Messaged By Mistake

By Alisha Jones

Cate Crawford has just lost the most important person in her life, her mother. On the day of the funeral, Cate is almost blown away by a fierce tornado. Were it not for her rescuer, she would have died as well. Now, she owes him... big time.

Gage Jackson has everything he's ever worked for. He has his own ranch, a family who loves him, and a thriving business. He has no time for silly things like romance or love.

When an accident causes him to break his cell phone, Cate gives him the one that belonged to her mother. Once he has it activated, the thing seems to have a mind of its own, and its one thought is to see that Gage and Cate come together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alisha Jones
• Release date: Nov 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370647996

Book preview

Prologue

What had begun like any other day, had quickly turned into what could be classified as the last nail in the coffin of Cate Crawford’s lonely life.

Her childhood had been happy and carefree until her father decided that he no longer loved the two women in his life. However, her mother had never seemed sad about his decision to leave them. Instead, she’d always doted on Cate with more love and more affection than before. Cate couldn’t remember feeling the loss of her father, mostly because he wasn’t around even when he did live with them. So, from the time she was six years old, it was only her and her mother against the world.

Her teenage years were not those typical of a teen girl who fought with her mother. Instead, she and her mother had talked about everything. Her problems at school, her boy issues, even her bodily changes, she’d talked about at length with her mother, her best friend. She didn’t go a single day without sitting at her mother’s side and begging for instruction and advice.

When she graduated high school, she felt that the Lord wanted her to be a teacher and make a difference in the future adults of America. However, she couldn’t bear to leave her mother. So, instead of moving away to go to college, she’d chosen to go to the community college in the next town over from where they lived.

She loved being a teacher and her mother had been so proud to brag about her every chance she got. Lucy Crawford would even bake cupcakes and cookies for her daughter’s class and became a fixture in the school doing volunteer work. The two had been utterly inseparable. This, of course, may have seemed strange to other members of society, but Cate would never be able to explain the closeness that they shared.

Looking back, Cate couldn’t imagine a better childhood than she’d been blessed with. Oh yes, she’d been lonely sometimes, having few friends and even fewer relationships. But, she’d pushed past the loneliness and remembered that she still had a loving mother who would, and did, do anything for her.

Now, as she sat by her mother’s graveside, feeling the strong winds whip around her and the rain begin to pelt against her face and arms, she couldn’t loosen the grip that the loneliness had around her heart.

Chapter One

Gage Jackson couldn’t believe his eyes. He’d ridden out to the back pasture to be sure all of his cows were under shelter because of the radio announcement that there had been a tornado spotted in the next town, and the Meteorologist was sure that it was headed their way. The sky had turned a strange greenish color and the winds had begun rocking him back and forth, side to side, in his saddle. He’d even lost his favorite hat from the blustering throng. As the rain began to come down in big, fat drops, he knew they were definitely in for the mother of all twisters. His heart twisted with fear when he saw his new neighbor lying in the grass beside what appeared to be a freshly-dug grave. The mound of dirt seemed to swallow her whole as she collapsed over it. Gently digging his spurs into the side of his Bay, he galloped toward the woman.

What are you doing out here?! he hollered above the roaring and howling. Can’t you see that there’s a storm comin’ in? The woman seemed to be dazed and Gage wasn’t sure if she could actually hear him. Climbing down from his horse, he shouted over the screaming winds. Hey!

When she jumped and turned to face him, he knew she could hear. So, the question remained… What in the world was she doing outside during a tornado warning?

You don’t have to shout, she said. I can hear you.

If you can hear me, then you can hear this wind! he shouted, angrier than he should have been. Don’t you know there’s a storm comin’?

What?

Gage felt the air suddenly change and he didn’t like the way it suddenly felt against his skin. Not one bit. He was immediately overcome with protectiveness for this addled woman. Scooping her up into his arms, he ran towards her house. Do you have a storm cellar?! he screamed as the rain smacked his face relentlessly.

Around back! she hollered against his neck.

Gage ran around to the back of the house, located the storm cellar door and lifted it with the toe of his boot. Trudging the rickety steps slowly, he allowed a second for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. When he saw an old, wooden milk crate in the corner of the room, he deposited her onto it, none too gently.

Ouch! she glared at him.

Gage ran back up the steps and slammed the cellar door shut, catching the tip of his finger in the latch. Ouch!

Serves you right, she said through shivering teeth.

Narrowing his eyes at her, he asked, Do you have a lantern or a candle, or something?

Of course I do, she said. This is a storm cellar, you know.

When she didn’t volunteer the information, he grunted and said, Well, do you wanna tell me where they are, or do you intend on keeping it a secret?

Grabbing a blanket from the table nearby, she wrapped herself up in it and pointed toward a small box in the corner. They’re in there.

Gage could not understand this woman. As he stomped toward the box, he thought that she looked about as fragile as a piece of stained glass and about as scared as a mare about to foal. Yanking open the lid, he found an electric lantern, some batteries, and a small handheld radio. Nice. He popped the batteries into the radio and flicked the switch to the ‘on’ position. Listening intently, he heard the reports that he’d been dreading. His shoulders tensed and he shook his head.

Are you okay?

Her voice, full of sympathy and compassion, caught him off guard and he jumped. Turning to face her, he said, Fine. I just hope my horse has the good sense to find shelter. As he heard the hail pinging on the cellar door, his fear and dread lodged like a jawbreaker in his throat

The woman stood then and headed his way. Touching his arm softly, she said, I’m sure he has a good horse-sense.

Looking into her smiling eyes, his heart raced and his tension eased. As a slow smile broke onto the corners of his mouth, he claimed, He does.

Cate Crawford, she said extending a trembling hand to him.

He accepted her hand and shook it gently, just as his mom had always taught him. Gage Jackson.

Nice to meet you, Gage Jackson. She slid her hand from his and smiled, I just moved here with my… my mother.

As she glanced toward the cellar door longingly, Gage knew that the mound of dirt he’d found her on must have been her mother’s grave. I’m sorry. We’d been told we had new neighbors, but we just haven’t found the time to pay a visit yet. Sorry.

We? she asked facing him again.

My family. We live just over the hill. Our ranch butts up against yours.

I see. She swallowed hard and admitted, We moved here only a month ago. We were trying some new treatment for mom’s cancer, but…

Her eyes watered and spilled salty tears down her cheeks. Gage’s heart broke for her and what she must be going through. He remembered the pain of losing his father when he was only a child. He knew that longing she was feeling- the total loss, the complete loneliness- but he had no idea how to help her. In a moment of utter uncertainty, he gently, yet awkwardly, draped his arm around her shoulder and tugged her against him. Again, I’m really sorry.

Thank you, she smiled beneath her tears and leaned into his quiet strength.

<><>

Cate’s tears ran down her cheeks and fell onto Gage’s shirt in fat drops. When she realized it, she pulled back from him and apologized. I can’t believe I just melted down like that. I’m sorry.

It’s okay, he grinned and yanked the handkerchief from his back pocket. Handing it to her, he joked, It’s clean. I promise.

Cate chuckled lightly and thanked him. Dabbing her eyes with the cloth, she folded it and tucked it into her pocket. I’ll wash it and get it back to you.

There’s no rush.

Suddenly feeling like the room was closing in around her, she stepped back slowly and headed toward the cellar door. Peeking through the crack, she asked, Is it over yet?

I doubt it. I think we’ve only seen one side of it.

Oh, she sighed. They didn’t say anything about tornadoes when we decided to move here. She backed away from the door slowly as though any sudden movement may set off the second half of the storm. Have you lived here long?

All my life, he smiled. Never wanted to be anywhere else.

She could tell that he loved his ranch because of the way his eyes lit up when he mentioned it. What about you?

We lived at the beach most of my life. Mom found some new treatment for her cancer and said the Lord told her to move here.

The beach, huh? That’s cool. You miss it?

Like crazy, she confessed, briefly closing her eyes against the pain of missing her home. There’s nothing sweeter than waking up to the sounds of the ocean. She sighed and opened her eyes only to find him staring at her. Giggling, she said, I’m sorry. I guess I got caught up in the past.

Nothin’ wrong with that, he smiled a lazy smile, as long as you remember to turn from the past before you start moving forward.

Very wise for such a young man, she teased. Her heart hammered as she considered this such an odd conversation for two strangers.

Sometimes when I open my mouth, my mother comes out.

Cate chuckled and claimed, I know what you mean. As the second half of nature’s downpour began, she skipped across the room and stood next to him. It sounds awfully mournful.

Yes it does, he agreed. But, the good news is that we won’t have to wait too much longer for it to be over.

Thank goodness for that.

Tell me about your mother.

Cate knew that he was trying to take her mind off the storm, but of all the things to talk about, this was the worst. Forcing a smile, she said, She was the epitome of motherhood. It was just the two of us, so we did everything together. We talked every day, even when I was in college, I drove home every day to be with her. When I’m at work, we text or call each other at least three times. I mean, we did. I still have her cell phone, she chuckled. I just can’t seem to get rid of it. Is that silly?

It’s not silly at all, he soothed, touching her hand gently then pulling away too quickly. I lost my dad when I was just a kid. He didn’t have a cell phone, but I still have things that belonged to him.

Does the pain ever go away? she begged as fresh tears welled in her eyes.

I’m not gonna lie. I still think of him at least once a day. But, the pain isn’t as intense as it was in the beginning. It’s just a small ache. I still miss him.

I’m sorry, she said as she pulled the handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her eyes again. I didn’t mean to dig up old bones.

It’s okay. It does me good to talk about him. He was the best man in the world. After a few minutes, he glanced toward the crack in the cellar door and said, I think it’s finally over. He walked to the door, peeked out through the cracks and shoved it open.

Cate listened for the sound of the howling wind or the pelting rain, but all she heard was birds singing, trees rustling, and the occasional creak of the cellar door.

All clear, Gage said from above the door. You comin’ up?

I’m comin’, she mumbled. As she joined him above the cellar, she took his offered hand and ambled to the top. Oh my, she sighed as she surveyed the land around her. The storm had come and gone, but the damage left behind would take her days, maybe weeks, to clean up. At least her house had weathered the storm without too much damage.

We can come over and help you get this mess cleaned up, Gage offered.

Oh, thank you, Gage, but I don’t start school for another month or so. I’ll need something to stay busy.

School? he wondered.

I’m the new teacher at the elementary school.

I see, he said as he turned back toward her house. Well, it was nice meeting you, Cate. I’m sure it won’t take my mom and Grandma long to make their way over here when I tell them that I met you. Just remember, they may seem pushy, but they mean well.

Chuckling, she claimed, They’ll be a welcomed distraction.

Well, they are harmless even if they come across as vipers, he laughed. Good bye, Cate, he said as he reached up to tip his hat, forgetting he’d lost it in the winds.

Good bye, Gage. And, thank you for everything.

My pleasure ma’am.

Cate watched him swagger away and took a moment to thank the good Lord for bringing Gage along when He did. He had rescued her and she would find some way to repay his kindness.

Appraising this new land she’d been left to tend, she drew a deep breath and praised God that she’d been given another day. Yes, she would hurt, mourn the loss of her mother, and even cry more than she should. But, she would do her best to really live her life.

Chapter Two

Oh, I’m sorry, Macy, Cate sighed. I just don’t know what I’m doing anymore. Since mom died, I feel so…

Lost? Macy Givens had been Cate’s friend since she’d started teaching at the elementary school two months ago. She knew Cate had been struggling with the death of her mother, but Macy had no idea how to help her.

Exactly, Cate admitted. You know, we were so close and to just have that connection severed instantly is just such a shock. She chuckled and claimed, You know I actually get so flustered sometimes that I text her phone number by mistake? I just can’t help it. If something wonderful happens, or if one of the kids say something silly, or if I just can’t remember what I was supposed to pick up at the grocery store, I dig out my phone and text mom’s number.

Macy tossed her brown curls over her shoulder and slung a friendly arm around her friend. Cate, it’s okay to feel lost. It’s okay to still want to talk to your mom. But, you don’t still have her cell phone turned on, do you?

Cate giggled nervously, No. Believe me, it took me a few weeks before I could turn it off, but I did that a while back. I suppose one of these days, someone else will have her number. I really should delete the contact from my phone, but…

But what? Macy pushed.

But, it feels so final. She instantly brushed back the tear that fell down her face and attempted a small smile.

Oh, sweetie, Macy comforted. You’re a Christian. You know that death isn’t a final goodbye.

I know.

But, it’s harder than you thought?

Much harder, Cate confessed.

You should get out more, Macy informed. Go have some fun. Spend the weekend with friends instead of being cooped up in that big house by yourself all the time.

You know you’re my only friend, Cate bumped Macy’s hip with her own.

And, that’s the problem, Macy teased. I’ve invited you to come along and make new friends, but you go home and shut yourself up in that empty house all alone. It’s not good to be alone so much, Cate.

I know.

Look, Macy continued, we’re going out this weekend to a barn raisin’. Come with us. We’ll have a blast. There’ll be food, banjo pickin’, and animals to pet. C’mon. Say you’ll come.

Cate sighed, I don’t know. Let me think about it, okay? As her class finally returned from their recess, Macy excused her, but not before she promised to seriously think about the barn raising. Taking control of her third graders was a breeze. She’d been trained to do that. But, taking control of her own life? Anything but easy.

<><>

Gage sauntered into his mother’s home and tossed his hat onto the coffee table. Anybody home?

In the kitchen, sweetie.

He smiled at the sentiment and made his way through the large living room. He’d always found this place cozy. Large, soft recliners were always waiting to envelop him at the end of a long day. The plush carpet tickled his toes when he went barefoot, and the big, bay window overlooking the ranch’s pond was a sight to behold. However, when he was old enough to take care of himself, his mother allowed him to build himself a small apartment above the stables. It was smelly, but it was all his.

Strolling through the dining room, he remembered the huge Christmas dinners his mom and Grandma would make when his dad was alive. All of two hundred and fifty pounds, Jim Jackson could pack away the food. But, he was the strongest man within fifty miles of their hometown and had three blue ribbons from the county fair to prove it.

Hey, mom, he said as he kissed her sweetly on the cheek. Where’s Gran?

Oh, that woman, she playfully steamed, she went outside to help your brother bring another colt into the world.

Gaga shook his head and grinned. At age seventy-five, his grandmother still hadn’t found the time to stay still. The woman was always busy doing something, and most of the time, they were things she wasn’t supposed to be doing. After her heart attack two years ago, she’d been given specific instructions not to be so active. However, the good doctor didn’t know he was wasting his breath when he warned Hazel Jackson to take it easy. Gage couldn’t remember a time in his whole life when his Gran had ever taken life easy.

I swear, his mother continued, if she weren’t my mother-in-law, and the Godliest woman in all the world, I’d…

You’d what? Gage interrupted, smiling from ear to ear. Take her over your knee and spank her?

For starters, Millie Jackson nodded assuredly.

As Gage laughed, he shoved a bite of ham sandwich into his mouth. His mother was all of five feet tall and about as heavy as a half-full sack of wheat. But, she’d been fearless when it came to the discipline of her children. Gage could remember every single spanking she’d given him, and he cringed at the thought of them. But, it was those spankings that taught her children to be respectful of others. Kissing her cheek again, he shoved the last bite of sandwich into his jaw and announced, I’m’ll go see how it’s goin’ in the barn.

Tell Gil to keep an eye on your Gran, Millie called from behind him.

Yes, ma’am, he shouted back through the house before he closed the door. He made his way to the barn, gulping huge breaths of fresh air. He loved every inch of this ranch and, God willing, would never live anywhere else. His father had slaved for years, scrimping and saving every cent, to buy this ranch. Gage fondly remembered the day his dad had bought the land and the animals. Unfortunately, Jim Jackson had only been able to spend one year on the ranch, but that was a year of training for his children. After his untimely death, Gage, his brother Gil, and his sister Charlotte had taken over the responsibility of running every aspect of the ranch. They refused to lose what their father had worked so hard for. They’d put their own blood, sweat, and tears into the land. His father’s legacy would be passed down to his own children, should he ever decide to have any.

As if on cue, his mind wandered to the pretty blond neighbor he’d rescued only two months ago. He hadn’t actually seen her since that day, but she did tend to intrude on his thoughts at the most inopportune times. After that day, he’d come home and told his mother and Gran about the young woman who was now all alone in the world. They had immediately taken over food enough to feed a small army of elephants, and had taken her under their wing, trying, unsuccessfully, to get her to come over to the ranch for supper.

It was probably just as well, because if he had to look into her piercing, blue eyes again, he may not have been able to stay away from her for this long. He quickened his strides as she invaded his thoughts again and made it to the barn in record time.

Stepping softly into the dark and quiet space, he closed the barn door slowly behind him. He found his Gran sitting in the hay, watching his brother, Gil, cleaning off the brand new colt. How’d the old girl do? he whispered, unwilling to break the peaceful silence.

Gran looked up to him and smiled tranquilly, She did beautifully, as usual. That’s quite the mare you have there.

Gage slipped toward the mare and laid out his hand before her. He knew that brand new moms were always finicky, but this mare of his was an old pro and the two of them had been together for a long time. When she butted her head against his palm, he smiled and rubbed her nose calmly. She’s a wonderful mother. Aren’t ya, girl?

Well, I like to think that she had a little help.

Gage