“Hi,” Jodi said as he reached her table on the deck outside.
“Hi,” he answered, looking down at her as she worked on an iPad. “Do you need anything else?”
“No, thank you, I’m good.”
Yes, she was. Good. Ethereal. Delicious. All of the above, and Ty needed to stop noticing that shit if he was ever going to develop a working friendship with the woman.
He set his coffee mug on the table and sat down with weary determination.
“What are you working on?” he asked, taking his first sip of hard, black goodness.
“Some marketing materials,” she answered. “I have two clients so far, but word of mouth will only get me so far.”
“Tell me more about your business,” Ty said. He’d majored in business in college and had always been the one of the Jenkins brothers who was most interested in developing the business and growing the ranch. Cade was a protectionist, determined to keep what their parents had left them so no one would ever want for anything. Vaughn was an outdoorsy type, an artist with a sensitive temperament. He loved riding with the guys out on the range and taking care of the animals.
“Well, it’s alternative therapies, a variety of things. I can do medical massage, homeopathic remedies, a little energy work, nutritional solutions, meditation. I’m hoping to get training in some other modalities as time goes by.”
Ty nodded. “And tell me your business plan.”
She blinked at him. “Um, okay.” She paused. “Are you worried I won’t earn enough to be stable for Katie?”
He smiled. “No, I’m just a nerd who loves business plans.”
She relaxed. “Oh! Well then, maybe you can help with mine, because it’s pretty basic, and I’m sure there are lots of things I haven’t thought of.”
They spent the next thirty minutes sitting side by side looking at the screen of her iPad, Ty pointing out marketing avenues she’d overlooked, and helping her refine cost benefit numbers.
“Wow, I can’t thank you enough,” she said, finally closing the iPad and leaning back in her chair to look at him. Her face was slightly flushed, and he could tell how much she wanted this—the business, life in Big Sur, their daughter. Two weeks ago, he would have hated the entire proposition, but he couldn’t continue to doubt in the face of her genuine enthusiasm and commitment. She truly had planned all this with great care.
“If you want, I’ll look at it quarterly with you, help you recalibrate and go over your results. I mean, I don’t have to see numbers, I’m not trying to pry, but I’d love to see how it’s all working out for you.”
“Ty, everything about me is an open book to you. You’re the father of my child. You’ve raised her, and you rightfully have custody of her. You can see my finances or anything else you want to if it means you feel more comfortable about me being with Katie.”
He watched her, the quiet plea in her eyes. Please let me be with her, it begged. And he was helpless against it.
“I’m seeing everything I need to, Jodi. You’re doing everything right. You can relax. And after a quarter, you can show me your business plan and results because I’m your friend and want to help your business succeed, not because I’m Katie’s father, judging and assessing you every minute.”
She gave him a grateful, shy smile, and his heart pumped double-time. Fucking traitor.
“Jodi?” a man’s voice spoke behind them.
Jodi turned, and her face lit up like sunshine. “Ross!” she cried before standing and giving the man a hug that, in Ty’s opinion, lasted far too long.
“It’s nice to see you,” she said. “What are you doing up here?”
Ross’s hands stayed on Jodi’s hips, and Ty’s own hands twitched in agitation.
“I should ask you the same thing,” he replied. “I’m in Monterrey now, and I come to Big Sur once every couple of weeks for a regional meeting.”
“That’s great! I’m living in Big Sur now!”
Ty noticed that Ross’s fucking hands still hadn’t moved from Jodi’s hips, so he stood and extended a hand between them, virtually forcing Jodi to step back.
“Hi, I’m Ty,” he said sharply.
Ross the douche shook his hand, smiling like an idiot.
“Yes, Ty is…um…” Jodi paused, flustered.
“Her ex,” Ty provided. “We were just discussing our daughter,” he added for good measure. No harm in making sure old Ross knew the score from the get go.
Ross blinked. “I didn’t know you had a kid, Jodi.”
She blushed. “Yes, she’s five. She’s been living with Ty, but I wanted to be closer, so I’ve relocated up here.” She turned to Ty. “Ross is a pharmaceutical rep. He used to come into the hospital in San Luis when I worked there.”
Ty crossed his arms and nodded. Salesmen. Bunch of smarmy bastards.
“Well, I won’t interrupt your meeting, but we need to get together, Jodi. Maybe have lunch some day when I’m in town.”
“I’d love that,” she answered with far too much enthusiasm for Ty’s liking. They exchanged numbers, and Ross exited stage left, while Ty tried to swallow the bitter taste that coated his throat.
Ten minutes later, Ty strode out of the coffee shop, two dates set for Jodi to see Katie during the week, and none for him to see her until the next Monday. Because she wasn’t here for him. And if he could only remember that, things would be a lot easier for them all.
12
The next few weeks flew by for Jodi. Between networking and marketing her business, seeing Katie every chance she could, and finishing up the seemingly endless task of unpacking and arranging her new house, she fell into bed exhausted but happy every night.
The only hitch in the whole plan was her burgeoning feelings for Ty. Try hard as she might, she couldn’t forget their night on the beach, and the memories seemed to burrow deeper into her soul with each passing day. She found herself always on the lookout for Ty, every time she walked through town, every time she went to the Big Sur market for groceries, at Lynn’s in the mornings when she worked on administrative items, at the ranch when she went to see Katie.
But oddly, except for their Monday-morning meetings, Ty was nowhere to be seen. He arranged for Lynn or Nina to be around when Jodi had visits with Katie, and he was conspicuously absent at the ranch whenever she was there.
“How does that feel now?” she asked her client, Mr. Moore.
The octogenarian shifted on the padded massage table, adjusting his hip that he’d broken nearly a year ago.
“Better and better every time,” he said, smiling.
“I’m so glad. That’s the goal. It’s not instant pain relief, but I knew we could get you back running circles around Mrs. Moore.”
He sat up slowly, his weathered face wrinkling with a devilish grin. “Don’t let her hear you say that,” he whispered. “She thinks she’s the boss of me.”
“My lips are sealed,” Jodi told him, laughing.
She helped him slide off the table and set him up with his walker before they slowly made their way to her garden, where Mrs. Moore waited at a table with an umbrella and a glass of ice-cold lemonade.
“These are the loveliest medical visits we’ve ever had,” the elderly woman said as they approached. “I need to get the recipe for this lemonade. It’s just delicious.”
Jodi smiled. Mr. Moore was the second client she’d acquired, Vaughn having been her first, and she’d been seeing him twice a week, helping rehab his hip and manage his pain. Vaughn’s wife, T.J., had referred him, and he was one of her early success stories.
“It’s the lavender,” Jodi said. “I’ll make you a recipe card for next time you come.”
“That would be lovely,” Mrs. Moore replied.
“Now…” Jodi reached into the pocket of the apron she wore when she worked and took out a small wax envelope. “I want you to make him up some tea with this every night before bed. It should act as a mild anti-inflammatory and help him sleep. Just two teaspoons in that
tea strainer I gave you last time. The instructions are on the package, and you can always call me day or night.”
Mr. Moore patted her on the cheek. “You’re a good girl,” he said. “You’ve helped me more than all those darn doctors ever have.”
“Well, doctors are good for certain things, but sometimes we can help with the things they aren’t as good about. I’m just very happy it’s working for you.”
“We’ll see you next week, dear,” Mrs. Moore said, wrapping a hand around her husband’s arm as he shuffled with his walker.
Jodi’s phone chimed, and she pulled it out of her pocket to check it. “There’s your Uber. He’s waiting right out front.”
The Moores left, and Jodi cleaned up before she grabbed a jar of ointment and a platter of cookies and went to her car. Twenty minutes later, she had arrived at Big Sur elementary, where she was meeting Lynn to pick up Katie and take her to a costume fitting for her ballet recital.
“Hi, Jodi,” Katie’s kindergarten teacher said as they met up on the lawn. School had just dismissed, and Mrs. Riley was in the midst of a swarm of five-year-olds waiting for their parents.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Jodi said. “Katie told me about the migraines you’ve been having, and I wanted to give you something that might help.”
“Oh my gosh, that’s really sweet of you,” Mrs. Riley answered, a look of surprise on her round face.
“I don’t know if Katie told you, but I’m a nurse, and I have a holistic healing practice here in town. This ointment should be rubbed on your wrists, carotid artery, and temples, and if you use it right away when you feel the migraine symptoms start, then again thirty minutes later, it should really help. And the best part is it’s not known to interact negatively with any prescription or over-the-counter drugs, so you can still take anything else your doctor has given you.”
“Mommy!” Katie yelled as she came careening through a pile of kindergarteners under a nearby tree.
“Hi there, love!” Jodi dropped to her knees and gave Katie an enormous hug. It never grew old, that feeling of having her daughter’s arms wrapped around her.
“We get to go try on my costume!” Katie twirled once to demonstrate her dancing.
Jodi stood and stroked Katie’s soft hair. “Yes, we do. Have you seen Aunt Lynn yet?”
“No, but she always comes to the other tree. She might be there waiting. I’ll go get her.”
“Okay, but if she’s not there, come straight back, please, and we’ll wait together.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
When Jodi turned back to Mrs. Riley, the other woman was watching her. “You’re getting very good at this,” she said warmly.
Jodi’s heart did a little shimmy at the praise. “Thank you. I’m trying.”
“I have to admit, I was concerned when Ty explained the situation, but Katie has been just as happy and stable as ever, and you all seem to be handling things really well.”
“Ty’s such a good father,” Jodi answered. “He leads and I just follow as best I can. He’s raised her to be so confident and secure. I don’t know that all kids could have dealt with something like this as well as she has.”
Mrs. Riley shook her head. “No, they couldn’t, and Ty deserves all the praise he can get, but you’re doing beautifully too. You’re good with her, and you’re patient, waiting for the relationship to build naturally instead of forcing things to make yourself happy.” She paused. “She’s a lucky little girl. I only wish all my students had such great parents.”
Katie appeared with Lynn in tow, and they said good-bye to Mrs. Riley before heading to the dance school for costume fitting. Afterward, Lynn stopped in at the café, leaving Jodi and Katie to eat ice cream on the boardwalk outside. It was the first time anyone had left Katie alone with her, and even though Lynn was a few yards away in the café, Jodi felt like it was a huge milestone. A symbol of how much trust she was building with Ty and Lynn. She knew Cade was still suspicious of her, but she was going to get him to come around too. She’d planned for all of this for so long, she couldn’t believe her dream was coming true day by day.
If only she could stop thinking about that night on the beach with Ty, life would be perfect.
Most of Jodi’s client appointments were late morning to early afternoon. She liked to keep her days before and after Katie was in school free so she could be available to visit or help out. Early mornings were reserved for a run on the beach, followed by coffee at Lynn’s while she did administrative work—billing, answering client emails, ordering new supplies. Most days she was done with her run at seven a.m., right as Lynn’s café opened. But today she’d woken up too early, run too early, and now it was only six forty-five and she sat coffeeless on the deck, waiting for the little shop to open.
She was watching the waves over the deck railing when she heard steps coming toward her. She turned, and her gaze collided with a set of dark, brooding eyes. Her heart skipped a beat or two as she took him in—bronze skin still dripping from the ocean, low-slung board shorts, abs for miles. His damp hair was slicked back off his face, leaving his dark brows and high cheekbones exposed. He was like a wet dream, and she was glad he needed to set his surfboard against the railing so she had a moment to compose herself before she spoke to him.
“Good waves?” she asked as he stalked toward her, his expression dark. She was embarrassed by how breathy she sounded and cleared her throat, trying to organize her damn head.
“Good run?” he answered looming over her as she leaned her back against the railing. “I saw you down by Moby’s Diner.”
She nodded, pretty much speechless now.
“You always out this early?” He took a step closer.
She shook her head.
“Me neither. I’ve been having a lot of trouble sleeping.”
“I have something that can help with that.” Dammit, she still sounded like she was in the midst of an asthma attack.
“I bet you do,” he murmured, leaning one hand on the rail next to her hip, the rest of his body slanted away from her just enough that they didn’t touch, but not enough that he wasn’t all up in her space, keeping her pinned there, making it so she couldn’t breathe.
“See, here’s the thing,” he murmured, his mouth next to her ear, his breath soft against her cheek. “I think you’re the only one who can help me with my sleeping issue, because you’re the one who’s causing it.”
Her gaze shot to his, and what she saw there was desire, like hot flames licking her skin. Her breath caught and her lips parted, drawing his eyes to her mouth.
“I’ve tried,” he said in a tortured voice, “so fucking hard to forget about that night on the beach. But it’s there, in my head, every night. I can’t get the taste of you out of me. I can’t forget what it felt like to have your lips on me, or to watch you come.”
Jodi gasped, her breath coming in quick, short puffs, eyes widening and her skin heating in a flush.
“No matter how many times I tell myself it’s not what’s best for Katie, all I can think about is touching you, tasting you, being inside you. I feel like I’m losing my fucking mind.”
Jodi fought the urge to sway toward him, close those last few inches so she could feel him pressed against her, mold herself to his hard planes, and wrap every inch of her around him.
“Do you ever think about it?” he whispered like the devil ready to strike a deal. “Do you dream about that night?”
She swallowed hard. “Yes,” she admitted. “All the time.”
His mouth was on hers with crushing force in a split second. She opened to him as if she had no choice, her body making the decision before her mind could catch up. And my God, did her body have a few things worked out. Like that it wanted Ty’s lips everywhere, and his cock somewhere in particular. She gasped, and he gave a growl in response, his hand plunging into the hair at the nape of her neck, below her ponytail.
He pressed against her, trapping her between the railing and his
wet skin, rock-hard abs, and oh! Lots of hard things. Very hard things.
“You’re making me insane,” he groaned, and if she hadn’t been enduring the same torture, she’d almost feel sorry for him. He sounded as though he really was on the brink of losing his poor mind.
She twined her arms around his neck, caressing and squeezing his biceps and shoulders along the way. Then her fingers found the soft hair at the nape of his neck, and she brushed through it, relishing the way the smooth, wet strands clung to her skin.
His lips traveled the column of her throat, and then back up to her earlobe where teeth got involved, and Jodi squirmed with the ache that shot all the way down to her rapidly dampening core.
“Tell me you want this too,” he hissed, his hips pressing into hers, grinding, circling. “Tell me I’m not alone in this.”
“I shouldn’t.” She stalled, but her low moan when his hand squeezed her breast gave her away.
“You want it.” He didn’t add the question mark at the end.
“Yeah,” she breathed. “I do. I really, really do.”
And then it was as if a wire had snapped inside him. He yanked away from her, panting, his eyes even hotter than they had been moments before. Grabbing her hand, he yanked her around the side of the building. There, a small room jutted off the side of the café, a door facing the deck with a keypad lock. Ty stopped in front of it and quickly keyed in four numbers before opening the door and leading her inside.
While the light from outside filtered in before the door closed, Jodi saw a storeroom, mostly old deck furniture, tables, umbrellas, chairs. There was a countertop that wrapped around two sides, some empty flowerpots stacked on one end. Ty seemed able to see in the dark after the door closed, or he knew the room really well, because he continued to pull her forward after the door shut with a decisive snick.
Ty's Heart: California Cowboys 3 Page 10
