Becca thought she heard Jake arrive, but wasn’t sure. She’d never felt so tired. She wondered where Olivia was and tried to lift her head from where she sat on the couch with her arms wrapped around her stomach, but she just didn’t have the energy. When she heard heavy footsteps enter the living room, she assumed it was Olivia.
“Becca.” She thought she heard Jake’s voice speaking softly as if he crouched down in front of her. She lifted her eyes, looking at him for a brief moment, and then launched herself into his arms. He caught her, held her to him, then turned and sat on the couch with her across his lap.
“Now, will you stay at my house? You and Olivia, both of you…she’s really beautiful, by the way.”
Becca raised her head and narrowed her eyes at him. He laughed. She smiled, knowing he was trying to distract her. She lightly punched his arm and shook her head.
“I’m not leaving here. I called Emma. She’s coming to stay too. We’ll be fine.”
Jake sighed and shook his head. “No, I don’t like the idea of you all staying here alone.”
“Jake. He only comes in when we’re all out somewhere. We think he’s watching the house,” Becca explained. “Whoever it is has to be. It’s what makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is how they keep getting in.” She sighed. “I changed all the locks and even put a chain on the back door, and the mudroom door.”
“Okay, but I’m only a phone call away.” Jake took her chin in his hand and tilted her face up. “Call me, Red. If anything happens, anything. Call me.” He kissed her hard. Standing, he pulled her up with him and held her for a few minutes before leaving.
Olivia came into the room. “Did Jake leave?”
Becca nodded and smiled sadly. “He’s worried about us staying here. He wanted us to go to his place.”
Olivia snorted. “Oh hell no, if you think I want to be where I can hear you two having sex, you’re crazy.”
“Liv!” Becca blushed.
“What? You can’t tell me you wouldn’t have sex with that gorgeous cowboy every chance you got.” Olivia snickered. “And to think I thought cowboys were nasty. All the younger ones I’ve seen are gorgeous.” She grinned. “I want one.”
Becca laughed at her as she walked past. Thank goodness for her best friend. Olivia was able to lift her spirits even at the gloomiest of times. “Let’s get something to eat. Emma should be here soon.”
A deputy from the sheriff’s office finally arrived, took pictures, and dusted for prints. He informed Becca that there was no forced entry evident on any of the doors or windows. When she asked where Sam was, the deputy told her the sheriff was on vacation but the department was aware of the other break-ins. He was just leaving when Emma arrived. She walked in, her eyes wide.
“So what happened this time?” Emma asked.
“My room was torn apart worse than the last time.” Becca blew out a breath. Emma put her arms around Becca, and hugged her. Olivia wrapped her arms around both of them.
“Let’s make up our beds here on the floor again and I’m hoping the asshole comes back. I want a shot at him this time,” Olivia muttered.
“I think we’ll have some wine tonight,” Becca informed them. “I know I need some.”
The phone rang and the women looked at each other.
“Let me get this,” Olivia exclaimed as she reached for the phone.
“Hello?” She listened. “No Deputy, this is Olivia. Hold on.” Olivia held the phone out to Becca. She frowned at Olivia, but took the phone.
“Yes, Deputy.” Becca listened to him talk then gasped. “No. The chain was on…yes, I’m positive. Thank you.” Becca was shaking when she hung up. She glanced at Olivia and Emma who moved to stand near her.
“Becs? What was that about?” Olivia asked with a worried frown.
“He said he forgot to ask me about the chain on the mudroom door. It seems the chain was off, and I distinctly remember putting it on. They can’t be getting in that way with the chain on…”
“Maybe they just went out that way,” Emma suggested making Becca gasp.
“You’re right, Em. They could’ve just left that way. If the chain were on, the door wouldn’t open. But how are they getting in?” Becca shuddered.
She so wanted this to end. Her determination to stay was beginning to fade away. When someone knocked at the back door, all three women jumped in reaction. Becca moved slowly toward it and saw Stan standing outside. Letting out a sigh of relief, she let him in.
“Becca…I saw the sheriff’s car here. Is something wrong?” He had his hat in his hands.
She nodded. “There was another break-in, Stan. It was my bedroom this time.”
His face turned white. “I’m so sorry. We should’ve been watching more carefully. It’s just that nothing’s been happening lately, I guess we let our guard down. I don’t—sorry, hon.”
Becca felt her eyes burn with tears. She wrapped her arms around him. “Stan, we all let our guard down. Please don’t think I blame you or any of the men. You guys can’t be watching the house twenty-four seven. You have plenty of other things to do.”
Stan nodded. “I know but from now on, one of us is going to be here at all times. We’ll take shifts. I know the men will be happy to help out.” He frowned. “I just don’t know how they’re getting in. I installed those new locks myself.”
Emma rubbed Stan’s back. “We’re not sure how they’re getting in either, but we’re pretty sure how they get out. The chain was off the mudroom door.”
“Really? That is strange. We’ll all keep a better eye out. Promise.” Stan put his hat on and after kissing Becca on the cheek, he left.
After locking the door behind Stan, Becca took two bottles of Chardonnay out of the refrigerator, grabbed three glasses, and headed for the living room with Olivia and Emma following her. They sat down on their makeshift beds and opened the wine. By the end of the first bottle, they were feeling no pain, laughing and rolling on the floor.
“We are so going to pay for this in the morning,” Becca said, laughing. Emma snorted and Olivia giggled.
Three hours later, Olivia groaned. “Why did you let me drink so much?”
“Oh yeah, we forced you to drink it.” Becca laughed.
“If Jake comes over tomorrow, tell him to bring Wyatt. I need a fix.” Olivia giggled.
“A Wyatt fix?” Emma burst out laughing.
“I haven’t seen that gorgeous man in a while.” Olivia belched then slapped her hand over her mouth and giggled. “At least…well, not in the flesh.” She fell back on the floor laughing.
“I know I’m going to regret this but…in the flesh?” Emma smiled.
“I see him in my dreams every night.” Olivia sobered. “I want him bad.”
Becca smiled. It felt good having them all together again.
Olivia continued by telling them about her dreams starring Wyatt Stone, making Emma blush. Becca was used to Olivia saying whatever she thought, so it didn’t shock her anymore. However, she was taking a sip of her wine when Olivia did shock her. “I bet he’s hung too.”
Becca choked on her drink and Emma fell over laughing. Olivia crawled over to Becca. “You know, don’t you?”
“If Wyatt’s hung?” Becca shook her head wiping wine from her front side. “I have no idea.”
Olivia burst out laughing. “Becs! You know what I mean. Jake is, isn’t he?”
“I refuse to answer that question. Besides, just because one brother is, doesn’t mean the others are,” Becca huffed.
Olivia scrambled to her knees. “So, he is hung?”
Becca burst out laughing. “Stop it, Liv. You’re embarrassing Emma.”
They both glanced at Emma whose cheeks were pink.
“I would just like to find out for myself about Gabe,” she said with a shy smile.
Becca and Olivia howled with laughter. Emma joined in. As the evening wound down, they did too. They each took a turn in the tub then settled down into their blankets, and got comfortable. They wa
tched a Sandra Bullock movie and eventually drifted off to sleep, each to their own dreams of a man named Stone.
The next morning the sun filtered across Becca’s face, waking her. She put her hand over her eyes, moaned, and then grabbed her head. The sound she made echoed through her head. Pain shot through her skull with each blink of her eyes. She tried to look around, but it was just too painful. Rolling to her side, she finally opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Emma who was smiling at her.
“Good morning, Becca.”
“Hush. My head is pounding. Why are you smiling?”
“I never get hangovers.” Emma laughed as Becca swatted at her. “I’ll start the coffee.”
Becca groaned and pulled the blanket over her head, missing Emma shake her head as she moved toward the kitchen. After a few minutes, Becca managed to make her way to the kitchen table, taking a seat. Emma was humming. Olivia stumbled in moments later and narrowed her eyes at Emma.
“Why is she humming?” Olivia groaned clenching her jaw and baring her teeth.
“She never gets hangovers,” Becca informed her in a whisper.
Olivia growled and took a cup down to get coffee, grumbling the entire time. When she sat down beside Becca, Emma joined them.
“Are you really going to turn this place into a B and B, Becca?” Emma asked with too much sunshine in her voice for Becca’s liking.
“I am. I can’t leave here now.” Becca shrugged and looked to Olivia. “I wish you’d stay too, Liv.
“I have been thinking about it. There’s a certain cowboy I’d like very much to rope and ride.”
Emma almost spit her coffee out.
Becca laughed, and then grabbed her head. “I don’t want to leave Jake. I love him and I don’t care if he does want this ranch, no matter how many times he says he doesn’t. I really don’t care. I want him.”
“Why would Jake want your ranch?” Emma asked her brow furrowed over her eyes as she peeked over the lip of her cup.
Becca explained the will and how she’d suspected Jake of trying to run her off so he could bid on the ranch. The look of surprise on Emma’s face was priceless.
“Are you serious? Jake doesn’t need this ranch. He has enough to worry about at his own ranch. It would just mean that much more work and men. Other than maybe additional watering rights, he doesn’t have any need for your land. Shoot, Jake already has…” Emma suddenly stopped and glanced away as if she’d said too much already.
“What? Jake has what?” Becca demanded.
Emma shook her head. “More acreage. I think you should ask Jake about that.”
Becca decided that was exactly what she was going to do. Leaving her friends to breakfast, she ran upstairs, and hurried to get dressed. When she came back into the kitchen, she downed a cup of coffee, almost burning her tongue. She hoped it helped with her headache because she was on her way to see Jake and find out the real reason he wanted her land. Becca had to wonder just how much land he had, and what it meant to her property.
She muttered to herself from the time she walked out her door until she pulled up to his barn. Her anger grew until her jaw hurt from clenching it, and her back tightened the closer she got to his land. What hadn’t he told her? If he had more land than her so what, but there must be another reason he was hell bent on getting the ranch. Had he lied to her? She detested liars. After she stopped the SUV near the barn, she had to take several deep breaths to calm herself. Had he made a fool of her? Used her?
She’d accused him of wanting to run her off. Was it possible he was behind the men arrested for taking the horses after all? The entire time she accused him, he’d probably been laughing at her, knowing the truth all along. Why hadn’t he told her why he didn’t want it, if he really didn’t want her ranch? Had he played her for a fool? Becca thought about the way she’d jumped down his throat about it. Even after they slept together, she’d still distrusted him and had felt horrible about it. She should’ve listened to her gut.
Becca stepped from the vehicle and started toward the house when she heard her name called from behind. Turning, she saw Jake coming toward her from the barn. She bit back a groan. He looked so good. Could she be so wrong about him?
Though it was still early in the morning, the sun was high and shining brightly, warming everything it touched. Jake was already filthy from the work he’d put in. She watched as he removed his hat, ran his forearm across his forehead, slapped his hat against his thigh, stirring up dust, and then replaced it on his head. She could see the sweat stains on his shirt and dust covering his jeans and boots. She sighed. He’d never looked sexier. He stopped in front of her and leaned down to kiss her. When she pulled back from him, he frowned.
“Am I too dirty for a hello kiss?” he asked, his frown deepening.
“How much land do you have, Jake?” She folded her arms across her chest, tapped her foot, and waited.
He looked at the ground first, and then lifted his gaze toward the expanse of land stretching for miles beyond the ranch house and barn. Then his eyes came back to rest on her. “I told you all along I didn’t need your ranch.”
“How much?” she growled, her jaw tight making her head ache.
“I have eleven hundred acres.”
“Do you need my land for watering rights then?” she asked with impatience. Somehow, she knew the answer before he answered.
He shook his head.
“Then why do you want my land?”
Putting his hand on his hip, Jake looked her square in the eye. “Becca, I don’t want or need your land. In the beginning, I was willing to do what it took to protect your land because Hattie didn’t want strangers to have it. I told you that.”
“But if you don’t need it, then why didn’t you just say that when I was accusing you of trying to run me off?” Becca asked, her fisted hands settling on her hips as she resisted poking him in the chest. Suddenly it all became clear. “Ah, hell,” she whispered. “I’m the stranger that you and Hattie didn’t want to have it. Is that it?”
“Becca, I didn’t say that.”
“You don’t have to.” Becca heard his words but refused to listen. She’d already spun on her heel and was heading back to her vehicle.
Jake grabbed her by the arm. “We need to talk about this, Red.”
She glared at him. “I don’t think so. Everything is abundantly clear now. You lied to me about everything. Hattie didn’t care about me. She just needed someone to leave the ranch to that was family. She figured I’d never want it and it could go to auction so you could buy it up.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it. I didn’t lie about anything—”
“You did,” she shouted. “Every single time I accused you of doing things to make me leave, you never said a word about my staying and taking on the ranch. You should have said something instead of letting me continue to accuse you, but now I understand why you didn’t. You wanted me to leave so that this stranger didn’t get the ranch.” Becca drew her hands down the front of her body as she ranted.
“I could have said anything, would you have believed me?” he asked softly, his gaze drifting away from her face.
That certainly took the wind out of her sails because he was right. She wouldn’t have. She shook her head in denial. So the truth was clear, he didn’t want her to stay. Everything that had passed between them was a lie. Tears stung the backs of her eyes as the realization that she was in love with a man who wasn’t in love with her set in.
“It wouldn’t have mattered what I said, you’d have thought I was lying. Anytime I said I didn’t want the ranch, you didn’t believe me. Jesus, Becca! You accused me of vandalizing your home. I didn’t know how to convince you I wasn’t interested in Hattie’s land for any reason other than wanting to keep it the way she wanted.” Jake said his eyes boring into hers as tears began to blur his image.
Becca couldn’t say anything, she was about to fall apart.
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter
how much land I have because I don’t need your ranch. I didn’t expect to like you so much, Becca. But I knew no matter how many times I told you I wasn’t trying to make you leave, you wouldn’t believe me.” He shook his head. “I didn’t know how to make you understand that I was interested in you, not the ranch.”
Becca’s throat closed up and tears pooled in her eyes. She didn’t know what to believe anymore. He hadn’t wanted her here, and now he expected her to believe that he did. Raising her chin, she glared up at him.
“We are so over, Stone. Stay away from me, and my ranch,” Becca snapped at him before running to her SUV. Grabbing the door handle, she flung the door open looking back at him one more time. It was killing her but she had to get away from him. She got in, and spun out, throwing gravel everywhere. When she looked in the rearview mirror, she saw Jake standing there with his hands in the air. She saw him curse and slam his hat in the dirt before he watched her drive away.
Becca couldn’t see for the tears in her eyes and soon had to pull over. Sobs shook her body and tears flowed down her cheeks. Jake’s words echoed in her head. Had he really said he was more interested in her than the ranch? What was the truth?
She really was a fool. He was right. She wouldn’t have believed anything he told her and still couldn’t. Once she realized she was in love with him, he should’ve been able to tell her there were no fish in the sea, and she’d have believed him. But oh no, she only heard what she wanted to hear and it was all the wrong things. She’d been the one to make the accusations, and he’d borne them without retribution. Jake didn’t want the ranch and he didn’t need her land, but he wanted her. Shit!
Becca laid her forehead against the steering wheel. What a mess. She could screw up a sex dream with her wild ideas. After checking for traffic, she pulled back onto the road. She was tempted to go back to Jake and apologize but she needed to go home, and have a good cry with Olivia and Emma. She had to think this through before she saw Jake again. She was in love with him, but he hadn’t said anything to her about love. She wanted, no, she needed him to be in love with her And until she was sure he was, Becca had to protect her heart. If she looked into Jake’s beautiful eyes and handsome face right now, she would grovel at his feet for forgiveness.
Jake (Men of Clifton Montana Book 1) Page 14
