Once she spread out the jewelry, and set out the order forms, she began her spiel. Between trying to sell the goods and the women filling out the purchase forms, it was close to 9:00 p.m. before she could pack for home. She hadn’t done the math, but this client and her friends purchased quite a lot. Tammy estimated she had enough for a quarter of a monthly payment. Add in the fact that Aiden had delivered more feed this morning than was necessary, and Dixie and her foal could eat their heart’s content for free.
The lights were on in her house when she drove up, but Tank’s vehicle was gone. Only now did it hit her that a complete stranger would be sleeping within yards of her. Not since her parents’ death had anyone else been in the house at night.
With the jewelry case in hand, she opened the kitchen door. She expected her stomach to lurch and the hair on the back of her neck to stand up on end, but nothing like that happened. Jake seemed to emit this calm aura.
No noise came from the living room. Was he even here? If he were, the television would be blaring.
“Jake?”
“In here.”
A bit of relief washed over her. It was silent, so maybe he’d already gone to bed. She followed his voice and halted at the sight. Jake was sitting in one of the kitchen chairs at a makeshift wooden table he’d place along the sidewall of the living room. He turned around and grinned.
An expected jolt of lust shot through her at the intimacy. She shook the erotic cobwebs from her brain and focused on the new addition. “Where did that come from?”
He tapped the table. “I found two saw horses in the barn that didn’t seem to be in use, and I got some scrap lumber from the side of the house. Hope you don’t mind that I requisitioned them.”
His setup was brilliant. “No. I had no plans for any of that stuff.”
“You want to see what I’ve been working on since you’ve been gone?” There was such excitement and hope that she had to check it out.
She stepped next to him. Using computer paper he’d taped together, he’d drawn a sketch of someone’s house. “Whose is it?”
“Why, it’s your new home.” The sparkle in his eyes dimmed. “I can change anything. This is for you, and it’s your dream. I’m just the conduit.”
His sketch overwhelmed her. “How did you know the size? Or how many rooms I wanted? From her quick glance, he’d drawn her dream home. Her brain couldn’t wrap itself around any of this. She’d given up on miracles so long ago that she didn’t know how to react.
“I measured the slab of the original house. I know you don’t have much money to buy a lot of lumber, so I kept it the same dimensions.”
Joy pulled her lips upward. “You really think you can do this?” Her heart slammed against her chest. She’d been without hope for so long, she didn’t want to believe this could work.
“It’s the one thing I’m good at.”
She doubted that’s all he was good at. He might talk with a sexy, Southern drawl, but she had no doubt the man could charm a snake. Her thoughts shot to Tank. Maybe she had been a bit premature in judging him. While he might want to help out his cousin, she bet there were a lot of other ways to use the man’s talent than have him build her house. She’d shied away from men most of her life, but there was something about Jake that might make her change her mind.
“I haven’t been a good hostess. Can I get you a beer or something?”
“Don’t touch the stuff anymore.”
She hadn’t expected that answer. Most of the men in Pleasure loved to party. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-six.”
Same age as her. “How about a soda then?”
“Water works best for me.” He patted his flat abs. “I try to keep away from sugar.”
Who was this guy? “Be right back.”
Confusion swirled inside her. There was more to Jake Harrison than met the eye. It would all be a moot point after Thomas’s Hardware told her no, and he’d have to find some other home to build.
She brought the drink to him.
He drank half. “Now, have a seat, darlin’, and tell me your dreams.”
Her dreams? She must have looked confused for he chuckled before elaborating. “I want to know how many bedrooms you want. I’ve drawn three, but that can be changed. I need to know if you’re partial to an open floor plan, or do you like a lot of small cozy rooms? Are you thinking of having a ton of kids or should I focus on a large master that acts as a retreat?”
Kids? Retreat? She’d been too focused on staying alive, let alone finding a mate. Though the idea of having someone to share in the struggle might be nice. For her, not for him. “Two?”
“Two kids.” He scribbled notes. “So at least three bedrooms. You a front-porch type of girl or the screened-in, back-porch type?”
Was he serious? “I just need to have the wall fixed.” She nodded to the plywood siding.
“Getting free labor only comes once in a lifetime. You might as well take advantage of it. Remember, I want the town to see my work. Once they do, I’ll be in high demand.”
She didn’t doubt that. For tonight then, she might as well let her dreams come alive. They discussed various options. Jake was great about how much the material would cost for each of her options. Once Jasper paid up, she could cover the cost of rebuilding the house and pay off the mortgage a few months in advance. Wouldn’t that be awesome?
She snapped her fingers. “Maybe you could put in a separate entrance, and I could rent out this space.” She waved a hand around.
“Whatever you want, darlin’.”
The added income would help reduce her monthly payments.
Jake leaned back in his chair. “How about we bring two chairs out front and pretend we’re on a porch. It’ll give you an idea of what might be nice.”
She never gave in to whimsy, but somehow his suggestion seemed right. “I say, let’s do it.”
An image of more than just talking came to mind. Don’t even go there.
Chapter Four
When Tammy awoke the next morning, sounds came from the living room. Her body shot to high alert until she remembered she now had someone living in her house. She draped a hand over her eyes, thinking how much things had changed in twenty-four hours. Until late in the evening, Jake had regaled her with stories of him and Tank. Even though Jake had grown up in South Carolina, he and his parents had visited Pleasure when Jake was a kid because their fathers were brothers. Tank seemed to be a good kid when he was young. Too bad he’d changed in high school. Maybe his mother’s death hit him harder than she knew, and he was looking for recognition from the wrong sources. Tammy had been two years younger than the hot senior and totally naïve back them. She never should have let him go all the way. Stupid, stupid.
Jake also talked a bit about his construction company and how he’d grown his business from a one-man operation to having over fifty employees. When the work dried up during the downturn in the economy, he decided to walk away. He didn’t mention anything of a personal nature, but then neither did she. He seemed to avoid speaking about his relationships, but she got the feeling that even if he had someone special in his life, no kids were involved.
He asked a lot of questions about the house, and what it looked like before the fire, as well as how the fire started. He seemed pleased faulty wiring hadn’t been the cause because that would require remodeling the part that had survived the devastation. At least he hadn’t asked where she was when the fire started. The guilt still assaulted her.
She rolled out of bed and headed straight to the shower. Her clock read 7:30 a.m. Damn. She’d overslept.
Given the only bathroom was attached to her room, she didn’t want to take too much time getting ready. Jake would need to use the facilities, too. If he stayed around, she’d have to make room for his toiletries and set up a time for him to share.
The whole idea of having someone live here was a bit unsettling. What if she wanted to date someone? Could she bring a new man around w
ith Jake sleeping on the sofa? Probably not. Why that thought occurred to her, she didn’t know. No one would want a woman with so much debt anyway.
Taking less time than usual in the shower, she wrapped a towel around her wet hair, and pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. There was no window in her room as a result of the fire, so she couldn’t tell what kind of day it was outside.
Once she tugged on her boots, she stepped into the living room. The wonderful aroma of bacon and eggs made her stomach grumble. Jake cooked? She loved to experiment with different recipes and did well enough to get a job as a chef, but she had little time to indulge in her hobby at home.
When she strolled in, he was standing by the stove. “Good morning.” His T-shirt clung to his muscled back. Last night, she’d mostly been focused on his face and soothing voice. His slightly bagging flannel shirt had clearly hidden a boatload of muscles.
Turning his head, he flashed her a grin. “Good morning to you. Coffee?”
She could definitely get used to this service. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone took care of her. Be honest. When was the last time you let someone?
“Sure. Black, no sugar.” He hadn’t asked, but for some reason she wanted him to know they shared at least one thing in common.
He placed breakfast on the table, along with her coffee. “I hope you don’t mind that I helped myself to the food.”
“Not at all.” She meant it.
“Here ya go. I figured since you had mushrooms and onions in your fridge, you liked them.” The omelet had those ingredients, along with sundried tomatoes.
She took a bite. “This is delicious.”
He joined her at the table, and a sense of calm surrounded her. Maybe she had been lonely and not even recognized it. She waved the cup of coffee. “Do you want to come into town with me? Before I get my hopes up, I want to talk with Brody about getting the lumber on credit.”
“Sure. If you have the time, maybe you can help me pick out a used truck.” A flash of pain crossed his face.
They hadn’t talked about his finances, but she guessed he was almost as strapped as she was. Though how someone went from owning a company to being almost homeless wasn’t something she was comfortable bringing up.
“Sure. I have a friend who works at Wilson’s Automotive. They’re honest and they check out the vehicles before they sell them.”
“Perfect.”
They had almost finished breakfast when Aiden popped his head in the kitchen. “Knock, knock. I came to check on the animals.” He stepped in and walked over to Jake. “You must be Jake. Tank tells me you’re moving to Pleasure.”
She hadn’t known Tank and Aiden were still such good buddies, but the possibility made sense. Now she knew.
Jake studied the doc. “I think we’ve met years ago. Aiden’s not a common name.” He snapped his fingers. “I was maybe ten when a bunch of Tank’s friends went to some stream where there was a tire swing. I think you were there.”
Aiden glowed. “Oh, yeah. On the edge of Palmer’s Lake. Sure. I remember you. I’d never seen anyone with such white hair before.”
They laughed and chatted a bit about the good old days.
“You want some coffee?” she asked.
“No. Just stopped by to see how the animals were doing. I have another call at Clete Knight’s place, so I stopped in. We can talk later.”
He seemed in good spirits. Clearly having another man live with her didn’t faze him. Damn. Here she thought he was interested in her. Though Tank probably told him about the forced arrangement.
Jake pushed back his chair, stood, and carried his dishes to the sink. “Let me wash up and then we can head to the hardware store.”
They opened at eight o’clock, so the timing worked well. When Jake returned from the bathroom, he’d shaven and changed into a long-sleeve shirt. No doubt about it, the man was hot. Not as broad-shouldered as Tank, but he was taller than either Aiden or his cousin. Why she was comparing him to the other two men, she didn’t know. Perhaps because she was always running into all three, and each time one of them managed to mess with her mind. Her whole life she’d had the ability to focus on the job at hand. Tank, Aiden, and Jake show up, and they’d scattered her thoughts. She had to work on her self-control.
“Ready?”
“Yup.” She should be nervous she was in the company of such a sexy man, but he didn’t seem to want anything from her other than to prove to the town that he had skills.
He angled toward the driver’s side. “You mind if I drive? I need to learn my way around town.”
“No problem.” She tossed him the keys, almost glad for one less thing to occupy her mind.
She hated for anyone to do her a favor. Asking Brody for credit upset her stomach. If Jasper hadn’t been in a hospital so far away, she would have visited him, but he might think she only came to see about her money. To her, she’d be no better than Tank.
Focus on today, not the future. She twisted toward Jake. “You have the list of what we need?”
He lowered his gaze. “Wouldn’t be much of a contractor if I didn’t.”
True. Like he belonged in her large van, he followed her directions, never exceeding the speed limit or taking the curves too fast. Jake was nothing like Tank. When Tank was a teenager, he disregarded all rules of the road. She wondered how long it would take before Tank got his first speeding ticket? While a fair man, the sheriff enforced the rules.
In no time, they’d arrived in town. Jake pulled in front of the store. “Just remember, you’re helping the hardware store by buying a large quantity of lumber. They’re making money off you.”
“If I repay them.”
Jake stayed her with his hand. “Darlin’, you’ve got to have a more positive attitude. Send out those good vibes and good things will happen to you.”
She stopped her snarky response. He was super upbeat, but it didn’t seem to do him much good. The downturn of the market had taken his livelihood away just like the lightning had hers.
Regardless, if she didn’t get over her issues and ask, worse things might happen. “You’re right.”
Before he reached her door handle, she hopped out. Two customers were exiting the front door as they were going in.
“Darlin’, why don’t you find the owner, and I’ll check out what they have in the way of lumber?”
“Sounds good.” I can do this.
As soon as Jake headed off, her pits started to sweat. What reason could she give Brody for asking for credit? The small town seemed aware of everyone’s needs. While the bank would never tell anyone she hadn’t paid her mortgage in four months, by selling most of her cattle, the townsfolk must have concluded she wasn’t financially strong. Yes, they’d all brought food and offered to help after the fire, but her intense grief prevented her from accepting anything other than necessities from them.
Breathe. She’d been to Brody’s office before. In a way, she hoped he wasn’t there, and she could put off facing her problems for another day.
No such luck.
She knocked and Brody looked up and grinned. He and his two best friends had recently married Brittany Davenport, a new nurse in town. Maybe it had been the nuptials that put him in such a good mood.
“Tammy! What can I do for you?” He motioned she take a chair.
The worst he can say is no.
“I’ve come into a little bit of luck.” There. That seemed positive. Jake would be proud.
“I’m happy for you.”
She told him about Tank’s cousin and the money Jasper owed her. “Right at the moment, I don’t have the cash, so I was wondering if I could buy the lumber on credit?” Her damned voice wobbled.
His smile reached his eyes. “Not a problem. Your parents always paid their bills on time.”
That was her parents who had a large, working ranch. Now they were dead. Even if she sold her ten head of cattle, she couldn’t pay him back. And if she did sell her cows before they gave
birth, how would she make money?
Wait a minute. Had he really said yes? “You do realize we need a lot of lumber to rebuild the house.” Perhaps she hadn’t made herself clear.
“I know, but no one should have to live in substandard conditions. I know you’ve been working a lot of jobs to make ends meet. I’ve always believed we need to help each other. You never know when you yourself will need the help back.”
What an incredible philosophy. She didn’t remember him being so open. The last time they’d really interacted, he’d been moody and unhappy. Perhaps meeting Brittany had changed his world.
“I can’t thank you enough.”
“Just invite me and my family over for a celebration when the house is finished.”
“Will do.”
Tammy walked away lighter than she’d felt since the fire. Maybe her life was turning around. Her nose led her to the lumber department. She loved the mixture of fresh-cut pine and the tang of rough-hewn cedar. Jake was in deep conversation with one of the helpers. Not wanting to disturb him, she sauntered over to the bathroom area, dreaming of granite countertops and tiled showers. Seeing how expensive everything was, she’d settle for anything that worked. Discouraged by how much this house was going to cost, she went back to Jake, not wanting him to get carried away.
“Hey,” she said.
“We good?”
The words failed to come out. All she could give him was a big grin and a nod.
“Great.”
She waited patiently while Jake discussed what he needed. The clerk told him he should come back tomorrow and pick up the wood.
Jake shook hands with the clerk then faced her. “If I can’t find a truck to purchase today, I bet we can borrow Tank’s truck to haul the stuff to your house.”
“If you take out the back seats, you can use my van.”
“The truck will be easier.”
“You don’t think he’ll mind?” She had no idea if Tank was the type to lend his possessions. Guess she didn’t know him that well anymore.
Monroe, Melody Snow - Taming Tammy [Pleasure, Montana 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4
