Jackie Draws A Straight: The Journey Series Book 5 by Patricia Green
Authors: Patricia Green
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your usual employment practices are, Kaminsky, but I reckon we can have a few words about how they apply to my li 'l sister." His posture got a little menacing. "I've a mind to take you to task."
"Nothing happened," Pete repeated, his demeanor equally rigid. "I don't have to explain myself to you."
"If you want to hold your head up in this community, Doc, you're gonna have to consider your neighbors—and their values with regard to their women."
"Ace!" Jackie was deeply embarrassed. She stuffed her panties into her purse and confronted her big brother. "Nothin ' happened! There's nothin ' to talk about. Are we goin ' or what?"
Ace snorted and backed away from Pete. " Dad's got a few thin' s he'd like to say to you. He was so pissed off that he couldn't come collect you directly. March yourself out to my truck and get in. I'll be there in a moment."
Jackie eyed the two men. "Ace, really," she tried, trying to placate his ire . "Nothin ' happened. This isn't Pete's fault."
"Get. In. The. Truck."
Huffing her displeasure, Jackie headed for the truck, leaving the two men to have their conversation. She only hoped it wouldn't turn to a fistfight. Pete was a strong, capable man, but Ace was a former bull rider who had him on reach and weight.
As she settled in the big truck, she heard the door close and Ace com e down the gravel pathway. He got in quietly and reached for his cellphone, dialing and putting it up to his ear. Jackie noted that his knuckles looked normal, no fistfight scrapes. It was a big relief.
"Hey, Dad. I found her. Yeah, she was at the doc's house. On our way home now." He listened for a moment, then said his goodbye and s tarted the truck. They drove for several minutes, the silence stretching between them making Jackie progressively more uncomfortable. Finally, she had to say something.
"Are we goin ' to get my car?"
He didn't take his eyes off the highway. "Nope."
"But Ace…"
"We're goin' home where you will apologize to our father. I can't believe you were this inconsiderate, li'l girl."
Jackie did feel very guilty. She should have been home hours ago. Finding her car abandoned in Carlos' parking lot must have made Ace considerably worried. "I'm sorry."
"Save it for Dad. I'm well and truly pissed off at you."
She hated having her brother so angry. "I didn't mean to do it."
His eyes darted from the road to her and back again. "What did you do?"
"Nothin'!"
"Jackie," he said, his voice barely more civilized than a growl, "A woman don't take her panties off in a man's home for 'nothin''."
"I'm a full grown woman," she said, her own anger rising at his Chauvinism. "I can act any way I want to in a man's home."
"Not while you're livin' at Journey's End , you cannot."
"Damn it, Ace! I ain't done nothin'!"
"You end up pregnant, li'l girl, and you will be in a world o' hurt."
"You are impossible!"
They didn't talk again in the truck. When they got to the ranch and through the back door into the kitchen, Ace nodded toward the hall. "Dad's in his office. Best you go make your peace."
Guilt, trepidation and anger coursed through her. Jackie stuck her nose in the air and headed toward their father.
The door was partially open, light spilling out on the wood floored hallway. She tapped at the doorframe. "Daddy?"
"Get your butt in here, daughter."
She opened the door firmly, squaring her shoulders as she stepped into the warm, masculine space with forest green walls and dark wainscoting. Her father sat at his big pine desk, his hands knotted together as he leaned forward in his chair. His laptop was closed as though he'd been sitting there thinking.
It pained her to think that she'd worried her father so much, but damn it, s he hadn't done anything wrong and she was an adult. Even if she had done anything sexual with Pete, it was her business and had nothing to do with her family. She repeated it to herself like a mantra as she came in and stood before her father's desk.
"Sit."
Bristling,
"Nothing happened," Pete repeated, his demeanor equally rigid. "I don't have to explain myself to you."
"If you want to hold your head up in this community, Doc, you're gonna have to consider your neighbors—and their values with regard to their women."
"Ace!" Jackie was deeply embarrassed. She stuffed her panties into her purse and confronted her big brother. "Nothin ' happened! There's nothin ' to talk about. Are we goin ' or what?"
Ace snorted and backed away from Pete. " Dad's got a few thin' s he'd like to say to you. He was so pissed off that he couldn't come collect you directly. March yourself out to my truck and get in. I'll be there in a moment."
Jackie eyed the two men. "Ace, really," she tried, trying to placate his ire . "Nothin ' happened. This isn't Pete's fault."
"Get. In. The. Truck."
Huffing her displeasure, Jackie headed for the truck, leaving the two men to have their conversation. She only hoped it wouldn't turn to a fistfight. Pete was a strong, capable man, but Ace was a former bull rider who had him on reach and weight.
As she settled in the big truck, she heard the door close and Ace com e down the gravel pathway. He got in quietly and reached for his cellphone, dialing and putting it up to his ear. Jackie noted that his knuckles looked normal, no fistfight scrapes. It was a big relief.
"Hey, Dad. I found her. Yeah, she was at the doc's house. On our way home now." He listened for a moment, then said his goodbye and s tarted the truck. They drove for several minutes, the silence stretching between them making Jackie progressively more uncomfortable. Finally, she had to say something.
"Are we goin ' to get my car?"
He didn't take his eyes off the highway. "Nope."
"But Ace…"
"We're goin' home where you will apologize to our father. I can't believe you were this inconsiderate, li'l girl."
Jackie did feel very guilty. She should have been home hours ago. Finding her car abandoned in Carlos' parking lot must have made Ace considerably worried. "I'm sorry."
"Save it for Dad. I'm well and truly pissed off at you."
She hated having her brother so angry. "I didn't mean to do it."
His eyes darted from the road to her and back again. "What did you do?"
"Nothin'!"
"Jackie," he said, his voice barely more civilized than a growl, "A woman don't take her panties off in a man's home for 'nothin''."
"I'm a full grown woman," she said, her own anger rising at his Chauvinism. "I can act any way I want to in a man's home."
"Not while you're livin' at Journey's End , you cannot."
"Damn it, Ace! I ain't done nothin'!"
"You end up pregnant, li'l girl, and you will be in a world o' hurt."
"You are impossible!"
They didn't talk again in the truck. When they got to the ranch and through the back door into the kitchen, Ace nodded toward the hall. "Dad's in his office. Best you go make your peace."
Guilt, trepidation and anger coursed through her. Jackie stuck her nose in the air and headed toward their father.
The door was partially open, light spilling out on the wood floored hallway. She tapped at the doorframe. "Daddy?"
"Get your butt in here, daughter."
She opened the door firmly, squaring her shoulders as she stepped into the warm, masculine space with forest green walls and dark wainscoting. Her father sat at his big pine desk, his hands knotted together as he leaned forward in his chair. His laptop was closed as though he'd been sitting there thinking.
It pained her to think that she'd worried her father so much, but damn it, s he hadn't done anything wrong and she was an adult. Even if she had done anything sexual with Pete, it was her business and had nothing to do with her family. She repeated it to herself like a mantra as she came in and stood before her father's desk.
"Sit."
Bristling,
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