“Definitely.” He gave her a half-smile, then reached over and squeezed her hand.
She didn’t move after he released her hand; she could barely think or breathe as it was. She wanted to ask him to explain himself more. But she was afraid to hear her answer.
“This is a beautiful area,” Jake said as he pulled onto the highway and they passed grove after grove of trees. “Was it your job that brought you here?”
“Yes, I was recruited out of college, and it seemed a great place to live,” Sydney said. She told him about her last few years working for the software firm. “When I was promoted, my work hours suddenly multiplied. Rian hated my long hours, and it was always a struggle to get together without feeling stressed about what I’d left behind at work. Over the last few weeks, though, Rian had been busier than usual. Now I know why.”
Jake’s lips tightened into a thin line. “If he ever returns to this country, he’ll be indicted.”
Sydney leaned her head back against the seat and looked over at Jake. “Your poor parents. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in their shoes.”
“That’s why I’ve tried to be the buffer as much as possible,” Jake said. “They don’t know everything that I do, but they know enough. And I can’t keep this latest disaster from them.”
They were quiet for a moment, the only sound the hum of the tires on the road and the faint music coming from the radio.
“So, why are you different?” Sydney asked. “Why are you the good brother?”
He shrugged. “I don’t really see it that way. It’s more of a question of why does Rian do what he does. I’ve done research on mental illnesses, but nothing seems to really fit. He doesn’t think about the consequences of his actions; it’s like he has no conscience. And it doesn’t make sense. We grew up the same way, but our paths have been completely different.” His voice grew lower as he spoke, as if he was trying to keep back emotion.
Sydney grasped his hand, and he linked their fingers together. This time, neither of them pulled away. It felt comfortable, and Sydney was only mildly blushing. Holding Jake’s hand felt natural, despite the fact that he was Rian’s brother. In a way she couldn’t explain, she felt in sync with Jake.
The drive went by faster than Sydney expected, and soon they were pulling into a long driveway that led to a sprawling ranch-style house, surrounded by acres and acres of grazing land.
“Wow,” Sydney said, straightening in her seat. “This is gorgeous.”
Jake had released her hand a few minutes ago to make the turns, but she still felt as if his touch were imprinted on her skin.
The house was a deep red brick with white trim and a huge wraparound porch. Several barns spread out behind the house, and other smaller buildings dotted the property. What seemed like miles of fence separated the fields from the dirt road that ran the length of the property.
A row of garages sat on one side of the house, and Jake drove toward them. This gave Sydney a better glimpse of what was behind the house: a well-kept stable. “You have horses too?”
Jake laughed. “It’s a ranch, honey.”
Honey, Sydney thought. She didn’t think Jake understood what he’d exactly said. If anything, he was teasing her.
“Do you ride?” Jake asked, parking the truck inside the garage he’d opened by remote control.
“In an arena,” Sydney said. “Not really nature, I know.” She didn’t tell him she’d tried to get Rian to ride with her, before her work had become so busy, but he’d always come up with an excuse and of course had never told her he’d grown up on a ranch, where apparently his family owned horses.
Jake was looking at her with interest. “We can fix that.” He rested a hand on the head rest of her seat, bringing his clean scent much closer to her. “I feel like I should warn you about something,” he said.
Sydney looked into his gray eyes and saw complete calmness there.
“My mom can be excitable,” he continued. His fingers touched her hair, and even though she could barely feel his touch, warm shivers traveled through her. “She’ll see me arriving with a beautiful woman and assume a lot... even when she discovers that you were engaged to Rian.”
“So you’re saying she’ll think that Rian’s ex is fair game?” Sydney asked. The truck seemed extra warm, and he seemed extra close, even though they’d been sitting in the same places for an hour.
“What I’m saying is that my parents are going to like you a lot.”
“You sound pretty sure,” Sydney said, trying to hold back a smile.
“Our tastes are similar, and since I like you, I have little doubt they will too.” Jake’s fingers rested on her shoulder.
“So if I like you, then I’ll like them,” she said.
His lips lifted at the corners. “I hope so.” He leaned forward, and for a breathless moment she thought he might kiss her.
But then reality slammed into her. She’d been dumped, duped, and discarded two days ago by this man’s brother. She had no business kissing Jake. Breaking his mesmerizing gaze, she reached for the door handle.
Jake didn’t move, just watched her, and for once his gray eyes were murky—unreadable.
Jake had been one-hundred percent right, Sydney decided. When they walked into the kitchen, they found his mother sitting at the table with a laptop and papers strewn all over. Her light brown hair, streaked with plenty of gray, was pulled into a messy bun, and right in the middle, she’d stuck a pencil. Jake’s mother reminded Sydney of a school teacher in a Norman Rockwell painting. She was slim like Rian, although her eyes were the gray of Jake’s.
When she saw Jake, she jumped to her feet. “Jake!” Then she threw her arms about his neck. “You’re back, and...” She peered around him, glanced at Sydney, her eyes widening, then said, “Where’s Rian? And who’s this?” She looked back at Jake and waggled her eyebrows.
“Mom, this is Sydney,” Jake said, holding up his hand. “But before you ask her a million questions, we need to sit down and talk.”
His mother covered her mouth with her hand, and tears filled her eyes. “Oh my goodness! You didn’t!” She rushed forward and hugged Sydney, nearly knocking her off balance. Then she drew back, leaving Sydney speechless. “Did you two elope?”
Jake’s mom started to laugh, or cry. Sydney wasn’t sure which.
“Mom,” Jake said, wrapping an arm about her shoulders and steering her to the table. “Sit down. Sydney and I aren’t married. She’s a friend. Where’s Dad?”
His mother frowned. “You’re engaged then?” Her expression softened. “I’m so sorry to jump to conclusions, Sydney. It’s just that Jake—”
“Mom, where’s Dad?” Jake cut in again in a firm voice. “This is really important, and please stop asking Sydney questions that are making her really uncomfortable.”
His mother snapped her mouth closed. Then in a rush she said, “Your father’s upstairs. He was washing up for dinner. But he’s probably fallen asleep—he’s been up there for a while now. Oh that reminds me, the casserole.” She rose from her chair and hurried across the kitchen, then opened the oven to peek inside. “It’s perfect, maybe a tad overdone, but that’s perfect in my book.” She turned off the oven and grabbed oven mitts.
“Do you need help?” Sydney asked, walking around the counter. To Jake she said, “I’m fine here. Go find your father.”
He looked between the women for a second, doubt on his face, then said, “I won’t be long.”
Sydney waved him off, then said to his mother, “I can set the table.”
“That would be wonderful.” She set a pan of bubbling lasagna on the stove top, then pushed back a strand of her hair and smiled at Sydney. “Sorry for the enthusiasm. I’m really happy for you two.”
Before Sydney could correct, Jake’s mother grasped her hands. “Jake must be smitten to bring you here, and I’m not surprised. You’re beautiful.”
Maybe Sydney should have told Jake to stay in the kitchen and sent his mother to get his da
d.
“You’re sweet, Mrs. Stevenson, but—” Sydney said, moving to the table to see what she could clear off.
“Oh, call me Judy. There’s no formalities here, as you can clearly see,” Judy said. “In fact, I’ve taken to doing the accounting on the kitchen table lately because the north-facing office is too cold in the mornings. And... I’m far from sweet, once you get to know me. I’m a bit of a frazzled mess right now trying to figure out where all the money went last month.” She laughed. “I’m rambling, aren’t I? Today’s your day to share the good news.”
Sydney still hadn’t gotten a word in when Judy clapped her hands together. “Oh, the salad. I forgot to fix it up.”
“I can do that,” Sydney said. “Why don’t you clear off the table, since I don’t want to mix up your paperwork.”
“Smart and decisive,” Judy said with a soft smile on her face. “I like that. You’ll be good for Jake.”
“Mother,” Jake said, a warning in his voice as he walked into the kitchen with a man who looked quite a bit like Jake, albeit an older version.
Mr. Stevenson’s hair was nearly white, but he had kept his shape fine, and his blue eyes reminded Sydney of Rian. She ignored that thought and smiled as Jake said, “Dad, this is Sydney.”
“Nice to meet you,” his dad said, his gaze friendly but watchful.
Sydney extended her hand, and they shook.
“Well,” Jake continued, “it looks like we’re having our discussion over lunch.”
“We rise early on the ranch, so our lunch time is earlier than most people,” Judy said, smiling broadly at Sydney.
Sydney’s chest tightened at the thought of what Judy’s expression might be when she found out about Rian. She went back to mixing the salad. Judy had already chopped everything, and by the time it was mixed, Judy and Jake had set the table and Mr. Stevenson filled glasses with ice water.
They all sat down, and for a brief moment, nostalgia swept through Sydney at the act of sitting down to dinner with two parents. Judy served up the lasagna, and everyone passed the salad around.
“So what’s this big news?” Mr. Stevenson asked, looking from Jake to Sydney.
Jake took a sip of water, then folded his hands on the table and leaned forward. “I’m sorry to be blunt and to show up like this without any warning, but I wanted to tell you both in person.”
“It’s about Rian, isn’t it?” his dad said.
Jake nodded.
“Did you spend some quality brother time together?” Judy asked, hope in her voice.
“I didn’t even see him,” Jake said.
“What?” his father asked at the same time his mother said, “I thought that’s what you were doing this whole time.”
Jake started to explain everything, play by play, from when Rian first texted him, to when Sydney came looking for Rian.
“You’re Rian’s fiancée?” Judy said, obviously stunned.
“Ex-fiancée,” Jake clarified.
Sydney could only watch helplessly as Judy’s face went from shock to disbelief to hurt as Jake continued the story about his desperate attempts to get ahold of Rian, his pleas to get him return to the country, and his meeting with the real estate firm that was pressing fraud charges.
Judy covered her mouth with her hand as her eyes watered.
Mr. Stevenson stood, shoving away the chair, and began to pace the kitchen.
He fired out a few questions, which Jake answered.
His mother started to cry. Sydney scooted over closer and wrapped her arm about Judy’s shoulders. One man’s choices had done all of this.
After a few minutes, Mr. Stevenson stopped his pacing and returned to the table. He placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder, then said, “Today is the last day you’ll cry over Rian’s actions. Tomorrow we’re only looking toward our future, one without Rian. We can’t keep living with these ups and downs. Rian’s not going to change, and we’ll have to accept that. His leaving the country has shown us where his priorities are. And they aren’t with his family.”
Judy nodded and placed her hand on her husband’s. “It just hurts so much.” She used her other hand to grip Sydney’s. “And this poor girl has been caught in our sticky web.”
“I made my own decisions about Rian,” Sydney said. “I don’t blame any of you.” She glanced at Jake, who looked as if he was holding back a comment. She knew he blamed himself for some of Rian’s actions, but Jake had done all he could.
“You’re a good woman,” Judy said, patting Sydney’s hand. “Thank you for coming all this way.” She reached for a napkin on the table and blew her nose. Then she looked up at her husband. “Well, let’s eat,” she said with a watery smile. “I didn’t go to all this trouble to have it grow cold.”
Her husband leaned down and kissed his wife’s cheek, and said, “You’re an amazing woman.” Then he moved to his place at the table and sat down. “Shall we?”
Mr. Stevenson and his wife began to eat, taking small bites, and Sydney looked over at Jake.
He nodded at her, then picked up his fork.
That was it? she wondered. A few minutes of ranting and crying, and now everything was normal again? All Sydney had done was put an arm about Judy. Jake had thought his parents would need more closure, and meeting Sydney would help with that. But they were handling this much better than she expected.
She picked up her own fork and started to eat. If anything, maybe the drive had been worth it to taste Judy’s lasagna. It was the perfect blend of spices and tomatoes and pasta. Still warm enough to enjoy.
As they ate, Jake’s dad asked a few stilted questions about the indictment procedures, and Jake’s answers seemed to satisfy him that Jake was on top of everything.
“Thanks for all your hard work,” Mr. Stevenson told Jake. “I don’t know where we went wrong with Rian, but he’s a fool to give up a woman like Sydney.”
Sydney’s face heated, and Jake gazed at her. “It’s definitely Rian’s loss.”
“I’m glad Jake stuck around to explain things to me,” Sydney said. “I would have been pretty confused to find that my fiancé had completely disappeared on me.”
“Tell us about your family, Sydney,” Judy said.
So Sydney did. Long after the meal was eaten, and quite well, Sydney was still answering questions from Jake’s parents.
Jake had taken it upon himself to clear the table, then bring over more water and a plate of brownies that apparently Judy had also baked that morning. He didn’t ask any questions or add to the conversation, just leaned back in his chair, arms folded, a satisfied look in his eyes.
A clock somewhere in the house chimed, and Mr. Stevenson looked at his watch. “It’s nearly noon,” he said. “Back to work.” He looked at Jake. “You’d better show this young lady around the property. Maybe take her on a ride.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Jake said.
Judy rose and crossed to Jake as he stood. She pulled him into a hug. “You’re a good son, Jake. And thanks for bringing Sydney along. You take care of her, you hear.”
“Yes, Mom,” Jake said, looking over at Sydney and giving her a wink.
The wink traveled straight to her toes, heating her body as it went.
“Your parents are extremely resilient,” Sydney said as they walked slowly to the stables behind the house.
“They’re ranchers through and through,” Jake said. “They don’t give up easily, but they also keep moving forward, no matter what.”
Sydney nodded.
They stepped into the stables, and after her eyes adjusted, Sydney said, “This place is amazing.” Nearly a dozen horses stood in well-kept stalls, and everything seemed freshly cleaned. A hay loft spread across one side of the stable, making the place feel old-fashioned at the same time.
“Come meet Buddy and Betty.” He led her to the first two stalls, where two russet-colored horses stood, practically prancing at the sight of Jake. “They’re twins.”
�
�Which one’s Buddy?” Sydney asked.
“You’re looking at him, and I think he has a crush on you already,” Jake said.
Buddy was trying to nuzzle Sydney’s neck. “Hello, boy,” she said in a soft voice, letting the horse smell her. Then she stroked his forehead. “He’s beautiful.”
“Now you’ll have to compliment all the other horses, or they’ll get jealous,” Jake teased.
Sydney laughed. “Is that right?” She continued stroking Buddy—it seemed he wasn’t going to let her move on any time soon.
Jake grabbed some carrots from a pail on the floor and fed a couple of them to Betty.
Sydney watched Jake out the corner of her eye. “I don’t know why you wanted me to come. Your mother cried herself out in about two minutes, and then it seemed life went on as usual.”
Jake turned to look at her, his eyes dark gray. “You caught me.”
Raising her brows, she said, “Caught you?”
Jake reached out and grasped her free hand. “Maybe I had more personal and selfish reasons for bringing you out here.”
They’d been standing close already, but Sydney hadn’t realized how close until now. “What kind of reasons?”
“I wanted you to see the ranch,” he said, one side of his mouth lifting. “And meet my parents, of course, so you’d know that not all Stevensons are crooks.”
“I never thought—”
He stepped closer, and Sydney forgot what she was protesting about. His other hand slid around her waist. Her heart was thumping so hard that if Jake had tried to say something she wouldn’t have been able to speak. But he wasn’t intent on speaking. Instead, he leaned down and kissed her.
Sydney should have been shocked, but all thought and reason had fled the moment he’d taken her hand. Jake’s mouth moved against hers, slow but intense, sending darts of heat through her body. She didn’t move at first, just relished the warmth of his lips and the heat of his breath. And then she gripped the front of his shirt and pressed against him.
Both of Jake’s arms went around her, pulling her in tightly against his body as his mouth continued to explore hers.
The Falling Series Box Set Page 22
