Jordyn and Will worked together, sorting furniture and arranging it in the various rooms. They set up the king-size bed and matching dresser in the master suite and moved the bed he’d been using to the extra room upstairs.
Jordyn’s room got a dresser, a couple of chairs and even a nightstand. She also got more towels for the upstairs bath and extra sheets. She helped carry the boxes of his personal stuff into the master suite, where he could deal with them whenever he found the time. And there were several boxes of kitchen stuff, too, as well as a nice big oak table and chairs for the dining room.
At a little after six, Jordyn took two servings of slow cooker chicken and dumplings across the yard to the Stevaliks. Pia called her a lifesaver and asked if Jordyn and Will might go with them to services at Rust Creek Falls Community Church on Sunday.
“It would be nice,” said Pia, “to get to know our neighbors, to make some friends. And it would be so great if you and Will would introduce us to a few people in the congregation.”
Jordyn reminded her, “Will’s new to town, too.”
“So you think he wouldn’t want to go?”
“How about if I just ask him?” Jordyn did feel a little pang of discomfort at the prospect. Maybe God wouldn’t approve of newlyweds with a Divorce Plan. But then again, God was all about love and forgiveness, and His doors were open to everyone. Jordyn went to church most Sundays, and she wasn’t about to stop going just because her marriage wasn’t everything most people thought it was.
Back at the main house, Will had the table set. They sat down, and she asked him if he would go to church with her and the Stevaliks that Sunday. He said he would, simple as that.
They ate and then put their dishes in the new dishwasher. Will went out to check on his horses, which had arrived that morning. Jordyn went back across the yard to tell Pia they were on for church on Sunday. She returned to the house and got back to work on the boxes of kitchen stuff.
When Will came inside at nine-thirty, she was putting various gadgets in drawers.
She held up a rotary egg beater, circa 1955, and spun the handle so the beaters whirled. “I think this may be an actual antique.”
He came straight to the counter, whipped the half-empty box she’d been unloading out from under her nose, carried it over and plopped it on top of the dwindling stack of boxes in the corner.
“Will! I’m not finished with that.”
“You are for tonight.”
“But I just want to—”
“Uh-uh. You’ve done more than enough for one day.”
They had made serious progress. The place was actually beginning to look kind of cozy. Yeah, it needed paint inside and out, and the kitchen could use a general upgrade. But still. It was comfortable now. And Jordyn felt some satisfaction that she’d pitched in to help make it so.
Will asked, “How about streaming a movie?”
A movie. That would be nice. Especially if he put his arm around her and let her use him as a pillow. She would cuddle up nice and close. And if she dropped off to sleep, he would carry her upstairs and put her to bed just like last night...
“Jordyn Leigh?” He was still waiting on her answer.
“Oh! Sorry.” She realized she’d been standing there in front of the still-open gadget drawer, staring off into space. She dropped the egg beater in the drawer and shoved it shut with more force than necessary. “You know, I’m kind of tired. I think I’ll just go on upstairs.”
“You sure?” Did he sound disappointed that she wouldn’t stay and hang around with him? Or was that only wishful thinking on her part?
Didn’t matter. Upstairs. She was going upstairs. “Uh, yeah. I could use a good night’s sleep.” She beamed him a huge smile—a smile that felt forced as it spread across her face.
And he knew it was forced. Twin lines formed between his dark brows. “Are you okay?”
“Fine, fine. A little tired is all.”
He was still frowning, but at least he let it go.
She said good-night and went up the stairs and did not allow herself to weaken and go back down.
In the morning he was already outside tending the animals when she got up. She went to work on breakfast and when he came in, they ate.
He was halfway through his eggs and ham, when he suddenly looked up, snared her gaze across the table and asked, “So what’s your plan for today?”
She sipped her coffee. “Finish unpacking the kitchen stuff, maybe get ahead on my homework...”
“How about a picnic?” He gave her that killer smile. “Just you and me. We’ll go on horseback. The Flying C is the prettiest ranch in the Rust Creek Valley, and I want a chance to show you around.”
It sounded like fun. And what kind of dangerous intimacy were they going to get up to on horses in the middle of the day?
She decided not to think too hard about that. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that.”
“Wear something you can swim in. We’ll be mostly following the creek, and it’s going to be hot today. I know of a great little swimming hole with its own waterfall. A swim should cool us off.”
Cool them off. Yeah. She could use a little cooling off when it came to him.
“Er, Jordyn?”
She realized she was staring blankly at nothing again. “Hmm?”
“Bring a swimsuit?”
“Of course. Absolutely. I will.”
* * *
At half past eleven she was mounted on Darlin’, Will’s dappled gray mare, with a plain lunch of sandwiches and fruit packed up in the saddlebags, wearing her swimsuit under her clothes. Will led the way on Shady, his favorite black gelding.
They circled the stock pond as several Black Angus heifers watched them from the ridge above. A curious steer tagged after them for a mile or so as they left the pond to follow the meandering ribbon of Badger Creek. At first, they rode in rolling grassland, staying beyond the stands of trees that lined the water’s edge. The sun was warm on her back—a little too warm. Even after she tucked her hair up under her hat to let the wind cool her neck, she had a dew of moisture on her upper lip, and her shirt clung beneath her arms.
After a while they began to climb, following the general path of the creek up a steepening grade. Will led the way, taking them closer to creekside under the willows and cottonwoods. It was still hot, but at least the trees provided a little shade.
Ahead, she could hear a low, continuous roar. “I think I hear that waterfall of yours,” she called.
He waved a hand, signaling her forward, and she moved up to ride beside him. As they wound through the trees, he said, “It’s just up ahead...”
“I could use a swim.”
His mouth curled up beneath the brim of his hat. “Me, too.”
The sound of the water grew louder. They rounded the next bend, and he guided them off the trail, through the trees to the water’s edge.
“Here we are.” He sounded pleased.
And he should be. The waterfall splashed down the giant black rocks on the other side into a clear green pool. “It’s beautiful.”
He looked so pleased with himself. “I kinda thought you might like it.”
They hobbled the horses and drank from their canteens. Then they spread a saddle blanket on the bank and stripped down—she to her Hawaiian-print two-piece, Will to his Wranglers.
He hit the water at a run.
She was right behind him, diving in, ducking her head under, letting out a shout when she surfaced. “It’s cold!”
He laughed. “Come on...” He struck out for the black rocks on the other bank.
She swam after him, following him to a spot where they could climb out of the water and up the slippery rocks. He started upward, careful of his footing. She came after him, putting her feet and hands where he put
his. Twice she squealed when her foot slipped.
He stopped and grinned back at her both times. “You need help?”
“Are you kidding? I know what I’m doing.”
He only shook his head and kept climbing. At the top, he boosted himself to the ledge of black rock and held his hand down to her. She almost huffed at him that she could do it herself—because old habits die hard, and she’d spent what seemed like all of her childhood telling Will Clifton that he wasn’t the boss of her, and she didn’t need his help.
But then she couldn’t help chuckling at her own childishness. She reached up, and he curled his strong fingers around hers. He gave a tug, rising to his feet, and up she went, landing on the ledge beside him, laughing some more as she stumbled a little.
He wrapped her in his big arms to steady her. “Careful—and what’s so funny?”
She gazed up into those eyes—pale blue rimmed in a blue so deep—and suddenly, it wasn’t funny. Nothing was funny. His wet, slicked-back hair gleamed blue-black, and beads of water glistened on the fine, sculpted angles of his handsome face, on the powerful musculature of his broad shoulders and deep chest. She wanted to stand there for at least a century or two, caught in that shaft of warm sunlight that streamed through a gap in the trees, with his hard, wet arms around her.
“Jordyn?”
“Hmm?”
“You’re doing it again.”
“Um, doing what?”
“Staring. Not hearing me when I speak to you. A million miles away...”
“No,” she heard herself say softly. “Really. I’m right here.” She stared at his mouth, acutely aware that if she kissed him now, there was absolutely no way she could excuse the move as a PDA. No one was watching—well, maybe the horses, but they sure didn’t care. If she kissed him, it would be a real kiss. It would be because she wanted to kiss him—and she did.
She wanted that, a lot.
Vague memories of last Saturday night seemed to swirl in the air between them. Was it only a week ago, when they danced in the park under the moon, when they stood together in front of the judge?
Was it only last Sunday that she woke up wearing a wedding ring?
“Jordyn?” His mouth, somehow, seemed to get even softer, fuller than before, creating a sharper contrast to the rest of him, to the sexy dark stubble on his cheeks and jaw, to all those lean, honed muscles, those strong arms wrapped around her nice and tight.
And why did he always have to smell so good? That really wasn’t fair.
Again, he asked, “Jordyn?”
And that time, she remembered to answer. “Will.” She said it very softly, like a secret. Or a prayer. And she reached up, sliding her open hand over his beautiful, hard, wet chest, curling her fingers around the back of his strong neck, brushing the blunt, wet ends of his black hair. “Will...”
He answered her in a rough whisper, “Jordyn.”
And his mouth came down to meet hers.
Chapter Nine
Will covered her sweet, tempting lips with his.
Perfect, those lips of hers. Just as they’d been the other night, when she’d kissed him in front of his brothers. And at Crawford’s last week, when he’d kissed her for the benefit of those two gossiping ladies.
And last Saturday night, when he’d kissed her just because he wanted to.
Little Jordyn Leigh Cates. Best kisser ever.
He should be over his surprise at how good her lips tasted. But he wasn’t. He had a feeling he might never get over how terrific kissing her felt. Every time it happened, it felt like the first time.
He hoped it happened a lot in these few weeks they had together, whether he ought to be hoping that or not.
Her slim body felt just right in his arms. And best of all, she wasn’t pulling away—even though they had no audience to play newlyweds for. She was kissing him back. His wet jeans got tighter as those fine lips parted and she let him in for a deeper taste. So damn sweet.
And his.
His wife.
Yeah, okay. Only temporarily.
But maybe not. Maybe more than kissing had happened Saturday night. And if it had, just maybe, she was going to have his baby.
And if there was a baby coming, well, they’d already agreed that they would stay together, work it out, the two of them, as a married couple.
Okay, maybe a baby wasn’t all that likely, no matter what they’d done Saturday night.
But so what?
Right now life was good. He was still kissing her. And she was definitely into it.
He let his hands roam the silky, wet skin of her back. Her firm little breasts felt so good pressing into his chest—even with her swimsuit top in the way. The scent of her filled his head. Ripe peaches, spring rain. She made him dizzy in the best possible way.
He tottered on the ledge. “Whoa,” he growled against her parted lips. “Come on down...”
She sighed, her breath warm and sweet across his cheek. “You mean, before we fall down?”
“Yes, I do.” He covered her mouth again and drank her in, nipping at her lower lip then soothing it with a slow glide of his tongue. As he kissed her, he bent his legs and carried her down with him, turning her and settling her across his thighs on the rocky ledge—and trying not to groan as his soggy jeans pinched his groin.
She leaned back on his cradling arm and touched his cheek with her fingers, stroking so lightly. “We shouldn’t be doing this...”
He caught her index finger between his lips, teased it with his tongue and reluctantly let it go. “Shh. It’s okay. We’re just...”
“What?” Big trusting eyes held his. “We’re just what?”
“Fooling around a little.” He brushed his hand down her arm, loving the silky feel of her skin beneath his palm. “No harm done...”
She made a sweet humming sound low in her throat and touched his face again, fingertips skimming the scruff on his cheeks. “You’re sure about that?”
“Of course I’m sure.” He sounded so confident. What a joke. He should tell her the truth, admit that he wasn’t sure about anything.
Not since last Saturday night.
His jeans were tight and getting tighter. But so what?
He was only going to kiss her and hold her a little. And there really was no harm in that. It was nothing they hadn’t done before.
“Will...”
By way of an answer, he captured her upturned mouth for another kiss, a long one. She stiffened at first—but then she gave in and kissed him back.
When he finally lifted his lips from hers, she cuddled against him and tucked her head under his chin. Shyly, she told him, “You’re a really good kisser, Will.”
“I was just thinking the same thing about you.”
She giggled, an adorable, delighted little sound. “No. Seriously.”
“Yeah. Seriously.” He gathered the dripping coils of her long hair and wrapped them around his hand. “I think we’ve got chemistry, Jordyn Leigh.”
She looked up at him, all big eyes and soft just-kissed lips. “I think so, too. And I mean, who would ever have guessed? You and me, like this, together? You were always such a pain in the butt.”
He kissed her, a quick one. “You don’t mean that.”
“Oh, yes, I do. And all the girls would talk about you, about how hot you are. And I was always like, ‘Oh, I know, he’s really handsome, sure, and he can be so charming when he wants to be and what girl in her right mind doesn’t love a cowboy? But you don’t know him like I do...’”
He answered carefully, “I think I’m going to focus on the part about how you think I’m handsome and charming.”
“Yeah, right. You do that.” She dipped her head beneath his chin again.
With slow care, he uncoiled
her hair from around his palm. “Hey.”
“Hmm?”
“Look at me.”
“No.”
“Come on...”
“Uh-uh.”
“Uh-huh.”
And she gave in and glanced up.
He was ready for her. He swooped in and captured her lips again. This time she gasped a little against his mouth. He drank in that startled sound and went on kissing her, taking his time.
A long time...
By the end of that kiss, he was aching to do a lot more than kiss her.
She leaned back in his arms and stared up at him, lips cherry red, cheeks slightly flushed. “We probably should cut this out, huh?”
Cutting it out was the last thing he wanted to do. But he knew she was right. “Yes, I think we should.” And he made himself follow through, gently scooping her up in his arms and setting her on the ledge beside him. “There.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder. For a while they were silent together. Finally, she said, “It’s nice here—the falls, the swimming hole, this spot in the sun.”
“I thought you’d like it.” He captured her hand and wove his fingers with hers. “Come on.” He gathered his legs beneath him and stood. She rose with him. “Let’s ride down the falls.”
Carefully, they made their way across the slippery rocks, over to where the water poured free of the wide ledge, falling in a white, foaming spray into the pool below.
“You first,” he offered.
She didn’t even hesitate, just let go of his hand and picked her way through the rushing water to the middle of the stream. Once she got there, she sat down—and slid off the edge.
Holding her arms high, she squealed as she fell, landing butt first in the pool below, sinking under the surface, pink-painted toes last—and then shooting up out of the churning water with a loud, “Whoa! What a ride!”
He waited until she cleared the waterfall, all that gold hair streaming behind her. Then he made his way across the swift current to follow her down. They climbed the rocks twice more and rode the waterfall into the pool below.
The Maverick's Accidental Bride (Montana Mavericks: What Happened At The Wedding Book 1) (Contemporary Cowboy Romance) Page 12
