by Lisa Carter
Claudia crossed the room and linked her arm with the wide-eyed woman frozen in the archway between the kitchen and living room. In her arms, she held a small child with blond hair who tucked her face in the woman’s neck. A Yorkie with a black-and-tan coat wearing a pink collar sprinted over to Jake, sniffed his feet and then put her paws on Jake’s leg.
“Tori, darling, I want you to meet someone special.” Dragging the woman over to the table, she gestured to Jake. “This is Jacob Holland, the oldest son of my dearest friends. Jake, this is my niece Victoria Lerner and my great-niece, Annabeth. She belongs to Tori’s sister, Kendra, who is currently deployed overseas. And that troublemaker begging to be picked up is Poppy.”
Lerner? Of course. Did he really expect anything different?
The whisper of a memory filtered through his mind, but he forced it back into the dark corner where it belonged. Remembering equaled pain, and he’d had enough heartache to last a lifetime.
“Victoria.” Her name slipped passed his lips in a mix of a whisper and a gasp. He swallowed and reached down to scoop up the furry animal begging for attention.
Victoria’s clover-green eyes tangled with his. She set down the child, who gave Jake a shy glance before running into the other room.
Poppy wiggled in Jake’s arms, and he set the dog on the floor so she could chase after the little girl.
Victoria’s manicured fingers smoothed the top of her sleek head and toyed with the ends of her caramel-colored braid resting in front of her left shoulder like one of his niece’s Disney princess dolls. She wore a pink sundress that complemented her creamy skin and white strappy high heels. She crossed one foot over the other and lifted her hand. “H-hi, Jake.”
So maybe she wasn’t as confident as she appeared.
Good.
He didn’t need to be the only one feeling like he’d been kicked in the gut.
She smiled, creasing the dimples in her cheeks that could charm an ornery bull.
But not him.
Not anymore. He was immune. Had to be. His only protection against the devastation she was capable of causing.
With hands laced tightly in front of her, Tori looked at him with the soulful eyes that cinched his insides.
Give me strength.
He stuffed a hand in the front pocket of his faded, muddy Levi’s and dragged the other through his hair that was about two weeks past needing a trim. He spiked a finger on a stray piece of hay. Feeling the effects of being awake since 4:00 a.m., Jake forced out a breath.
Claudia watched them with puckered brows and narrowed eyes. “What’s going on? You two know each other?”
Jake shot a look at Tori, who dropped her gaze to the floor, then looked at her aunt. “We met years ago when I worked at the NCO club on base where Kendra—” she waved a hand toward Jake “—and Jake had been stationed. I spilled a tray of drinks on him and he was a perfect gentleman about it, helping me to keep my job.”
That’s it? That’s all she was going to say? What about—
Claudia swatted his chest. “You never mentioned you’d met my beautiful niece.”
“I didn’t know she was related to you until now.”
“Small world, huh?”
And getting smaller by the second...
“Something like that.” He turned to Tori. “So, Victoria, what brings you to Shelby Lake?”
Before she could reply, Claudia pulled out a chair and tugged on Jake’s arm. “Jake, have a seat. I need to talk to you.”
“Me, too, but I’d prefer to do it privately.”
“Okay, but hear me out first. Since it involves Tori, too, I’d like her to stay.” Instead of sitting, Claudia opened a bottom cabinet near the stove and pulled out a small frying pan. She grabbed a carton of eggs from the fridge and set them on the counter. “Want some breakfast, Jake?”
Jake caught her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m fine. Really. Can we talk? I need to get back to the farm.”
“Of course.” She smiled, then caught the corner of her lip between her teeth. Reaching for the half-empty coffeepot, she refilled his cup. “Let’s sit.”
Tori pulled out a chair across from his, her expensive designer perfume wreathing him, jostling more imprisoned memories clamoring to be freed.
Feeling trapped, Jake had no choice but to oblige. The quicker they talked, the faster he could retreat to the farm.
Claudia sat between them, folded her arms on the table and looked at Jake. “I know why you’re here.”
“You do?”
“Yes, and it’s not what you think.” She covered his hand. “I’d never go back on my word, especially with your family.”
“Then what’s going on? When I stopped by the feed store, Gwen said your land had been sold.”
“That woman needs to find better use of her time than spreading rumors and half-truths. After Dennis was diagnosed with cancer, we needed money for medical bills. Owning a business had its perks, but health insurance...well, that’s a different kind of animal. I went behind my husband’s back to see my brother, Frank. We haven’t been close for many years, but I had no other choice—Dennis was my world. I sold the land and the house to Frank with the condition I’d have first option to buy it back should he choose to sell.”
Jake clenched his teeth and forced himself to stay calm. “You should have come to us. We could’ve worked something out.”
Claudia cupped his cheek and shook her head. “With all you guys have been through with losing your mother, your dad’s back surgery and rebuilding the farm after the tornado nearly destroyed everything? You had enough on your plate without my problems, especially after Tuck lost his wife... No, I couldn’t burden you with this.”
“But you’re family, too.”
“I just couldn’t, okay? Besides, Frank came through for me. Dennis and I stayed on Holland Hill until he became too ill to keep up with the mowing and house maintenance. Moving into town allowed us to be closer to the hospital. In the year since he passed, I’ve been buried in grief and paperwork to get his life insurance checks. But before I could buy back the property, Frank passed away from a heart attack. Two months ago.”
“I’m sorry.” Jake glanced at Tori, who kept her gaze on her untouched coffee mug and traced the rim with her finger. “So that means...”
She looked at him, her eyes sad, yet almost...determined. “I own the property.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“All of my father’s assets have been divided between my sister and me. I’m now the owner of the house and property Aunt Claudia mentioned.”
Jake jumped to his feet and paced. “Claudia...”
“When Dennis and I bought your grandparents’ property after they passed away, we promised to give your family first dibs if we chose to sell it so it would never be sold outside the family. And it hasn’t. So my promise is still intact.”
Jake jerked a thumb toward Tori. “She’s your family. Not mine.”
Not anymore.
He ground his teeth together and forced breath into his lungs, then jerked his attention back to Tori. “I’d like to make an offer to buy that land.”
She shook her head. “It’s not for sale.”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“I’m going to live there.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am.”
Claudia draped her arms around the two of them. “See? There’s a silver lining in all of this. With the two of you being neighbors, I have the feeling you’re going to hit it off right away. Oh, and not only that, but Tori can help you get your Fatigues to Farming project off the ground. She works in public relations.”
Claudia couldn’t be further from the truth. Jake needed that land to make good on a promise made years ago and to fix what he’d broken. He’d
figure out another way because living down the road from Tori was something nightmares were made of.
And to work with her? Yeah, right. Forget that.
How was he supposed to survive being neighbors with the woman who didn’t have the guts to face him when she ended their brief marriage six years ago?
* * *
Fresh starts came with a price. And Tori was about to pay hers.
If she’d taken two minutes to do some research before coming to Shelby Lake, she wouldn’t have come face-to-face with the biggest regret of her life. How could she have forgotten where Jake was from?
The last six years had done little to detract from his good looks...or temper his anger.
Could she blame him, though?
What’d she expect? For him to take her in his arms and beg her not to leave again?
In her dreams, maybe.
Tori had no one to blame but herself. And she had to live with the consequences.
Now to convince Jake she wasn’t a Disney villain and simply wanted a safe place to call home.
Where was that exactly?
Not in Pittsburgh anymore. If ever.
Even though she’d grown up with a roof over her head and food in her belly, she’d felt more like an uninvited guest than a wanted daughter. Her father may have met all of her material needs, but she would’ve taken his love over his money any day. She dreamed of having a family and a place where she belonged. Falling in love with Jake had given her security and the sense of belonging she craved, but that had been short-lived.
She pulled her Lexus into the dusty barnyard and idled while deciding where to look for him. A whitewashed cinder-block building with a metal roof and a large front window etched with Holland Family Farm sat in front of her. To her right, a newly built rustic barn with an evergreen-colored metal roof sat next to a silver silo and a white barn with metal siding. Hay fluttered down from the small second-story window of the rustic barn.
She’d start there.
Opening her door, she stepped out of her car. The humid air pasted her dress to her skin as the early afternoon sun beat down on her head. Wishing she’d thought to grab her sunglasses, Tori waved away the pesky black gnats swarming her face. She wrinkled her nose against the ripe smells of manure, freshly cut grass and warm milk, and sidestepped a suspicious-looking mud pile. Maybe she should’ve taken the time to change into something more appropriate before barreling after Jake.
Black-and-white cows in the shaded pasture across the road eyed her as they chewed their food and swatted at flies with their tails. A trail of chickens flapped and waddled along the white fencing separating the barnyard from a large two-story house shaded by a row of pines and a sturdy oak.
She stood in the expansive doorway, allowing her eyes a moment to adjust to the sudden decrease in lighting.
Country music blared from an old boom box resting on one of the rungs of a ladder that led to a loft. A heavy, thick rope, darkened with age, hung from one of the sturdy barn beams and swayed in the light breeze that blew through the building. The scent of new wood heated by the summer sun filled her nose.
“The barn’s not much of a place for high heels and sundresses.”
Tori swiveled to seek the source of Jake’s voice. He appeared with a pitchfork in his hand. He’d stripped off his gray T-shirt and stood next to neatly stacked bales of hay in his faded jeans, grimy ball cap on backward, and worn leather gloves. His muscled chest was damp with sweat. He crossed to the old radio, flicked it off and leaned his pitchfork against the barn wall before retrieving his shirt hanging from a nail in the wall and pulling it over his head.
Was she relieved...or disappointed?
Forcing her eyes away, Tori glanced down at her sundress, toed off her heels and kicked them off to the side out of the way. “What are you doing?”
“Checking the roof and floor for any needed repairs, pitching old hay out the back window into the compost unit, and restacking some fresh stuff. You should’ve called.” Jake reached for a bale and lifted it over his head to add to the growing stack.
“You’re right. Sounds like you could use another hand.”
“Sure, when there’s one around.” Jake jerked his hat off his head, pulled a navy bandanna from his back pocket and mopped his forehead. Pocketing the cloth, he righted his cap. “What are you doing here, Victoria?”
She hated the way he used her given name, laced with disdain and veiled anger...like her father used to.
“I wanted to apologize. I’m sorry my presence caught you off guard.”
“Why today?” Jake yanked off his gloves and slapped them against his reddened palm. His eyes lifted and searched hers. “Why not yesterday? Or even tomorrow?”
The ragged edges of pain around the whisper in his voice sliced through her. “You remembered.”
“Even though you filed for divorce less than three weeks after we were married, I will always remember our anniversary.”
She dropped her gaze to the floor as her cheeks burned. With her big toe, she traced a circle in the dust. Tears pricked the backs of her eyes. “Jake...”
“Forget it, Tori. I’m not here to rehash the past. You’ve apologized. I accept. Now if you don’t mind, I have work to do.”
She ran a thumb and a forefinger under her eyes, probably smearing her eyeliner, and exhaled. “Aunt Claudia told me about the tornado and how much you’ve lost. I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks.”
“She also mentioned your project. I can help.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“You’re a real one-man show, aren’t you?”
“You know nothing about me anymore, so stop pretending you care.”
“But I do care. I never stopped.” Tori sat on a stray bale. The hay poked the backs of her legs. The pain was minor compared with the verbal barbs piercing her heart. “Tell me about your Fatigues to Farming project.”
“The program will enable disabled vets to learn about farming so they can start their own small businesses.”
“So how does my property tie in?”
He leaned the pitchfork against the ladder and reached for a water bottle on the floor. After taking a long drink, he wiped his mouth and looked at her. “Our property is necessary for growing crops and cow pastures. After Claudia and Dennis moved into town, we planned to buy back her property—it used to belong to my grandparents. We want to build accessible cabins for vets and their families to live in while they go through the program. Plus, there’d be space for a community garden.”
“Would you consider a trade?”
His eyes narrowed. “What kind of trade?”
“My sister, Kendra, is deployed overseas, so I have temporary custody of her four-year-old daughter, Annabeth. We need a...safe place to live. Staying with Aunt Claudia isn’t an option since her lease doesn’t allow long-term guests. Help me get the house ready to move into, and you can use the rest of the acreage for your project.”
“Sell it to me. Then you can have the money for something that won’t need work.”
“I don’t want to sell.”
“Why not?”
She raised her chin. “I have my reasons. That’s my offer. How are you raising awareness for your program?”
“Haven’t had time for that yet. Still working on grant paperwork. We need funds to get the program started.”
“I’ve planned awareness campaigns for charities and different organizations. I could do a fund-raiser for you. And I’m good at what I do.”
“At what cost?”
“No charge. A trade of services. It’s a worthy cause, and I want to help.”
Jake retrieved his gloves and slid them on. He reached for the pitchfork and headed to the back of the barn.
Tori tamped down the familiar feeling of rejection and walked over to where s
he’d kicked off her shoes. After sliding her feet back into them, she followed Jake. “You have twenty-four hours to think about it, then the offer’s off the table.”
He jammed the fork into a bale and glared at her. He threw his hands in the air as his voice rose. “Man, Tori. Give me a break, will you? I haven’t heard from you in six years. You ignored my phone calls and letters when all I wanted was the answer to one simple question—why? Instead of hearing from you, I get divorce papers handed to me through my commanding officer with orders not to contact you or else face charges. So excuse me for being a little gun-shy.”
“I’m sorry. That’s not how I wanted things to happen.”
“You didn’t stop it.”
Tori crossed to the open window that overlooked the barnyard. Tears blurred her vision as her voice dropped to a whisper. “I couldn’t.”
Unwelcome memories swirled in her head, tangling with her thoughts and roping her emotions. She didn’t want to remember the pain ripping through her body or hear the whine of the ambulance as it rushed her to the hospital. Or relive the sympathetic tone of the doctor as he broke the news. Or the convincing tone in her father’s voice as he tried to suggest he had only her best interests at heart.
Tell him.
Not here. Not now.
“Couldn’t? Or wouldn’t?” Jake stood behind her.
She whirled around, fisted her hands on her hips, then poked a finger into his chest. “These last six years haven’t been a picnic for me either. There’s so much you don’t know. If I could change the past, I would. Since I can’t, all I can do is make a fresh start. A safe place to care for my niece while her mother finishes her deployment, and maybe, if it’s not asking too much, a chance to make amends. I’m sorry I hurt you, Jake. It was wrong, and I regret it more than anything. But I’ve lost a lot, too.” She brushed past him and caught her foot, turning her ankle. Pain lanced her leg. She reached down and rubbed her throbbing joint. “You were right about one thing, the barn is no place for a sundress and high heels. Twenty-four hours. You know where to find me.”
