by Anya Nowlan
“Well Miss Maisy, are you hitting on me?” Ethan joked, ducking smoothly as she threw the dishtowel at him.
He caught it and handed it back to Maisy, grinning like a boy who’d gotten into the candy bowl.
“You know as well as I do that I am happily married to Eddie, so you quit your smartmouthing, boy. Tell me now, what is your excuse for still running around like you don’t know how to propose to a good woman, hmm?”
Ethan sighed, raising his hands in surrender. “Fine, fine, Maisy. I have nothing against family. You’re right, I come from a big one so I know the value of one. I guess I just haven’t found the right girl yet. But when I do, you can be sure that I’ll bring her around to get your approval before I stick a ring on her finger,” he said, chuckling.
That deep baritone of his filled the diner and Maisy cocked her head, smirking. “Considering you know every woman around Sweetwater as well as I do, I get the feeling you’re either being too blasé about this all or I’m going to have to send you out of town to find that perfect woman of yours. You don’t see a lot of eligible young women moving to Sweetwater on their own, you know,” Maisy chided, waggling her finger at Ethan.
The werebear sighed, shaking his head as he grinned. What would the town do without people like Maisy, always trying to make sure that the proud Sweetwater name carried on for generations to come?
He was just about to snap back with something at least moderately witty, when his phone buzzed in his jeans’ pocket. Ethan fished it out and frowned, seeing an unknown number. Like Maisy had said, there weren’t a lot of people in Sweetwater that he wasn’t on first name basis with and he certainly never got calls from one.
“This is Ethan,” he said, picking up.
“Hello. I’m Jennifer. Gus Padlake gave me your number. He said you might be available to do some construction work for me?”
Ethan’s brows shot up. If he hadn’t just heard the voice of an angel, he was surely losing his mind. His bear perked up immediately, taking notice of this voice that was both completely unknown to him and, at the same time, sounded like he’d been talking to her all his life and had just been waiting to hear that lovely sing-song voice again.
“Hello?” she asked, sounding a little bit hesitant at his long pause.
“Uh, yes. Of course. I’m available,” Ethan stammered.
Well, hell. Maybe little miracles did happen in Sweetwater after all!
Three
Jennifer
Sitting in the silence created by the busted radio of the shoddy rental Chevy filled Jen’s mind with uneasy thoughts. The Jackson Hole airport was already more than 3 hours behind her and with it the bustling crowds of people, making the silence in the car all but deafening. Her destination was still another good hour away, and the time spent on the road seemed to stretch forever.
The awkward silence had already given the former executive assistant from Phoenix ample time to think and re-think the choices she’d made that led up to this journey. Was buying a run-down property she hadn’t even seen in person all the way up in Wyoming really the way to react to what life had tossed at her?
Then again, what else were you going to do? Just sit in Phoenix and watch your life fall apart around your Valentino pumps?
Though the company she’d worked at for the past half a dozen years had been all but dissolved, she had managed to walk away from the ordeal with a fairly sizable severance package. Maybe purchasing the Wyoming property on a whim wasn’t the best choice, but what was the alternative? Invest the money wisely, as no doubt her mother would have told her to, and continue on with life in scorching Phoenix? There was nothing left for her there.
She scrunched her nose at the less than spectacular memories that Phoenix conjured in her mind. Her last relationship had gone up in smoke right along with her job, making the radical decision to up and move all the more easy. Hell, if nothing else, she could at least hope that the men in Wyoming were better than the ones in Phoenix.
Can’t be worse than Chad, she thought with surprising candidness about her dentist ex.
That giant douchebag’s name made her skin crawl and her body become suddenly convinced that sex would never interest her again. Yeah, she was sort of done with Phoenix men.
Give her some men in plaid and with a nice twang – she was all ready for that. No more monkeys in suits and guys with comb overs for her, no way. It was lumberjacks or nothing at all. Jen grinned at that thought, snickering to herself. All her Phoenix friends – especially Felicia – would have been rolling their eyes so hard at her if she’d said it in their posh presence.
Fuck Felicia, she thought, an emotion that had been very common for Jen lately.
A commanding chime from the in-car GPS made Jen realize that her uneasy thoughts had almost made her miss the exit. She shook her head.
“Get your mind straight, Jen,” she said to herself, breaking the silence in the car. She took the exit off the highway. Hearing a voice for the first time in hours somewhat reassured her, even if that voice was her own. “Too late for second-guessing yourself now,” she muttered under her breath.
Her one-sided conversation was broken by the GPS chiming once more. She turned onto a gravel road and smiled to herself hopefully – her journey was nearing its destination. Jen turned her thoughts to a call she’d had with Ethan, the owner of a small construction company, trying to focus on the future instead of the past. The company had been recommended to her by the seller of the house.
Since Jen was quite aware that the house she bought would need repairs of no minor sort, and being as organized and orderly as she was, she’d also asked the seller for recommendations. Ethan’s name came from the seller with no hesitation. A trustworthy local man, running a reputable business – sounded good. And it would have to do, since Jen knew no one from the area.
When setting up the meeting with Ethan, his baritone had sounded gruff and firm, yet reassuring and pleasing to the ear. Also, as Jen was set to arrive rather late and the meeting with Ethan was arranged for the morning after, she figured he’d be the first local she’d meet. Somehow that filled Jen with anticipation. She was anxious to find out whether the owner of the gruff and firm voice would also be all that in person. Her ponderous thoughts as to why she was so giddy to meet a Wyoming construction worker were interrupted by the fact that she had arrived.
Focus on the house and the new life, Jen, not the mess you could get yourself into, she chided herself.
A two-story wooden house with a wide driveway came into view after the last curve in the road. Jen stopped the car and turned off the ignition with a sigh of relief. She got out of the little hatchback and stretched her back and shoulders, only now realizing how tired she was from the flight and drive to her new home.
Jen took her first longer look at what she had gotten herself into. The house had once been a shade of light blue, as one could judge from the peeling flakes of paint on the wooden façade. Once-white posts and railings lined the porch. The late June sun hadn’t set yet and there was still ample time to unpack, so Jen took it upon herself to inspect the property that was to become her new home. As agreed with the seller, she found the key under the flowerpot near the front door. Jen unlocked the door and pulled it open. With some hesitation in her step, she carefully entered the house. The air was dry and dusty.
“Good thing too, at least I won’t have to worry about mold eating away at my house,” she said to herself, her words echoing in the empty hallways.
She snorted to herself. Not that she knew anything about mold, but that was what people said, right? That’s what they felt when they jumped head-first into some such nonsense like leaving behind everything they held dear and just moving to the middle of nowhere. Room after room, the overall appearance was the same – whatever furniture remained had been draped with plastic covers and everything was coated with a fairly thick layer of dust.
The windows had seen their last wash a good few presidential terms ago and only di
mmed rays of the setting sun were getting through. The wooden floors and fixtures needed repairs here and there, yet the overall condition was pretty much as the seller had described and what she could see from the few pictures. There would be work to be done, and a good amount of it, but the property was overall in a completely agreeable condition. With some effort, Jen could see it being made into a cozy home.
But for who? Just you? Better get a dog… Jen mused darkly, smirking to herself.
She’d never thought that she’d be one of those women buying a house alone in the middle of nowhere. Life had a way of throwing a wrench into otherwise solid plans. By now, she’d planned to be married and well on her way to filling a house with the pitter-patter of little feet. And here she was, looking at the carcass of what could once be a home, but was now just a house. A house she had no one but herself to share with.
Satisfied with her findings, if a bit gloomy because of her unwelcome train of thought, Jen walked back to the car to get her luggage. In the excitement of inspecting her house, she had barely noticed she’d worked up a sweat. Being from Arizona meant she’d gotten used to the heat, but lugging her suitcases up the steps and into the house still got a few glistening beads of sweat to run down Jen’s neck. She thanked herself for being the sensible dresser she was, wearing a comfortable t-shirt and blue jeans – a far cry from her former office attire of a button-down blouse and pencil skirt.
Won’t be needing those around here… Now that thought she liked a whole lot more.
During the mess that had been her travels, she’d completely neglected the fact that she had neither packed a lunch nor gotten anything to eat during her drive. With her last meal being the dry tasteless chicken on the flight from Arizona, Jen felt a rumble in her stomach. Apparently her sensible planning wasn’t as all-encompassing as she would have liked. The sun had already set so she figured that she’d at least get a good night’s sleep and get an early start the next morning.
She slipped the plastic cover off the bed in the upstairs master bedroom and gave it a scrutinizing look. The sheets had protected it from the dust and the sufficiently dry air had kept it in better shape than expected – it’d do just fine for the night. She made a mental note to get a new mattress as soon as possible, though. Jen changed the sheets with the set she had packed along just in case and slipped into a silky black negligee. It slid over her curves, giving her a taste of the luxury of her big downtown apartment she’d left back in Phoenix.
Getting under the covers, she figured that hunger and the feeling of being in an unfamiliar setting would prevent her from falling asleep. She felt anxious, yet somewhat elated for what the following day would have in store for her. She hoped that she would find her happiness in Wyoming. And maybe someone or something else? The house needed to become a home, after all. A giddy smile slipped across her lips, wiped away just as quickly by a yawn. The length of the trip had taken its toll and just minutes later she felt the soothing waves of sleep come to claim her.
It can only get better from here.
Four
Jennifer
She was startled awake by a voice hollering from downstairs.
“Jennifer Howell? Anyone here?”
There was something familiar about that tone. Still dizzy from her sleep, Jen rose from her bed and threw on the robe she had left next to her on the bed the evening before. Instead of getting up early to prepare for the workman’s arrival, she’d overslept.
Great.
“Coming!” she exclaimed, rushing downstairs. “I’m so sorry! I must have slept through the alarm and didn’t hear you pull up,“ she explained drowsily, walking carefully down the dusty stairs.
She nearly tripped as she reached far enough to catch sight of whoever was calling for her. She managed to regain composure at the last moment, clinging to the balustrade like a kid unsure of whether she wanted to slide down or fall down. She settled for clambering back to her feet with all the dignity and grace of a toddler.
Before her stood – or more like towered – a broad-shouldered hunk of a man sporting a red flannel shirt, worn blue jeans and fairly short raven black hair. His blue eyes wore a look of quiet bemusement, watching her fumble over her words and her feet. Despite being dressed in practical workman attire, his mouthwatering body was immediately obvious, muscles bulging beneath his shirt and jeans.
For some reason, she thought of granite when she looked at him – hard and unyielding. Nothing like the soft men of Phoenix, Arizona. He seemed to consider her with equal interest, though she had to wonder if it was for the same reasons as her or because she’d just made a bit of a fool of herself by almost tumbling down the stairs.
As she struggled to find her tongue again, still not entirely awake from her sleep, he broke the lingering silence.
“Hey there, Miss. I’m Ethan Grimpaw, we talked on the phone. Sorry for barging in like this, I saw the car out front, knocked, but there was no reply and the door was unlocked. We were supposed to meet at eight.”
“No, no, my bad,” she said sheepishly, trying to figure out whether maybe she was still dreaming or if the man that was to work on her new home was everything and more she’d imagined him to be. “I’ll just be a minute, I need to put on something… uh, less comfortable,” she continued, her morning robe billowing in the slight breeze coming from the open door.
“I didn’t mind the view,” Ethan replied with a chuckle, bringing a blush to Jen’s cheeks.
Jen hurried back up the stairs, looking over her shoulder before reaching the second floor.
Damn. Wyoming knows how to raise the right kind of men. And was he… flirting with me?
True to her words, she was back downstairs minutes later, fully dressed and far more awake and composed. Though, it still took some self-control to keep from blushing around him when he gave her a long appreciative look. She could just see him imagining her in her tiny little nightgown again and, to her own surprise, she didn’t particularly mind him having that visual of her.
“I believe I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Jennifer Howell,” she said, reaching out her hand in order to shake some of the awkwardness off.
“Ethan,” the man said simply and shook her hand.
Though Jen was no small girl, standing at a decent 5’9”, he towered over her, making her feel positively tiny compared to him. His strong hand fully enveloped hers in a firm, yet careful handshake. A welcoming half-smile adorned his face and his blue eyes kept contact with hers throughout. Jen felt herself going slightly weak in the knees.
I wonder what else his hands are good at, she thought for a moment. Then, Ethan broke the silence once more.
“I wasn’t sure if you had had breakfast and seeing as you’re new in town, I figured you didn’t know that you have to get sandwiches from Maisy’s to really feel like a local. Interested?”
Jen hadn’t realized until then that she was positively famished – her last meal had been on her flight more than sixteen hours ago.
“You’re a lifesaver! I’d love some!” she exclaimed hurriedly, glad to have an excuse to do something other than just ogle at him.
Ethan nodded with a smile and walked back to the big blue Ford F-250 standing next to her dainty rental car in front of the house. Jen couldn’t help but find herself staring at his strong broad shoulders and firm ass as he walked away. Thoughts of how he’d look without those jeans were suddenly prominent enough to even silence the growling in her stomach.
Well, I guess at least you are shaking up the side of him that you’re looking at, she thought with a sigh.
While Ethan was returning with a large paper bag he picked up from the bed of his truck, Jen took a cloth to the chairs and table standing on the porch. She cleaned them and made them presentable enough to have breakfast at, but she quietly added them to her ever-growing list of things to replace. Ethan put the bag on the table and started taking out its contents – wrapped packages and two very large cups.
The smell wafting
from the cups was clearly coffee and the faint, tantalizing aromas of food emanating from the packages made Jen painfully aware of how hungry she actually was. Tracking her gaze, Ethan grinned a country-boy smile, one that would have made any woman glad to jump into his truck and blaze into the sunset.
“I love a girl with a good appetite. Dig in,” he said.
She wasn’t going to argue with that. They bit into their breakfast. The large ham sandwiches tasted divine and the strong black coffee was as crisp as the morning, the sun rising over the mountains surrounding the hilltop Jen’s house was on. As hungry as she was, she was impressed by Ethan’s ability to pack away a meal. The man ravenously tore into his food and took large swigs of coffee. Once again, as if reading her mind, Ethan exclaimed with a wink, “I think I’m going to need all the energy I can get, judging by the way this place looks.”
“You’ve got that right,” Jen agreed with a chuckle.
A while later, they went to inspect the work ahead. Ethan walked in and around the house, giving the structure and components a good hard look and sometimes a squeeze or a push, gauging strength and integrity. Sometimes, he nodded to himself, reminding Jen of a great predator, sizing up its prey and making notes as he went along. Jen followed him silently, not knowing what to say and rather just staying quiet as to not interrupt Ethan. Besides, she didn’t mind the view, so it was all fine by her.
“Well, it’s in better shape than it looks, to be honest. The structure is intact and solid, there’s no water damage and, thankfully, no sign of termites either. Just needs a few of the carrying beams replaced, and that roof is going to give you trouble unless you have it fixed this year. And, well, the whole thing needs a new coat of paint, but I don’t think I need to tell you that.”
