“I could get used to this,” she said with a smile.
“I could get used to pampering you.” She was talking more about having him in the kitchen looking sexy rather than being spoiled, but she’d let him believe what he wanted. “Have a seat. Eggs are done.”
Picking her chair, it didn’t really matter where she sat. She hadn’t had a meal sitting at the table since her Grams went into the hospital. It seemed almost surreal as she pulled out a chair and sat down. He’d set the table with the nice china and it made her heart pang. She couldn’t remember the last time they’d used her great grandmother’s plates. A fork was placed beside it neatly along with a tall glass of orange juice. She drank half of it while he divvied out eggs onto each of the plates, heaping hers high until she held up a hand to stop him from putting more on. “I’ll be so full I won’t be able to walk.”
“You need your protein.” He placed the skillet into the sink, pouring a drop of dish soap in it, and then some hot water. He gave it a quick wash and rinse. Not only did he cook, but he also did dishes. Her heart grew three sizes.
“You’ve outdone yourself,” she said once he was seated. “I’ve always loved having breakfast for dinner.”
“It was no trouble at all. When it used to be just me, I lived on eggs. Easy to make for one person.”
“Well, I owe you a big thank you.” She picked up her knife and slathered butter on her toast, then added a large dollop of grape jelly, spreading it from corner to corner. She bit into the crisp bread and it was satisfying. Why didn’t her toast ever taste this good? She didn’t think there was a secret to toasting bread that she was unaware of. Just put it into the toaster and wait until it pops up. The eggs were even better. Their buttery goodness practically melted in her mouth. She was hungrier than she realized as she forked three large bites into her mouth until her cheeks were stuffed. Seeing that he was watching her, she attempted to smile, but it didn’t work.
“I spoke with Ethan again today.” He pushed eggs around his plate, then forked them on top of his slice of toast. “I caught him at Big John’s Tavern.”
“That’s his newest hangout.” She rolled her eyes.
“He had a young woman clinging to him like white on rice. Isn’t that old man Saver’s daughter? Isn’t she barely out of college?”
“Barely. He likes his toys young and tight. I often wondered where I fit in among all the polished and shiny bling.”
“He still loves you,” he said in a soft voice.
The toast in her mouth suddenly went dry and she had to wash it down with a large gulp of juice. “Should I feel sorry for him?”
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
“Then please fill me in because I, for one, don’t think Ethan has a clue what love means, especially when it comes to me.” It wasn’t anything like the love we had, Duff. She slid her finger down the condensation on her glass. Realizing she’d made a heart shape, she quickly swiped it away.
“We don’t have to talk about it now if you don’t want to.”
“What time would be better? I can handle it,”’ she said quietly. “How did he convince you that he’s innocent?”
He regarded her with a sincere expression, his eyes burrowing into her, offering respite from her exhaustion. Oh how she wanted to falter.
“I know there’s a lot of history between the two of you and he’s been an ass, but I don’t think he’s doing this to you.”
“Even though he’s the only one that makes sense?” She flicked up a brow.
“And that’s exactly why.” He leaned back into his chair. “Blake, I’m going to be perfectly honest with you. If Ethan wanted this land, he could have it. You’re living on credit these days and you’re barely making ends meet.”
She blinked back tears. Damn, stop being weak, girl. She used the pointed corner of a toast triangle and pushed around the remainder of her eggs. “I don’t think it would be as satisfying to take my land as me handing it over. He wants to gloat.”
“He wants to expand his property. Just as his father wanted to before him. They’ve been after this property long before you and Ethan were an item.”
She lifted her gaze, holding his, her throat constricting. “You really believe him, don’t you?”
He blew out a long breath through his tight lips. “It’s not about me believing him, Blake. I’m looking at the clues and he would just be too obvious. He’s got an ego the size of Georgia, but he’s not stupid and he’s not going to take a chance of getting thrown behind bars, not when he has enough clout to make things happen the easy way.”
Why did she agree to his point, even though she didn’t want to? Yet, what Duff was saying made perfectly good sense. “Okay, so then who?”
He shrugged. “I know the letter was written with an old typewriter. I remember that Ethan’s mom had one years ago, but when I asked him about it, he didn’t seem to know what happened to it. You don’t see many of those around these days.”
“True.” She studied his amazing eyes, shrugged, then stared at her almost empty plate. “I’m not sure if I should feel good that it isn’t Ethan, or worse because I have someone else attempting to push me off my land.”
He laid his hand on hers and she noticed how large his was compared to hers. He made her feel secure and it was a good feeling. If only she could feel this way forever. She chewed her lower lip. She’d been strong for so long.
“Blake, I promise I’ll figure out who’s doing this. In the meantime, you’re safe. Me and Mike are here. He might look scraggly and his hair is a disheveled mess, but I have a feeling he’s loyal and will be a good companion.”
She looked over her shoulder at the dog who had lifted his ear, but kept his head down and his eyes closed. “This is probably the best sleep he’s had in a long time.”
“The vet treated him for heart worms, gave him all of his shots, and said he looked healthy. He’s just been scrounging for food for a long while.”
“How awful. It’s sweet that you took him in. Not everyone would do that.”
“Couldn’t leave the poor thing on the street.” He finished the last bite of his eggs and toast.
“Do you think I should sell this place?” She waited on edge for his answer. Although in the long run she’d do what was best for everyone, she did respect his opinion.
He brought his head up, confusion marring his masculine features. “I think you could sell the place and make a hefty profit, but would you be happy in the years to come? I imagine eventually you’re going to settle down, have a couple of kids. You need to ask yourself where you’d like to watch them grow up? Here or somewhere else?”
She rolled his words around in her head. “In order to keep this place, I’d need to figure out how to keep us afloat. It seems after I pay the taxes, supply bills, employment, and other odds and ends, I’m left with very little.”
“How did your grandparents manage?”
“Good question. Although it seemed we were always looking for ways to save, they succeeded. Like there was an endless supply of money.” She saw his narrowed expression. “Oh come on, you don’t believe the rumors too, do you?”
He kept his gaze lowered. “I did my research. I haven’t found anything that points to three masked men holding up banks here or in surrounding counties around the time it would have been possible. I have a theory though.”
“You do?”
He shrugged. “Back in the day, your Gramps, Ethan’s dad, and my dad practically ran this town. They were best friends and they all seemed to pay their family’s debt at the same time.”
“They also all married about the same time, but Gramps and Grams had a child right away.”
“You don’t think it’s odd that they paid off the property liens with cash?”
She squinted. “How do you know that?”
“It’s public record.”
“So, if you’ve looked into this, then you must feel that some of the rumor holds true.” She pushed her pl
ate to the side.
“In my research, when the three would have been in their late teens, a known mob boss was found floating in a river a few counties over. The case was never solved. No one understood what he was doing out this far from the city.”
“Duff, do you realize what you’re saying? You’re suggesting that your father and my grandparents are murderers. That’s not possible. As rough and tough as Gramps, Ross, and Ethan’s father had been back in the day, they wouldn’t kill someone.”
“I didn’t say they killed the poor bastard. I’m only stating the facts. Mobsters carry lots of cash. Trust me, I’ve busted my fair amount.”
“I can’t ask my Gramps, but why haven’t you asked Ross?”
He clasped his hands. “How does a son ask his father if he was part of the mob?”
She laughed. “Saying it aloud makes it sound even sillier.”
“I know, pretty silly.”
“So, do you think Gramps buried a treasure somewhere on this land?”
“Just like my father, your Gramps always seemed to have a nest egg that never went dry. It also means that someone believes the rumors as much as I do.”
“Pretty soon we’ll have every Tom, Dick, and Harry shoveling holes on my prop—” She throat tightened.
“What, Blake?”
“Amos.” She touched her trembling lips, trying to wrap her brain around her thoughts. “One evening, I promised that I’d give him part of the loot if he found it. Of course, I was only joking because I didn’t believe it, and I still don’t, but he certainly does. Maybe someone has seen what he’s been doing, digging up holes, and they think that we know the rumors are true.”
“Has anyone else offered to buy this place?”
She shook her head. “No. Only Ethan and his father.”
Duff thrummed his fingers on the table. “And the plot thickens. Do you trust Amos, that if he found the treasure, he’d actually tell you?”
“Of course. He’s worked here for over twenty years. He was good to Grams and Gramps, and now to me.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, I was only asking.”
“Well, what if the mob is involved in the scare tactics?”
He chuckled. “Honey, if it was, they wouldn’t waste their time with a calf and a letter. No, this is someone who doesn’t want to hurt you, but wants you to sell.”
She rubbed her aching temples. “I can only take so much for one night.”
He took a swig of juice, then put his glass down. “Let’s talk about something else. Why’d you quit college?”
“You heard, huh? Well, where shall I start? Gramps died and Grams needed help here at the farm? Maybe I needed to be here, close.”
“You gave up your dream.”
She shrugged. “Not so much. I always had envisioned myself running this place, just not this soon.”
“You could still go back.”
“Don’t want to.”
“Do you still paint?”
“I turned one of the bedrooms upstairs into a studio. Just a small space where I can go and create something. I’m afraid I don’t have as much time though these days. If only I could afford to hire a few more hands, but I can’t ask for them to work for so little. Ethan pulls them away by offering more money.” It felt good to have someone to talk with about her troubles. She’d never told anyone just how rough things had been here lately. He sat across from her, sensitive to what she was saying, offering his feedback. Even now, he was a friend and she was glad that he was here. There weren’t many guys like him left who had such a kind heart and gentle soul.
Together, they cleared the table and washed the dishes. He washed and she dried. When they were on the last dish, he said, “I guess I should get some sleep. I got a busy day tomorrow.” He pulled the plug in the sink and the dishwater gurgled down the drain.
Being here with him made her happy and she could have easily stayed up all night talking to him, or making love, but she wouldn’t argue. She didn’t want him to go to bed yet, but she didn’t want him staying up late and being tired tomorrow. She put her damp towel on a hook and together they headed toward the stairs with Mike following.
Upstairs, they came to the guest room first and she opened the closed door for him, switching on the light. “Here you are. It’s not the Hilton, but the sheets are fresh and I’ll throw in a complimentary breakfast in the morning.”
“Better than the Hilton.” He winked.
“I really do appreciate you staying here. I feel safer with you and Mike close by.” She petted the dog’s head and his tail wagged.
“Glad I can help. I know you feel like you’re alone, but you’re not. I’m here.”
Her chest tightened. Tears blurred her vision and her throat clogged with emotion. She would forever be blown away by his kindness. Overcome with more emotion than she could contain, she did what she wanted to do, had wanted to do since she saw him standing on her doorstep. She stepped in and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a squeeze of pure gratitude. She’d only meant to hold him for a minute or two, but she couldn’t ignore how wide his chest was, how good his arms felt wrapped around her back, the warmth seeping through her thin dress. He pressed her close, so close that her sensitive breasts pushed against the expansion of his chest. All of that strong, sleek muscle at her fingertips. She almost groaned in excitement at knowing he was here, in her arms, and just this platonic touch made her nipples tingle and her inner thighs throb.
Maybe it was just her vulnerability after their long talk, but she didn’t step away when the silent alarms went off inside of her head, warning her that things were heating up fast and furiously. Her need for him was scalding her insides. She wanted to stay in his arms.
Pulling back would have been the logical thing to do, the safe thing, but her pebbled nipples and pulsating core wanted anything but moving away from him. Her body urged her to continue this amazing thing that was happening between them.
A new hardness grew against her stomach and it wasn’t his belt because he wasn’t wearing one. Obviously, she’d caused a reaction with her hug. This made her happy. He wanted her too. She was on top of the world and ready to take him a ride around it with her.
She leaned her head back, looking at him and his smoldering haze practically burned her alive. She licked her lips, a gesture of invitation that he should join her. But the kiss didn’t come…
After what seemed like a heart jerking eternity, he took a step back. “Good night.” Giving her that incredible smile that practically undressed her right on the spot, he turned and stepped inside of the bedroom with Mike following at his heels.
After a few long seconds, she stomped down the hall, her bare feet hitting the floor with a pattern of angry thumps and she closed her own bedroom door, not following the temptation to slam it. Leaning against the wood, she concentrated on her breaths, in and out, attempting to get her racing pulse back to normal. What the hell just happened? He’d wanted her, she’d felt the evidence.
She paced the room, back and forth, her bare feet striding over the smooth, planked wood, her swollen nipples aching every time the cotton material rubbed against them, flooding her with another round of desire.
What was this foolishness? He just wanted to be her friend!
She needed his friendship, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be more. She needed more. Needed someone to hold her, whisper sweet nothings in her ear and love her. She wanted that someone to be Duff, especially tonight. She’d put on her pretty dress, dolled herself up, even shaved her legs and only to receive a big, fat rejection.
Well fine! If he didn’t want her, she’d refrain from ever wanting him again. She could do that…she hoped. She meant every word. Just as she’d meant every word twelve years ago when she’d told him she’d never speak to him again! At the time she’d been serious—at the time she’d been devastated.
Sitting on the bed, she stared at her toes, wiggled and curled them. The pink paint was chi
pped. She could redo them, as well as her fingernails. She held them out and cringed. She was in badly need of a manicure. There were other things that could take her mind off the cowboy down the hall. Read a book. Take out the vibrator from her nightstand. Hell, even sleep. Anything to occupy the time. Nothing seemed as enticing as being near Duff though.
The silence was loud.
In those moments of feeling desperately alone, she relived the past, not the hurtful moments, but the happier times they’d shared together. They’d known each other since they were kids, always had been there for one another. Here he was again, her savior. But he didn’t want to have sex with her.
Why couldn’t she face that fact?
Was there something wrong with her?
No, it was him. Something held him back. What was it?
CHAPTER SIX
DUFF PULLED OFF his shirt and jeans, and shook his head in frustration. What the hell had he just done? Blake had wanted his kiss, damn, she’d practically all but said the words, so then why the hell didn’t he do what he’d wanted to do since he was fifteen years old—kiss Blake McKenzie. What they’d shared in his room had only been a glimpse into what they could do between the sheets.
Truth was, the deeper in mystery that surrounded the McKenzie Farm, the more he needed to stay focused. A man that allowed his dick to be the brains of the operation couldn’t keep his attention on the problem at hand. Sure, one of his issues was the bittersweet pain of desiring Blake, but someone wanted her off this land. The more he turned the facts over in his head, the stronger the clues became. She wouldn’t like what he was thinking, but he’d learned long ago when it came to solving a case, one like this, the most unlikely sources usually were the culprits. There was more mystery here than a dead calf and a letter.
He was in mid-thought when the door came barreling open, striking the wall with a loud thud. Blake stood in the doorway, her eyes lit and her cheeks rosy. She was wearing a loose T-shirt that brushed against her luscious thighs.
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