by Deb Kastner
“I think it would be okay if you want to set her on Star’s back for a minute. Keep your arms around her waist, though, just in case Star shifts,” Avery suggested, curling her fingers through Star’s halter and holding his head firm.
“Yes, of course,” Jake said. “Okay, Lottie, honey, here you go.”
For a man who’d come straight from city life, he managed to put Lottie on Star without unsettling the Shetland even a little.
“Hold on to Star’s mane, sweetheart,” Avery said, slightly concerned when Lottie’s excitement bubbled over into her hands and her legs started pumping.
“Easy, honey,” Jake urged. “We don’t want to scare the pony.”
Actually, Star was performing magnificently, not appearing to be the least bit interested in the wiggling human on his back at all.
If only Avery could find the same peace in her heart while enjoying time with Jake and his family.
She could take a lesson from Star.
* * *
Despite the argument they’d had in the kitchen, Jake was enjoying his day out at the Winslow’s Christmas-tree farm. He hadn’t spent much time in the mountains, with its crisp, clean air laced with the pungent scent of evergreens, and he found he really liked it. He suspected a man could take a daily run through the wilderness trails and find true peace in the presence of God here.
There was so much to appreciate. The Lord’s wonders were all around him, from the magnificent, towering boulders, which would be the envy of any sculptor, to the stunning lodge pines reaching for the sky and whispering in the wind. The aspen trees would be in full foliage in a couple of months, and Jake could only begin to imagine the golden hues of fall here at the farm.
It was an entirely different kind of existence than anything he’d known before, and he found himself a little envious of the Winslows’ laid-back lifestyle. What he wouldn’t give to slow down even for a little while and just be present for a change instead of always having to push forward and think ahead.
“Piggies,” Lottie exclaimed, and Jake couldn’t help but laugh along with Avery and his mom. Lottie had the attention span of—well, of a three-year-old little girl—and apparently she’d had enough of riding the pony for now.
He plucked her off the back of Star and set her on the ground next to the litter of wiggling pink piglets.
“Go ahead and enjoy the piggies while I get Star back into his stall,” Avery suggested. “The piglets especially like to be scratched on their bellies. And they make really funny grunting sounds if you get just the right spot.”
When she returned, she had a pretty, lingering smile on her face, and her expression was deep and thoughtful. Jake couldn’t help the way his heart responded to her. She was just so beautiful, inside and out.
What man wouldn’t look twice?
“We have a couple of other horses you’ll have to meet sometime,” Avery said, nodding toward the barn. “They are Frost’s pride and joy, a matched pair of gray Percherons.”
“Those are draft horses, right? Like Clydesdales?” Jake asked, attempting to display what little country knowledge he had. He’d actually taken Lottie to Denver’s National Western Stock Show just before they’d arrived in Whispering Pines, and they had seen both types of draft horses pulling stagecoaches during the rodeo.
“Yes,” Avery said, her eyes widening in surprise. “They’re draft horses. I’m impressed that you know that.”
Jake grinned and gave himself a mental pat on the back. Score one for him.
“Anyway, every Saturday afternoon year-round, Frost takes them out and offers our guests special rides—hayrack rides in the summer and sleigh rides in the winter. It’s quite an enjoyable experience to bundle up underneath wool blankets and feel the cool air in your hair. You ought to try to get out here and take a ride before—that is—”
Avery stammered to a stop, her face reddening.
“That sounds great,” said Elaine. “I know Lottie would love to do that. And I’m totally up for it, too.”
Jake didn’t know whether his mom was just being polite or if she’d seen the sudden wall appear between Avery and Jake, but either way he quietly sighed in relief. He had so been enjoying this family outing and the time with Avery that, for a while, he’d almost forgotten he had to walk on eggshells around her.
“Do we need reservations?” he asked.
“When would you like to come?”
“A week from Saturday?”
“Perfect. I’ll let Frost know. Be here at noon. He usually heads out about twelve thirty.”
“I...uh... Super,” he stammered, not quite sure what had just happened. One second Avery was pushing him away, and the next she was inviting him and his family back to her farm for another unique Winslow experience.
Maybe she was just being nice for Lottie’s and his mom’s sake. Maybe she didn’t plan to be there a week from Saturday, and he wouldn’t have to see her at all.
But maybe he wanted to.
Chapter Seven
Avery unlocked the door to the Meyers’ cabin and let herself inside, her heart beating a mile a minute as she walked over to the long, carved-oak dining room table, and flopped her computer bag down at the head of the table with a contented sigh. The oak could stand to have a good polish, and Avery made a mental note to add that to her ever-growing list of items she’d need to accomplish before opening the doors to guests for her bed-and-breakfast. These were her favorite kinds of tasks—ones involving elbow grease she’d be able to accomplish on her own.
There was no doubt in her mind—not that there ever was. But she was more convinced than ever, sitting here breathing in the ambiance that was this cabin. This was her dream house, the one she’d been searching for since the first day the idea of providing a bed-and-breakfast to A New Leash on Love clients had popped into her head. She knew this was her special place despite Marston Enterprises, and even after pushing back and forth with Jake over it—or maybe especially after they’d butted heads once again on the matter.
Every single thing about this cabin was perfect, from the roundabout porch to the industrial-fitted kitchen to the bright, cheery mother-in-law suite she could easily remodel. There was a perfect spot in the backyard where she planned to dig a nice vegetable garden. She’d get Sharpe, Frost and Ruby to build a play area for the kids, similar to the one they had at the farm.
Her brain was overflowing with ideas, and she couldn’t pull her laptop out fast enough, turning it on and quickly navigating to a document which contained a spreadsheet with all her ideas. There was so much to do, and every single moment of work would be pure joy for her.
A cutthroat, get-the-job-done man such as Jake would never understand what it meant to just feel something was right the way she felt about this cabin. He took his orders from a big corporation and didn’t ask questions. He was a figure-it-out and make-it-happen guy. She’d give him that much credit.
But she was equally determined to make it happen. And he wouldn’t find it so easy to bulldoze through her dreams and goals as he might believe.
Much had happened since she’d seen him nearly a week ago. She’d spoken to the Meyers, for one thing, first, to get access to their house without always having to bother Lisa, and second, to find out if she was wasting her time going up against Marston. If they’d already done a deal, signed, sealed and delivered, then no amount of fighting would help.
As it turned out, the Meyers had just officially listed the property, and Avery was the only one who’d shown interest. The Meyers didn’t even know who Marston Enterprises was.
Which meant what? That Jake was waiting to bring down the hammer? That the company was so sure of themselves they didn’t even bother with preliminaries?
Avery knew enough to understand real-estate transactions didn’t move quickly. There were hoops to jump through, everything from checking on zoning laws
to going through property inspections and waiting for the Meyers to make any necessary changes before the sale could go through. In Avery’s case, there was also the need to qualify for a mortgage in order to buy a house, but she’d thought ahead and had already prequalified.
She had the means to buy this house.
If Jake and his company didn’t sweep it out from underneath her.
In addition to the Meyers, she’d also spoken to friends and neighbors around town to try to understand their perspectives on a Marston resort moving into the area. She knew how she felt about it, but it wasn’t all about her. Even though in her heart she knew they were country people at heart like her, she still half expected more of them to be enthusiastic about the build.
Bringing in movie stars and other celebrities? That had to count for something, didn’t it? People wanting to see their favorites face-to-face, maybe get an autograph or two?
But surprisingly, most of her neighbors didn’t care for the idea of that much increased traffic in the area. Like Avery, they could see beyond the twinkling stars to the trouble such a resort could cause their small town.
She wasn’t just fighting for herself.
She was fighting for them.
She was deep in the midst of searching for possible ways to stop Marston Enterprises in their tracks, when suddenly there were three loud thumps on the front door.
Avery was so startled by the sound she nearly jumped out of her skin. She’d come here for quiet and privacy, so she could think and plan out her strategy against Jake and Marston Enterprises. It was often noisy at home, even when she shut the door to her office.
Besides which, she wanted to draw in the ambiance of the place as she worked. The only one who even knew she was here was Felicity, and if there was a problem, her sister would have texted or called her on her cell phone, not come to the cabin.
Tentatively, she peeked out the front blinds to see Jake standing on the front porch, casually dressed in jeans and a royal blue button-down Western shirt with his usual black cowboy hat and boots. She knew without a closer glimpse that the color of his shirt would bring out the blue in his eyes.
The charming, sparkling eyes she would absolutely not get lost in today.
She opened the door so abruptly it clearly startled Jake, whose dark eyebrows rose for a moment before he recovered himself and swept off his hat.
“What do you want?” she demanded without a greeting.
“Well, hello to you, too.”
She frowned at him.
“May I come in?” he asked in that honeyed Texas drawl as he nodded toward the inside.
“Why?”
Again, she’d clearly caught him off guard.
“I...uh...”
She sighed, stopping just short of rolling her eyes as she stepped back out of the doorway and gestured for him to go by her. “Fine. Come in.”
“Thank you.”
“So...” she began, “what brings you to this neck of the woods?” She walked back to the dining-room table and seated herself at her laptop, assuming Jake would take the seat across from her.
Or rather, she hoped he would, as that would give her a modicum of distance from him.
Instead, he sat down next to her, blatantly checking out her handwritten notes and the site she was currently visiting on her computer screen.
Annoyed, she slammed her spiral notebook closed and minimized the screen on her laptop.
“Nosy much?” she groused.
He grinned back at her and shrugged. “More like curious.”
“Well, you know what they say about curiosity and cats.”
“Guess it’s a good thing I’m not a cat.”
“Aren’t you?” He was like a panther, silently padding around her, ready to pounce on her dreams with his sharp claws out.
The corner of his lips tipped up in the heartwarming half smile that Avery could not resist reacting to no matter how hard she tried.
And she was trying.
“Fully domesticated house kitty,” he said. “Couldn’t hurt a mouse. You can ask my mom about that.”
Avery snorted. Whatever else Jake Cutter was, it was not domesticated. She could sense a wild streak a mile long inside him. It was part of what made him so good at his work. That alpha-male, take-charge, get-the-job-done attitude.
“So, again, I ask, why are you here?” she pressed. He’d just suddenly happened to appear at the Meyers’ cabin for no reason? She didn’t believe that for a single, solitary second. “You wouldn’t be following me, would you?”
He clasped his hand to his heart and gripped it as if she’d mortally injured him.
“What? Me? Never!” He then paused to think about what he’d just said. “Not that you’re not eminently worthy of following.”
“Do you ever speak without using that smooth tongue of yours?”
He combed his hair back with the palm of his hand as his grin widened. “I can’t help it. I was born smooth.”
She could believe that. In high school he’d probably been voted Most Popular, along with Most Likely to Succeed and undoubtedly Class Clown.
“So, if you’re not following me, how did you know I was here?”
“Oh, I didn’t. Not at first, anyway, until I saw your SUV parked up next to the house. Despite your entrancing nature, I wasn’t actually looking for you. I stopped by to walk the woods a bit, check the land out and make some notations for Marston. I’m enjoying the mild weather and the fresh air, and the truth is I like hiking through the woods. You just don’t get that in Dallas.”
“Is that where you live? Dallas?”
“At the moment, yes. That’s where Marston has its home offices. I have an apartment there where my mother and I currently live with Lottie—not that we’re there much. But spending time in a little town like Whispering Pines tempts me to make a major move. There is definitely something to be said for raising a child in such a wonderful environment.”
“Jake,” Avery protested, “do you even hear what you’re saying?”
He folded his hands on the table and leaned toward her. “Why don’t you tell me?”
“You already know. A Marston resort is going to change everything about this town. You’ll be putting pressure on the small-town businesses. Many won’t survive in the new landscape you’re proposing.”
“Maybe. But there will be all kinds of new opportunities. The resort will provide lots of new jobs.”
“And all of those people who want to take those jobs—where are they all going to live? What’s it going to do our town?”
“So, you grow. Expand.”
“Maybe we don’t want that. If you did move to Whispering Pines, it may very well turn into a town like Aspen. The kind of place where you can’t take your child into any of the stores because everything is flashy and expensive. Compare that to what we have now—stores where Lottie can go in and find stuffed animals and T-shirts placed at eye level.”
She leaned back and crossed her arms with a huff. “That’s the difference, the real difference. And that’s what I’m talking about. Are you really ready to be responsible for ruining Whispering Pines ?”
* * *
Avery had a point, and it was razor-sharp. Plus, she had no qualms about jabbing him with it over and over again.
Did she truly think he didn’t have a heart?
Well, he did, and he was seriously considering what she had said.
Maybe she was right. But at this point, there wasn’t much he could do about it. He had a job to do, and that job was to secure the Meyers’ property for Marston Enterprises. It didn’t matter how he personally felt about the matter.
He couldn’t just quit his stable, well-paying job because he suddenly didn’t like what he was doing. He had to provide for his daughter and his mother. Lottie had serious medical issues tha
t required medicines and treatments that weren’t cheap, and he would always seek out the very best in care for her. Eventually she’d want to go to college, and he wanted to be prepared for that, too. His daughter was so smart he was sure she’d be able to get into any Ivy League school she wanted. Of course, she was only three years old right now, but he knew that she had an amazingly bright future ahead of her.
And that future required having a lot of money in savings and investments. He’d worked hard to get where he was at Marston over the past six years. He’d been telling the truth when he’d said to Avery that he wouldn’t mind raising Lottie in a small town such as Whispering Pines. It just wasn’t practical. Not for him.
It would never happen.
She was making too much sense with what she was saying, and she was getting to him. He felt the sudden urge to put some emotional space between them.
“So, your notebook and laptop there. Did you come by the Meyers’ place to find some peace and quiet away from the farm?” he asked.
She stared at him silently for a moment, probably wondering at the sudden change of subject.
“Yes,” she said after a long while.
“Business?”
“You could say that. I’m making plans for my bed-and-breakfast.”
He felt as if she’d gut-punched him, and the worst part was, he’d walked right into it. He should’ve been ready for that answer.
“It’s easier for me to picture the changes I need to make if I’m right here in the middle of all this,” she continued. “Walking through the house gives me such a sense of excitement and anticipation.”
“Avery...” he said tenderly.
“I don’t want to hear it.” She blew out a breath. “Jake, we’ve already traveled this road. Repeatedly. You do your thing. I’ll do mine.”
“Yes, but—”
“I’ve been doing some interesting research,” she said, interrupting him.
