“He said that opposites attract and that he wasn’t going to give up, and then he walked away.”
“Hmmm. He sees you as a challenge. I don’t think Ed is used to people saying no to him.”
“Probably not. Too bad. There is no way I will go out with him again.”
***
A little over an hour later, the whole family was gathered around the largest table in the dining room. It was actually two tables pushed together. The garlic bread and salad were already out and Dani helped Jess carry over the two big trays of lasagna. Everyone helped themselves and the conversation quieted down as they started to eat. Jess glanced around the table and smiled. They all seemed to be enjoying the food.
Jess loved these Sunday family dinners. Her Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Wilber started the tradition when they were small and it was understood that Sunday dinners were sacred, not to be missed unless there was something important going on—like a high school football game, or some ranch emergency that needed attending to.
“Is it true that we have a huge wedding booked?” Kelsi asked. Her new husband Shane, who was also the town sheriff, whispered something in her ear that made her giggle, but Kelsi was always smiling or laughing. Jess thought, not for the first time, that it was interesting how opposite Kelsi and Dani were. Kelsi was the light—upbeat and bubbly, and Dani was the dark—serious and quiet.
“It’s true,” Wade confirmed. “Mom called yesterday. It’s for one of her friend’s daughters. Makes me wonder if that’s why they ordered the kitchen expansion, to take on bigger catering jobs like this. I was planning to tell you all over dinner.” He grinned at Kelsi. “Figures you already knew.”
“I don’t miss much,” Kelsi agreed happily. “A little bird overheard you.”
“Who?” Wade asked.
“I cannot reveal my sources,” Kelsi teased.
“It was me,” Dani said. “After I dropped off the papers, I used the bathroom and heard you on my way out. You were still on the phone when I left and I figured you’d tell us today.”
“Oops,” Kelsi said, and then added, “Dani, can you pass the garlic bread?”
“When does your internship start, Jess?” The question came from Wyatt who was sitting on her left. Wyatt was another favorite cousin. He was quiet too, brooding even, and like Jess was more comfortable in the company of animals. He took care of the horses on the ranch and had a magical way with them. Jess had spent many a day in the stables with him, helping to groom and care for the horses. He was the one who had first suggested that she consider becoming a veterinarian.
“This week. I’ll be going in there on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the days that I don’t have classes. Liz and Joni have each picked up a shift for me for the next few months.”
“You start this week?” Jake sounded surprised, then smiled. “You’ll be running the place by the time I get there.”
Jess laughed. “You start the next week, right?”
“Yes, a week from tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with myself this week. I haven’t been on vacation in years.”
“You won’t be bored here,” Wade said with a chuckle.
“I can take you rock-climbing,” Wes said.
Will’s face lit up. “Or white-water rafting. We just got some awesome new equipment.” Wes and Will were the two brothers that loved the outdoors.
“Those both sound great,” Jake said.
“If you feel like going for a ride, just make your way down to the stables,” Wyatt offered. “You can always find me there and we could tour the property on horseback.”
“I’d like that, too. I’ve been doing a bit of running, but it would be a nice change to ride a horse for a while. It’s been a very long time since I’ve done that.”
“It’ll come right back to you. I’ll give you Rocky. Despite the name, he’s one of our older fellows. Nice and mellow. You’ll like him.”
“All right, then. I guess I won’t be bored this week after all.” Jake turned to Jess and lifted his plate. “I’ll take another slice of that lasagna if you don’t mind. It’s the best I’ve ever had.”
Jess felt her cheeks flush at the compliment as she quickly plopped a gooey piece of it on Jake’s plate.
“I’m glad you like it. If I remember right, Wade said you’re a pretty good cook yourself.”
“He is,” Wade confirmed. “That’s partly why I gave him the Copper Cottage. I knew he’d appreciate that chef’s kitchen.”
“I make a mean stir-fry, or grilled pork chop,” Jake said. “That’s about the extent of it these days. I do enjoy it, though. Cooking relaxes me. Usually, I’m so busy that I just get takeout.”
“Same here,” Jess said. “That’s why I like when it’s my turn for Sunday cooking. It’s easier than cooking for one…unless I really like the leftovers.”
“Jake, didn’t you used to date Barbi Johnson in high school?” Kelsi asked with a mischievous gleam in her eye.
“I did, yeah, for a little while during my senior year. I haven’t seen her in years.” Jake said as he added some root beer to his glass, then passed the pitcher to Wade, whose glass needed filling, too. The Weston family loved their root beer. Jess had set out two pitchers of it.
“Well, you’ll have to stop by the restaurant one of these nights while you’re here. She’s a waitress in the main dining room, which stays open later on the weekends when we have live entertainment. I bet she’d love to see you.”
“You have bands playing there? That does sound fun. I’ll be sure to stop by and say hello.”
“We’ll get a bunch of people to go Saturday night. Jess’s best friend Lily’s band is playing that night, I think.”
“I remember Lily Donahue. The two of you were inseparable. I didn’t know she played in a band.” Jake looked surprised.
“She works here at the resort, too, as an event coordinator. The band is a side thing she does with her brother Tyler and his friend Mark. Lily does most of the vocals and plays a little guitar. She has a great voice,” Jess said.
“I can’t wait to hear them.” Jake looked around the table. “Thank you all for including me for dinner. It looks like I’ll have plenty to keep me busy this week after all.”
“Cheers to that. Raise your root beers, everyone!” Wade lifted his mug, and everyone else did the same and tapped glasses all around.
“To Jake coming home!”
Chapter 6
Jess loved working with Dr. Henery. He’d been in great spirits when she arrived Tuesday morning and told her all about selling the business and his decision to retire. She only had a few more weeks left of her internship and he told her that he’d already sent in a glowing evaluation to the University. That way Jake wouldn’t have to worry about it, but he would still have her assistance. Jake would also be in good hands with Kathy, who handled the front desk, juggling phone calls and incoming clients with their pets. Jess guessed that she was maybe in her early forties.
“I am going to miss this,” he admitted when they broke for a quick lunch break mid-day. Kathy had ordered sandwiches for them from a local deli and they ate in the small office out back. “The missus said it’s time, though. She wants to do some traveling. We have grandkids back East that we don’t get to see as often as we’d like.”
“That will be nice, to spend more time with them.” Jess felt something furry brush against her leg, and looked down to see a huge black and white cat looking up at her. She reached down to scratch him behind the ears and he started purring loudly. Boris was the office cat. Dr. Henery told her that he wandered in about eight years ago and never left.
“What will you do about Boris? Is he staying or going home with you?”
“I will miss him, but this is his home. Jake knows that, though. He’s fine with it.” Of course he was. Jess couldn’t imagine any vet minding.
After they finished eating and washed up, Kathy let them know their next appointment was ready for them. A fluffy
Maine Coon cat named Tina needed her yearly rabies shot. Jess followed Dr. Henery and helped when she could, holding an animal while the doctor checked its temperature or gave a shot, and weighing them and recording their vital signs in the medical software. The practice mostly handled small animals—cats and dogs. The other vet in town was more of a larger animal practice, horses and other livestock. When Jess started there, Dr. Henery also explained that they often referred business to each other.
He made some notes on a chart. “Jake happened to mention he has experience with the larger animals, too, so maybe he’ll take on some of that work. I don’t really know.” He handed the chart to Jess. “Could you give that to Kathy? She’ll print out an invoice and file it.”
The rest of the day flew and before she knew it, the day was over. It was almost six by the time Jess got home. She noticed smoke coming from a grill on Jake’s porch as she walked inside. Whatever he was cooking smelled good. What was she going to make for dinner? Maybe she would just heat up some leftovers. She didn’t have the energy to cook anything. As she set her purse down and took her coat off, her two cats came running over to greet her. She picked each one up and gave them hugs, then went to the cabinet where she kept their food and opened two small cans and dumped them in their bowls.
She’d adopted Maya and Rudolph five years ago from a local shelter when they were two years old. An elderly man had passed away and his neighbor brought them to the shelter. She was told that they were brother and sister, but they looked nothing alike. Maya was tiny, a little gray fluffball, and Rudolph was huge, and orange. But they both had a similar patch of white on their necks, and they were very sweet and friendly.
Jess was just about to go look in the refrigerator to find something to eat when there was a knock on her front door. She was surprised to see that it was Jake. And of course she looked a mess. Wasn’t that always the way? Her hair was coming out of her ponytail and there was a damp patch on the front of her scrubs where a kitty had thrown up on her earlier.
She went to the door anyway, and opened it. Jake was standing on her front step. He did not look a mess. He looked amazing. His hair was slightly tousled and he looked like he hadn’t shaved. Jess always had a weak spot for shadowy stubble. He was dressed casually, in jeans and a navy U. of Idaho Vandals football shirt.
“Hi. I saw you pull in and wasn’t sure if you’d had dinner yet. If you haven’t and don’t mind my company, I have plenty of extra pork chops.”
Jess hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, “I thought something smelled good when I walked in. I’d love that, actually. I was just trying to figure out what I was going to eat. I’m too tired to make something.”
“I thought you might be. Busy day?”
“Yes. Fun, though. Let me change out of my scrubs and then I’ll be right over.”
Jake headed back to his cabin and Jess went into her bedroom to change. She peeled off the dirty scrubs and pulled on her favorite jeans and a powder pink sweater. After a quick brushing of her teeth and straightening of her hair after she took it out of its ponytail, she was ready to go. She chased the butterflies in her stomach away by reminding herself that Jake was just being neighborly. There was nothing to be nervous about.
She made her way to his cabin and knocked lightly on his front door.
“Come on in,” he called.
She stepped inside and saw him in the kitchen, slicing tomatoes for a bowl of salad on the counter. He smiled when he saw her.
“I hope you’re hungry. Seems as though I bought a family pack. I might be eating pork chops all week.”
“I am, and they smell great. Can I do anything to help?” she offered.
“I’m all set, I think. You could carry the salad bowl to the table.”
She brought it to the small round table by the window. It was set for two and looked out over the fields. Jake joined her with a platter of grilled vegetables and boneless pork chops. He set the food on the table and then went back to the refrigerator.
“What can I get you to drink? I have water, root beer, or I think there might be a bottle of wine too if you’d rather have that?”
“Water’s fine for me. I actually don’t drink,” she said.
“I don’t either,” he said as he grabbed a bottled water and a can of root beer and brought them to the table. “Did you ever?” he asked as he sat down.
“Drink? No, I’ve actually never had a drink. Well, that’s not entirely true. I did take a sip of Lily’s wine once, and then spit it out.” She grinned. “I was all set after that.”
Jake chuckled. “I had one beer, in college, and that was enough for me. My friends gave up eventually when they realized I could be their driver.”
Jess laughed. “Same here. Most of my friends drink. Lily loves wine. I don’t mind what other people do, and am always happy to be the designated driver. I kind of always knew I wasn’t interested, though.”
Jake raised his eyebrows. “Really? Why is that?”
“Well, you know my aunt and uncle took me in when I was eight?”
Jake nodded.
“My parents died because of alcohol. They’d been to a party. They loved going to parties. They just had too much that night. My dad shouldn’t have been driving, but my mother was just as bad and didn’t know to stop him. The only good thing is that they crashed into a tree instead of another car.”
“I didn’t know that. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. It was a long time ago.” Jess cut into her pork chop and took a bite. It was the juiciest pork she’d ever had. The few times she’d tried to cook pork chops they’d come out dry and overcooked. “This is really good.”
Jake smiled. “Thanks. The secret is to undercook it a little and then let it rest. It will keep cooking for another five or ten minutes and be perfectly done.” He added some salad to his plate and shook on a little Italian dressing.
“That’s sort of why I don’t drink, either. Both of my parents had problems with alcohol. My father got help, but my mother actually died from it. That kind of thing can be hereditary, so it just never appealed to me.”
“I’m so sorry about your mother. What made you decide to come back to Riston?” Jess asked. Usually, once people moved away from the small town, they rarely came back. She’d assumed that Jake was in Lewiston for good.
“Thanks. The timing seemed right. I was mostly in Lewiston to be near my mother, but with her gone and my contract ending, I had some options.”
“Did you like living there?”
“It was fine. The people I worked with were great. They actually wanted me to stay on after my contract ended, but my dad is friends with Dr. Henery, and when he told me that Doc was thinking of retiring it seemed right. My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer recently and while his prognosis is good, it’s very treatable and early stage, but I’d still like to be closer. To spend more time with him and to help, if I can.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. He must be thrilled to have you back in town.”
Jake smiled. “He is. We’re playing golf on Saturday. I’m still trying to warm up to his wife, though. She’s a bit prickly.”
“Claire, right? I think I waited on them in the Kafe recently.” Prickly was a kind description. Jess thought cold and demanding were more like it. She had not enjoyed waiting on them. His father was fine. He was easy and friendly. But Claire had complained about everything and Bob was not happy when Claire sent her breakfast back twice. First time her eggs weren’t cooked enough for her liking and the second time, there were too many peppers in her hash browns. Jess didn’t imagine that family dinners would be much fun for Jake.
“Yeah, Claire. I don’t know what my dad sees in her, but she seems to make him happy. So, I guess that’s all that matters.”
“I suppose so,” she agreed and set her fork down. She’d inhaled her food and was feeling full and content.
“Have more, there’s plenty,” Jake urged.
“I’m stuffed. It was g
reat, though.”
“Well, I hope you saved a little room for dessert,” Jake said as he started to clear their plates. Jess jumped up to help him.
“Maybe. What do you have?” No matter how full she was, Jess could almost always find room for something sweet.
“Blueberry pie. I stopped by a farmer’s market on the way home. Bought more bakery stuff, bread and pie, than vegetables. Funny how that works.”
“I do the same. And I love blueberry pie. It’s my favorite, actually.”
“I don’t suppose you’d like a little vanilla ice cream with it?” Jake was already pulling a quart of ice cream out of the freezer.
“Why not?” Jess agreed. He cut slices of pie for them both and Jess added a small scoop of ice cream onto hers.
“Want to take these outside? It’s a beautiful night. We can eat on the porch.”
“Sure.” Jess followed Jake outside and they settled on the loveseat glider that was the focal point of the Copper Cottage’s farmer’s porch. There was plenty of room for both of them and it was gorgeous out—clear and warm, with a soft breeze blowing through the trees. They were sitting close enough that she caught a whiff of his cologne. She didn’t know what it was, but she liked it.
“So, tell me about your day. Did Dr. Henery tell you he is retiring?” Jake asked.
“He did. I think it’s bittersweet for him. He seems like he will miss it.”
“I’m sure he will. I told him I’d love for him to fill in every now and then if he feels like it or cover me if I want to take some time off. He seemed to like that idea.” That didn’t surprise Jess. She suspected that retirement was going to be an adjustment. She thought of something he had mentioned about Jake’s experience.
“He said that you have done some large animal work, too. Are you looking to make that a focus?” Jess asked.
“I had some exposure to it and I could do it in a pinch, but it’s not where I want to spend too much time. I think that’s where the other vet in town specializes and I could help out if he needed backup or in an emergency.”
Veterinarian's Vacation (River's End Ranch Book 2) Page 3
