by Myla Jackson
“I will,” Brody said. “When I’m ready.”
Jessie worked all afternoon, unloading groceries she and Mrs. M had selected at the store, and then preparing a huge pan of lasagna under the close tutelage of the McFarlan-family matriarch. While Jessie worked, Mrs. M filled her in on the brothers’ childhood antics from junior rodeo riding to playing hooky on warm spring days.
“Set the timer for thirty minutes so you don’t forget about it,” Mrs. M suggested as Jessie slid the casserole dish full of noodles, sauce and cheesy deliciousness into the preheated oven.
Jessie studied the oven controls and set the timer.
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
With a smile, Jessie turned to Mrs. M. “No, it wasn’t.”
“And my mama always told me a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
“I don’t want to win their hearts,” Jessie said. “I just want to prove that I can cook. I really need this job.”
“As long as you don’t burn that lasagna, you’ll be on the road to proving yourself. Now, while supper’s cooking, why don’t you try on that dress I washed and ironed for you? It doesn’t hurt for the chef to look as good as the food.”
“I don’t know.” Jessie shrugged. “I’ve never felt comfortable in a dress. I barely know how to wear one.” An image of Brody’s ex-fiancée flashed through Jessie’s mind. Fancy Wilson had not only looked good in a dress, she’d worn it like a fashion statement.
Mrs. M’s brows dipped. “It’s amazing what clothes do for your confidence, and how others perceive you. Take Fancy Wilson…”
Jessie would rather not talk about the auburn-haired beauty. “What about her?”
“Put her in a pair of old jeans and a T-shirt and she wouldn’t look any different from any other cowgirl in the county.”
“I doubt that. I bet she’d look good in anything she wore.”
Mrs. M’s lips curled. “She got to you, didn’t she?”
Jessie turned toward the stovetop, afraid the older woman would see right through her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t let a pretty piece of fluff like Fancy make you feel any less than beautiful.” Mrs. M stood and crossed to Jessie. “I see a beautiful woman in those blue-gray eyes of yours. Wear the dress for me tonight. I think you’ll be surprised at how good you look in it. You’ll give that Fancy a run for her money.”
Her competitive spirit spiked, until she reminded herself out loud, “I’m not in competition with Fancy.”
“No?” Mrs. M’s smile widened. “Well, we’ll just see about that. Oh, and don’t set a plate at the table for me. Remember? I’m going out.”
Not sure what the woman was up to, Jessie couldn’t say no to her. Not after Mrs. M spent her entire afternoon teaching Jessie how to make lasagna. Dinner that night would be edible and might help save her job.
Thirty minutes later, Jessie wore the blue dress. Mrs. McFarlan had helped her do her hair, using a flat iron to smooth out the tangles and kinks from the elastic band. It hung long and straight around her shoulders and halfway down her back. The older woman even insisted on applying a little blush to Jessie’s cheeks and adding a smoky shadow to her eyes. By the time Mrs. M finished, Jessie didn’t recognize the pretty blonde in the mirror.
She might not be gorgeous enough to compete with the beautiful Fancy, but she looked better than she ever had.
Back in the kitchen as the timer beeped, Jessie couldn’t help smiling as she peered through the glass oven door. The guys would be pleased. The lasagna turned out perfect.
Angus and Colin came in through the back door, hung their hats on pegs on the wall and sniffed the air.
“Something smells good enough to eat,” Colin said. “What’s for dinner?”
“Lasagna.” Jessie pulled the lightly browned dish from the oven and set it on a hot pad. “Go wash up and I’ll have it on the table when you’re ready.”
Both men stopped short as Jessie straightened.
Colin made a show of looking around. “I hear Jessie talking, but I don’t see anyone here but one gorgeous blonde in a pretty blue dress.”
Angus grinned. “Wow. You look amazing.”
Colin stepped up to Jessie, took her hand and twirled her about. “That dress needs to go dancing.”
Jessie’s cheeks heated and she glanced past the two brothers to the empty doorway. “Is Brody coming?”
Angus’s eyes narrowed for a split second, and then he shook his head. “Don’t wait on him. He might be late.”
“Oh.” An unexpected pressure squeezed against Jessie’s chest and she turned away, hoping Angus and Colin hadn’t seen the disappointment in her face.
The men hurried off to wash up.
By the time they returned, Jessie had the lasagna on the table and a bowl of fresh salad made of vegetables from Mrs. M’s garden.
Angus glanced around. “Where’s Mom?”
Jessie set a basket full of garlic bread next to the salad. “She’s getting ready to go on her date.”
Angus stopped with his hand on a chair and frowned. “Date? What date?”
Colin grimaced. “Didn’t I mention? She ran into Carl Landers in town.”
With a quick headshake, Angus asked, “What does this Carl Landers have to do with Mom going on a date?”
“Mr. Landers asked your mother out to dinner tonight,” Jessie said.
Angus’s eyes widened. “And she agreed?”
Jessie nodded.
Colin shrugged. “So?”
“Do you realize they used to call him Heartbreak Carl back when Mom and Dad were in high school?” Angus yanked the chair out from under the table and sat down.
Colin’s brows quirked upward. “Again…so? That was over thirty years ago.”
“I don’t want Mom to get hurt.”
Jessie grabbed a spatula and dug into the lasagna, cutting long rectangles of the cheesy, mouthwatering dish, and filled Angus’s and Colin’s plates. Then she served up the salad in the small bowls beside each man’s plate, shaking her head as the men worried over their mother. They probably had a hard time seeing her as anything other than their mother who’d been married to their father. Mrs. McFarlan was first and foremost a woman with a lot of good years left in her.
“We’ll just have to keep an eye on them.” Angus shoved a forkful of lasagna into his mouth.
“Keep an eye on who?” Mrs. McFarlan appeared in the doorway, looking as trim and pretty as a schoolgirl, wearing a cream-colored dress and low-heeled pumps. Her hair brushed her shoulders and she wore eye makeup, lipstick and a light dusting of blush.
Jessie smiled. “You look wonderful.”
“Is the dress too young for an old woman like me?” Mrs. M turned like a model on a runway.
“Not at all,” Jessie said. “It’s perfect and you’re not an old woman. You look young and alive.”
The two brothers rose from the table.
Angus scowled. “What’s this about you going on a date?”
“I’m having dinner with Carl Landers.” Mrs. M took Jessie’s hands. “Did my boys compliment the chef?” She cast a stern glance at her sons.
Colin saluted. “The lasagna is great. Tastes a lot like yours, Mom.”
She smiled. “Ah, but I didn’t cook it. Jessie did.” She turned Jessie around. “Colin, did you bother to tell Jessie how pretty she looked in her dress?”
Jessie’s cheeks burned. “He mentioned it.”
“Mom, she’s gorgeous, and I told her.” Colin grimaced. “Well, not in so many words.”
“Angus?” his mother prompted.
“Jessie, you look great,” Angus said and turned to his mother. “Now, what’s going on? I’ve never known you to go on a date. Why the sudden interest?”
His mother tilted her chin. “You and your brothers might think your mother is too old to care about anything other than her sons and this ranch. I’ll have you know, I might be older than you, but I want to live and have fun an
d fall in love again.”
“But what about Dad?” Angus said softly.
Mrs. M’s lips firmed. “Listen to me.” Her brows angled toward the bridge of her nose. “I loved your father more than anyone in this world. When he passed, I thought I would die with him.” She shook her head, her eyes glistening. “But I didn’t. It’s been eight years. I think he’d agree that I’ve grieved long enough. Like I’ve asked you boys to get on with your lives, I’m taking my own advice and getting on with mine.”
Jessie’s heart squeezed at the emotion in Maggie McFarlan’s voice. She glanced at Angus and Colin and almost laughed at the shocked expressions on their faces. She wanted to cheer for the older McFarlan and her fierce desire to join life again instead of sitting on the sidelines.
“What?” Maggie said. “You don’t think your mother should have needs and desires?”
Angus covered his ears. “I don’t want to hear this.”
“I don’t know.” Colin grinned. “I think Mom deserves to be happy, especially after putting up with us all these years.”
“Don’t you want me to be happy, Angus?” she asked.
“Of course.” Angus took her hands. “And Dad would have wanted you to be happy. I just can’t see you with anyone but Dad.”
Mrs. M sighed. “Me either. But I can’t live in the past. Besides, this is just dinner. I’m not marrying the man.”
“But what if you do?” Angus asked.
“We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.” She patted her son’s cheek. “I’m glad you’ve found someone who makes you happy. I hope your brothers are as fortunate.” Maggie stared at Colin who’d settled in his chair and shoved another forkful of lasagna into his mouth.
“What?” Colin asked.
“Have you done anything about getting on with your life?” she asked.
Colin set his fork down. “Hey, I got Brody here.”
“By lying to him.” His mother crossed her arms. “I can’t believe you told him I was sick.”
“He came, didn’t he? Proves he still cares about you, even if he doesn’t care about the rest of us.”
“Give him time.” Angus took his seat. “He’ll come around.”
“I don’t know.” Colin stared at the wall as if seeing something other than a calendar with the picture of a cow in a field. “With Fancy back in town, he might decide to leave sooner.”
“What happened between Brody and Fancy?” Mrs. McFarlan asked. “He never told me.”
“She discovered she didn’t love him enough to marry him, and called it off before they both made a big mistake.” Colin polished off the last bite on his plate, pushed back from the table and stood. “Jessie, good meal. Angus, enjoy it. Mom, I hope you have a nice time out with Mr. Landers. You deserve to be happy.” After his little speech, Colin carried his plate to the sink and left the room.
Mrs. McFarlan stared after her son. “Did I say something wrong?”
Angus concentrated on the food in front of him. “Who the heck knows? Colin’s had a bug up his butt ever since Brody and Fancy broke it off. He and Brody haven’t talked much since.”
“You think Colin had something to do with Fancy breaking up with Brody?” Mrs. McFarlan asked.
The way Colin lit up when he saw Fancy today, Jessie wouldn’t doubt it. The man had feelings for the pretty lady.
Jessie sighed.
Based on Brody’s reaction to seeing Fancy today, Jessie would go so far as to say he wasn’t over the woman.
And for a moment in that diner, Jessie had thought Brody was happy to see her—Jessie. Boy, had she been wrong. Why she’d been disappointed at the realization, she didn’t know. Hell, they’d only known each other a short time.
A knock on the front door shook her out of her musings.
“That will be Carl.” Mrs. McFarlan smiled and her cheeks glowed a soft pink. “I feel like a teenager going out on her first date.”
Jessie forced a smile for the woman. “You look like a teenager.”
“Thank you, dear.” She touched Jessie’s arm. “Wish one of my boys would see what a lovely young woman you are.”
“Oh, ma’am.” Jessie raised her hands. “I’m not in the market to marry.” She glanced at Angus. “I hope you don’t think that’s why I signed on.”
Angus’s lips twisted. “I know why you accepted our offer. You’re crazy about that horse of yours. I still can’t believe you rode away from your last job with not much more than the clothes on your back.”
“Scout was a gift from my father,” Jessie whispered. “I would never abandon him.”
“Exactly.” The oldest McFarlan rose from the table. “Come on, Mom, let me read the Heartbreaker the riot act so that he doesn’t go breaking your heart.”
“Oh, Angus. Don’t be silly. I’m a grown woman.”
“Yeah, but you’ve been out of action for a long time. Things have changed a little.” He pointed at Jessie. “I’ll be back for my dinner, which, I might say, is great.”
Jessie smiled at Angus while Mrs. McFarlan winked at her.
Once Mrs. M left, Jessie sat with Angus and they silently finished their dinner.
“Good job, Jessie. Keep it up and the job will be permanent. I think Mom is enjoying her time off.”
“Thanks.”
Angus left to make one last pass through the barn.
Jessie cleared the table, changed from sandals to her cowboy boots and went out to check on Scout.
The horse had adjusted to his new home better than Jessie.
As the hired help, Jessie didn’t know how she fit into the McFarlan family. She was expected to live in the house, but she really didn’t feel comfortable living with the family she was supposed to serve.
Her last boss only wanted her to clean the stables and feed the horses. Outside of that, he didn’t want to see her. That had been fine with Jessie.
With the McFarlans she’d already learned more than she felt she had a right to. Brody and Colin had an ongoing feud over a woman, Angus was involved with a woman from Dallas, and Mrs. McFarlan hadn’t dated since the death of her husband eight years ago. That, and all about the brothers’ lives as children.
Her heart skipped several beats. She hadn’t felt this close to a family since her father died. God, she missed him.
“Scout, I hope you like it here. I’m trying my best to make it work out.” And if the middle brother made her insides fire up whenever he was around…well, then… “I’ll just have to get over it. I can’t afford to be fired from this job.” Especially for the same reason she’d been let go from the last one. And that time wasn’t her fault.
She left the stall and climbed up into the loft for a section of hay. As she backed down the ladder, she was just about to put her foot on the next rung when a voice sounded behind her.
“You can’t sleep in the barn tonight.”
Jessie spun to face the man she’d been thinking about and missed her step. She dropped the section of hay and reached out to grab hold of anything to keep herself from falling, but it was too late.
She toppled backward, bracing herself for a hard landing on her ass.
Instead, she crashed into a solid wall of muscle, and strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. She stared up into Brody’s eyes. “Damn it, you scared me.”
He shook his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “You scare too easily.” He appeared tired, his eyes shadowed. “What are you doing out here after dark?”
“Checking on Scout,” she said.
“In a dress?”
“Your mother’s idea.” She tugged at the hem in an effort to cover her thighs. In her fall, the dress had hiked up, displaying an embarrassing amount of skin.
Brody’s dark eyes flared and his hands tightened around her. He appeared in no hurry to set her back on her feet, holding her weight with seemingly little effort.
“Why are you out this late?” she demanded before she could think. It was none of her business
when he came and went. But with her body pressed close to his, she could barely think, much less breathe.
A shadow passed over his face. “I was working on a project and lost track of time.”
“Your dinner is in the refrigerator. Why don’t you go eat?”
He snorted. “I will, as soon as I make sure you don’t sleep in the barn again.”
Heat filled Jessie’s cheeks. “That was only the first night when we were settling in. I was tired from riding all day.”
“So you thought you might sleep better with your horse?”
She opened her mouth to argue and then clamped it shut. He was right. She might not have been thinking it, but she had been leaning toward bedding down in the stall again. If she was honest with herself, tonight it wasn’t because she thought Scout might have a hard time adjusting to his new home. The truth was she was having a hard time adjusting to her new living arrangements.
“You can put me down,” she reminded him. “I think I’m safe from falling now.” In some ways. In others, she was in grave danger with this man.
“I don’t know. For as tall as you are, you’re pretty lightweight.”
“But I’m strong and capable of doing anything a man can.” She stared straight into his eyes. Big mistake. He had the most beautiful blue eyes she could easily fall into and lose herself. “Please put me down.”
“You need to be more careful coming down out of the loft.” He set her on her feet and reached out to pluck a piece of straw from her hair. Then he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his knuckles skimming across her cheek.
Her breath caught and she fought to keep from leaning into his hand. “You need to quit sneaking up on me,” she said, her voice soft and husky. Not like her usual strong, straightforward tone. What was wrong with her?
He stared at her for a long time, his hand still raised from brushing back her hair. “Anyone ever tell you that you have pretty eyes?”
She shook her head, her heart thumping hard against her ribs. Every place on her body where his hands had touched, still tingled.
Then his arm fell to his side. “If you weren’t the cook, I’d…”
Jessie leaned toward him, her eyes widening. “You’d what?”
“I’d…” His gaze shifted from her eyes to her mouth and he bent closer, his lips inches from hers.
