by Cathryn Fox
It takes me a second to focus in on his words. “I wanted to check on the U-Pick.” I reach out and dust off his sleeve like touching him is the most natural thing in the world for me to do. “Not much action, huh?”
“No, not yet.” He looks over my head as a car slows down on the road but then keeps on going.
I pick a few strands of hay off his shirt, and he wipes his brow. “How’s the barn coming?”
His smile returns. “We’re making great progress.”
A big bang echoes in the air, and we both turn toward the sound. “What the hell was that?” I ask.
“Sounds like it was coming from your place. We better check it out.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as we walk to my property. I shake the sun from my eyes and glance out into the pasture. “The animals are fine. Maybe Tyler is shooting off fireworks again.”
“He’s not. He’s still at the barn with Beck.”
“I’m going to have a look around, okay?” He glances at his watch. “Why don’t you go inside and get ready for the day? I’ll check in on you later.”
I stand there for a second, and so does he, heat pulling us together.
“I want to kiss you,” he murmurs and steals a glance around, his tongue touching his lower lip. Everything inside me jumps to life, and my heart flutters. My God, it’s hard to keep my head on straight when I’m around him. “But I know you don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.”
“Jay,” I murmur, going up on my toes, the desperate need to kiss him winning the battle and pushing back all other worries. As his lips hit mine, another thought hits. Isn’t he worried about someone getting the wrong idea?
He groans into my mouth, his hands cupping my ass and lifting me until my sex is centered on his growing erection. I’m not sure how long we stay like that, clinging to one another like we’re the only two people in the world and our lives depend on it, but when Cluck comes running out of the bushes, Jay puts me down.
“He must be here to check on the noise, too.” Jay gives me a slap on the ass. “Come on, Cluck, let’s go investigate.”
I shake my head, a stupid grin on my mouth as I watch the two go. A man and his cock on patrol. Does life get any stranger than this? I think not. I also think I like it. A lot.
My phone pings, and I ignore it. Dad’s been calling for days. I’ve not answered, but I have texted back that I’m fine. He must not believe me, and if I hear his voice, I might not be able to keep mine steady when I tell him I have my life all figured out. The truth is, I don’t have it all figured out, and he knows me well enough to pick up on every nuance in my speech. But how can I hide the fact that I’m falling for a man who’s not interested in my heart?
Well done, Alyson. Well done.
I head to the market and open it for the day. Cindy soon shows up, and between cooking, serving lunch, waiting on customers, and refilling potatoes, carrots, and apple bags, the hours fly by.
When I finally get the chance to look up, it’s closing time. Jay hadn’t come by to check on me, so I’m assuming all was well on the orchard, and the noise was nothing to worry about. Which is the best news ever, considering I have so many other things occupying my thoughts.
Cindy leaves, and I step outside, breathing in the fresh air. I reach into my coveralls, and my fingers connect with Bryce’s offer. I tug it out, look at the semi-decent number. In two more weeks, I can leave here with my trust fund in place and prove to everyone that I have what it takes to stick to something. But if I leave here, that means I’m putting Uncle Jack’s prized possession into the hands of a man who rubs me the wrong way. I’ll also be leaving the man who rubs me in all the right ways.
Goddammit.
I glance up, and none other than the sleazeball Bryce Kent coasts into my driveway. I take a breath and prepare myself as he slides from his vehicle and leisurely strolls toward me.
“Are the papers drawn up?” he asks.
“Look, I haven’t made my mind up yet.”
He rocks on his heels and completely ignores me as he catalogs the property. “Yeah, right there,” he says like I’m not even standing there. “Once I get that house and market down, there will be plenty of room.”
Unease worms its way through my veins. Last time he was here, he said something about knocking the old homestead down.
“What are you talking about?”
Tyler comes out from around the corner, like the watchdog he is.
“Bryce,” he says and stands next to me. The position reminds me of the one I faced with Cluck and Breakfast my first day here. A strange knot tightens in my gut. Why do I get the feeling that I’d be making a huge mistake if I sell to him? “What can we do you for?” Tyler asks.
“You can’t do anything for me. My business is with Alyson.”
“Well, Alyson is family,” he says, and my heart skips a beat. He nudges me with his shoulder, an instant alliance between the two of us. “Any business you need to discuss with her, you can do in front of me.”
Bryce turns to glare at me.
“He’s right,” I say.
“You think about that offer. There is nothing here for you, city girl. This farm is falling down around you.” He gazes the length of me. “I’m surprised to see you still standing. You can’t keep it running all by your pretty self.”
“That’s why she has us,” Tyler says, his jaw clenched, refusing to back down from a fight. My God, he’s a carbon copy of his brother. Jay did a fine job with this one.
“You have one week, Alyson,” Bryce says and scurries back to his car. “You won’t get another offer as high as that one. Not in this market.”
“Thank you,” I say to Tyler.
“I hate that guy.”
I turn to Ty. “Why does he want this farm so badly?”
He goes quiet, chews on a piece of hay as he thinks about that. “He’s a developer. He puts up shopping malls, apartment buildings, things like that.”
I glance at the grounds, that unease in my stomach expanding. “Do you think that’s why he wants this land?”
His eyes go wide. “Shit. I guess I never thought he’d want to put up a complex out here in farm country.” He kicks the dirt. “Maybe that’s why Jack would never sell to him.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I brush my hand over my hair. “Thanks for standing with me. It means a lot.”
He makes a fist and nudges my chin. “You didn’t need me. You’re a fighter.”
My chest swells at the compliment. My God, when and if I leave here, I’m going to miss this kid. In fact, I’m going to miss them all. It must have killed them when Juanita walked away without so much as a backward glance. My heart tumbles. If I do the same, then how am I any better than her?
“Well, I need to get a shower,” I say, glancing at myself.
“Come on. I’ll walk you to the house.” We head toward my half-assed painted house and Tyler asks, “You coming for supper tonight?”
“I don’t want to impose.”
He frowns at me. “You’re family. Did you not just hear me tell that to Bryce? A family member is never an imposition.”
I take a fast breath, my heart pounding in my ears as tears prick my eyes. I’ve never been a part of a big family before. Yes, my parents are loving, but they’re so damn judgmental. No one here is judging me. They’re just accepting me for who I am—a spoiled, ignorant city girl who knows nothing about nothing. No, that’s not true anymore. I do know something about something.
We reach my steps, and I hurry to my door. “I’ll see you shortly.” I step inside and breathe in. There is only the faint, lingering scent of skunk that I’m sure will never go away. The screen door bangs shut behind me, and I dash up the steps toward the shower.
As I hurry, a cracking sound reaches my ear, and my heart jumps into my throat as the wood below me c
ollapses. I let loose a god-awful screech and fall, my leg twisting beneath me. Pain shoots up my ankle, and I grab the handrail before I fall all the way through to the basement.
The front door bangs open and bounces off the wall as Tyler comes running back inside.
“Alyson,” he calls out and looks up to see me hanging on for dear life.
“Tyler,” I say, my voice as shaky as my body. “I fell.”
“Jesus,” he says and comes my way.
“Don’t come up here. I don’t want the rest of the stairs to give way.”
He scratches his head, his eyes narrowed as he assesses the situation. “Alyson, the stairs are fine. Someone sabotaged the one you fell through.”
My throat tightens to the point of pain, and stupid tears fall, like this is the straw that broke the camel’s back. With exhaustion pulling at me, and my emotions on a supersonic roller coaster ride, I swipe at my face with the back of my hand.
“I’m going to get Jay. Are you okay for a second?” I nod, since I’m not sure my voice will work. “Are you sure?” I sniff and nod some more. “I’ll be right back.”
I take deep breaths to keep myself together, my mind racing. Tyler must be mistaken. I can’t imagine anyone sabotaging my stairs and putting my life at risk. The front door slams open again, and Jay and Tyler come running in.
“Are you hurt?” Jay asks, panic in his voice.
The second I see the fear on his face, my stupid tears fall harder. “I’m okay, really,” I say. Way to convince him, Alyson. “It’s my ankle. I twisted it when I fell.”
“Okay,” he says, a new composure about him that helps relax me. “I’m going to get you out of there.” I nod weakly and he looks me over, all strength and power—the calm in the storm.
“Tyler, run down to the basement and see if anything under the stairs has been tampered with.”
Jay takes my hand, folds his big palm over it, and rubs with his thumb, a soothing manner that lets me know he’s got me. Tyler hurries downstairs, his boots pounding on the wood.
“Dad and I helped Jack repair these stairs years ago.” He knocks on them. “Solid wood. This shouldn’t have happened.”
“All is good down here,” Tyler calls out, his voice faint.
“Okay, lean your back against the top step there and push with your good foot.”
“It won’t go through to the basement?”
“No, and if it does, I’ll catch you before you fall,” he says, his voice so soft, so serious, my heart misses a beat.
I press my foot against the wood and push forward. When I do, Jay tugs, and I land in his arms. He holds me tight as Tyler comes rushing back up the stairs.
“I’m taking you straight to the hospital,” Jay says.
I squirm in his arms, but I have to say, I love the way he worries about me and takes such great care of me. “I’m okay.”
“You’re not okay.”
Tyler shakes his head. “Do you think someone did this on purpose?”
“I do,” he says so vehemently, my gaze flies to his in time to catch anger flashing across his face. He turns his head, averts my gaze.
What the hell is it that he doesn’t want me to see?
Chapter Eighteen
Jay
It’s been one whole week since Alyson fell through the stairs. Fortunately, after a trip to the clinic—despite her heated protests—we found out she only sprained her ankle. I paid a visit to Charlie Miller, but why would he sabotage Alyson’s property? He wants her to stay. The only person who’d want her gone is Bryce Kent, outside of me, of course. Not that I really want her gone—I need her gone if I want to keep the farm. Sure, the bet was never put on paper, but around these parts we take a man at his word, and honor is everything. As far as Bryce is concerned, I’ve known the man for years, and while he can be an asshole, he’s not the type to personally sabotage someone’s property.
My brothers and I have been helping her out at the market, and I’ve been sleeping at her place every night, inspecting the property for damage every evening before crawling into bed with her and every morning upon waking. But I have to say, she’s been quieter than usual, a little more secretive, tucking her phone away when I walk into the room or dashing off to make calls she doesn’t want me to hear about.
I’m not sure what is going on— Maybe she’s tiring of the farm and making plans to head back home. Then again, both of my brothers have been acting strange, too. Beck is probably thinking about his upcoming move and starting college. He’s sure to be nervous about that. Tyler, well, I’m not sure what his problem is, but he’d better not be up to no good. Last time I saw him in town, he was hanging out with Shay Banks’s brothers, and nothing good can come from that.
Alyson stretches out on the bed as I step into the room, a hot cup of coffee in my hand. Everything inside me softens, weakens, the things I feel for her crawling into my throat as I take in the sleeping beauty before me, her warm body exposed after a night of intimate lovemaking.
She was so tired, she slept through Cluck crowing this morning, and I didn’t have the heart to wake her. Instead, the guys and I chipped in to help with her morning chores, and nothing I’m doing here is conducive to saving my farm.
I crouch beside her on the mattress, touch her hair, and when she smiles up at me, a future with her in my life forever flashes before my eyes. Should I confess? Tell her about the bet, beg for forgiveness, and ask her to stay? If she does stay, that’ll just fuck me over. If she leaves, I win the bet, but it also means losing the girl I never should have fallen for. Who’s to say she even wants what I want anyway, and am I really ready to try again after Juanita? Have lessons learned taught me nothing?
She’s not Juanita.
“Good morning,” I say to her, and her lids flutter open, surprise registering on her face as the sun slants off her walls.
“What time is it?” she asks and gives a slow, lazy cat stretch.
I hold the cup of coffee out to her as she sits up and scrubs her eyes with the back of her hands.
“Freshly brewed and steaming hot, just the way you like it.”
The sheets slip from her body, exposing her beautiful breasts, and without a hint of self-consciousness, she takes the cup. She’s about to take a drink but stops, the mug poised inches from her lips. Her eyes widen, and she reaches for my arm to check the time on my watch, but the damn buckle on the strap came loose, and it fell off before I had time to fix it. I’ve yet to figure out where I lost it.
She frowns for a second and grabs her phone from the nightstand to check the time. “Dammit.”
“What?”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Why did you let me sleep in?”
“It’s Saturday,” I say.
She laughs almost hysterically. “What does that have to do with anything when you run a farm? We work eight days a week around here.” She takes a fast sip of the coffee and pushes to her feet. My God, she’s practically vibrating with excitement as she scoops her clothes off a nearby chair.
“Let’s go,” she says.
“What’s your hurry? The animals are taken care of, and Beck is working the market this morning.” I look at the clock. “Cindy will be here in a few minutes. Relax.”
“Nope. Let’s go,” she repeats, and the high-pitched squeals of children laughing reaches my ears, but it doesn’t sound like it’s coming from Alyson’s yard; it sounds like it’s coming from mine.
“What’s going on?” I ask, standing to look out her dust-covered window.
She hurries to the bathroom and comes out dressed, but her hair is still a tangled mess. Her eyes are lit with a new kind of excitement as she races down the stairs, and I quickly follow. What the hell is she up to? She’s moving so fast, I can barely keep up, and when we reach my property, I go as still as a stealth soldier, shocked at the sprawling view before
me.
“What. The. Fuck?”
Tyler comes over, thumbs in his pockets and a piece of hay between his teeth. “Hey, big bro.”
“Tyler, what is all this?” I ask as I take in the numerous vehicles parked in our driveway. My gaze slides from the cars to the large bouncy castle beside the house. Where the hell did that come from? I catch sight of Beck giving horseback rides, and a few of Tyler’s friends are working a cotton candy stand, not to mention the numerous game stations set up. It’s like a damn carnival.
“This is the grand opening you deserve,” he explains.
I shake my head and try to wrap my brain around all this. “Who did this?”
He laughs and nods toward Alyson, who is bouncing in her boots beside me. “Who do you think?”
I fix my gaze on her and take in her huge smile. “You did this,” I say. My insides squeeze tight, so fucking tight, my next breath takes a great amount of effort. Alyson did this for me? I spent the last five years taking care of everyone else, putting everyone’s needs before my own. When was the last time someone put me first, thought about what was important to me? I take a breath, and then another, my thoughts spinning out of control.
She nods, shrugs, and flops her hands out by her sides. “What can I say? I don’t know much, but I know how to throw a party.”
“Alyson,” I begin, my heart crashing against my chest. I put my hands on her shoulders and squeeze. “You’re so much more than that,” I say, and she beams up at me. I swallow. Hard. “I… I don’t know what to say.”
“I do,” she says.
“What?” I manage to push past a tight throat.
“Get over there and start talking to your customers about sustainability. That’s what this is all about, Jay.” She touches my cheek, softly runs her finger over my scar. “Your brothers helped, too.”
I turn, but Tyler is walking away, to give us our privacy. I always knew he was a smart kid.
“Alyson, this means… I don’t know how to thank you.”
She gives me a sexy wink. “I do, and I’ll let you in on it later tonight in bed.”
