One Southern Cowboy - Jennifer Youngblood Page 0,29

the knob and pushed the door open. He hobbled a few steps inside. He looked across the living room, which opened to the kitchen. For a split second, he thought his eyes were deceiving him. But no, there they were … together. This couldn’t be happening! Not again.

“What the devil are you doing?” he thundered as he staggered toward them, intent on punching Lucas’s lights out. His booted foot got caught on the rug. He let out a startled cry as he went sprawling.

6

Lemon slammed the door behind her and marched into the kitchen where she threw the picnic basket onto the table. Jaxson had said he wasn’t involved with anyone, and like a moron, she believed him. She paced back and forth across the kitchen. “I’m such an idiot,” she fumed. Hadn’t she warned herself that it was a bad idea to get involved with Jaxson or anyone right now? She couldn’t remember anything. Jaxson could tell her a whole pack of lies, and she wouldn’t have any way of knowing the difference.

An image of the bombshell brunette, her lips pressed to Jaxson’s, burned like lava through Lemon. She marched back and forth across the kitchen as she tried to think. Hurt battered her insides. She’d felt so safe here with Jaxson. The two of them had a deep connection. She thought she’d come home, but it was all a lie—a beautiful fantasy that she’d concocted in her desperate brain.

She needed to leave.

She stopped in her tracks, a trickle of fear running through her. Where would she go? She’d spent most of her cash at Birdie’s boutique. She’d gotten so excited about the beautiful clothes and the discounts that she’d gone overboard. She thought of her credit cards. She could use those. But wait! What if someone was waiting for her to use them so they could track her? The man with the onyx eyes flashed through her mind. A mocking voice sounded in her head. You are mine. No matter where you go, I’ll find you. Her heart pounded, sweat beads popping over her nose. Her lungs contracted. She couldn’t breathe. She coughed to try and clear her throat, but it was no use. Panic gripped her stomach as her knees wobbled. She fell to her knees, gasping for air.

The door opened.

“Oh, my gosh!” a man said. She heard rapid footsteps. Arms cradled her, lifting her up. “What happened?” he asked.

She looked at him, realized he was the cousin. “I—I—can’t—breathe,” she squeaked. “P—panic attack,” she managed to get out. Her hands and legs were going numb. Her ears were ringing, her vision clouding.

“Take a deep breath,” he commanded.

“I—I can’t,” she squeaked.

“Yes, you can. We’ll do it together.” He turned her around to face him, holding both her arms. “Look at me,” he directed.

She did so.

“Now, breathe! In.” He took a deep breath.

She sucked in a sliver of air.

“Good. Hold it for a second and then exhale.”

Her head was spinning like a toy boat caught in a whirlpool. She couldn’t hold the air long but spurted it out, immediately gulping in another breath.

“Try to slow it down. Keep looking at me.”

She did so and felt a little better. The panic ebbed as the feeling started returning to her hands and feet.

“You’re getting better,” he encouraged with a smile.

Her lungs opened as she took in a large scoop of air. “Thank you,” she uttered.

He smiled. “You bet.” His hand went to her face as he pushed a strand of hair away from her eyes.

“What the devil are you doing?” Jaxson shouted.

Lemon hadn’t even heard the door open or him come in. It took her brain a second to realize that Jaxson thought she and his cousin were together. A hysterical laugh rattled her throat as she thought of the irony. She was furious at Jaxson because that wretched woman had kissed him, and Jaxson was mad because he thought she was with his cousin.

This is not what it looks like, she wanted to say, but before she could utter a single word, Jaxson’s foot got caught on the rug and he fell. He hit the floor with a sickening thud.

Lemon’s heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest. “Oh, no!” she cried, rushing to his side. She dropped to her knees and attempted to turn him over onto his back. “Jaxson,” she screamed, tears rushing to her eyes. She looked at the cousin who was still in the kitchen, wearing a deer-in-the-headlights expression. Jaxson groaned as he