by A. J. Pine
“Sorry that took so long.”
He spun, knocking his knee on the edge of an old trunk that acted as a coffee table, and held back the wince.
“I’ll get the coffee. Should be done now,” she murmured, nervously fisting her delicate hands.
“Sounds good.” His head was pounding for a hit of caffeine, but the rest of his body pounded for different reasons. Apparently, Jessa had suddenly decided to start wearing shorts. Short shorts and a faded V-neck T-shirt that pointed his gaze to the very spot he’d been trying to avoid.
“Have a seat.” She gestured to the couch and sashayed across the room and into the small kitchen.
For the second time that morning, he had to remind himself to close his mouth. He sank to the couch, glancing at the picture book on her coffee table instead of her ass. Which was shaped and firm, he couldn’t help but notice. And if he sat here much longer, he might be tempted to do more than notice, which meant he should fast track this little meeting.
With that in mind, he shifted forward, widened his stance, and rested his elbows on his knees. “So, got any idea where my dad might be?”
“I’m not exactly sure,” Jessa answered, working quickly to fill two mugs in the kitchen. “But if I had to guess, I’d say he’s somewhere up near the north ridge.”
“And the north ridge is…?” His face heated. Yes, he owned the land, but he never had time to get out and explore it. Not the way Jessa and his father did.
“It’s about eight miles up the mountain.” Carrying two steaming mugs, Jessa walked—no swayed those curvy hips—back across the living room and handed one to him. She sat on the very edge of a leather chair opposite the couch. “I saw him Wednesday,” she said, her brown eyes reddening. “He asked me if I wanted to go up with him. And I said no.” The last word teetered on the edge of a whimper.
Oh, shit. Don’t do it. Don’t cry. “He’ll be fine,” he said before a tear could fall.
Jessa bit into her lower lip. Something he might like to try sometime…
“I thought he’d ask Tucker to go with him since I couldn’t. No one should be out there alone. Ever.” A tear did slip out then, and he shocked himself by reaching over to cover her hand with his. Not because he wanted to touch her. Hell no. That had nothing to do with this. Her dad had passed away last year and it obviously still got to her, that’s all. He could imagine how that would feel. Didn’t know what he’d do if he lost his own father. “Dad’s out there all the time,” he reminded her. “He likes to be alone. And it’s not your responsibility to babysit him.” That burden rested solely on his shoulders. And with his training schedule, he hadn’t done much of a good job of it lately.
Jessa stared at his hand covering hers like she didn’t quite know what to make of it. Yeah, neither did he. So he withdrew it, lifted the coffee mug to his lips, and took a good long sip. Heaven. It was liquid heaven. Bitter but creamy. Exactly the way he made it for himself. The realization shook him up again. He set down the mug before he spilled it. “You put a tablespoon of cream in it.” Real cream. None of that fake flavored shit.
Jessa startled, her eyes worried. “You don’t like it?”
“No. I mean…yes.” He paused to unscramble his thoughts. “That’s exactly how I make it.” But she hadn’t asked him if he wanted cream.
A soft smile plumped her lips and made them look as delicious as the coffee. “That’s how Luis drinks it every day at the shelter. I figured maybe that was how you liked it, too.”
“Good guess.” He sipped again, hoping the caffeine would clarify his thoughts, because they kept wandering and now was not the time to get distracted by a woman. He had to find his dad so he could get back to the ranch and take care of Wild Willy. Otherwise he wouldn’t be able to resume his training and then he’d be five hundred miles up shit creek.
“So he didn’t tell you where he planned to camp?” Jessa asked, crossing those long legs. Her voice had a formal ring to it, like she was about as uncomfortable with the current situation as he was.
He focused on his coffee. “No. But he does this all the time.” Definitely more than Jessa knew about.
“He can’t sit still,” she said through a fond smile. “He hates to be confined.”
“Yeah, well, if he doesn’t start sitting still more often, I’ll have to confine him.” He couldn’t watch the man 24/7. Not with Worlds coming up.
Not that he needed to have that discussion with Jessa. He’d already said too much.
Lance finished off his coffee and plunked the mug onto the trunk. “So can you tell me how to get up there? To the north ridge?”
“There’s really no easy way.” She stood and collected their mugs, rushing them to the kitchen. “You’ll have to take the ATV up most of the way,” she called as she rinsed them in the sink. “Until the talus field. Then you go on foot about another mile or so until you see the outcropping.”
The what huh?
She traipsed back to her chair and sat. “Then you run into the boulder field.” Her eyes glittered with excitement. “That’s where it gets fun.”
“Sounds simple.” Yeah, about as simple as getting his body to behave when he took his gaze to the point of her V-neck shirt. Holy hell. This was gonna take him all day.
“It’s actually pretty complicated. I’ll have to come with you,” she murmured, the rounded apples of her cheeks flushing with an intensity he’d never seen on her face. Of course, he’d never really looked before.
“You want to come?” His mouth went dry. He’d have to spend the whole day trying not to notice how sexy she suddenly was?
“I have to come. There’s no way you’ll find him on your own.”
Damn it all. She was right.
* * *
Jessa did her darnedest to stuff down the worry that threatened to make her seem overdramatic. Lance was so calm about the whole thing. So sure his father would be fine. Luis went out on the mountain all the time. Sometimes alone. He knew the terrain. Knew every survival skill he’d ever need…
She gazed out at the peaks from Naomi’s front porch, where she and her friend had gathered to wait for Lance to bring down the ATV. The mountains looked beautiful, powdered with snow at the very tops, the late fall sun casting a spotlight on every chiseled detail. He’ll be fine, she told herself again, trying to mentally separate today from the trauma of last year. And yet her stomach refused to settle.
In an attempt to distract herself, she filled Naomi in on her eventful morning.
“Let me get this straight.” Her friend’s luminous green eyes doubled in size. “Lance came into your house. Sat on your couch. And had coffee with you?” she repeated for what had to be the fifth time.
Jessa’s skin warmed as though the high-altitude sun was beating down right on her face, but nope, they were nice and shaded. It was simply a hearty Lance Cortez–induced blush. Not even the brisk mountain breeze could douse it, though goose bumps prickled her legs. God, she shouldn’t be wearing shorts on a search-and-rescue operation. But they’d left her house in such a hurry she hadn’t even had time to change into more appropriate attire.
A few feet away, Naomi’s sweet daughter, Gracie, sang to herself on the porch swing.
Jessa leaned in close so the girl wouldn’t hear. “Yes. He came into my house. And I was naked,” she moaned, reliving that humiliating moment when Lance had stepped around the couch and the bottom fell out of his jaw.
Naomi’s eyes narrowed in a way that quirked her lips. “Better naked than wearing your old hiking pants,” she offered.
“Thanks.” She’d hoped a quick chat with her friend would bolster her confidence, seeing as how she had to spend an entire day with Lance and somehow not succumb to her typical awkward ways, but so far the woman wasn’t helping. “This isn’t funny! You should’ve seen the way he looked at me.” At first he’d looked shocked, then it seemed more like lust, but then, as he’d finished his coffee, his expression had looked almost disgusted. “I don’t think he
likes me very much.”
“Lance doesn’t like anyone,” Naomi reminded her. “But that’s why this is so perfect.”
“I’m not following.” This didn’t sound perfect to her. She had to spend a whole day with someone who didn’t like people. And he was so beautiful to look at. Which meant she was guaranteed to make a fool out of herself again.
“He’s tough to read,” Naomi admitted. “But it’s the perfect opportunity for you to try out your new look. See if you can win him over. It’ll be great practice for finding donors for the shelter.”
Now it was her turn to laugh. “Win him over? Lance Cortez?” That was like a duck trying to win over a lion. “Do you know me at all? I have no clue how to charm a man.”
“Well you coulda fooled me,” her friend said, looking her up and down. “Seriously. You look hot. The contacts, the makeup, the hair…” She reached over and fluffed the soft waves Jessa had blown dry earlier. “You’ve always been beautiful, and now everyone’s going to know it.”
Jessa smoothed her hair nervously. “I’m not sure it’ll make much of a difference.”
“Trust me,” Naomi insisted. “It will make a difference. You look great,” she emphasized. “Pretty soon you’ll have donors lined up down the block.”
“If you say so.” But after Lance came over, she canceled all of her meetings. Donors weren’t her biggest concern today. Not right now. She squeezed her friend’s hands, feeling her own tremble. “Do you really think Luis is okay out there?” she asked, almost breathless. Memories of getting the phone call that her father had collapsed out on the mountain bore down on her.
“I was worried, too, honey,” Naomi said, not letting go of her hands. “But Lance is right. His dad is a true mountain man. He’s not lost. He’s not missing. He just needs to be more responsible and remember to bring along his medication next time.”
“Right.” She nodded as though the words had alleviated her fears.
“You and Lance will find him,” Naomi went on, turning back to the driveway.
Somewhere in the distance, an engine sounded. Nerves gripped Jessa’s stomach. She hoped so. She hoped they’d find Luis right away. She also hoped she could spend the day with Lance and somehow resist that dark, hot cowboy thing he had going on…
But when he came speeding around the corner on the ATV, dirt flying from the wheels, that hard body tensed and strong, her heart floated away from her again.
He skidded to a stop in front of the green lawn and pulled off his helmet.
“Uncle Lance!” Gracie squealed, launching herself off the porch and into his arms just as he stood.
Laughing, he swung her around, and that smile on Lance’s face—the unguarded expression of happiness—bolted Jessa’s feet right to the wooden planks beneath her. Then and there her heart dissolved into warm mush and something inside her sang. She knew she could never see him the same way again.
Lance glanced over at her, some of that messy dark hair spilling over his forehead, and their eyes locked. The singing turned into a warm hum. It was like that scene in West Side Story, when Tony and Maria first see each other across the dance floor. Everything else blurs into a meaningless background and it’s just the two of them, staring longingly into each other’s eyes. Well, she was longing. It was hard to tell what he thought.
Lance was the first to blink. “Hey, Jessa,” he said casually, like the universe hadn’t just exploded into a million glittering diamonds that made everything sparkle. Was she imagining it or did his voice gentle the syllables of her name?
“Hi.” Jessa nearly sighed.
“All right, buckaroo.” Lance set a still-giggling Gracie gently on the ground. “I’ve got to go. But we’ll get to that riding lesson later.”
The girl’s eyes were sparkling the same way Jessa imagined hers still were. “Promise?” Gracie asked, hands clasped underneath her chin, the little charmer.
“Pinkie swear.” He held up his little finger to finalize the deal and Jessa could’ve sworn her ovaries ached.
Naomi pushed her from behind, and it was a good thing because otherwise she might’ve stood in that spot all day long staring at Lance.
“So you two have a good time,” her friend said, giving her another good nudge in his direction. “Let me know as soon as you find Luis. Tell him I’ll have his lunch waiting.”
“Will do.” Lance looked at her. “Ready?”
No. She was clearly not ready, seeing as how she could feel her heart starting to wander away from her again. Somehow, with one look, Lance had obliterated her ambition to put romance on the backburner.
Oh God. If that had happened with one look, how would she spend the whole day with him? She shot a desperate look at Naomi, but her friend only nudged her toward the steps, her whole face beaming a calculated smile.
As if she knew Jessa was already in over her head.
Chapter Four
White-hot rays of sun cut across his vision and blinded Lance the second he turned back to the ATV. It was a damn good thing the sun blinded him, too, because something had to direct his attention away from Jessa so he’d quit noticing how the brightness lit her long, sleek hair. And how her hips swayed in that womanly way. Not to mention how her tanned legs tensed with her steps, shaped and strong but delicate, too.
Damn those shorts. Who the hell wore shorts on a rescue operation, anyway?
Someone with sexy legs, jackass. Not like it was a crime. The woman was allowed to wear whatever she wanted. He never used to care what she wore before. Until sexy robe babe, that is. He kept his head down and navigated the path across Naomi’s lawn. Man. His father owed him for this mess. If the man would’ve stayed put, he never would’ve had to call on Jessa. Never would’ve noticed her sex appeal. This is Jessa Mae, he reminded himself for the hundredth time.
Blinking against the morning sun, he casually sauntered to the driveway. Jessa had already made it to the ATV, booking it down the walkway as if she could feel the snort of a pissed-off bull on her tail. Seemed she wasn’t thrilled about spending the day with him, either. When she’d seen him swinging Gracie around, the woman’s face had been stony and expressionless. She’d stared at him for a full minute at first, and her eyes had avoided him ever since. Kind of the way he attempted to carefully avoid looking at her. But that was about to get a lot harder because dear old Dad had taken the other ATV out for his little escape, which meant there was only one left. For him and Jessa. To ride together…
Without glancing back at him, she plunked one of the helmets onto her head and tugged the chinstrap into place. Then she swung a leg over the machine and took the handlebars in her hands, staring straight ahead.
“What are you doing?” Lance asked quickening his pace.
Jessa cranked on the handle, starting the thing up. “I’m driving,” she yelled over the engine noise.
He skidded to a stop. “You’re driving?” He hadn’t counted on…spooning her from behind.
“You don’t know where to go,” she yelled again, handing over his helmet like she wanted to get this over with. “I bet I know exactly where he went.”
He reached over her and shut off the engine. “You can tell me where to go. I should drive.”
Jessa didn’t budge, but she threw up the face shield on her helmet. “I’ve been up there a lot more than you have. I know the terrain.”
“And I can handle the ATV,” he said, before he thought better of it. Not that he wanted to insult her, but she was pretty petite to maneuver a machine like this. Especially with the weight of two riders.
Fire filled her narrowed eyes. “I’m driving,” she said, turning the key to start the engine back up. “So you can either get on the back or I’ll go by myself.”
“Fine,” he ground out, pulling the helmet down so she wouldn’t see the scowl that tightened his face.
Careful not to touch her, he eased his leg over the seat and slid on, bracing his hands against his thighs, unsure where else to put them.
/> Jessa glanced over her shoulder. “You need to hold on,” she advised him, flicking the helmet’s shield up so he could gaze into her exotic brown eyes. They flashed with determination but wouldn’t quite meet his.
“I am holding on.” To himself. That was much safer. He didn’t want to feel her soft skin beneath his fingertips. Didn’t want to feel anything for her at all.
With a slight shrug, Jessa flicked down the helmet’s face shield and turned back to the handlebars.
He clamped his legs tight and secured his feet on the ATV’s sturdy base. That’d be enough to hold him in place. How fast could Jessa possibly drive any—
The engine squealed then clinked, there was the grind of metal gears, and they shot off like a missile on target.
“Shit!” His arms flew up and before the momentum threw him right off the back, he wrapped them around her waist, pulling his chest against her back to steady himself.
Her shoulders tensed against him, but she kept her head straight, focused on driving, and it was a damn good thing because they must’ve been going twenty miles per hour straight up the side of the mountain. “You always drive like this?” he growled over the wind. He’d have to think twice about letting her and his father go up the mountain together again.
“I just want to get there,” she yelled back, turning enough that he could see the worry tensing her jaw.
Right. She’d lost her father only a year ago. On the same mountain they were currently blitzing up. And he couldn’t imagine that…losing his dad. He’d already lost Lucas, then Levi. One by one the people he’d cared about had walked out of his life. If he lost his dad, he’d lose everyone who mattered. Everyone he had left. Friends weren’t the same. Parents anchored you to your heritage, reminded you who you were when it got hard to remember. Far as he knew, Jessa didn’t see her mom much. She’d been close with her dad. An ache snuck into his chest as he peered at her profile. Beneath her helmet, her face had hardened into a mask of desperation.
