“She’ll be here the Fourth of July weekend. Would you mind if I scheduled the appointment now?”
Another nod.
“She’s going to school at Utah State University. In Logan. Have you ever been there?”
A quick shake of her head. Those adorable curls bounced every direction and he wanted to reach out and see if they were as springy as they looked.
She pulled out an appointment book and flipped to the next week, running her finger along the dates close to the fourth.
“Is Friday okay? Will you be working then?” Luke wished he’d stop talking so she could say something.
She moved her finger to Friday and traced along the times, then glanced up at him as if expecting him to rescue her again. He folded his arms across his chest and waited. It wasn’t asking too much for her to say yes or no. He wasn’t going to talk again until she did.
An uncomfortable few seconds passed as her eyes flitted from the appointment times to him and back again several times. Suddenly it hit him. She couldn’t speak. And he was being terribly rude. Was she deaf? She seemed to hear everything he said. A proficient lip reader? Yet there had been times he’d been talking when she wasn’t looking at him and if she were deaf she could probably still speak. What then? An accident? Something from birth?
Annie watched him with those deep brown eyes that were quickly filling with sadness and embarrassment. She could probably tell he’d recognized her disability and it was obvious she wished he hadn’t. How could he not when she had been mute for the past five minutes?
He plastered a grin on his face. “Does ten a.m. work for you?”
Her eyes brightened. She returned the smile and then wrote down Kazlyn in the spot.
“It’s Kazlyn Wilson, and I’m Luke.”
She nodded again, taking a card from a stack and writing, 10 a.m. Friday, July 3rd. Massage and foot zone from the most thoughtful brother I know.
Luke watched her write the words upside down and chuckled at the end. “Thanks.”
She stood and handed him the card, her fingers lingering on his for a moment, and the warmth and softness of her touch made him lose his train of thought. He concentrated on her deep brown gaze and could hardly remember his own name. She squeezed his hand and then released it and pointed to her name printed across the top. Annie Stirland.
Luke pocketed the card and reached out his hand again. “It was nice to meet you, Annie.”
She shook his hand, tipping her head to the side so those golden curls spilled over her shoulder. Luke caught a breath at the simple beauty of the woman. She was intriguing and not just because she wouldn’t or couldn’t talk.
He went to tip his hat before remembering he didn’t have it on, so instead he mimed tipping it. “I’ll see you around.”
Then he rushed out of there before he kept talking to fill the silence and made a fool of himself. As the door closed behind him, he looked back through the glass to see her watching him with a half-smile on her face. Luke blew out a long breath and admitted to himself. He’d be back.
***
Annie watched the tall cowboy saunter away from her shop. She placed a hand over her heart and sighed. Wow. Someone had created her dream man and placed him in front of her. Tall, dark hair with just a hint of curl, blue eyes that reminded her of the deep, clear ocean waters outside of her mother’s home in Maui, and tanned skin that showed he spent a lot of time outdoors.
What had she done to thank the good Lord for bringing such a specimen into her shop? She’d sat there and hadn’t uttered a word. He probably thought she was an imbecile. She recognized the exact second he’d realized she wasn’t just quiet and the curiosity had kicked in. What a gentleman. He hadn’t even tried to pry. He’d kept talking and made it easy for her to stay mute.
How would he have responded if she’d opened her mouth? Guaranteed her stutter would be worse than ever around a man that good-looking. Yet he’d seemed so kind. Maybe he wouldn’t have made fun of her. Maybe he wouldn’t have turned around and run like some men had. She shook her head. Better to stay silent and not know. She’d rather keep the dream of Luke Wilson for a few more days.
Chapter 2
Luke hefted another bale of hay from the truck and tossed it to Porter. He jumped down, brushed his gloves off on his pants, and pulled out his pocket knife.
“Dude,” Porter said. “Can you respond?”
Luke glanced up. “Oh, I was thinking about something else.” More like somebody else. Annie. If they could finish the feeding, he could shower and get into town to see her.
“It’s not like you talk much, but today you’re in a completely different world.”
“I don’t talk much?”
Porter looked at him like he was an idiot. “I know monks with better conversation skills than you.”
“There’s this girl.”
“Really?” Porter leaned against the railing and gave Luke his undivided attention.
“Keep working. If we don’t hurry I won’t make it to her shop before she closes.”
Porter laughed but hefted another bale into the corral and then slashed the twine and pulled it off. “Okay, but you keep talking.”
“She’s beautiful, Port, but she’s different. Grounded and sweet. She runs her own business, and, well…she doesn’t talk.” He used a pitchfork to spread the hay out.
“She’s quiet?”
“No, she literally doesn’t talk, and the crazy thing is, I can’t stop talking when I’m around her. Weird, huh?”
“Yup,” Porter grunted.
“So, I’ve got to get back in there today. I want to figure out why she doesn’t talk, but I really want to ask her out.”
“You’ve always been one to fight for the underdog.”
“So?” Luke bristled.
“Hey, it’s a good quality—just make sure you’re not interested in some girl just because you want to protect her.”
Luke absorbed the words and pushed them around in his mind for a bit. He wasn’t sure if that was what he was doing or not.
“It’s okay not to know. Give her a chance and see what happens. But don’t get too deep or you might hurt her instead of help.” Porter grinned. “You know women can’t resist you, at least the ones who aren’t flocking to me.”
“Whatever.” Luke couldn’t help but chuckle; Porter’s overconfidence always made him smile. He threw more hay down the line as the sick cattle in the pen slowly consumed it. They kept the healthy cattle out on the ranges all summer, but these were either sick or had been mauled by wolves. Having them close to home gave them time to heal and made it easier to administer medication if needed.
“Go,” Porter said. “I can finish up here.”
“Thanks!” Luke slapped his brother on the back and headed for the house. A quick shower and stealthy avoidance of his mom and he was driving into town. But the closer he got to town the more he second guessed himself. What was he going to say? What was his excuse for coming to Annie’s store two days in a row? He’d have to pretend he wanted a treatment. Oh, this was going to be awkward.
Luke slammed the door of his truck and stomped toward That Healing Feeling. What was he doing? He didn’t like alternative medicine. He didn’t like any kind of medicine. His mom only got him to the doctor if a cut was so bad he couldn’t superglue it or when a bone couldn’t be braced by one of his homemade slings. But he couldn’t get Annie’s sweet smile out of his head. He was thinking about her, daydreaming about her. He’d never been like this over a woman, at least not since Missy left him eight years ago.
He pushed the door open, and there she was, sitting at her little desk. She looked up, and a smile covered her pretty face and those dark eyes lit in a special way he hoped only happened for him. Yep, he was in trouble—deep in crap past his hip waders.
“Hey.” He quickly covered the distance to her desk. “I know I was in here yesterday, and I don’t want to seem pushy, but I was thinking…”
She studied him
intently, the smile leaving as she waited for him to continue.
Can I take you to dinner? “Do you have any openings for a…treatment?”
She nodded. But didn’t say anything or move.
Luke wasn’t sure what to do. How to continue. What else did she want him to say? He’d asked if she had an opening. Now couldn’t she do her voodoo on him and hopefully in the process he’d get brave enough to ask her out?
The silence grew. Her face flamed red, and Luke cussed himself. He had no idea how to act around most women, but especially one who couldn’t talk. It didn’t help that she was so beautiful in that simple white sundress with her highlighted curls touching her muscular shoulders. He didn’t want to leave, but maybe he should. He was embarrassing her. This had been a really bad idea.
He backed a step toward the door and almost missed her faint whisper, “W-w-what k-k-kind of-of-of t-treatment?”
Luke’s jaw dropped. She did speak. Her voice was soft and as sweet of the rest of her. He swallowed, and his stomach sunk like a boulder plunging into a pond. He looked at her and saw a picture that ripped him apart. She’d probably been the object of either teasing or well-meaning do-gooders who embarrassed her as much as the teasers. No wonder she tried not to talk. Protection rose within him and he wanted to right her every wrong.
She studied the papers on her desk intently. Luke moved in close and said, “I should have clarified. I’d love the…” He looked down the list of options. “Head and scalp massage, if you have the time.” His face flared as he realized what he’d requested. He was going to have her massage his neck and head? Awkward. At least he hadn’t asked for the full-body massage. His cheeks grew hotter at the very thought. He hugged his mom and sister and wrestled with his brother, but that was about the limit of physical contact, besides a few kisses with different girls through the years. He was not the touchy-feely type of guy and definitely not the type to get a massage.
Annie smiled up at him, and Luke wanted to be her type. If getting a massage gave him a chance with her, he’d get a massage.
She gave him a paper and waited while he filled in the necessary questions, then she stood and walked toward the back room. He followed like a puppy on a chain, reminding himself to keep his tongue in. The treatment room was comfortable and professional with a bubbling water feature and a soundtrack of chirping birds. There was a massage bed in one corner and an overstuffed chair in the other. She gestured toward the chair.
He sank down and waited, not sure what to do, what to expect. She looked him up and down, bit her lip, and then grabbed some oils off a side table.
Luke smiled to himself. He could be imagining things, but he was pretty sure she’d just checked him out. Maybe this massage wouldn’t be as bad as he thought.
***
Annie’s hands trembled as she worked coconut oil between her palms and prayed for help. She should’ve had him remove his shirt and lie on the table so she could do a more thorough job with his neck and shoulders, but she couldn’t do it. She reddened just thinking about the obvious musculature underneath his clothes.
I am a professional, she kept repeating as she walked behind him. She’d given massages to hundreds of men or women and never had any kind of untoward thoughts. This was going to be fine. She should be flattered he came back for his own treatment.
Why had he come? He’d acted uncomfortable and unsure. She sighed—and like an idiot she’d spoken up instead of finding a way around it like she usually did. It had been easy to read the compassion in his eyes after she’d spoken, but again, Luke Wilson had surprised her. He hadn’t made fun or tried to pity her. He’d simply continued on, giving her that grin that made her a little weak, and acting like there was nothing wrong with the way she spoke.
She placed a hand on his neck and the heat of his skin seared into her palm. Luke turned to look at her. “So what do you need me to do?” He grinned. “Your eyes are saying just sit here and shut up.”
She bit her lip but couldn’t stop the laugh that came out. Luke laughed with her. The tension in the room evaporated as they shared a laugh that was as cathartic as anything she’d experienced. She really liked this guy.
“You’re going to think I’m a complete hick, but I’ve never had any kind of massage before,” he said.
“N-n-no, no,” she got out.
His smile was encouraging. He winked at her and then turned forward. “Okay, Annie, do your thing.”
She couldn’t help but laugh again. She settled down and started light before working into deeper techniques. He had so many knots in his neck and shoulders, it became easier to focus on helping release that tension and not drool over how nice his muscular body felt underneath her palms. She had to move his T-shirt out of the way to get deeper into his shoulders, and his skin was heavenly.
“You’re really strong.”
She hesitated in replying, hoping he’d keep talking so she didn’t have to.
“This feels awesome. I had no idea it would be like this.”
She pressed her lips together to hold in the laugh.
“That didn’t come out right. You’re very good at what you do. That’s what I meant to say. And I’m glad I came back.”
“Th-thank you.” Yes! She’d gotten that out quickly.
“How long have you been in Snow Valley?”
Darn, he must’ve been encouraged by her response and now he wanted to talk. “A f-few w-weeks.”
She changed from her palm to her fingertips and worked her way up the back of his head and into his hair, then back down.
He emitted a low moan. “Who would’ve thought a rub-down by a beautiful woman would actually be relaxing?”
She choked on a laugh, and his neck muscles stiffened underneath her fingertips.
“I’m sorry. That did not come out right. That sounded like I only wanted this massage because of how pretty you are, or I was trying to imply—”
“L-liar.”
His chuckle rumbled out. “Okay, you got me. I did get this massage because I was interested in you.”
Annie didn’t know what to say. Her dream man had just admitted he was interested in her.
He stood and spun to face her so quickly, her hands ended up planted on his chest. He grabbed both of her hands, keeping them on his perfectly formed pectoral muscles.
Her eyes widened, and she froze. What was he doing? She arched an eyebrow and tried to pin him with a stern stare. This was completely unprofessional. Him looking at her with those smoldering blue eyes. The way she felt touching him.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt the massage, but I love hearing you talk. I wanted to look at you while you talked, just for a minute, and then I’ll sit back down and be a good, little client.”
“Y-y-you l-like t-t-to hear me?”
Luke nodded and licked his lips. His grip on her hands tightened. “Everything about you is…” He looked down as his voice dropped to a mutter, “beautiful.”
Annie’s face flamed red, and she tried to tug her hands free. He gave her a sad smile and released her. What kind of man thought it was beautiful to hear her stutter? He was either the biggest smooth-talker in the world or—or what? Claiming he was interested in her probably meant nothing.
She clenched her fingers together and stared at him, suddenly wishing this hour were over. She wanted to go back to her protective bubble where old ladies came in for foot zones or stressed young mothers came in for massages. Both would talk their heads off the entire time and not expect her to say anything more than grunts of agreement. She didn’t want to be anywhere near Luke Wilson.
He met her gaze again. “I’m sorry,” he said. “And if you knew me, you’d know that I don’t say I’m sorry often. I’m making you uncomfortable and I didn’t want to do that. If I sit back down and let you finish the treatment, will you go to dinner with me tonight?”
She was lost in his blue eyes, yet she didn’t want to commit to anything. He was a puzzle to her, but she wasn’t
sure she wanted to solve him.
“M-maybe.”
Luke’s smile seemed a bit forced. He turned and sat back in the chair and said, “‘Maybe’ I can work with.”
Annie took a long breath and hoped the exhale would clear her mind. She tried to remember where she’d been in the massage process and prayed Luke wouldn’t talk again and especially that he wouldn’t stand up and face her again.
***
Luke cussed himself. He’d undermined her professionalism by saying things he should’ve kept to himself and then by interrupting her job and admitting he wanted to look at her. He wasn’t lying. He loved hearing her voice, but he wanted to hear it while he looked at her. He was making a mess out of this.
Her hands manipulated his neck again and he barely held in the moan. Every movement she made felt so good. He couldn’t help but relax. The stress of the ranch, worrying about supporting his mom, and trying to figure out how to accomplish the pile of engineering work his boss from Boeing had emailed last night all just dissipated. That had to be the reason he’d said what he had: he was just too relaxed. How to explain that to Annie?
He forced himself to stop worrying about anything and enjoy the feel of her hands as she massaged his head. She worked on his neck and shoulders until he felt like he was melting into the chair. Then she moved around to the front of his right shoulder and down his arm. He couldn’t hold in the sigh. He loved her touch. She massaged his hand and he had to force himself not to wrap his fingers around hers and hold on.
Finishing both arms, her touch went to feather light on his back as she used her fingertips. A tremble raced through his body. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her as she said, “T-t-take y-y-your time.”
“Okay.” He smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”
She bobbed her head, lips pressed tightly together, and slipped from the room.
Luke had to make things right with her. He leapt to his feet, and the room tilted. He crashed into the side of the chair and almost went down, blackness on the edge of his vision. The door popped back open and Annie rushed in, wrapping her arm around his waist and directing him back into the seat. He took a few, slow breaths, his vision gradually clearing.
Summer in Snow Valley (Snow Valley Romance Anthologies Book 2) Page 28
