“I’m sorry to disturb you and Jake, Miss Melinda. I was just heading back to town when I saw your lights still on. Thought I’d stop to give you the news.”
“What news?”
“The McGivers’ place nearly burnt down tonight, Melinda. If Jesse and the boys hadn’t heard Bill McGiver’s shouts and been nearby to help put out the fire, the whole place would have gone up.”
Melinda sat at the table with the men, and Jesse resumed his seat. “That’s just terrible. That’s the ranch that borders the Winthrop’s place?”
Jake and Jesse exchanged a meaningful look.
“Yep,” Jesse said.
“How did it happen?”
For once, Jesse’s flirtatious manner was conspicuously absent. He answered straightforwardly as Jake poured them both another drink. “It’s downright mysterious, you might say. Bill turns old man Winthrop’s offer down and won’t sell his place, and soon enough he almost doesn’t have a place to sell.”
“You can’t know Winthrop had anything to do with it. He was in town just now when we were there, seemed like he was planning on staying there awhile, have dinner and all. So he wasn’t even around here,” Jake warned.
“Sure he was in town. Got to have an alibi, doesn’t he? And you know he never does his own dirty work. Just seems real convenient, if you ask me. Anyway, Ike’s staying on Bill’s place tonight, just to help in case those real mysterious sparks start up again.” Jesse downed his whiskey and stood up. “I’m heading into town, but I’ll stop back here at the house on my way back tomorrow and let you know if there’s any more word in town about this.”
“It’s awful late to be going into town, Jesse, even for a Saturday night. You’re welcome to stay here, I mean if you don’t mind, Jake.”
Jake smiled and finished his whiskey. “I don’t mind, but I’m sure Jesse has real urgent business in town, don’t you, Jesse?”
Jesse smiled, a little of his humor apparently restored, and donned his hat, tucking the collar of his jean jacket up around his ears to ward off the chill of the October night. “Urgent enough. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As Jake barred the door after him, Melinda lingered. “It sounds like Jesse doesn’t trust Mr. Winthrop.”
“He doesn’t.”
“What do you think?”
“I think Jesse has a hankering for Winthrop’s daughter and that tends to cloud his judgment some.”
“But if he likes Miss Winthrop, why would he want to think ill of her father?”
“Because that father would no more allow a tumbleweed cowboy like Jesse to have a chance with his daughter than he’d allow somebody like Bill McGiver to interfere with his plans for expansion.”
“Well, wouldn’t Regina have something to say about that?”
“She’s a strong-minded miss, I’ll grant you that, but she does what her daddy tells her to.”
“And her daddy tells her to romance you, not Jesse.”
Jake smiled. “I don’t think romance has anything to do with it, Melinda. Anyways, I doubt Winthrop is quite the evil mastermind Jesse gives him credit for being. He’s just a vain old man with a little too much ambition for his own good or his daughter’s. You better get off to bed. I’ll stay up a while. You’ve no need to worry about what happened to McGiver’s place.”
“Of course not. Winthrop likes you.”
With that, she headed to bed. She’d found that, once Ginny was in her cradle, it was safest to stay in her room as well. If she and Jake were alone at night, she got to getting funny ideas. Like thinking about how handsome he looked with his shirt open, his jeans low on his slim hips. Like thinking how it felt to have his long lean body pressed on top of her when she had awakened him that first night. Or how he’d looked at her when she was in her shift that time at the creek. How it would feel if he touched her again. She could hear him moving in the front room as she undressed. As she pulled her nightgown on, she had the most wicked thought. She wondered what Jake would do if she just marched out there to him in the altogether. Would he kiss her, hold her, as he had when he’d been half dreaming? Or was it only somebody like Regina Winthrop, a rich girl like his dead wife, that he could love when he was awake?
Yep, she was just the hired help. And she’d better remember that.
The thought galvanized her somehow, and for the first time since the night she’d heard the grizzly, she ventured out of her room while in her nightclothes. When she went into the front room, heading for the stove, she heard something drop sharply by the fireplace. A glance told her the book Jake had been holding slipped from his hands and he was now out of his easy chair, standing there staring at her. She continued to the kettle.
“I could use some tea, Jake. How about you?” She lit the stove fire. “Jake?”
“Ah…what?”
He’d turned to the mantel piece and was resting one hand on it, his dark head bent to the fire, back to her now. She approached him, making sure she made it at least into his peripheral vision. “I asked whether you’d like some tea.”
“Hadn’t you better get to bed, Melinda?” His voice sounded a little shaky.
“Oh, I don’t know. It’s Saturday night. I guess I was feeling a little restless. How about you? Do you feel restless, Jake?” She put a little more emotion into the question than she’d meant to. Lord knew what she thought she was doing. Surely she didn’t, any more than Jake did by the look of him.
“Yeah, I do. I feel restless. I think I’ll go out for a spell.” He turned away from her, and she caught his arm. The contact was electric. He looked at her hand on his arm but didn’t move away.
“Don’t go.” She wanted to say something that she really didn’t have the nerve to say. Instead, she said, “Couldn’t we sit a while and talk?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Melinda. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”
“It’s Sunday.”
“I mean, the next day. I have a lot of work the next day, and I really should…”
She moved a little closer. “Should what, Jake?”
His green eyes were fastened on hers now. She felt such a tingle she knew she’d die if he didn’t kiss her. He was going to kiss her. She knew he was. She even went a little up on her tiptoes for it.
The shrill of the kettle singing spoiled the moment. He pulled away sharply and headed to the door. “You’d better get that. I’ll see you tomorrow, Melinda.”
And he was gone.
* * * *
Jesse did stop back the next morning, if you could call right about noon morning. He hadn’t heard any more about the fire, but he tickled Ginny under the chin and accepted Melinda’s offer of warm muffins and, just in general, acted more relaxed. Jake seemed to be eying him with some skepticism, and when he was leaving, Melinda heard them through the window.
“You ought to get into town more often, Jake. You seem a bit grumpy.”
“I was just in town yesterday.”
Jesse laughed. “I know. All the girls at Sally’s cooed about how cute you were with that baby in your arms.”
“For Christ sake, I didn’t bring Ginny into Sally’s.”
“I know because that’s what all the ladies were so upset about, that you didn’t make time for them on your trips into town.”
“A mite hard for that with Melinda and Ginny in tow.”
“And Regina Winthrop hanging all over you. I heard about that too.”
“Not much those gals at Sally’s miss, is there? Anyways, you know I’m not interested in Regina.”
“Don’t matter to me, Jake.”
Jesse had mounted his horse and was riding out when she heard Jake mutter, “Sure it don’t. Just keep telling yourself that, Jesse.”
* * * *
It was some days later when Jake finally made it out to the McGivers ranch to talk to Bill about the fire. What he heard wasn’t very reassuring. Bill had sworn there was no way that fire could have started accidentally. He’d been to the sheriff, but with
out any evidence, the sheriff hadn’t been able to do much. Not to mention the sheriff was in Winthrop’s pocket anyways. Everybody knew that. Jake was feeling a little testy about the whole thing as he rode home, but as he dismounted his horse, he heard Melinda, and somehow, he felt just a little better. He smiled. That familiar lyrical laugh was emanating from behind the barn.
Jake headed in that direction, and when he turned the corner, he saw Melinda with that sweet smile, but she was laughing at something Jesse Whelan was saying. Whelan’s back was to Jake, but he was leaning in real close to Melinda, one arm propped up against the barn above her head, his other arm lingering at the side, like he was fixing to put it on her waist.
The surge of fury that shot through Jake was not particularly welcome.
“You got some work to do, Jesse?”
Jesse glanced back at Jake and took his sweet time pushing off the barn wall and turning around to face him. Melinda meanwhile straightened herself and peered at him anxiously.
“I think I heard the baby,” Jake lied.
“Oh? She’s awake already? Poor little thing. She’s teething again, I think. I better be going in then.”
Whelan looked like he was about to do the same, but when Melinda was out of sight, Jake stopped him with a hard hand on his shoulder. They were about the same height, more or less matched in terms of size and heft as well. Whelan was no pushover. That’s why Jake had hired him. But right now, he felt like he could lick the uppity cowboy with one hand tied behind his back, he was so damned mad.
“Keep away from her, Jesse.”
“Melinda?”
“Who the hell do you think I mean?”
“Got me. I’m just getting a mite tired of folks telling me who I got to keep away from. I can’t glance in Regina’s direction without old man Winthrop sending some no-good drifter to try to try to teach me a lesson—”
Jake was momentarily distracted. “You had a run-in with Winthrop?”
“Just one of his henchmen. Didn’t much trouble me, but it got me to thinking. Hell, I keep getting accused of things I ain’t even done when it comes to respectable women. So I just thought maybe I ought to start having a little fun with these respectable women.”
“Not with Melinda you won’t. I don’t know what you got cooking up, but I saw the way you were sidling up to her just now and I’m only going to say this once. She’s not here for your amusement.”
“No? Just yours then?”
The accusation surprised him as much as it infuriated him. Jesse had seemed to respect Melinda, and now he was as much as saying she was Jake’s plaything. What the hell had gotten into him?
“Why, you fucking bastard…” Jake lunged at him in a rage, but Jesse saw it coming and dodged it handily, putting his hands up in a defensive gesture.
“Hold on there, Jake. Don’t get riled at me. I’m just saying what everybody’s thinking.”
“Everybody with a filthy mind!”
“Everybody with eyes in their head, Jake. You stare at that little filly like you could wrap her up and eat her for supper.”
“And you don’t? Leaning into her just now, sweet talking her, making her laugh. You think you could charm her onto a haystack and have a little fun while my baby’s asleep in the house?”
“Don’t bring Ginny into this.”
“Bring her into this? Why can’t I get this through your thick skull, you stupid cowboy? That girl is here to take care of Ginny, nothing more.”
Jesse laughed incredulously, and this time, Jake did catch him off guard, planting a solid left hook that swung the other man’s head back and caused a trickle of blood to leak from his nose. Good, he hoped he’d broken it. Maybe it’d mar those good looks that all the gals at Sally’s were always mooning over. That, God forbid, Melinda was maybe mooning over. At the thought, Jake went to take another swing, but Jesse was ready for him this time and blocked the fist, nearly catching Jake with a blow to the stomach before he jumped back just in time.
“I was just talking to her, you moron! Even doing you a little favor, asking her out to the dance on Saturday. Maybe folks wouldn’t get the wrong idea if she had a beau.”
“You want to be her beau, you tomcat? She’s an innocent girl and you’re a horny, no-good, lying—”
“Look who’s talking! If you haven’t fucked her yet, it can’t be long coming.”
Jake rushed him, knocking him to the dusty ground where they rolled around, a punch getting through each one’s defenses here and there, but they were evenly matched. The bucket of water raining down on them caught them short, though, and they separated, each glaring up at the holder of that now empty bucket.
“I don’t know what you’re fighting about,” Melinda said coldly, more like a schoolmarm now than a young girl. She must’ve honed that tone to a fine degree keeping order over the little ones in that orphanage of hers. “But it’s going to stop this very instant. Jesse, get going. You have work to do.”
Jesse rolled to his feet, spitting out blood and snatching up his hat, which had been dislodged in the scuffle. He donned it coolly. “Ma’am.” Then he sauntered off.
Damn. He should’ve fired that bastard. Jake heaved himself up as well, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt, which came away bloody.
“For goodness sake. Two grown men rolling around on the ground fighting like little boys. What’s gotten into you?”
Jake eyed Melinda sullenly as she put the bucket down.
“And Ginny was not awake yet, by the way. She’s sleeping soundly, as long as this ruckus didn’t wake her up.” She reached a delicate finger to the side of his lip. “You’re bleeding.” He batted her hand away.
“I don’t want to talk about this right now.” Stalking away, he yelled over his shoulder as he went, “You just stay the hell away from Jesse Whelan.”
* * * *
The dinner had been good. It was always good. Melinda was a hell of a cook. Among other things. He heard her behind him, putting the last of the dried dishes into the cupboard as he still sat at the table. He looked at the purple flowers in the jelly glass she’d put in the center of the table, remembering how she and Ginny had smiled when they’d come back from picking them this morning. Ginny was sound asleep now in her cradle in Melinda’s room, and it was just the two of them.
Jake was still mad as hell. Or something.
He pushed his chair out noisily, and Melinda started as he headed towards her. She was empty-handed now. All the dishes had been put away, and even her drying cloth was neatly hanging on the nearby hook. Little Miss Perfect she was.
“Just what the hell were you doing letting Jesse Whelan slobber all over you?” These were practically the first civil words he’d said to her since the barn incident, and they weren’t all that civil.
“Slobber? What do you mean by that? We were just talking. He asked me to the dance on Saturday.”
“He did, did he? Well, you’re sure as hell not going with him.”
“Why not? I don’t see anyone else asking me.”
Was she hinting? For Christ’s sake, he always meant to take her to the dance. Hadn’t that been why he’d told Regina that he couldn’t escort her, because he wanted to bring Melinda and Ginny? But that wasn’t the point here. “You’re not going with Jesse Whelan because he’s a tomcat of the first order. He wouldn’t know what to do with a respectable woman if he sat next to her at church, let alone if he took her to a barn dance. He spends half his wages at Sally’s as it is.’
She gasped. It had just slipped out. Damn, you didn’t mention that kind of thing to a lady. But she surprised him.
“He’s not the only man around here who looks for a little feminine comfort at Sally’s from what I understand.”
His mouth dropped open. Was she implying that he…? Well, hell, of course he did, but not nearly as much as Jesse Whelan. And not since she’d gotten here anyways. That was for sure. Maybe that was what was wrong with him. Maybe he needed a good fuck from an exper
ienced professional.
“In any case, Jesse was the perfect gentleman with me, Jake. It was completely innocent.”
“Innocent?” He thought his head might just blow off. “I’ll tell you, Miss Melinda, you wouldn’t know innocent from lust if the guy brought your soft little hand to his hard…” He stopped just in time. Christ, what was wrong with him?
Melinda’s eyes darted down to his crotch, making it clear she’d known what he was about to say. And damned if that didn’t just become a self-fulfilling prophecy. His cock rose to the occasion at the thought of her soft hand dusting against it. Right. His cock thinking for him again.
She stared straight ahead at him now.
“Just stay away from Jesse Whelan. He wants one thing from you, gal.”
There was a long silence as they stared at each other, and then her eyes dipped down again.
“Looks to be the same thing you want from me.”
Goddamn her. He was sick of fighting this.
“Yeah. The same exact thing.” He closed the distance between them with zero effort. She just stood there, waiting for him, and he swept her into his arms, bending her back, grinding his mouth against those succulent lips. He thrust his tongue into her wet, warm mouth again and again and grabbed her ass, pulling her flush against him so she could see what she did to him. Her hands went helplessly to his shoulders. She wasn’t resisting him. It got through his lust-addled mind, though, that she wasn’t helping much either. He wrenched his lips away and stared down at her misty blue eyes. “Yeah, this is what I want from you. What I’m dying for, girl.” His lips traveled down her soft-as-a-rose-petal neck, and he brought his hand up to her firm breast, greedy with it now. “You let Jesse do this to you?” he mumbled, not even sure what he saying. “You let him touch you?”
It had been the wrong thing to say. She shoved against him violently, and, startled, he let her go. They were both breathing hard.
“No, I don’t let Jesse touch me like that. I’ve never let any man touch me like that. And darned if I’m not a fool for letting a jealous, crazed idiot who doesn’t even know what he wants touch me like that.”
Claire, Angela - Heart of Stone (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 6
