“Hey, Luke and Jason?” Mom hollered from someplace inside the barn. “Let’s talk about our next move, guys.”
Luke dumped the pile of straw onto the heap and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Thank heavens it was overcast today. He might be slaving away like a workhorse, but he didn’t need to go smelling like one. Still, to prevent that very thing, Luke had removed his shirt and tossed it onto a lone beam in the barn. Jason had done the same.
“Guess we ought to get in there and find out what happens next,” Jason said, coming up behind him.
“Yep,” Luke agreed.
With the debris removed and the floors swept clean—something that had taken three full days—the massive barn looked like a list of possibilities. He couldn’t wait to see what the women had come up with to get the place fit for entertaining.
“Alright,” Mom said, her turquoise bracelets jangling as she folded her arms. “We need one of you to go to the lighting and electric shop with Taylor, and the other to take Payton to pick out basic furniture. Who’d like to do what?”
Luke caught Payton’s gaze and gulped.
“I’ll go with Taylor,” Jason said. “I’ve got more expertise in that department.”
Mom nodded. “That sounds good to me. I’m going to head to the fabric store. And Payton,” she said, pulling her phone from her back pocket, “give me your number and I’ll text you samples of the fabric before I buy them.”
“I’ll do that too,” Jason said. “It’s the only way to avoid a second trip.”
Payton pulled in a breath, looking uncomfortable for a blink. “Actually, guys, I left my phone back at the house. Could you two just send them to Luke instead?”
“Goodness,” Mom said. “I wouldn’t picture you as the sort to step away from your phone for too long, not with your business and all that you have going on.”
“Yeah,” Jason agreed. “Back at home she’s usually glued to that cell phone. Think she tried to talk Dad into surgically placing it onto her face.”
Payton shook her head, her long ponytail swaying as her face reddened. “I guess I’m kind of on vacation right now,” she said.
Mom rubbed Payton’s back. “Good, good, dear. Glad to hear it. Now let’s get going.” She and Jason made their way out of the barn.
Luke snatched his shirt and shrugged back into it as Payton headed his way. She bumped his arm with hers, causing his pulse to race. Even among familiar scents of the old barn, Luke caught hints of that sweet, candy-like scent on her. He inhaled deeper, savoring the smell as he recalled, for the millionth time that day, the taste of her kiss.
The other day, Luke overheard Payton telling her brother about her cheating fiancé. And though Jason didn’t sound too surprised, he did sound angry. He’d spit out a few choice words, then told Payton she was better off. Now she could go find herself a real man.
Luke only hoped he fit into Jason’s definition of that. He couldn’t help but think he might, if it weren’t for the fact that he was swooping in so soon.
“Think Jason’s onto us?” Luke asked as they neared the truck.
Payton shot him a wry smile, holding his gaze just long enough to spark that flame in his belly once more. The overcast lighting complemented her skin in an entirely new way; he could get used to seeing Payton in all shades of light and shadow. Sunrises, sunsets, and everything in between.
“He might be catching on,” Payton said. “But don’t worry—Jason won’t leak anything to the press.”
Luke hadn’t been worried about that at all, mainly because things like that had never been a concern of his. How miserable it must be to live in alert mode all the time.
“How are the eggs coming along?” he asked while helping her into the truck. Now that Doug had officially named an egg-keeper replacement, he’d have to make sure the incubator and its guests didn’t fall off his radar.
“Good.” Payton grunted as she climbed into the seat. She strapped her seat belt over her chest. “They should hatch in two or three more days. I can’t wait.”
Luke grinned, closed her door gently, and rounded the truck. Payton had taken the job of caring for the chicks seriously, the way she’d helped his mom with the barn. Payton had drawn up plans, mapped out areas for flowing traffic, serving stations, and whatever else was necessary. Payton Keller was generous with her talents and her time, and Luke liked that side of her a whole lot. Still, there was something he didn’t like so much: the timeline that counted down the days he had left to spend with her.
“You know, sometimes the chicks hatch a little late,” he said.
She nodded. “I’m totally prepared for that.”
Hmm. “And of course, then they need to get transferred to the bin a day or two later, I think.”
She nodded. “Yep. I’ll be here.”
Luke couldn’t contain the heat that roared in his belly at her response. She’d be here. Which meant more flirting and teasing in the daytime. And more cozying and kissing at night. No need to ask how long she planned to stay, he told himself. For now, it was good to know that Payton wouldn’t pack up and leave in a few short days.
The sky offered an endless stretch of pale gray clouds. They resembled the roof of the indoor huts Luke constructed for Mel and Pete, the way the blankets and sheets drooped in the center.
Payton rolled down her window and pulled in a deep breath as they headed out on the open road. “I love it when it’s cloudy like this,” she said with a sigh. “The smell of rain in the air …”
“Yeah,” Luke agreed. “Me too.”
“Mind if I ask you a question?” she said, leaning an arm on the open window ledge. Wind rushed in, toying with the stray strands of her red hair.
“I don’t mind at all.”
“How is it that you … I mean, you seem to be really well off financially. Buying your own property, building a home, buying Mustangs … I’m just kind of curious how that is.”
He chuckled, figuring that perhaps Jason had already told her. He liked that she hadn’t known before now, and that she’d still taken an interest in him. “I developed a piece of farm equipment that assists in collecting and baling hay from the field. I got it patented when I was just a teenager, and the thing took off. I sold the idea to the largest tractor producer there was, and the rest is history.”
“Wow,” Payton said. “That’s incredible. And you did that when you were in your teens?”
He nodded, his mind flashing back to all the hours he’d spent in the very barn they were readying for the event. Close to two years’ worth. He glanced over, wondered if he felt comfortable telling her more, and realized that he did. “I was spending a lot of time by myself, tinkering around in the barn into the late nights. It was my way of working through a tragedy that I didn’t know how to deal with.”
Payton tilted her head in interest, the gesture prompting him further.
“I dated this girl, Elizabeth, from the end of my freshman year to the beginning of my sophomore year. I liked her, but Lizzy … she fell really hard.” A vision of her came to mind. Soft, blonde curls draped over her rather bony shoulders. “She was tiny,” he said with a laugh. “Short and skinny, like a pixie doll.
“I really liked her, but the trouble was, I found myself struck by the imbalance of things. She got really controlling, not wanting me to hang with my friends because she feared I’d meet another girl. And she wanted me to quit rodeo because she thought I’d hurt myself somehow. Those things were hard to deal with. I was young and used to being free to do as I pleased. But the thing that bothered me most was how intense her feelings were compared to mine.”
“That’s too bad,” Payton said, her soft voice getting swallowed up by the breeze.
Dread pooled into Luke’s gut as he continued. “I decided it’d be best to break things off. It wasn’t fair for her to be with someone when I didn’t have the same level of affection, you know? I probably wasn’t even capable of it at that age.” He rubbed a hand over the
back of his neck as the tightness developed there. “Anyway, one day I got a phone call informing me that she’d tried to take her own life.”
Luke recalled countless haunted nights of picturing what she’d done to herself, of what her wrists might look like beneath the bandages. It was too much for his young heart to take.
“She failed, thank heavens, but the family had to put her in a rehab center for a time. I wanted to make things right with her and the family, but I just didn’t know how. I stopped by once when she was in the hospital, caught a glimpse of her through the small window in her door, but I figured that since I was the cause of it—at least, that’s how I felt back then—that it’d be best if I just stayed away for a while. But then one day, they up and moved. The whole family, and never came back.”
“That’s awful.”
Yes, it was. “My parents did their best to help me. Had me talk with the school counselor a few times a week. But I think the best thing they did is let me be when I wanted time alone. I’m grateful to them for that.”
Payton sighed. “I don’t know if I could’ve done that,” she admitted. “I have a problem with letting people work things out on their own. Especially if I think they’re going through a hard time. I probably make a big burden of myself more than I help.”
Luke kept his gaze pasted on the road, thinking of how she’d come trying to rescue Jason, in a way. Yet the idea had fallen by the wayside. “I think we all have tendencies to do that. I remember when Lizzy was depressed, I felt so bad about it that I almost went back to her. She’d leave me really sad notes. She’d mope around school with her head down, ignoring her friends, even.
“But one thing I eventually learned in all of it was that I couldn’t blame myself for what she did. I did at first, of course, but between my folks and the counselor, I came to accept that it wasn’t my fault. That I’m not in charge of anyone else’s life or decisions. Just my own.”
It got quiet after that, Payton seeming to consider their conversation as they made their way into town. He hoped he hadn’t offended her; there was no question that Payton could benefit from applying that practice in her own life. But Luke wouldn’t apologize for saying what he had. It was his truth. His story. And he’d learned a lot from it. The way he saw it, hard-earned wisdom ought to be shared.
A hint of cinnamon filled the cab a moment before he recognized the sound of candies clanking in the small box. “Want some?” she asked, holding out her fist.
“Sure.” Luke held out his hand and felt the hard candies pile up in his cupped palm. “Thanks.”
Payton tipped her head back as she tossed a few into her mouth. “Mmm …”
He grinned, musing the candy seemed to fit her well. Hot, sweet, and teeming with a whole lot of spice. Luke wasn’t exactly sure what he was in for with a woman like that, or if he was even ready for any of it. But ready or not, he couldn’t wait to find out.
Chapter 18
Payton sighed as she stared into the darkness, the pillow puffing around her head. She’d been listening for Jason to head to bed for the last half hour. She’d heard the shower turn on, off, and listened to him hum as he brushed and flossed his teeth. He’d done that since he was little.
She could tell by the clanking in the kitchen that he hadn’t settled to bed after his nighttime routine. Forget the fact that he’d just spent ten minutes cleaning his teeth; he was on the prowl for a snack just the same. Another thing he’d done since he was young. Which reminded her—wasn’t he supposed to move over to the bunkhouse soon?
While listening to what sounded like tiny clinks of a spoon in a bowl or mug, Payton’s mind drifted back to the last few days. Having the chance to decorate the old barn was like a dream. She was a kid on a brand-new playground in that place, and she’d appreciated the way Dee let her have free range. Luke’s mom said she’d been wanting to take care of renovations long before now, but said that—with Payton showing up to help—she’d been justified in procrastinating. The woman was thrilled about finally doing something with the old structure that, it turned out, bordered the edge of Luke’s land as well.
Payton couldn’t wait to see it once they were done. Chandelier lights would hold faux candles. The blend of rich, fall-colored fabrics would soon stretch along high beams of weathered wood in the open space. It shouldn’t take much longer to finish up, considering there was no need for paint, and the place had already been swept and scrubbed clean of dust, webs, and straw.
The close of a nearby door made Payton sit up in bed. She tilted her head, listening for any further sounds of Jason rummaging through the bathroom or kitchen. No, that must have been his bedroom door. She drummed her fingers on the nightstand, wondering just how long she should wait. Maybe she should stay put until she heard Luke in the front room. Of course, she wasn’t so certain she’d hear him like she could hear her brother, being across the hall as he was.
And what if Luke didn’t show at all? It was possible he’d fallen asleep by now. Jason hadn’t complicated things last night or the night before. Payton had simply wandered out, pretended to be interested in a drink of water, when Luke had appeared and lured her into the front room, where a crackling fire awaited them. And then, just like that very first time, his masterful kiss had been hers.
Tonight had required more patience, but the time with Luke was sure to be worth it.
With a shaky sigh, she came to a stand, flicked on her lamp, and walked over to the mirror. She hadn’t bothered washing the makeup off yet, but the interesting thing was, the other night, when she’d been fresh from the shower—not an ounce of makeup to speak of—she hadn’t once felt concerned about Luke seeing the freckles on her cheeks or the light color of her lashes and brows. He’d made her feel beautiful without any of it, and Payton liked that.
She snatched her box of Red Hots off the table, flicked off her lamp, and twisted the doorknob while holding her breath. Don’t make noise. Please don’t make any noise.
The door opened soundlessly, and closed with the smallest of creaks, but as Payton stepped out into the hallway, a pair of pink ankle socks on her feet, the wood floor gave out a squeak. She took another step on her tiptoes, still holding her breath, hoping to go unnoticed as she moved through the washroom without pausing to check on the eggs.
She barely made it into the kitchen when she was startled by the sound of Luke’s voice. “I thought you were never going to make it.”
Payton threw a hand over her mouth and stifled a squeal, her heart hammering out of beat. “You scared the crud out of me,” she said.
Luke stood behind the counter, arms folded over his broad chest as he eyed her in the low light. Her face flushed as she considered the pajamas she’d put on: pink shorts and a lightweight, matching top. “Nice socks,” he said with a grin.
She peeked down at the cartoon kitties on her socks. “Thanks.”
“Are those from your clothing line?” he asked in a whisper.
She laughed. “Afraid not.”
Luke motioned to the front room with an outstretched arm. “Shall we?”
Payton stepped into the room ahead of him, noting a bundle of neatly placed logs in the fireplace. Wads of crumpled-up newspaper peeked through the steepled stack along the base.
“It’s about time that baby brother of yours went to bed,” he said, glancing over his shoulder as he reached for a tin box on the mantel. “It’s way past his bedtime.” He struck a tall match along the rocky mantel, nurturing the small flame before moving it to the waiting stack. The newspaper caught fire quickly, the flames spreading wide and high enough to cling to the gnarled logs.
A similar thing happened inside Payton’s chest as she considered what would happen between them in the hour ahead. Once more, she’d get to explore his kiss. Have more than seven minutes of heaven, and she could hardly wait. Payton had missed out on this since she was old enough to engage in the activity. And she planned to make up for lost time with a man who was very, very good at it.
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br /> She set the candies on the coffee table and plunked onto the center of the large couch, working to pace her breath as Luke straightened to his full, magnificent height. He strode toward her, his large frame silhouetted against the brightness of the fire. But instead of coming up to sit close beside her, Luke hunkered into the corner closest to the door and rested an arm casually along the back as he faced her.
Payton looked down at her own schoolgirl-at-a-desk pose, and tried to loosen up by pulling her legs onto the couch and folding them crisscross beneath her. Though her body still faced the fire, she turned to look at him.
This was still new, stepping into a situation like this. Knowing she was going to make out with a guy before they even met up. The anticipation played all sorts of games with her mind.
“I love the design you came up with for the barn,” he said, surprising her.
“You do?” she asked, her face flushing with heat. Why was she so awkward tonight? “Thank you.”
“Jason said your first love was interior design. Is that true?”
Payton bit at her lip, suddenly confused about Luke’s motives. “Yeah,” she admitted, “he’s right. But I needed to start where I already had an in, you know? My mom being in fashion and everything.”
“That makes sense.”
She looked down at her lap, wondering just how they were going to shift from small talk to … to what they were here for.
“My mom wishes you’d stick around and help her run the place. Rent it out for special events.”
“Oh my gosh, yes. She told me that too. I wish I could do that.” Payton turned to sit sideways on the couch, the odd tension melting as excitement kicked in. “That is seriously a dream of mine. To host and decorate weddings, receptions, dances. I always pictured it would be in some fancy place in LA, but that barn …” She shook her head, struck by a wayward burst of emotion. “It’s better than anything I could have imagined.”
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