She wasn’t wrong about the volume part. She didn’t know it yet, but his brother, Kip, ate like he had a hole in his stomach.
“All the chafing dishes have food in them except the one for the eggs. I’ll start those after I finish this last batch of bacon. Get a plate and help yourself.”
By the time he reached the middle of the buffet, she walked around the counter carrying the largest skillet he’d ever seen piled high with fluffy eggs. He rested his plate on the counter and opened the empty chafing dish for her.
“Thanks,” she muttered. “I appreciate the help.” She glanced up at him and gave him that sweet smile again where her long lashes fanned across high cheekbones, and her full lips curved into a most tempting bow that made need twist inside him.
“I take it by your pleasant mood this morning I’m no longer in the doghouse?”
“It’s a new day, Jackson. With each sunrise, there’s a new chance to get things right. That’s what Restoration Ranch is about. Everyone deserves a chance to make things right—even you.”
“Does that mean I get my slice of pineapple coconut cake today?”
She laughed and threw a dish towel at him. He caught it before it connected with his face. The playful way the glint of danger danced across her eyes called to him like metal to lightning, inevitable as if there was no way he could walk away. “That means you get another chance to earn a slice of pineapple coconut cake. Let’s hope you don’t lose the privilege again.”
“Speaking of privilege, I abused mine last night. I crossed a line when I kissed you. I’m very sorry for taking advantage.”
The smile spilled from her face as she squinted at him, and that somehow made her look more captivating than she already did. She stepped closer and he could smell something sweet, like a decadent frosted treat that wafted up in the air, pulling him nearer.
“You apologized barely a minute ago for being an asshole. Don’t continue with the same dickish behavior.”
He wasn’t sure how to respond to her. Was she chastising him or consoling him?
“Jackson.” Her voice was soft, but it was strong, filled with certainty and confidence. “I didn’t feel taken advantage of. In fact, I seem to remember telling you last night I wasn’t sorry about it. If you have some protocol that forbids you from kissing me, that’s fine. Because I can understand needing to follow the rules. But if you’re doing it out of some misguided sense of decency, then please spare yourself the trouble. I wanted that kiss as much as you did.”
He swallowed, partly because hearing in her voice how much she’d wanted his lips on hers set his blood on fire, and partly because his mouth was so dry from surprise that he couldn’t speak. He cleared his throat quickly before focusing on her again.
“I don’t want to overstep, Aja. Your uncle didn’t send me here to maul you.”
“No, he sent you here to help me. And the comfort of physical affection was what I needed then. You have nothing to worry about. It was a kiss. Nothing more.”
The edges of her mouth lifted into that wide, welcoming smile of hers, and a heavy weight lifted off Jackson, one he hadn’t been aware he was carrying. Relief caressing him like strong but comforting fingers across his skin, Jackson wondered, and not for the first time, how different his life might have been if he’d met this woman before his life had shattered into tiny splintering pieces.
He didn’t know if he could manage not to piss her off again, especially when he seemed to be so good at doing it. But the hope blooming inside his chest at the possibility of keeping that perfect smile on her face spread all the way out to his limbs and made him ache with everything he had to please her.
* * *
The hum of morning conversation filled the kitchen, and a familiar swell of joy bubbled up inside Aja. Six people sat at her table volleying friendly chatter back and forth between each bite of food.
The scene tickled something deep inside her. Before her relationship with her sister turned into something dark and sinister, and before work consumed her world, there was joy. Back then, she was a happy little girl surround by a family with no cares in the world.
That place, that person was a forgotten wonder to her. But as the sun streamed into the open room, filling it with light, and she looked around at the six of them sitting, eating, and talking together, Aja’s heart danced a little.
She sat next to Jackson, sneaking a peek at him, and wondered why eating with him, his men, and her ladies made her feel so nostalgic.
This moment somehow tapped into the treasured memories of days gone by. Back then, the ranch would be filled with loads of her Henry kin. Aunties, uncles, and cousins once, twice, and thrice removed filling every available nook and cranny of this property and every structure on it until it was full to bursting.
Every morning, all the adults would eat in the kitchen, and her mother, Aunt Jo, and Uncle Ricky, and the rest of their brothers and sisters, would sit around this table and eat while the children sat in the living room on the floor. Everyone balancing their plates on their knees as they huddled around the television. It was loud and chaotic, but everything about those moments made Aja grin over her raised cup of coffee.
“Penny for your thoughts.”
She shook her head. “Thinking about my family.”
Jackson leaned in closer. His words were a whispered rumble. “You have a big one?”
A familiar pang of loss tried to push its way into her good mood as Aja thought about the loved ones she’d lost in the Henry clan. “I used to.” She moved her coffee cup in a slow circle, watching the creamy liquid inside swirl about. “My mother was the oldest of eight. She raised her sisters and brothers on this ranch. Aunt Jo and Uncle Ricky are the last living of the eight Henry siblings. Since my mom passed, few of the extended family comes around anymore.” She looked around the kitchen, then leaned in again to whisper to him. “Today reminded me these walls were built to be filled with people.”
He tapped his finger on the table next to her hand, then looked at her, his eyes full of concern as he spoke. “You ready to tell them about the security upgrades?”
His question poured over her like iced water on a wintry New York day. It stung, spreading a chill through her that made her insides quake.
Might as well get it over with now, Aja.
“Everyone…” She waited for the chatter to slowly abate before she continued. “Shortly I plan to take a meeting with a security consultant. After the last attack on the ranch, I’ve concluded we need to protect ourselves a little better around here.”
“You buying more firearms for you and Ms. Jo?”
Aja shook her head at Brooklyn. She was never comfortable around firearms. Growing up in the heart of Brownsville, she saw what happened when the wrong people had access to weapons. She kept a rifle in the house to scare off wandering animals with a warning shot in the air. But other than that, she hoped to never have to aim the weapon at another living, breathing thing.
“No, I’m hiring a security company to add stronger fencing around the perimeter of my property line and security guards to man some of the open access points.”
Brooklyn sat up straighter in her chair, placing her hands flat against the table on either side of her plate. “You bringing in guards to watch your property or to watch us?”
Aja couldn’t say Brooklyn’s response to her announcement shocked her. Like the city she was named for, she was brash, direct with no filter. She said what she meant, no time for games or pleasantries.
“This isn’t about you and Seneca, Brooklyn. It’s about keeping the ranch secure, keeping all of us safe, and keeping our future resort guests safe. If the ranch is unprotected, I’m opening myself up to liability.”
She kept her eyes focused on Seneca and Brooklyn, who were staring at each other. Unspoken messages passed between the two women, and Aja knew they’d talk about t
his when they went back in their cabin.
Seneca reached across the table and touched her fingertips to Aja’s. That and the usual bright grin she wore were a comforting balm to her raw soul. “It’s your land and your business, Boss. Do what you think is best.”
Brooklyn shoveled another forkful of food into her mouth, looking unbothered by the conversation in the least. “That fire situation could’ve been much worse than it was. Protect yourself.”
It wasn’t Seneca’s sentimental way of expression. Brooklyn didn’t have time for reassuring smiles and small affectionate touches. Her agreement that protective measures needed to be taken was enough for Aja to stop punishing herself a little. And with enough sins in her past to fill a heavy trunk, she welcomed anything that would lighten her guilty load even the slightest bit.
Aja clapped her hands together, then pointed in their direction. “If you ladies could finish up and get started on your morning chores, I’d like to have a brief meeting with our new hires before they settle into their day. Oh, and if you’re taking any to-go plates with you, make sure to leave some for the security crew. They’ll be here shortly.”
With little fanfare, Brooklyn and Seneca picked up their dishes, rinsed them out in the sink, and placed them in the dishwasher. A quick wave goodbye and they were out the back door and walking into the field.
Aja walked to the kitchen island and pulled a file from a drawer. “This is a list-slash-schedule of all the chores we do around here. Jackson, as the foreman, you can change this around however you like.” He didn’t speak, so she continued. “If you have questions about anything, the ladies can help you out. Seneca has the patience of a saint. Brooklyn, not so much. So don’t get on her nerves.”
Storm laughed. “If we can put up with Colt’s grouchiness, Brooklyn should be a sweetheart.”
Colton may be an old cuss at heart, but she doubted he had anything on the chip Brooklyn wore on her shoulder like an additional appendage. Aja tipped her head in his direction. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Storm and Colton stood from the table, emptied their plates, and walked toward the back door. Colton pulled on his Stetson and tipped it in her direction before addressing Jackson. “Come find us when you need to, Jackson.”
Jackson replied with a two-fingered salute and waited for the door to close behind his men before he covered Aja’s hand with his.
It was a simple gesture, but it was filled with complications she didn’t want to think about right now. In this moment, she wanted to focus on how warm his skin felt when it covered hers, or how it made her nerves zip with electricity.
“You handled that well.”
“I’m glad it went okay. I consider this place their home. I don’t want them to feel violated here.”
He gave her hand another squeeze. “I promise everything will be fine.” His words felt heavy and purposeful, as if he’d considered their weight before using them, placing them on the scale to make certain their impact would pull down her defenses and make her trust him more.
This is a bad idea, girl. You need to get away from this man right now.
As the sound of the doorbell severed their connection, Jackson removed his hand and stood. “Time for you to meet my father and my brother.”
He walked off toward the front door, and she sat there shaking her head and then looked up at the ceiling. “Please, Lord,” she whispered, “don’t let them be anywhere near as fine as he is. If they are, I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”
Chapter 11
Jackson followed Aja, his father, and his brother back into the house after they’d returned from assessing the access points he was concerned about. Aja led them into the great room of the homestead.
“Your land is beautiful, Ms. Everett. I imagine you’re quite proud of it,” Jacob said.
Jackson watched a proud smile spread across Aja’s face. As if she were both agreeing with and thanking his father at the same time. She did that a lot when she talked about her land or the people who worked on it.
And why do I know that?
The easy answer was that he was an investigator. Someone trained to take notice of the small things people did to track behavior. But the honest truth was that Jackson watched Aja all the time.
He furrowed his brow as he thought about how creepy that admission sounded in his head. He wasn’t stalking her, but he was noticing certain things about her he didn’t think she’d realized she’d revealed.
Breakfast was a perfect example of her letting her guard down. She sat watching the people she’d cooked for enjoy her meal. While she played with the spoon in her bowl of grits, she smiled, uncaring if anyone saw, open, enjoying the buzz of life happening around her.
“Please, call me Aja, Mr. Dean.” She swept her hand in the air, pointing to one of the sofas for her guests to sit down. “Can I offer you gentlemen anything to eat or drink?”
His brother and father shook their heads. “No, dear,” his father replied. “I’m still full after that morning spread you were kind enough to offer us when we arrived. If possible, we’d like to look around the house to go over some spaces that could be problematic if ignored.” He turned to Jackson’s brother, Kip. “Son, you mind going upstairs to look around? I can start down here.”
“Sure, Daddy,” Kip answered and looked to Aja for permission to go upstairs.
She steadied her shoulders. This was obviously still difficult for her. But somehow she didn’t let that stop her.
She wore her determination to keep her ranch safe etched into the furrowed lines of her brow and the stiff set of her back and shoulders. The sight of her preparing for battle, her fierceness shrouding her like a warrior goddess’s battle cry, unfurled a tangible need in Jackson’s chest.
When Aja and Kip disappeared from the great room and he could hear their footsteps taking them up the stairs, his father turned around and said, “She sure is nice. Ain’t she?”
Jackson called up the memory of Aja exiting through the doorway into the hall a few seconds earlier. If “nice” were a euphemism for sexy, spirited, dedicated, and confident, then yeah, Aja Everett was as nice as they came.
The familiar heavy chuckle that fell from his father’s mouth, making the man’s shoulders and torso jiggle like a bowl of gelatin right out of the fridge, pulled Jackson’s eyes from Aja’s disappearing form.
“What’s so funny, old man?”
“I got your ‘old man’ all right. No matter my age, I’m still young enough to tan your hide.”
Jackson laughed. He didn’t doubt Jacob’s words at all. Jackson and Kip matched their father in height and brawn. The retired sheriff back in Jackson’s hometown, Jacob Dean still kept himself in good shape. According to him, he needed to be ready to knock some sense into his foolhardy boys if they ever became too wily.
But since Jackson could remember few times when Jacob had needed to use more than his rich bass to corral his rowdy boys or more than a stern look to make them think twice about crossing a line, Jackson knew his father’s threat was nothing more than Jacob’s personal brand of Texas bravado.
“However long in the tooth I am, I’m not too old to recognize my son making eyes at the pretty lady who’s upstairs with your brother right now.”
Jackson turned around to face his father, tension spreading through his body as quickly as confusion seeded his mind. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t believe I stuttered. You haven’t taken your eyes off Ms. Everett since we arrived.”
“She’s a beautiful woman,” Jackson explained calmly, hoping his father wouldn’t see through his need to deflect. “Any man would take more than a second glance at her.”
“But you’re not just any man, Jackson. That you’re giving her more than one look tells me there’s something further to this than an investigation.”
Jacks
on shook his head, not sure who he was trying to convince. Yeah, there was something there, something about the way Aja carried herself that made him want things he shouldn’t. But history had spent too many years beating it into his head that beyond the superficial, entanglements with women only led to devastation in his life.
“Your Ms. Everett is a good woman.”
“I’ve known her for a handful of days. She’s not my Ms. Anything. And you’ve spent even less time in her presence to know if she’s a good woman or not.”
His father walked to the other side of the room, sat, and leaned back against the sofa, crossing a boot-covered ankle over his knee as he glared at Jackson. “She may be from Brooklyn, but she’s tied to this here land. She takes pride in it. You can see it whenever she talks about. While we were out canvassing her acres, it was obvious this place is in her blood. And if she loves the land, the way she feels about the people she’s helping is more of credit to her character than anything else. That is a good woman, Jackson. It wouldn’t do to let her pass you by. Certainly not because of your past.”
Jackson placed his hands on his belted waist, his tense shoulders hiking up near his ears. He didn’t doubt there were good women in the world. He simply doubted one would ever fit into his life.
How many times did a man need to make the same mistake before he learned his lesson and changed his ways? He might be drawn to Aja, might even be curious enough to dip his toe in that particular pool, but diving right in off the highest board wasn’t in Jackson’s plans.
“As far as I remember it, Lana wasn’t the only one who taught me women shouldn’t be trusted. Margie was the first to drive that lesson home.”
Jackson Page 8
