Jake glared at Bill, but the man kept on grinning away in his annoying fashion. Jake didn’t want to admit to anyone, even himself, that Miss Laura Hamilton had turned his insides to mush and nearly made his legs buckle. She’d stood in his living room, her huge green eyes sparkling away at him and she’d looked at him. Not his scar, but him. For a moment he’d felt like the old Jake, the one who’d been so confident and sure. Who’d been happy and carefree. She’d had a feeling about her that made him think of sunshine and flowers and almost made him forget. She’d taken his breath away…….She’d scared him to death!
He’d said some horrible things to her, but fear made him determined to keep her away from him. Something told him that Miss Hamilton was very dangerous to him and to his heart. He wouldn’t risk the pain of heartbreak ever again. Not with her or anyone else. He just didn’t have it in him to trust and love again. Victoria had seen to that.
“You have to let the past go sometime Jake.” Bill came up to him and put his hand on his shoulder, his expression serious for once. “You can’t let one woman colour your view of every other woman or turn you into a bitter lonely man.”
“This isn’t about that,” Jake denied weakly. They both knew he was lying.
Bill sighed sadly. “I really think,” he said softly, “that Kerry may have done you a bigger favour than you think. If you’re so quick to push this woman away, maybe she should stay a while. Maybe there’s something here worth exploring.”
“I’m sending Miss Hamilton back where she belongs because there’s no point in her being here,” Jake insisted. “Not because she bothers me.”
“Sure,” Bill said sarcastically. “If that’s really true, why are you pushing so hard to send her home without even letting her stay one night?”
Jake glared at the challenge Bill threw down. He was not happy. If Kerry asked for Laura to stay, which knowing her she would, he wouldn’t be able to say no without proving Bill right and then he’d never hear the end of it! Jake sighed. He could feel a noose being slowly tightened around his neck and he didn’t like it one bit.
*****
Unseen by anyone, two figures stood in the stable having observed the first meeting and Jakes confrontation with Bill.
“Do you think he will let Laura stay, Lotta?” Flo asked, her round face full of concern.
“I am sure things will work out so Laura will stay the intended three weeks,” Lotta replied confidently.
“I still say we should have left her car as a pumpkin,” Flo sniffed, still very much insulted that Lotta had undone her wonderful work.
Lotta rolled her eyes and tried to hold on to her temper. “How many times do I have to explain that we can’t just do things that mortals will question? What do you think would have happened if Laura had seen the car gone and a pumpkin in its place? She would have called the police thinking the car had been stolen, that’s what!” Lotta answered her own question before Flo could put her bit in. “That’s one complication we don’t need. Trust me, this way works better.”
“But it’s so boring!” Flo complained. “Where’s the excitement and magic in getting someone to talk him round?”
“It’s the way we must do things in today’s world, Flo. You know that! At least we are getting people matched up. It’s not like before when we would drop thoughts in their heads they just ignored. At least we are taking an active role in getting true loves together and giving them a happy ever after.” Lotta smiled, happy with her speech.
Flo huffed, unconvinced. She decided to keep a close eye on things here, in case her interference was needed. After all, Kerry’s happiness hung on things working out with Jake and Laura and she wasn’t about to let her young charge down. Happily, she hugged her round frame in secret. She’d just have to find ways of doing things that Lotta couldn’t interfere with.
Chapter Two
Laura sat at the lovely wooden dressing table, brushing her hair after her shower, feeling much more revived. She took a deep relieved breath. She hadn’t realised how tired she was until she’d glanced out the upstairs window when Kerry had left her in the guest room. For a moment she’d thought she’d seen a pumpkin on the driveway instead of her hire car. She’d never heard of anyone hallucinating with jet lag, but she wasn’t sure anyone would cough to something that weird anyway. Thankfully, it had only been a moment and when she’d looked back, it was her car as normal. Obviously the day’s events had really got to her!
Laughing softly at herself, she glanced around the beautiful airy room she’d been given with appreciation. It was tastefully decorated with wooden floors and a thick soft pink rug beside the double bed with matching pink bedding. There was a wooden night table beside the bed, complete with clock and lamp. A wardrobe, chest of draws and the dressing table completed the room’s furnishings.
She was even more pleased that the room had a small ensuite attached to it, with a toilet, sink and shower. One thing Laura always hated about being in someone else’s home was worrying about using the bathroom if there was only one available.
She tied her hair back in a pony and left the bright cheery room to find Kerry. Heading downstairs, she searched the house until she found a red faced Kerry in the kitchen/diner. It was a beautiful room, full of light the same as the rest of the house. The kitchen itself was a mix of modern and old style, with wooden cabinets and marble work surfaces combining with dishwashers and a big double oven. There was a large table and chairs standing in the other half of the room, facing two double doors that lead out to the wrap around porch. The view outside of the surrounding countryside took her breath away.
She moved over to Kerry’s side, watching as she fought with a large piece of pastry that seemed to resist being rolled out. Bits of it were welded to the countertop and the rolling pin. Huge holes had somehow appeared in various places and it was cracked so badly it looked like a mosaic. Kerry gave a scream of frustration, gathered the pastry back up into a ball and threw more flour onto the work surface, her rolling pin and a good deal over herself.
Spotting Laura, she gave a sheepish grin. “It was supposed to be a great homemade supper of Jake’s favourites to soften him up. I thought I’d still cook it to try and placate him when I tell him you’re staying tonight, but I’m not really a cook.” She held up the sorry looking pastry.
Laura grinned. “Well, currently, you may not placate him, but you will put him in hospital for a while. That could work too!”
They both laughed. “I guess I should have stuck to readymade. I don’t know why I thought cooking from scratch was a good idea! I think it was something Mum always says about the way to a man’s heart.” Kerry rolled her eyes. “I think that only works if you can actually cook. It always looks so easy when someone else is doing it that I thought it would be no problem. How wrong was I? I seem to be making a lot of stupid choices lately.”
“What were you trying to make?” Laura asked, taking the pastry from Kerry and binning it.
“Well, dinner was going to be steak and chips with an apple pie and cream for dessert.”
“Would you be okay if I made it for you?” Laura asked.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Kerry protested.
“You aren’t. I’m offering,” Laura assured her. “Please, I love to cook. It would help me wind down from the day.”
Kerry took off her apron and handed it to Laura. “In that case, please, be my guest.”
Laura slipped on the apron and set to work as Kerry cleaned up the mess she’d made. She riffled through the fresh ingredients in the store cupboards and happily gathered what she needed for the meal. Soon she was digging into the food preparation with a happy contented smile on her face.
“You’ve been awfully good about all this,” Kerry commented after a short while. “I can’t believe you’re not taking my head off as well, for what I’ve done.”
Laura sighed softly as she rolled out the pastry she’d made for the apple pie. “Life is too short to hold grudges,
” she said with a shrug. “Besides, you seem like a good person to me, so I am sure you didn’t mean to cause trouble or hurt for me.”
“I truly didn’t,” Kerry assured her. “I guess I’m just not good at thinking things through properly. I knew Jake would be angry but I thought I could talk him round to at least giving someone a chance. He’s been so angry for such a long time. I want more for him than the life he is leading right now, even if he doesn’t. Can you understand that?”
“Of course. We always want the best for the ones we love,” Laura replied. “But sometimes we can’t force them to do what we think is best, even if we know we’re right. Maybe if you’d talked the idea though with him, he would have eventually come round to your thinking?”
“You don’t know Jake. He is so stubborn. If I’d asked him about this first, he’d have just dug his heels in. I thought it best to just throw him in the deep end and hoped once you were here, he’d just accept it.” Kerry finished cleaning up and stood beside Laura as she was working on the apple filling. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Why did you join the Fairy Tale Match?”
Laura paused a moment, taking a deep breath to gather her thoughts. “I was in a crazy place for a time,” she began. “My mother passed away recently from long term illness. I had been looking after her for the last few years and pretty much that was my whole life. I don’t regret that, not even for a moment, but suddenly she was gone and I was left with a void that I had no idea how to fill.”
Kerry nodded her understanding, her eyes full of sympathy. Laura began to roll out the pastry for the top of the pie as she continued. “I’ve lived in England for years, ever since I was five and my mother moved us back there when things went wrong with my father. In fact, I was born in the USA and have been contemplating moving back here as England now holds some pretty tough memories for me, but I had no idea where or how I would do that. I don’t know anyone here and my father has made it clear he doesn’t want to know me, so I thought it was impossible.”
She placed the finished, decorated pie to the side, as she made a start on the main meal. “Then this advert popped up on my computer one day for The Fairy Tale Match. I don’t know why, but something about it appealed to me and I joined. I’ve always dreamed of a forever love, someone special just for me.” She laughed in embarrassment. “It’s pretty silly, I know.”
Kerry shook her head. “Not to me it isn’t,” she whispered. It was what she dreamed of with Dan. The two women looked at each other and in that moment passed a complete understanding creating a strong and lasting friendship. They both smiled at each other before Laura continued to work on dinner.
“Anyway,” she continued. “I didn’t really expect much but when they got in touch with me and told me they’d found my match and would I come to the USA, well I thought it must be fate. Even if things didn’t work out for me and Jake that maybe I would find somewhere I’d like to put down roots. Somewhere I can be happy again. So here I am! As short lived as it’s turning out to be.”
“I don’t see why that part has to change. It’s my fault things went wrong with Jake, but maybe this doesn’t have to be a wasted trip,” Kerry said earnestly. She thought a moment, then asked “Would you stay the three weeks if you could? You know, check this place out and see if you could call it home? I would love to have you here and really it’s the least I can do. Plus it’s the only way to get both our fees back from the Fairy Tale Match.”
Laura thought a moment. “I would in theory. It is really lovely here and I’ve always wanted to learn to ride a horse. I haven’t seen Willow Creek yet, but it already sounds like more of a community minded place, unlike back home. That’s the kind of place I want to live. It would be a shame not to get to enjoy things here and as you said there’s the love or your money back guarantee. But that’s not really possible now. Your brother’s made it clear he wants me to leave as soon as possible.”
“I don’t know about that,” Kerry smiled tapping her finger against her chin in thought. “This is my home too and if I want you to stay, you can stay. Besides, if we play things right, we could get Jake to agree to you staying without a fuss. Just leave it with me.”
*****
Two hours later Laura and Kerry had their plan and dinner in place. Jake would be due in to wash up any minute and both women were looking at the back door in worried anticipation. Kerry had been astounded how easily even a jet lagged Laura had rustled up the food. She’d made it look easy. The smells had been torturing Kerry for what seemed like forever and her stomach rumbled. They laid the table for four, as Kerry explained that a man called Bill would be joining them. The other workers ate at their own homes or with the guests as an added part of the experience of ranch life, but Bill was more like family.
Finally the back door opened and the two men entered. Jake frowned when he saw Laura. He opened his mouth to say something, but the other man got in first. “You must be Laura,” he smiled as he elbowed Jake out of the way and held his hand out for her to shake.
Laura nodded with a huge smile and took his hand. She liked the man immediately. He had a twinkle in his eye that spoke of a great humour and mischief. “Wow, something smells real good in here,” Bill commented, sniffing the air in appreciation.
“That’s all Laura’s handiwork,” Kerry told him. “She’s worked really hard to provide us with a wonderful home cooked meal, so I don’t want to hear anything from you Jake, about her staying tonight. Whatever you think about what I did, I couldn’t just kick a jet lagged woman out to find her own bed tonight when it’s my fault she’s here.”
“I heartily agree,” Bill inserted smoothly as he settled himself into a chair at the table and grinned in challenge at Jake. “How could you even think of throwing this pretty little girl out into a strange place? Downright cruel if you ask me!”
Jake pursed his lips in annoyance, but held up his hands in defeat. “Fine, she can stay one night!” he snapped and headed for the stairs to take a shower and change clothes.
“Don’t take his gruff attitude to heart, Laura,” Bill said quietly suddenly serious, when the younger man was out of hearing. “He is a good man really. I know it doesn’t look that way to you right now but his bark is much worse than his bite. He’d never really hurt anything or anyone. Soft centred, he is and always has been. As gentle as a lamb under all that bluster.”
“I don’t think he’s going to look much like a gentle lamb when I tell him Laura is staying the three weeks,” Kerry told him quietly. “He’s going to be more like a charging bull! Will you back me up? You can always get him to do what you want!”
“Honey, you’re scheming has caused a whole heap of trouble already. You should have seen that boy in the stable when he came out of the house earlier. He looked ready to self-combust!” Kerry’s face dropped. Bill winked at Laura, the mischievous glint back in his eyes. “Course I’ll back you up. Do that boy good to be rattled. He’s stewed in his own juices for far too long and needs a good deal of bothering!” He laughed his head off as if he’d just told the best joke in the world.
Laura wasn’t sure exactly what Bill meant with his last remark, but didn’t get to ask as Kerry launched herself at him to give him a fierce hug of thanks.
*****
Jake came back to find Bill and Kerry chatting and laughing with Laura as if they’d both known her for years. He tried not to look in her direction, but she pulled his eyes to her as if she was a huge magnet and he was powerless to resist. Her face was flushed with flour smeared all over her cheeks and in her hair where she’d obviously pushed it back with her flour covered hands. Her green eyes sparkled with happiness as she laughed at something Bill had said. She should have looked a mess, but she was breath-taking in a fresh sweet way; a far cry from the perfect beauty Victoria had possessed. She wouldn’t have been caught dead with her hair mussed, let alone flour on any part of her person. She’d been far too proud.
Jake
pushed the thoughts away. He refused to think about Miss Laura Hamilton as anything other than an inconvenient houseguest that would soon be gone. He could get through one lousy night and morning till she left, without disgracing himself or threatening his carefully constructed defences.
He sat down in his seat, ignoring the silence that had fallen upon his arrival. Kerry and Laura brought plates filled with juicy looking steak with a sauce covering it, crisp golden chips and vegetables. It smelt heavenly.
Bill exclaimed in delight as he took a big forkful of food. “Wow, Laura, this is fantastic. I’ve never had steak cooked this good before. What’s that sauce you’ve put with it?”
Laura smiled happily. “It’s my version of a pepper sauce. It’s made with tomatoes, herbs and lots of black pepper which gives it a real kick, as well as other secret ingredients! It’s all my own recipe. It goes great with steak. I’m so glad you like it.”
“I am so glad you cooked. I never imagined you could make something that tastes like this. Are you a chef?” Kerry enthused, tucking into her own plate.
Taking a big cut of steak smothered in the sauce, Jake lifted it to his mouth wondering what all the fuss was about. Food was food as far as he was concerned. But even he couldn’t suppress a small groan of delight at the flavours filling his mouth, his eyes widening in surprise. Wow, this woman could cook! He’d never tasted anything this good.
“No, I’m not a chef,” Laura was saying in response to Kerry’s question. “I currently work in an office, but I always did want to work with food, I just never got the chance. My mother always used to say that I had magic in my hands when it came to food. I always thought she was exaggerating.”
“She wasn’t, I assure you!” Kerry told her. “I can’t wait for dessert!”
“There’s dessert?” Bill asked with a dreamy expression, already almost having wiped his plate clean.
Wild Fire (The Fairy Tale Match Series) Page 3
