by Amelia Shea
Her stomach had been doing flips since he surprised her in the living room. Yep, standing with my bare ass facing him. If ever there was a moment she was wishing for superhuman powers, it was then. She would have given up her firstborn to disappear at that moment. She could only imagine what must have been going through his head when he saw her. Actually, she couldn’t even think of it without wanting to throw up. She spent longer than necessary in his bathroom.
Since she had come out and gone into the kitchen, the tension was thick. Of course, it was. He wanted her out of his house, but Jasper was too polite to not offer her coffee. Even his apology was overtly sincere; she knew it would be. That was him, always the polite, kind, and did-the-right-thing Fords brother. It was the reason she had fallen for him years ago. He was just as beautiful inside as he was outside.
Now he was offering to feed her because it’s what a true gentleman would do.
She jerked her head to the side at the front door down the small hall. The door opened in a flash and a man entered, shaking off his coat and hat, sending white snowflakes across the floor.
This was not good.
She turned back to Jasper. His body was tense, and his face tightened. Kellie dropped her arms, backing into the wall behind her as if she could hide. This was the last thing Jasper needed.
“It’s a frigid bitch out there.”
Oh hell. Tripp Fords.
She dropped her chin and glanced over. He had taken two steps before his foot faltered when he made eye contact. He stared at her as if she had two heads and was auditioning for the traveling circus. His gaze traveled down her body and back up. His small smile turned into a Cheshire grin.
“Well, look who it is.” Tripp could be charming, and while he had a sharp tongue and was known for being a nasty prick, he’d never struck out at Kellie. Even when the whole lot of women he’d been with came into the bar and would partake in making digs, Tripp never added his own. She was certain he’d spoken about her behind her back but never to her face. “Hey, darlin’.”
She smiled, lifting her brows. “Hi Tripp.”
He stalked forward and stopped right next to her. His shoulder brushed against hers, and she would bet he did it on purpose. He slowly angled his head toward Jasper and cocked an eyebrow.
“Well, this explains why you ain’t been out doing chores yet,” Tripp said.
Great, just great. Now everyone would be thinking the same thing which was obviously crossing Tripp’s mind. He was very much a talker, a loudmouth, and not even his family would be spared if the story was juicy enough. This would keep the town talking for months. She couldn’t do that to Jasper. It was bad enough everyone was already speculating on what would happen at the first run-in with him and Abby. She wouldn’t add more talk on Jasper’s shoulders. He didn’t deserve it. She needed to stop it before it had time to start.
She turned toward Tripp. “It’s not what you think.” Her face heated when his stare turned on her, and the corners of his eyes crinkled.
“And what do I think?”
She shrugged. “Well, I assume you think I’m here with Jasper in the morning because something happened last night, which it didn’t.” She drew in a breath, prepared to lie her ass off. “I had trouble with my car and got stuck in the snow. Jasper was nice enough to bring me here so I didn’t freeze out in the storm.”
Tripp cocked his brow. “I thought your car died a few months ago?”
She froze. Small towns had their charm and perks, but this was not one of them. People knew everything about everyone. She thought she was immune to anyone taking an interest in what was happening in her life other than her sex life. Apparently not.
She gulped. “Yeah, well, I got it fixed.”
Tripp grinned and tilted his head. “And then it broke down again?”
He wasn’t buying it. His eyes glanced over at Jasper and then to her.
“Yeah.” Even she wouldn’t have been convinced with that story.
“And Jasper brought you back here instead of taking you home?”
It clicked in her head, the story she was selling made no sense. She opened her mouth, but Jasper spoke, finally.
“What do you want, Tripp?”
“I just came looking for you. Dad tried calling.” He looked over at Kellie and smirked. “Got no answer, sent me up to come find you. And here you are. With Kellie.”
Jasper pushed off the counter. “I need to drive her home. Cover me, and I’ll be back in an hour, probably take me some time with the roads.”
Tripp laughed. “Jas, neither one of you are going anywhere. They haven’t even touched our road with the plows, and from what I hear they’re waiting for the storm to end before they clear again in town. It could be a day or two.”
“Why the hell are they waiting? It’s dangerous.”
Kellie felt the churn in her stomach with his harsh tone. She could read between the lines of his question. It was obvious Jasper wanted her out of his house. She curled her arms tightly against her chest and felt the heat rise from her neck to her face.
“I’m just the messenger. But you’re not gonna get very far if you try to drive her back.”
This was awful. Tripp walked into the kitchen, but she kept her eyes trained on the wood floor beneath her feet. If the roads weren’t cleared and he couldn’t get her home, it meant calling someone to come get her wasn’t an option. That left her stranded at Jasper Fords’ house for an undetermined time.
“Where’s your car at?” Tripp asked, and she whipped her head, facing him. He stood next to Jasper who was wearing a hard scowl. “It gets covered with snow, the plow might drive into it, if they can’t see it and all.”
She grimaced wondering what she was going to say. This was the reason lying was never a good idea. “Uh…”
“She drove me home in my truck last night from Steers,” Jasper said.
“Why?”
Jasper stared back at Tripp with a glare. “I was too drunk to drive. Kellie was nice enough to bring me home. The storm picked up, and she couldn’t make it home.”
Tripp sighed heavily and shook his head. “You best hope Dad doesn’t hear about this.”
She lowered her head in pure shame. Kellie knew her reputation, and on any given day it didn’t bother her. People loved to talk, and they didn’t know her, not the real her anyway. Her mom’s words rang in her head again. “It’s none of your business what others think of you.” She’d lived that mantra since the eighth grade when the first rumors about her started to circulate. If she had let those rumors affect her, they would have chewed her up and swallowed her whole years ago. Letting people think what they wanted was far easier than trying to convince them they were wrong. But the idea of his father finding out she stayed the night with him would cause a lot of tension and embarrassment for Jasper. Unfortunately, the rumors of Kellie weren’t known only amongst the younger generation. It had made it up through the ranks to the older. Thank you, old lady hairdressers and the incessant need to gossip.
The quick flash had Kellie glancing up as Jasper smacked the back of Tripp’s head, sending him forward and making his coffee spill off the side of the cup onto the floor. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Tripp righted himself, glaring back at Jasper. “Me? What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you hitting me, asshole?”
“Keep your comments to yourself. Christ sake, Tripp, you don’t gotta be rude in front of her.”
Tripp glanced at Kellie with an odd, confused look on his face. There was no use trying to hide her reddened face, he’d read past it. She would have to amend her previous statement. She’d finally made it onto the receiving end of Tripp’s nasty tongue. She straightened her shoulders and tightened her lips.
Tripp’s brows furrowed, and then he looked back to Jasper. He set his coffee on the counter and put his hat back on. She expected him to give some kind of apology since Jasper called him out on being rude to her.
“I’m gonna go down t
o the barn. I’ll tell Dad you’ll be down in a few.” His glare aimed harshly at Jasper. “And just so we’re clear on this. When I said you best hope Dad doesn’t hear about this?” He glanced over at Kellie and then back to Jasper. “I was referring to you getting drunk off your ass, not being here with Kellie.”
That was not what she expected. Her mouth fell open, and with a quick glance, she watched Jasper’s face turn a shade of pink.
Tripp made his way past her and uttered, “Need to check your manners, Jas.”
She watched Tripp walk down the hall and through the door. She flinched when it slammed closed. Did Tripp Fords just take her back? She stared at the door until movement caught her attention from the kitchen.
Jasper was staring at her, remorse evident in his eyes. “I’m sorry about…”
However he was going to finish his sentence, she really didn’t want to hear it. She couldn’t fault Jasper for what he thought. Hell, she thought Tripp was referring to her, too. She stepped forward and chuckled.
“It’s fine, I thought he was talking about me, too.”
Jasper frowned. The small lines in his forehead creased. Even with a scowl, Jasper was gorgeous. His features were light and easy, and the signature blue eyes all the Fords brothers had somehow looked more amazing on him than the others. While Grey and Tripp had their dad’s dark hair, Jasper favored his mother’s side with a light brown.
“I need to get to my chores.”
She nodded. Of course he did, and he needed to get away from this awkward conversation. He passed by her and headed up the stairs. She pushed off the wall and made her coffee. His kitchen was the exact replica of Grey’s, though the color scheme was different. She slid her hand across the beige granite, wondering if he had picked out the color. Glancing around, she stopped on a wooden plaque above the door. Home, ain’t no place like it.
Her eyes darted down to the doorway as Jasper walked through.
“You gonna be okay here by yourself?” She didn’t know Jasper well, but reading from his eyes, she sensed guilt. She gave him a big smile.
“I’ll be fine.”
He nodded and walked toward the back door off the kitchen. The mud room was past the kitchen, probably where he kept his boots and work clothes. He stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder.
“Probably won’t be back until late, maybe seven, but make yourself at home, watch TV, and get yourself something to eat. I’ll make a call, see if Tripp’s word was good. If I can get ya home today, I will.”
“Okay, thanks.”
He stared a second longer and gripped the doorframe. “I should be thanking you. I really appreciate you bringing me home. Not many people woulda done that.”
This was yet another thing on a long list of Reasons Why I love Jasper Fords. His sincerity.
“You’re welcome.”
He smiled and turned, walking out of the kitchen.
She waited until the door closed before resting against the counter and sliding down to her butt.
“I’m stuck in a snowstorm with the man of my dreams.”
»»•««
Jasper trudged up the hill, shivering from the cold. He’d spent the majority of the morning into the afternoon clearing the crossings and the ranch trails. The second half of the day was reserved for his chores. They had two no-shows, and with Grey out of town, they worked double-time to get it all done. Round two of the snowstorm was on the brink of starting. He’d have just enough time for a warm meal and a few hours of sleep before waking up, feeding the animals, and tending the barn.
He had kept Kellie in the back of his mind for most of the day. They had been so busy it wasn’t a hard task. However, his brother was hell-bent on bringing her up every chance he got.
“You gonna tell me what happened last night, or you gonna do the gentlemanly thing and keep your mouth shut,” Tripp asked, following behind.
Jasper ignored the question in hopes he’d let it go. He didn’t. Matters only got worse when they plowed through the path to the barn, leaving a few ranch hands nearby.
“Jas, people are gonna talk, they find out you had Kellie Mitchell at your place, just sayin.”
Jasper spun around to face off with Tripp. No one was going to hear anything. Kellie may have a reputation, but Jasper wasn’t about to feed into the rumors. He stalked over to Tripp, sending his brother a step back.
“You won’t say anything, you hear me, Tripp? Nothing happened.”
A snicker from the barn door had Jasper jerking his head to Ted and Dwyer. They were recent hires who lived in the ranch hand house. They were local boys, friends of Tripp’s from school. He’d been skeptical they could handle the work when his dad hired them, but he was always willing to give people a chance.
They smirked, and Dwyer nudged Ted in the side. Jasper narrowed his eyes. “You got something to say?”
Dwyer had the decency to look embarrassed. He shrugged and glanced over at Tripp. “Just funny is all.”
Jasper turned and stepped forward. “I don’t see anything funny. Why don’t you enlighten me?” Jasper crossed his arms and cocked his head, waiting for him to answer.
He raised his eyebrows and smirked. “Kellie Mitchell at your place and nothing happened? Nobody’s gonna buy it, Jasper. I mean, it’s Kellie.”
Tripp laughed. “He’s got a point. True or not, no one’s gonna believe you had Kellie in your bed, and you didn’t bang her.” He shook his head and smirked. “Hell, even I only half believe you.”
Jasper saw red, mainly their blood. His body grew stiff, even with the freezing cold breeze swirling around. He was heated with a fire burning his blood. His nostrils flared as he tried to regain his composure. He wouldn’t yell, it wasn’t his style, but he would set these assholes straight and make it damn clear.
“She wasn’t in my bed, she was on my couch after doing me a favor.”
Ted snorted. “I’ll bet.”
Jasper slowly angled his head to the left and turned his glare on the smart-mouthed ranch hand. “Do you like working here?”
Ted’s lips clamped together. He was smart enough to read between the lines. Dwyer stepped forward, trying to play peacemaker. Little did he know the effort was useless. He opened his mouth, but Jasper snapped first. “Shut up.”
Jasper turned to Tripp. “You know damn well what the favor was, and as my brother, I expect more from you than running your mouth. If I hear another word about her and what you think happened, you’ll deal with me, Tripp.” He glanced over at the ranch hands who clearly no longer saw the humor in the situation. He pointed to them. “And you two will be looking for another job. We clear?”
They nodded and shuffled back into the barn. Jasper threw one last glare at Tripp and turned to leave. Tripp grabbed his arm, halting him. It wasn’t very often his youngest brother showed regret or remorse, but it was apparent in his face. Tripp sighed.
“I ain’t gonna run my mouth, Jas, I swear. Don’t mean others won’t though.” He raised his brows. “It’s Kellie.” He said it as though it made it okay, a valid excuse.
Jasper ripped his arm from Tripp’s hold. “It’s Kellie? So that somehow makes it okay?” Jasper stepped into his space, sending him back a step. “Once, Tripp, just once I’d like to see you not act the asshole.” Jasper’s lip curled in disgust. “I’d have better luck asking God for a miracle.”
“I didn’t say it was right people think that way about her. But they do, Jas. Look, you asked me not to say nothing and I won’t.”
“You don’t get it, do you? I shouldn’t have to ask you not to, Tripp. I don’t care what people say about me, but it’s not fair to Kellie, and you know it. The way you keep harping on it, asking me about me and her, it feeds into what those guys think.” He pointed toward the barn. “It’s like you don’t know the difference between right and wrong.” Jasper turned away and started to the field. He spent the rest of the day working solo. He was just coming from the barn, doing last checks on the animals when h
e saw his mother waving at him from the porch. He made his way to the main house.
“You hungry?” she asked as he made his way to the porch. He shook his head. All he needed was to get home, get changed, and get to bed. That was what he needed. What he wanted was to see her. A thought which had put him on edge for the last hour.
“I’ll make something when I get home.”
“Don’t you lie to your mother, Jasper Caleb.” She narrowed her eyes, which made him smile. Anytime a middle name was used, it was fair warning his mom meant business.
Of his parents, his mother was the softer of the two. His father ran the family with a stern yet loving hand. His mother was all love. She was the soft behind the Fords family of men. He took after his mom mostly. She was more reserved like him, less confrontational, and usually played mediator in the family, as he did with his brothers. That wasn’t to say she was a pushover. She used one of their middle names, they all listened and didn’t give any backtalk. Even Tripp knew better than to go up against his mom.
“I got some leftovers in the fridge.”
She eyed him and then shook her head knowingly. “But you’d have to heat them up, which you won’t ’cause you’re too tired.”
He chuckled. She knew him well.
“Stay here, I got something for you.” His mother walked back in the house. He shook off the building snow on his hat. She came back out with a cooler. He met her at the door to keep her from coming back outside in the cold.
“Thank you.”
“It’s still warm so no excuses. Want you to go home and eat, ya hear me?”
Jasper smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”
She reached over, giving him a kiss on his cheek. By all accounts his mother didn’t care how old her boys got, she was still taking care of them, even when they didn’t need it. He tucked the cooler under his arm and walked down the steps. He was at the edge of the house when his mom called out his name. He stretched his neck to see her leaning out the door.
“There’s enough for two in there.” She squinted. He sighed heavily and nodded.
Damn, Tripp. If his mother knew, then there wasn’t a doubt his father did. He hadn’t seen his dad most of the day, but he could feel a lecture coming on. Jasper hadn’t gotten an Edward Fords lecture in a while. His father was known for them, and if one of the boys got in trouble, it meant a ride through the pasture and a talk. It would prove to be a longer ride, he assumed. Getting drunk was bad enough, but then to be brought home and basically shacking up with Kellie? That would earn him an extra dose of reprimand.
