“You all right?”
“Yeah, a little heartburn from that bag of cookies.” And a lot of heartache from analyzing her relationship with Bret since meeting Jackson. The rosy glasses she’d worn since Bret’s death seemed to be losing their color when she compared the two men. Where Bret was critical of her flaws, Jackson seemed to think they were her greatest strengths. But Bret was gone, and for some reason she couldn’t understand yet, it seemed unfair to him to let herself think that way. Grace rolled her shoulders, trying to ease the tension growing between them.
Jackson yawned. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go back.”
“Yeah, me too. I’m tired.”
“Hannah,” Jackson called. “You ready to go?”
“Yeah, been ready.”
Jackson and Grace stood together, and the three of them dressed for the ride back to the house. The return trip wasn’t nearly as great. Grace’s rear and legs cramped. Her back hurt, and she hadn’t been kidding when she said she was tired.
When they reached the barn, they dismounted and took care of the horses before going into the house. Hannah went to take a shower while Jackson and Grace took care of the used lunch containers.
With a sink full of soapy water, Grace leaned her stomach against the counter and mindlessly washed dishes.
“Penny for your thoughts?” asked Jackson as he stopped next to her, picking up a towel.
Grace finished the dish she was working on and set it on the dish drain. “Not thinking about anything.” Or nothing she was willing to share with him.
“I don’t believe that for a minute. Your mind is always working.”
“Is not.”
“Is too.”
She flicked him with soapy water. “Is. Not.”
He scooped up a handful of suds and blew them at her. “Is. Too.”
“Oh, it’s on.” She smacked him with the wet dish rag.
Jackson yelped. “Hey, that hurt!”
“Big baby.”
“I’m not a big baby, you big meanie.”
Grace splashed water at him, and he dove to the side to avoid it, grabbing her around the waist. Her head fell back as she laughed. “You put me down.”
“No, you’re a mean ole meanie.”
“Fine. I’ll stop.”
He held her up a second more and then set her feet on the floor. “Be nice.”
Jackson loomed over her, and as their eyes locked, her throat closed up. Her pulse took off like a jackrabbit. He was just gorgeous, and his smile made her feel bubbly.
He bent down, and just before he could kiss her, she put her fingers to his lips. “That’s probably not a good idea.”
His eyes turned stormy, and he stepped back. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, I got caught up for a moment.” His voice was husky.
Hannah walked into the kitchen. “Shower’s open.”
“Uh, you go ahead, Grace. I’ll get one after you.”
Under normal circumstances, she’d have argued he should go first, but she needed it tonight. She needed a room to herself to collect her thoughts and get her head put back on straight.
“Thanks.” She tossed the rag into the water and quickly walked to the stairs, not stopping until the bathroom door was shut behind her.
She’d done it. Somehow, she’d mustered the will to stop him from kissing her when that was all she’d wanted. She could only imagine how disastrously...wonderful it would have been. She shook her head. No, it would have been terrible. Things were already getting hazy, and they didn’t need to be any worse.
Now to get her lips, heart, and every other part that wanted him on board.
Chapter 14
It was the middle of the night, Jackson rubbed his eyes and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He raked his hand through his hair and yawned. He couldn’t sleep to save his life. A week had passed since their ride to the stream, and it’d been torture dipped in rattlesnake venom. Time had flown when it was just Grace those first few days, but with Hannah on board, it was a never-ending root canal.
Grace was an easy woman to be around, and she worked hard. If she broke a nail, she fixed it and kept going. If she got a splinter, a tear in her clothes, whatever it was, it didn’t slow her down or faze her. Her sheer determination demanded Jackson’s respect and admiration.
Hannah? What had he ever seen in her? She was beautiful and intelligent, but that woman complained about everything. Not overtly, but it was the whine in her voice that was like a record being scratched.
And Grace was spot on about Hannah’s manipulative nature. Not that Hannah was taking every moment to be that way. It was just annoying. If he didn’t need the help so bad, he would’ve packed her bags by now.
When they’d break to eat or take a rest, it felt awkward, and the conversation felt forced now that Jackson knew what she was up to. It felt like he had to be on guard all the time. Hannah being there had put the work back into restoring the house. Before she got there, it was kinda fun. Even peeling wallpaper with Grace was entertaining.
It didn’t take a deep thought to know he enjoyed kissing Grace too. That last time in the stream made his head swim every time he thought about it. They’d kissed since then, but they hadn’t shared another one like that. Grace had been a little more distant after that day, like she’d regretted kissing him. Maybe she had. She did put the brakes on when he tried to kiss her that night when Hannah wasn’t around.
Why had he agreed to let Hannah stay? If he hadn’t been so stupid, he wouldn’t have had to kiss Grace or know how soft her lips were or how his body felt when it was pressed against hers. He groaned in frustration. If this line of thinking didn’t stop, he was going to drive himself crazy.
Jackson perked up as he heard a door creak open. What if it was Grace? Could he be so lucky to have a minute alone with her? He bolted off the bed and pulled his door open.
His tongue felt like lead in his mouth as his gaze roamed from Grace’s bare feet to the towel wrapped around her to the top of her wet head. She could even make a towel look good. He’d been careful to stay downstairs when he knew the women were taking showers. That way it wouldn’t be weird or awkward, so seeing her in a towel was doing things to him.
Grace jumped and gasped. “Oh my goodness. You scared me.” Her gaze dipped to his chest, and her cheeks reddened before her wide eyes returned to his face. He realized that in his rush, he hadn’t put a shirt on. Man, she sure was cute when she blushed, and he liked the idea that he was the cause of it. Maybe he needed to figure out more ways to make her blush.
He worked his tongue loose and found a few words to put together. “What are you doing up?”
“Chasing squirrels. What’s it look like I’m doing?” she asked through a soft giggle.
He wanted to laugh too, but he held it in. If he woke up Hannah, he’d hate himself. Wanting a moment alone with Grace didn’t mean anything. It just meant—oh, he didn’t know what it meant, and he was too tired to try to figure it out. “Why are you taking a shower so late?”
“I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep. I hoped a hot bath would help, but it didn’t.”
“Oh.”
“I was thinking I’d go sit outside a while and see if that’d help.”
“Oh.” Why did it feel like this was a first kiss and he was bumping teeth?
She pulled her towel tighter. “You wouldn’t want to join me, would you?”
Good heavens, he thought she’d never ask. “If that’s okay with you.”
Her little smile was like a thousand shots of dark roast coffee, and his heart pounded faster. “Well, sure, it’s okay with me. This way, if I fall asleep, I’ll have my very own cowboy pillow.”
Was she flirting with him? Nah, couldn’t be. “You sure will.” And he was flirting back? God help him, he was.
“Let me get changed, and I’ll meet you at the front door.”
“Okay.”
She slipped inside her room, and with one last look
, she shut the door.
He needed mercy. Buckets and buckets of mercy. He pulled on a shirt, slipped on his boots, and headed down the stairs. Then he remembered he’d nodded off. What if he had morning breath? Or was it never-went-to-sleep-last-night breath? He debated about brushing his teeth and decided against it. It would dissuade him from being tempted to kiss her.
“Oh, what am I doing?” he murmured.
“I was hoping you were waiting for me.”
He turned and found Grace grinning at him, holding a folded blanket in her arms. “You heard that?”
She rolled her lips in, but he could see the corners quirked up. “No, I can read your mind.”
“You’re too smart for your britches.” Only she wasn’t wearing pants. She had on little soft pink shorts, but what really caught his eye was the baggy shirt she wore. The neck looked like it’d been stretched, and her shoulder was exposed, showing the contours of her collarbone. Her shoulder looked so soft and kissable. He bet the other one was just as great. Duh, smacked him square in the forehead. It wasn’t like she didn’t have a matching pair.
She giggled and brushed past him to open the door. “Come on, silly man, let’s go see if we can find some stars.”
“Have I said thank you for helping me?”
“Sure you have,” she said and opened the door. “You’re letting me stay here.”
He followed her onto the porch and shut the door. “No, I mean, with words. Have I said thank you?”
“No, but you don’t have to. I can tell.”
Jackson felt compelled to say it. “I’m sorry your car broke down and you lost your job. But I’m glad you wound up here. Thank you for helping me.”
She shrugged, and her cheeks turned a light pink. “Let’s spread this blanket out, and we can talk.”
He pulled the blanket out of her arms and stepped off the porch. A few feet away from the house, he found the perfect spot.
Grace yelped, and he turned around. She’d followed him into the yard. In a few good strides, Jackson crossed the distance and stopped in front of her. “You okay?”
“I stepped on something.”
With one swift motion, he hooked his arm under her knees and slipped his arm around her back, lifting her off the ground. He took her to the blanket and set her down. “I’ll be right back. I have a flashlight in the truck.” The moon was out, but that wasn’t enough light for sticker pulling.
“Okay.”
He went to the truck, grabbed the flashlight, and went back to Grace. As he kneeled down, he flipped the light on. “Which foot?”
“My right.”
He shined the light on the bottom of her foot. “Yeah, you stepped on a goat’s head thorn. I worked to get rid of them when I first got here, but I still have a few.”
“It was so green and lush that I didn’t think there’d be any.”
Grace jumped as he plucked the thorn from her foot. She sucked in a sharp breath and rubbed her sole. “You wouldn’t think something that small could hurt so bad.”
“Oh, you think one’s bad. I fell when I first got here. When I stood up, I looked like a goat head factory. Took me forever to get them all out.”
After turning off the flashlight, Jackson set it next to him and then sat next to Grace, stretching his legs out in front of him. A breeze was blowing, and it made the night pleasant.
“This is nice,” she said, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. “That breeze against my wet hair is relaxing.”
“I like how quiet it is. Well, other than the animals. It’s just peaceful.”
They sat in companionable silence a while. The breeze swirled around him, bringing with it the smell of rain. He’d need to check the weather. Maybe it would rain. Texas sure needed it. Jackson leaned back on his elbows and let his head drop back. Stars filled the sky like a filled-up Lite Brite.
Breaking the silence, Grace said, “I know you think I’m helping you, but I’m not. You’re helping me.” She unwrapped her legs and lay back against the blanket. “When Bret died, it was like someone took their hand and scooped out everything that made me alive. I asked if I could stay because I’ve been so lost that I couldn’t remember who I was.”
He understood that. His split with Hannah had rocked him. “I get that.”
“I can’t understand Hannah. She makes no sense to me. She’s got this gorgeous, hard-working, intelligent man, and she walks away. What woman in their right mind does that?”
Jackson was glad he was lying down. She’d just given him the best compliment anyone had ever given him. “Uh.”
“Well, it’s true.”
“Which part?”
She lightly smacked him in the stomach with the back of her hand. “You know which part. Don’t even pretend to act like you don’t know.”
“You may not believe this, but I don’t.”
She rolled to her side and took his chin in her fingers. “Jackson, I swear by all the sane women of this world, you’re the kind of catch that wins tournaments with huge cash prizes. And if Hannah was half as smart as she thinks she is, she’d have treasured what she had instead of throwing it away.”
“Uh.” His vocabulary was sorely lacking. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t think of another word to say.
“If I’d known you had cats, I’d have protected your tongue.”
Jackson snorted. He’d never had a woman make him laugh like her. “You’re funny. I haven’t laughed this much in a long time.”
“I haven’t been myself in a long time.”
“I can see why Bret loved you.”
Grace rolled to her back and rested her hands over her stomach. “He did.”
The way she said it, with a slight hitch in her voice, told him there was something else there. He wouldn’t press it, though. He knew what it was like to be working things out in your head and have people breathing down your throat. He wouldn’t do that to her, so he decided he’d change the subject.
“I think I’m going to go ten miles east and build my house.”
“You aren’t going to stay closer to the bed and breakfast?”
“No, I’m going to hire a manager. I want to devote my attention to horses and getting the ranch going again. I’ve got enough acreage that I could fence off enough for the bed and breakfast and have plenty left for everything I’d want. I think I might have a few acres dedicated to a horse rescue too.” Plus, Logan had always said if he decided to do that, he’d move back to Willow Bend and help him. His brother loved horses as much as he did. So much so that he was still bronc riding.
Jackson had balked at the idea until Grace put their past in a new perspective. Now, he was eager to get started. Maybe it would give him a chance to get to know his brother without the chip on his shoulder that he’d carried since they were kids. He’d always pictured his brother having this great life with his dad, but what if he hadn’t? What if living with Dad had been miserable? Anytime Logan mentioned their father, Jackson would cut him off. Maybe this time, Jackson would hear him out.
Grace sat up and twisted around to face him. “Oh, that sounds wonderful.” She palmed his chest and leaned forward. “See, I told you that you were a catch.”
“Aw, you’re going to give me a big head.”
Her lips curved up. “I’ll just buy you a bigger hat.” She yawned and laid her head on his stomach. “You make a good cowboy pillow too. You can add that to the list of your outstanding qualities.”
Jackson laughed and dropped the rest of the way onto the blanket.
She swatted his stomach. “Stop that. You’re rattling my brains.”
“Well, quit making me laugh.”
“No, I like your laugh.”
“Then don’t complain when your head’s bouncing.”
Bracing her hand on his stomach, she sat up. “Fine.”
“Come here.” He tugged on her, and she lay down next to him, using his shoulder to rest her head. “Better?”
&nb
sp; “Much.” She curled her hand under her chin. “We’re going to be dragging in the morning.”
“I can’t believe how much we’ve accomplished these past couple of weeks. As much as Hannah whines, she’s actually helped.”
Grace laughed. “I wasn’t as surprised by how much she helped as I was with how little she’s tried to make a move on you. Well, other than trying to trick me into telling her we weren’t engaged.”
He’d been surprised by that too. “She’s really good at making you think things are okay and then blindsiding you.”
Grace pushed up on her elbow. “Do you think you’d ever give her another chance?”
“No.” He wanted to say more, but he couldn’t bring himself to open up to her like that yet. It’d only been two weeks, and he wanted to trust her. He just couldn’t yet. Hannah had taught him that trusting someone too quickly would get him hurt.
“You know, it’s okay to still love her.”
“I don’t.”
“Yes, you do. She was a big part of your life. You may not love her like you once did, but there will always be some small part of you that remembers all the good times, a part that loves her.”
Jackson took a deep breath. He hated that he could still love Hannah after the way she’d hurt him. It made him feel weak and stupid. “I don’t want to love her.”
“I know. She hurt you something awful. I can see it when you look at her.” Grace brushed the back of her hand across his cheek, and his breath caught. Even keeping the pretense that they were engaged, she’d been careful the past week to make sure all their physical interactions were only when Hannah was present. This simple touch was more comforting than she knew.
Jackson took her hand and held it to his chest. Grace squeezed his hand as she laid her head back on his shoulder.
“You’re a good guy, Jackson. Someday, that perfect person is going to come along, and they’re never going to let you go.”
The Cowboy's Fake Marriage Page 10
