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“I just don’t understand why you need to keep Malcolm so late.”
“Do you think I’m the one keeping him here? I practically have to drag him out at the end of the day.”
Jessica rolled her eyes. “I’m aware of that, Gil. What I don’t understand is why you keep calling him in when you know what he’s like. The world won’t end if he takes a day off.”
“Try telling him that.”
A knock at the door interrupted her next argument and they both turned to see who it was. A tall (and quite handsome in Jessica’s opinion) man stood in the doorway. “Uh, Lieutenant Arroyo? I’m Ranger Walker; I was supposed to talk to you about my role in the upcoming trial.” The man's eyes flitted towards Jessica. “Unless I’m interrupting something.”
“Not at all,” Gil said, standing to greet him. “Ms. Whitly was just on her way out.”
“Actually, I-”
“Jessica, please, I have business.”
She huffed but gathered her purse nonetheless. “Very well. We’ll finish this talk later, Lieutenant .”
“I know we will.”
The ranger tipped his hat to her as she passed and the door firmly shut behind her. Sighing, she pulled out her phone. “Aldolpho, bring the car around. My meeting’s over and I’m famished.”
—-------------------
Cordell stretched his back as the cab pulled away from the curb. As big as this city was, it really wasn’t built for men his size. At least it was cooler than Texas; it would be unbearable here if he was sweating on top of everything else.
As he walked toward his hotel, he took some time to take in the city. He wouldn't have a lot of time for sightseeing given that he would be spending most of the next week in the courtroom, but he figured he could take some pictures and pick up a few souvenirs before he left.
Maybe it was the fact that he grew up on a ranch but he just couldn’t fathom how anyone could live in a place so loud . Thank goodness he was only here for a week. How Liam lasted out here for so many years was beyond him.
He pushed the crossing button at the nearest crosswalk and waited for the light to go. He didn’t trust the traffic enough to try and cross early. Some of his fellow pedestrians did and he was pretty sure some of the looks he got standing at the corner weren’t just for his height.
While he waited, a woman walked up next to him. “I don’t know why you couldn’t just meet me outside Bloomingdale’s- You know I don’t care about double parking. I’m the one that pays for all the tickets, don’t I?” She scoffed as the other person spoke. “Well, if you insist. I’m nearly there. Oh, and we’ll just be going home after this. Ainsley’s decided to stand me up for dinner, again .” She hung up and glared at the crossing light as if it personally offended her.
Cordell glanced at the well-heeled woman. She seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t put a name to her. Not that it mattered; she seemed like the kind of woman who would mistake him for staff at a city function.
She didn’t seem to be a person of much patience either, as she stepped into the road after just a few seconds of waiting, despite the red palm on the crossing light. Cordell was prepared to let her go as he had with all the others- but he saw a taxi making a very quick left turn from the other side of the intersection. They weren’t going to slow for pedestrians and the woman had resumed looking at her phone, unaware of the impending danger.
His long legs brought him to her in two steps and he quickly pulled her back, slightly lifting her and turning them around so he could shield her from any impact.
“What on earth- Oh!”
The car passed them in a flurry and, now that they were in the clear, Cordell guided her back to the curb. “I, ah, believe they make those crossing signals for a reason, ma’am,” he said, pointing to the red hand.
She looked out onto the street warily. “Yes, I suppose they do,” she murmured, clutching her phone to her chest. “Thank you for saving me. I didn’t even see that coming….”
He nodded and tipped his hat to her. “No worries. Part of my job.”
She tilted her head. “Your job…. Oh, you were the man in Gil’s office earlier. Ranger Walker, right?”
The memory clicked in his mind. That was where he’d seen her before. “That’s me: Cordell Walker, Texas Ranger.” He held out his hand to shake before he could stop himself; force of habit.
She smiled and shook his hand with her own much softer one. “Jessica Whitly, socialite and occasional damsel in distress.”
He couldn’t help but smile back. “Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Whitly.”
“Oh, please. You saved my life; call me Jessica.”
Cordell chuckled. “Alright, Jessica then.” He looked up at the light and saw it had changed to the walking man. “I think it’s safe for us to cross now.”
“Indeed.” She took his arm and he bit back a surprised sound as she took him into the crosswalk. “Are you on your way to anything particularly important?”
“Uh, no? I was just going to grab some dinner at the hotel and get some sleep.”
She grimaced. “Hotel buffet food? No, come eat with me. I’ll pay for it.”
“No, really, it’s fine. I’ll just-”
“Please, you saved my life; buying you dinner is the least I could do.”
“I, uh, well….” It occurred to him that he really didn’t have a reason to say no. And he’d been sorely tempted to skip breakfast that morning after seeing the spread….
What the hell? He was going to be stuck in this metropolitan hellscape for a week; he may as well enjoy himself. “I’d like that; thank you.”
Jessica grinned almost as brightly as the lights in Times Square. “Perfect. I know just the place.”
—-----------
Maybe Cordell should’ve expected a fancy place. It was obvious just from looking at her that Jessica was rich and had been rich for most if not all of her life. It would make sense if she strolled into a 4-star establishment on a whim.
He just hadn’t expected…this.
“I feel a little underdressed,” he said, looking up at the Le Bernardin as they got out of Jessica’s car. “Are you sure I won’t get kicked out? I’m not exactly in black tie….”
Jessica hummed. “Oh, it’s not that big of a deal, really. Besides, you’re with me.” She took his arm again and led him to the door. “Just smile and let me do the talking.”
Jessica got them a table toward the back next to a decorative rock wall. While they looked at the menu, Cordell tried not to think about the prices. He knew from his (limited) experience in finer establishments like this meant that prices weren’t listed for a reason. He still couldn’t help his instinct to try and order toward the lower end of the menu so that it wouldn’t look like he was taking advantage of Jessica’s much deeper pockets.
“I don’t know why but I’m feeling like foie gras tonight,” she said. “Maybe paired with a vintage red wine. What are you thinking?”
“Ah, well….” his eyes bounced around the menu, trying to find something that didn’t sound like it would come in a tiny, overpriced portion. “The steak sounds good; travel always makes me hungry for red meat.” He was always ready for a good steak but that was besides the point. “Red wine too. Sounds good.” He winced at his own words. Smooth, Walker. Smooth.
She smiled. “Sounds good,” she repeated before flagging down their waiter and ordering for them, including appetizers, desserts, and wines. Cordell didn’t say anything, even when she tossed in a salad. He supposed it made sense for a place like this to do full four-course meals instead of just one dish, but he still felt out of his depth.
When the wine arrived, he happily took a sip, if only to dissipate the awkwardness. He had to admit, she chose well.
Jessica broke the silence first. “Widowed or divorced?”
Cordell almost choked on his drink. “Pardon?”
Jessica smiled. “You have a tan line where your ring should be. Widowed or divorced?”
He cleared his throat. “Ah, widowed. A few years ago.”
“I’m sorry,” Jessica said gently. “Was it expected or…?”
His fingers fiddled with his absent ring. “Murder. Wrong place, wrong time.”
She gasped softly. “I’m so sorry. Losing someone like that….” She shook her head. “It shouldn’t happen to anyone.”
“Uh, yeah,” he said. “It was rough on all of us.” He took a sip of his drink, anxious to focus on anything but the current subject. “What about you? Widowed or divorced?”
“Pardon?” Jessica echoed.
Cordell grinned wryly. “I find that people who ask that question first have usually lost a spouse themselves. So, widowed or divorced?”
Jessica chuckled. “Well, that’s fair. Divorced, twenty years ago. Best decision I ever made.”
“Is that why you never married again?” he asked, noting the lack of a wedding ring- or any kind of mark that there was one- on her finger.
She cocked an eyebrow. “Not necessarily, no. I wasn’t avoiding getting married just because of him. I just…never found someone else.”
Cordell nodded. “Fair enough.”
She sipped her drink. “And you? Would you get married again?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. If I met the right person.”
Jessica smirked, holding up her glass for a toast. “Well, it’s like that old saying- ‘The course of true love never did run smooth’.”
Cordell smiled and touched his glass to hers. “But ‘we are spirits of another sort’.”
Jessica raised an eyebrow. “You know your Shakespeare….”
He chuckled. “What? Didn’t think a Texas Ranger could be well read?”
“No, I just didn’t expect you to be a literature buff.”
He smirked and took another sip. “Well, life is just full of surprises, isn’t it?”
“I suppose it is.” She returned his smile. “I’d love to learn more about your surprises. How long did you say you were going to be in New York again?”
“A week. I mean, I’ll be in court for most of the day but my evenings will be free. If you wanted to do something, I mean.” God, he sounded like an awkward teenager. Had it really been that long since he flirted with someone?
Jessica didn’t seem to mind, only smiling wider. “I suppose we’ll have to make the most of that then.”
“I suppose we will.”
—------
Jessica could say with full confidence that this was the best date she’d ever been on. Granted, she wasn’t entirely sure it was supposed to be a date but she’d always had a way of making things work out like that.
Hell, she’d only had to ask to get Cordell to come home with her.
Maybe they were both just lonely. Or maybe there was something special here between them. Maybe this would be a passing fancy or maybe this would turn into something more. Either way, she wasn’t going to let this chance slip through her fingers.
“Care for a night cap? I have some whiskey I’ve been meaning to open….”
“Whiskey sounds great,” Cordell said, looking around the sitting room. He glanced at the furniture as if he was afraid to sit on it and kept his hat in his hands.
“This furniture has been in the family since the 1920s and has held men much heavier than you; you can sit on it.” She smirked as she turned around with whiskey for both of them.
Cordell smiled awkwardly and took one of the glasses as he sat down. “Sorry; just- not used to this. Being in a house this nice.”
“Surely they have old homes like this in Texas?”
“Well, sure. I grew up in one. But the rich people homes usually get turned into museums or are tragically lost in a hurricane or a fire.”
“Fair enough.” She was regularly turning the local historical society away from her doorstep. “This home has been in my family for generations and it has plenty of secrets. If these walls could talk….”
“I’d have to sign an NDA before I left?” he joked. And it actually got a laugh out of her.
God, she felt like a schoolgirl. A charming boy joins her for dinner and suddenly she’s laughing at crappy jokes. It almost reminded her of when she met Martin. Almost . She was pretty sure this one wasn’t a serial killer.
She quietly sipped her whiskey and watched him. Despite her insistence that he relax, he sat alert on the couch. It gave her a good look at how well he filled out his uniform. There was something to be said about a well-dressed man…. And he wasn’t peacocking, though he had every right to with those hands and that face. If anything, he seemed self-conscious. It was cute, endearing even.
She should know better than to invite a strange man into her bed after only knowing him for a few hours, even if he had saved her life. If Malcolm were here, he would probably rattle off case studies of men who set up dangerous situations just to meet women. If Ainsley were here, she’d bring up all the reports she’d done on murdered women that met charming police officers just like Cordell.
But neither of her children were here, she was a little wine drunk, and it had been a very long time since she had some proper alone time with a man.
“You know why I invited you here?” she finally asked, a little unsure of how else to get things going.
Cordell glanced at her, then knocked back the last of his whiskey before carefully setting his glass. “I do.”
“Good.” She stood up and took his hand. “My room is upstairs.”
Cordell followed her like a good little lamb- until the door was shut. Then that wolf jumped out. He attacked her mouth like a man stranded in the desert would attack a water spigot, boxing her in against the wall.
And she loved it.
“Might want to move this to the bed,” she muttered between kisses. “Not that I’m not en- ump ”
Somehow, he lifted her without separating their lips and carried her over to the bed, where he ever so gently set her down before turning that rabid energy toward getting their clothes off.
And Jessica was more than along for the ride. It had been far too long since she felt so
wanted
, so
desired
. Not for her body, at least.
Sure, he was young, and he wouldn’t be here in a week. It would never last. In the end, it wouldn’t add up to much of anything. But maybe that was just what she needed.
No strings, no drama, no fuss. Just two consenting adults having fun.
“Do you have condoms?” he murmured, pushing her down on the bed.
“I’m on the pill,” she tried, desperate to get things to get moving.
“You can never be too careful,” he murmured, kissing down her chest.
She groaned. “In the drawer.” She hoped they would fit, given his size. Everything really is bigger in Texas….
For all his roughness leading up to it, he was a goddamn gentleman when it came to the act, teasing her with gentle movements and slow strokes, edging her until she was begging for it.
She loved every second of it.
—--------------
Waking up next to someone else was an experience Jessica had almost forgotten. She’d forgotten how nice it was, feeling warm and protected from the moment she woke up.
In her very biased opinion, Cordell was a much better cuddler than Martin had ever been.
“Are you staying for breakfast?” she asked softly, pressing a soft kiss to the arm resting over her chest.
Cordell hummed and settled his chin on her shoulder. “I think the continental breakfast spread at my hotel is ending soon,” he murmured. “But I think your kitchen can do better anyway.”
It was a pity to leave her bed, and his arms, but it was worth it for the sight of him getting dressed.
Her kitchen could most certainly do much better. She only hired the best and she paid well to keep them. Maria was a wonderful chef and Jessica appreciated every meal she put out- especially when they could be enjoyed alone.
“So, what is this?” Cordell asked, poking at his plate.
“Strawberry crêpes with les œufs brouillés .” She had to break out her french education every now and then, even if it was just to impress a man.
“Well, it looks delicious….” He finally cut into it and took a bite. He groaned softly and took another big bite. “And it is.”
Jessica smiled into her tea. “I’m glad.”
Cordell hummed and started on the scrambled eggs. “You know, I am gonna be in town for the rest of the week.”
Jessica smirked. “Well, I’m more than happy to help you make the most of your time here.” She reached for Cordell’s phone and added herself as a contact. “Call me when you get out of court today?”
He smiled. “I think I will. I’ve never known what to do with time off….”
Jessica snorted. “I know the type…”
As if on cue, the sound of arguing and angry footsteps thundered down the entryway to the dining room. Jessica sighed and put her head in her hands while Cordell sat up. Couldn’t she have just one peaceful morning.
“-no idea what you’re talking about. Mother!” Malcolm burst through the double doors, Ainsley on his heels. “Will you tell her that-” Both her children zeroed in on her breakfast mate. “Who’s this?”
“Cordell Walker, Texas Ranger,” Cordell answered.
“Texas Ranger, huh?” Ainsley very obviously eyed him up and down. “And what are you doing here?”
“Just having breakfast,” Jessica snarked. “Can’t you tell?”
“But why-”
“I have to be going.” Cordell shoved one last bite of food in his mouth and grabbed his coat from the chair next to him. “I’ll text you later?”
She smiled. “Make sure you do. Bye….” She sighed as she watched him leave and savored the few extra moments of silence before her children started bombarding her with questions about her mystery man.
—------------------
Jessica woke up to soft kisses trailing on the back of her neck. She smiled and rolled over to get a kiss on the lips. “Good morning,” she murmured.
“Morning.” He kissed her again. “I’m gonna miss this…..”
That’s right. Yesterday had been Cordell’s last day in court; he was leaving New York this afternoon. He’d be spending the night in his own bed, hundreds of miles away from hers. She was going to miss this too.
“Let me give you a reason to stay in bed, then,” she said in a sultry tone. “Might as well make the most of the time we have left….”
Cordell chuckled and kissed her once more. “As delightful as that sounds, I do need to get going. My flight is in a few hours and I need to account for traffic and security….”
Jessica sighed. “I suppose. At least let me give you a ride; Aldolpho knows all the best shortcuts.”
Cordell nodded. “If you insist.”
“I do.”
She also insisted on breakfast. And on helping Cordell fetch his bags from the hotel he was supposed to be staying in. It was a shame to have to say goodbye so soon.
“Text me when you land safely?” she asked before he went through the security line.
He smiled and nodded, tipping his hat to her. “Of course. Goodbye, Jessica.”
She didn’t dare say goodbye as he walked away. That felt too final, too real. She waited until she could no longer see him in the sea of people- something that happened too fast, even with his height- before she left.
She returned home to an empty house. Or at least what she thought was an empty house.
“Oh, there you are, Mom. I was looking for you.” Ainsley’s heels clopped around the corner into the entry way. “I found this scarf on the couch; is it yours?” She held up a dark gray scarf.
It wasn’t Jessica’s, but it did look familiar. A memory of brushing her hand against the cotton as they rushed to the bedroom came to mind. “No; I think my friend left it behind….” An idea sparked. If there was ever a perfect excuse to see him again…. “I should return it to him.”
“Yeah, that’s usually the protocol,” Ainsley said. “I take it this ‘friend’ is the guy who joined us for breakfast this week?”
“If you must know, yes.”
Ainsly nodded. “Alright, well, do you know his address? I can drop it at the post office on my way to work.”
“That’s not necessary; I can just take it to him myself. I know where he works.”
Her daughter raised an eyebrow. “Where he works? You mean, in Texas.”
“Yes.”
Ainsley’s jaw dropped. “Mom. You are not flying halfway across the country to return a scarf to some guy.”
“Oh, how sweet of you to worry about me,” Jessica said, pinching Ainsley’s cheek as she took the scarf. “Not to worry; I’m a big girl and I know what I’m doing.”
“I’m telling Malcolm!” Ainsley called after her as she went to pack her bags.
“Good luck getting him to answer your call!” she shot back. Meddling children set aside in her mind, she planned what she was going to wear when she saw Cordell again. If she was going to make this relationship happen, she’d have to make a good second impression.
—-----
As soon as he stepped out of the airport, Cordell took a nice, long breath of Austin air.
It was good to be home.
He got out his phone to text Liam and tell him where to pick him up. He was looking forward to getting to ride in his truck again; even Jessica’s van had been a bit small for him.
Speaking of Jessica…. He quickly swiped to their text conversation and let her know he landed safely, as requested. It had only been a few hours since he saw her but he was already missing her smile, her perfume.
It had been a while since he just had fun with someone like that. Long conversations about nothing followed by a night in bed, with no real strings attached. No expectations, no anxieties, no reputations to protect. Just two people finding something unexpected in a stranger.
He missed it. But he wasn’t so naive as to think he’d be lucky enough to have it. Long-distance logistics aside, there were too many other barriers. Their lifestyles weren’t exactly the most compatible (though he did enjoy his brief glimpse of the life of the 1%). He doubted Jessica would welcome two moody teenagers into her life now that her own children were fully grown, not to mention the time demanded of his job.
It was a nice memory, but he doubted he’d be hearing from her again.
As his brother pulled up to the curb, Cordell put his phone away. Time to get back to normal life.