and ears.

  In the next enclosure were adult cows. Leaning against those rails, watching the cattle eat, were adult humans. Those buyers sized up the beasts, measuring their worth for an upcoming auction.

  Rusty cleared his throat. Then snapped his fingers for good measure. The man looked over at Porco expectantly. Rusty had asked him a question. For the life of him, Porco couldn’t remember the place or name Rusty had uttered.

  "Who?" said Porco.

  Rusty lifted his brows at the single word. He turned his puzzled gaze to Spinelli, who’d stepped up to join them. Spinelli’s brows drew together as he regarded Porco, understanding in his intelligent gaze.

  “He’s already found someone new,” Spinelli announced.

  Rusty shook his head, pressing his lips together with what Porco knew was disappointment in him. Rusty hadn’t dated much. He’d only been with one woman his entire life.

  "Not a new girl,” Porco corrected. “The girl. The last girl. The One."

  Spinelli rolled his eyes. Porco was sure it was a perfect three-hundred-and-sixty-degree circle of disbelief. Rusty looked away. The man’s belief in The One had been damaged by the divorce papers his estranged wife had sent to him months ago. They sat awaiting his signature, tucked away in his duffel bag.

  "I'm serious," insisted Porco. "I've never felt anything like this before. And she felt it too."

  "What? The magical spark.” Spinelli wiggled his fingers as though at the sky before letting them fall to his sides. “There's no such thing. It’s just a heart palpitation. A biological response caused by stress, exertion, caffeine, alcohol, or hormones. The only way that would be magic would be if you’re experiencing menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause."

  Spinelli had to ruin everything was science and logic. Porco often wondered if the man was nothing more than a robot underneath those clothes. His brawn. as well as his brain too often resembled the cold of metal.

  "No,” Porco said with certainty. “What's between me and this woman is definitely magic."

  “When did you meet her?” asked Rusty.

  “Ten minutes ago.”

  Again, another look between his two friends.

  “What do you know about her?” asked Rusty.

  “She’s beautiful,” Porco grinned. But the grin slipped as Spinelli opened his mouth, preparing to rain on Porco’s parade. “She’s responsible.”

  The only reason she’d left him was to handle a family matter. So, she held family in high regard. His mother always said to watch how his potential partner treated their parents to see how they would treat him. Although, Porco wasn’t sure if Jules had gone off to help her parents or siblings or other relatives.

  “Is that it?” asked Spinelli. “Is that all you know about this one.”

  “The One,” Porco corrected. He knew that and that Jules had admitted that she felt it too. That was all he needed to know. "Love isn't science. It's emotion. I felt that spark with her. No, it was an explosion. And she felt it too. She told me so."

  The wariness in Spinelli’s eyes had Porco clenching his fist. The two of them had never come to blows before, but there was a first time for everything.

  “What’s her name?” asked Rusty, stepping between the two men.

  “Jules.”

  "Jules?" said Rusty. "Do you mean Jules Capulano?”

  Porco frowned. They hadn't exchanged last names. But that didn't matter because one day her last name would be his.