by Jeannie Moon
“Drastic?” That could mean a lot of things, but if there was one thing she knew about her hometown, it was that everyone would find a way to pitch in. “You know, somehow the money will be found. The people here are not going to let the project die.”
“I hope you’re right.” Jonah was solemn. It was obvious he had a lot invested in the getting the house up and running.
Turning corners without thought, it wasn’t long before they were on their way out of town and headed to her parents’ place. They lived in a vintage Victorian farmhouse about a mile out of town. The big old house sat on five acres of land, and like most people who had a little property, they kept a few horses, including one that was foaled at the Clarks’ ranch.
The Clarks were known in the valley for raising the best quarter horses in a 500-mile radius, and while Jonah was always passionate about the breeding program, like the rest of his family, his heart was in the mountains.
She guessed the call of home was stronger than piloting a helicopter in a war zone.
There was a lot to find out about Jonah Clark and she had a whole year to do it.
Chapter Two
The Andersen house was one of Jonah’s favorite places to hang out when he was growing up. It came with everything a boy could want: a creepy basement, a haunted attic, a treehouse, and like his house, horses and dogs.
Pulling up, he saw Keely’s mother sweeping a dusting of snow off the back steps. As soon as his truck stopped, Keely jumped out and threw herself into her mother’s arms.
Beth Andersen was his kindergarten teacher, but now she was the librarian at the elementary school and there was a rumor going around that she was thinking about retiring. He couldn’t imagine that school without her.
Getting out of his truck, he stood back and watched mother and daughter gush over each other. It was nice. He didn’t have sisters and often wondered what it was like for his mother, having five sons and no daughters.
“Jonah! Thank you so much for bringing my girl home.”
Accepting her hug, he saw Keely smiling. The girl got prettier by the minute.
“Happy to do it, Miz Andersen. Couldn’t leave her out there on the highway.”
“It’s so good to see you! You’ve been back home for a while, why haven’t you come around?”
That was a good question. Back in college he’d come around sometimes, even if Gabe wasn’t home. The quiet at the Andersen place was a nice change from the constant activity at the ranch. “My apologies. I’ll try to get out here to see you more.”
“Hmm,” she said patting his cheek. “You’d better. Now come on in. I have chicken ready to eat as soon as Tom gets home.”
“Oh… ah…”
She gave Jonah her best teacher stare, and just like when he was a kid, the matter was settled. “Thank you. I’d like that.”
“Turn your horse out in the paddock by the house. Toss him a flake of hay.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Once Mrs. Andersen was inside, Keely laughed. “Why did you even try to say no? There wasn’t a chance she was letting you get away.”
He liked to think he was an adult and could make his own choices, but even he had to laugh. “Yeah, I know. It was nice of her to ask. And I should at least get a meal for getting your sorry butt off the highway.”
Keely squinted as he led his horse off the trailer. She didn’t say anything, but gave him a good once-over before throwing her duffle over her shoulder and heading inside. The woman was as attractive from the back as she was from the front, and he enjoyed watching as her curvy behind went seductively from one side to the other. Everything about her contradicted the memory of the awkward girl who couldn’t utter a sentence without falling all over her words.
Growing up agreed with her, and as much as Jonah wanted to get to know grown-up Keely, he’d have to make a point to steer clear of her as much as possible. For an entire fucking year. He’d always been a big brother by association, and right now, he was going to go to hell for the thoughts he was having.
It was going to be a long-ass year.
*
Some things didn’t change. In all the years she’d been away, Jonah had never been far from her thoughts and it killed her to see that he still had the same effect on her after all this time. A wink, a nod, a long look, and her insides turned to goo.
She was a scientist. She was well educated. A professional. But her high school crush still turned her inside out. It was a cruel joke from the universe, especially since she had no idea what to do about it. Jonah was like a member of the family. He and Gabe weren’t as close as they used to be, but they had a long history together. As did she.
Getting back into town, seeing her parents, was nerve wracking enough. Now she just wanted to lock herself inside her room and wait for him to leave. Talk about a flashback. That’s how she used to feel when he was here hanging out with Gabe. Maybe things hadn’t changed all that much.
The feeling melted away when she stepped onto the back porch and caught the view that had drawn her back. The waning sun turned the horse pasture a brilliant gold as the light reflected off the mountains and spilled into the valley. There was no more beautiful place on this earth than her own backyard, and she’d missed it more than she could ever put into words. Snow had melted enough that she could see the frame of her mother’s kitchen garden. In a few months, it would be filled with herbs, lettuce, and tomatoes and beans would be creeping up the frames.
Keely remembered choosing plants at the nursery or growing seedlings in a bright window. Digging in the dirt as soon as the ground thawed was an all-day event, and now that she was back, she looked forward to spending some off time doing simple chores rather than traveling to her next study.
Stepping inside, the kitchen provided its own memories, and it was mostly unchanged. Rich wood finishes contrasted against the soft green walls. There were new appliances though, and the stainless steel looked a little out of place next to the vintage-look cabinets.
But it was still home, and it smelled sweet and savory like her mother’s cooking. Keely felt like she’d been wrapped in a warm hug.
“Well, you must have been surprised to see Jonah,” her mother said while stirring something on the stove. “Rescued again?”
“I guess. It was nice I didn’t have to wait for Dad to get out there. He tends to take his sweet time.”
“Oh, he still wouldn’t be there.” Her mother wiped her hands on a towel and looked out the back door, her eyes lingering on the man by the paddock. “He’s grown up nice, hasn’t he? Good man, that Jonah.”
“Yes. He is.”
“Handsome. In a… I don’t know… dangerous way. Don’t you think?”
Dangerous to her heart, maybe. His blue eyes alone were lethal, but Keely wasn’t going to let the conversation go any further. There was no need to linger over Jonah’s good looks. “I’m going to take my bag upstairs. I’ll be down in a minute.”
“Keely?” Her mother walked to her in the kitchen doorway. “I’m glad you’re home. The place hasn’t been the same without you and your brother.”
Her mother hugged her hard, again, and Keely felt all the tension and anxiety melt away. It was the hug that always told her everything would be okay. That maybe she wouldn’t feel like she was being put back in her bubble. “Thanks, Mom.”
“I’m just glad you made it safe and sound. I always worry about you, you know that.”
So much for hoping. “How is Gabe? I haven’t heard from him in months.”
“Okay, I suppose. He works too much. Flits around LA with one model or another on his arm. But he does call every week, so there’s that.”
Keely did not call every week. “Sounds like he’s living the life.”
“My absentee children.”
Keely was about to say something, but decided to let her mother’s comment go and just accept the fact that her parents loved her. She was also going to get her tail out of the line of fire. “I’ll be down i
n a few minutes. I want to drop my stuff.”
As she made her way through the house, she noticed it had some new furniture, and a new rug, but otherwise nothing much had changed. The walk upstairs brought her past family photos going back several generations. It was her history, her legacy.
Her mother was the first of her family and the only one of her eight brothers and sisters to go to college. For her, education was everything. Keely and Gabe were encouraged to try new things, but Keely was extra competitive. Pushing herself to learn, and never stop.
Dropping her duffle on her bed, she sat down and thought about what coming back to Marietta meant. There would be a million questions about her work. Questions about whether some big corporation was going to try to damage the land. Questions about the dead volcanoes. There would also be curiosity because she’d always been that. A curiosity. The brainy girl who studied the insides of the earth.
There were heavy footfalls on the stairs and a light tapping on her door. Her dad, maybe? “Come in?”
Nope. Jonah stepped in her room with two large plastic totes that he’d retrieved from the back of her truck. “Where do you want these?”
“Oh, uh…” Keely lost all her words as she took him in. His biceps were flexed holding the heavy totes, and she could see an armband tattoo peeking out from beneath the sleeve of his charcoal gray t-shirt, with the word ARMY pulled tight across his broad chest. His baby blues were locked on her and she was afraid to breathe.
“Keely?”
“Oh, sorry. The room through here is going to be my office.” She pointed to the door behind her. “Mom said she emptied out Gabe’s old room, so you can just put everything in there.”
She opened the door for Jonah, and wondered if there had been some kind of mistake. The room wasn’t empty. Not by a long shot. The walls were painted a buttery yellow and the trim was a polished bright white. The floors had been varnished to a shine, and there was a huge desk unit that ran along one wall and then angled into the middle of the room. Custom bookshelves lined the wall opposite the desk, finishing the space.
“Holy crap,” she whispered.
“Where would you like these, professor?” Jonah grinned and watched her survey the space.
“Oh. By the bookcases is good. Thanks.” She held her hand to her chest, trying to find the words she needed. The room was beautiful. It was just the kind of thing her mother and father would do to make her feel at home. “I didn’t expect this. The room needed cleaning up, but it was perfectly fine. I could have made good use of it as it was. But this…”
“Your folks wanted to welcome you back. My mother did the same thing for me.”
“How so?” It helped to ask questions, she’d be less likely to be overcome with emotion.
“I knew I’d come back here, even though I had job offers all over the country. But when search and rescue needed a helicopter pilot, it was my lucky day. Anyway, my parents have six small houses on the ranch—log cabins—and I claimed one for myself.”
“That’s nice. You’re home without being home.”
“Pretty much, but my ma and dad redid the cabin for me. It’s simple, just a living space, a kitchen, a bedroom and a bath. It has a couple of nice porches—front and back—to sit on. But they renovated it all—the bathroom, kitchen, floors, all new furniture. Even the stone fireplace got a makeover. It made them happy to help me settle in. And it felt nice. It sure beats the quarters I had in Afghanistan.”
“Your place sounds perfect.”
“Come out to the ranch sometime. I’ll show it to you.”
They both dropped into dead silence at his proposal, knowing how it sounded. “Sure. If I’m out that way. You can show me around that famous ranch.”
Good recovery, she thought.
“Yeah. Right. Let me go get your other boxes. You’re going to have some unpacking to do.”
He turned to leave and she dropped her hand on his arm. “Thank you. I know this messed up your plans.”
“Eh. I can go tomorrow.” The warmth of his skin crept through her.
“Really, I am appreciative. Of everything.”
“No problem. I’m glad I could help.”
“Right. I’m going to help my mom. I have no idea when my dad will be home, so if you really don’t want to stay, don’t feel you have to.”
He stepped into her space. Close. The warmth radiated off his big body, and Keely suddenly felt like the vulnerable teenager she used to be.
“Trying to get rid of me?” She couldn’t tell if he was teasing her or if this was how he flirted. It felt like flirting, but she couldn’t be sure. God, she wanted to touch him. To bury her face in his chest and just let his scent seep into her.
Instead she shuffled back, and met his gaze with her own. The corner of his mouth ticked up.
“Still haven’t given up your glasses, huh?” he said, tapping the earpiece near her temple.
“I have contacts. I don’t like wearing them.”
“I guess it works for you nerdy academic types.”
He was trying to be funny, but the description felt like a jab. A small one, but still a jab. It stung to know that’s how she was viewed. Sure, she was a scientist. A damn good one. She just wished someone would see her as a woman. She hadn’t been seriously kissed in a good five years. Not that she expected Jonah to kiss her, but wouldn’t it be lovely if he did?
It was a nice thought, but miracles like that didn’t happen to Keely.
Ever.
“So, you’re writing your dissertation?” He walked to one of the tall windows. Leaning his shoulder into the frame, he looked out.
“Yes. I have preliminary work done. My outline has been approved. So now I have to spend the next eight months gathering data. I’m going to start marking places where I can set my sensors over the next few weeks. I’ll let you know when, if you want to take a hike with me.”
She’d just asked him out. Kind of. Jesus. He made her nuts.
“That sounds like something I’d be into. I don’t know how much of it I’ll understand, but I’m down with that if you want some company.”
“Nothing to understand, especially until the ground thaws.”
“If you want me tagging along, I wouldn’t mind.”
“Well, umm, I shouldn’t go hiking alone. A friend of mine told me that.” Remembering when he rescued her made her shudder. She’d never forget how scared she’d been, or how safe he’d made her feel.
“Smart friend.”
“Keely!” The moment was broken when her mother’s voice traveled from the downstairs as if it were on a wire. “Dad’s home!”
Her heart filled at the thought of seeing her dad. And she didn’t hesitate, bolting out of the room, down the stairs, and right into her father’s big hug right when he walked through the door.
Yeah, it was good to be home.
*
Jonah had never seen anyone move so fast, but the close relationship Keely had with her parents was something he could understand.
He had the same kind of relationship with his parents. Close, caring, and it all came from the love they had for each other. Although it wasn’t all roses. He remembered Keely and her mother squaring off more than a few times when she was a teenager pushing for more independence.
“How is my brilliant girl? I missed you!” Tom Andersen held onto his daughter, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.
“Missed you too, Daddy.”
“Now tell me,” her dad began, “why a woman who climbs into volcanoes and has more schooling that ten average Joes, can’t remember to service her truck?”
“I meant to!” Keely burst out. “I didn’t have time. And it was just one volcano. To see what it was like.”
“You should be shopping for a new truck,” her mother piped in. “That one has been around over twenty years.”
“I like my truck,” she mumbled.
“Your mother’s right,” Jonah said. And he meant it. He’d ridden around with
Gabe in that truck all through high school. He knew how badly it had been abused. “You need a new truck.”
“Jonah, thanks for bringing her home.” Her dad gave Jonah a hearty handshake. “I’m glad she wasn’t on the highway too long.”
“Glad to help out. I’m getting a delicious supper, so I can’t complain.” He winked at her. Crap. Why did he do that? He had to get a hold of himself.
“I noticed your horse out in the paddock,” Mr. Andersen said. Jonah was glad for the change of subject, because he was on the verge of making a fool out of himself. “Come show him off to me. He’s something.”
“Yes, sir. He’s one of the first crosses we’ve bred at the farm. One of our champion sires and a pretty Thoroughbred filly made a nice combination. He’s agile, quick. I’d be happy to let you hop on, if you’d like to take him out.”
“I’ll pass on the ride for now, but I’d love a closer look.”
Jonah was happy to show off his horse. If it got him out of Keely’s orbit, he was all for it.
She glanced over and smiled, and Jonah couldn’t tell if it was for him, or just a smile because she was home and happy. He also didn’t know why it mattered to him.
Chapter Three
It had taken almost a week, but Keely was finally done unpacking boxes and setting up what was going to be her base of operations for the next year. Looking around, the former bedroom made for a nice office, especially since her parents had completely redone the space. The soft yellow glowed when the sun shone in through the four big windows that faced the backfields.
The cool weather made her throw open the windows. Breathing in the clean air and reveling in the breeze was such a nice change from the heat and humidity she’d had to deal with on her last trip to Central America. She’d come to the conclusion that should she ever move south, she’d never have a good hair day ever again.
Sitting cross-legged on the large rug in the middle of the room, Keely closed her eyes and let her mind wander. On one of her trips to the Himalayas, she’d learned to meditate from a monk she’d met on a hike in the foothills. Over the course of several weeks, Keely learned to relax her mind, something she’d never been good at.
