Читать книгу Cowboy's Special Woman - Sara Orwig - Страница 9

Maggie listened to the deep voice on the phone tell her how reliable Jake was. Jeb told her in detail how Jake had saved his life in Colombia when they had been in the Airborne and on a rescue mission. Closing her eyes, she could visualize the image again of Jake running into the burning barn and then just minutes later, emerging with her father slung over his shoulder. So he was reliable and a wonderful person and she had insulted him and she was being ridiculous.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, only a portion of her uneasiness erased. She replaced the receiver and stared out the window at the blackened field. She didn’t want Jake working for them, but it was that disturbing electricity she experienced every time she was around him that worried her. She didn’t remember feeling that way around Bart and she had been in love with him and had married him.

She gave a slight shake of her shoulders. She and Jake had already discussed the situation. She would hire someone else, and he would go. He didn’t want to be tied down here anyway.

She got out the cold chicken and swiftly set the table, putting potatoes in the microwave oven to bake, then getting out the loaf of homemade bread that was only half eaten. She sliced tomatoes and set them on the table.

“What a picture,” Jake drawled, and she spun around. He stood in the doorway with his hair slicked back, giving him an entirely different appearance, revealing his prominent cheekbones more sharply. He had changed to a white T-shirt and wore jeans and his boots, a sight that made her pulse skip.

“Picture?”

“A pretty woman, scrumptious chicken and an old-fashioned kitchen.”

“I wouldn’t think those would be the things that appeal to you. You sound like you like life in the fast lane.”

He shrugged and strolled into the room, dark gaze on her, and a faint smile curving his mouth. “I like all of those things—pretty women, good food—I guess I don’t care one way or other about kitchens. Since I haven’t eaten for over twenty-four hours now, that food looks like a feast.”

“I’ll pour water and we’ll eat.”

As she reached into the cabinet, his hand brushed hers and he took a glass from her. She turned and he was right beside her, brushing against her shoulder. “I’ll get the drinks.”

“If you look in the back in the bottom of the fridge, you’ll probably find a cold beer. Dad has one now and then.”

“Thanks, but I don’t drink beer.” Jake’s brow arched. “I surprised you, didn’t I?”

As heat flushed her cheeks, she realized she had to stop judging him by his appearance. “You’ve surprised me all day,” she admitted.

“Good,” he said in a tone of voice that changed subtly and made her tingle. “Life is interesting when it holds surprises.”

“It depends on the surprises. The fire today was one heck of a surprise.”

“It was a shock and a bad one. That isn’t what I’m talking about, Maggie.”

“I’ll drink ice water,” she said, trying to get back on an impersonal level. Amusement flashed in his dark eyes before he headed to the refrigerator. She wondered if she would ever forget him moving around their house. What was it about him that carried that air of wild recklessness? He hadn’t done anything that had been out of line, yet she had the feeling he was not only capable of wildness, but that was his usual mode. She glanced out the window at the big Harley parked outside.

Setting two glasses of water on the table, he held a chair for her and she sat down. “Thanks.”

He sat facing her and as she passed the chicken to him, the phone rang. She got up to answer it, motioning him to go ahead.

It was the insurance adjustor, and she made an appointment for the next morning, the first Wednesday in August. She sat down to eat when the phone rang again.

“Go ahead and eat,” she said as she answered to talk to a friend.

While she was on the phone, someone drove up and knocked at the back door. Jake opened it for Melody Caldwell, one of Maggie’s friends. Maggie saw that Melody carried a large casserole dish.

Maggie watched while Jake flirted with Melody and Melody flirted back. Divorced, Melody lived in town. She and Maggie had known each other since they were five and Maggie knew Melody would be in no hurry to go home. She would be fascinated with Jake.

Maggie hung up. “Hi, Melody. Thanks for the food. I see you two met.” She heard an engine and glanced out to see a ranch neighbor drive up. Dressed in jeans and matching Western shirts, looking more like brother and sister than husband and wife with their red hair, Ollie and Pru Morgan climbed out of their truck and crossed the porch with food in hand. Within the hour two more neighbors arrived. After supper, all the friends helped Maggie and Jake move her things back inside the house.

It was half past ten when the last guest left. Maggie was aware of Jake standing beside her on the porch as her neighbors drove away.

“You have a lot of friends.”

“I’ve lived here all my life and so have my parents and my grandparents before them.”

Jake sat down on the wooden steps. “It’s cool and nice out here now. Sit down a minute.”

“I miss Katy being here.”

“You just talked to her a little while ago.”

“I know. She likes to stay with her cousins, and it’s good for them to grow up friends, but I miss her. Patsy has two girls, Ella who is seven and Tina who is five.”

Aware of him only a few feet away, Maggie sat down on the steps. Beside her, he stretched his long legs out in front of him. The night was cool and quiet with only the chirp of crickets and the far-off sound of a bullfrog.

“You have enough food from your friends to last the rest of the week,” Jake said.

“They’ve all been nice.”

“Yeah. It’s great. What would you like me to do in the morning?”

“I guess you can take over Dad’s chores. Because of the drought, he’s having to feed the cattle and horses. He checks on their water. We have a stallion, Red Rogue—Dad just calls him Rogue. He’s wild so be careful of him. He’s penned up by himself in the northeast pasture. Dad is trying to sell him, we have an ad running, but so far, no buyers.” She raised her head. “I can smell the burned land.”

“Yep, but it won’t last long and several of the men said in the seven-day forecast, rain is predicted. First thing you know, it’ll all green up again.”

“Thank goodness the fire didn’t cross the lane and we have our house and trees left in the yard.”

While fireflies flitted over the fenced yard, Maggie and Jake sat in an easy silence, and she was amazed he wanted to just sit and enjoy the evening. He was only a few feet from her, and she was very conscious of him.

“You want to have a bed-and-breakfast and you want your little girl to grow up here. What else do you want from life?”

“That’s about all. I’m happy here with my dad and Katy. This is a good life.” She glanced around. Jake leaned back on his elbows, almost reclining on the steps with his legs in front of him. He watched her, but she could no longer see the expression in his eyes.

“What do you want, Jake?”

“I want to see parts of the world I haven’t already seen. I want to save my money and travel around the world.”

“Your life is hard for me to imagine,” she said. “I’ve never been out of Oklahoma.”

“No kidding!” She saw a flash of his white teeth. “Maybe one day you should let your sister keep Katy and get on my bike with me and let me take you across the state line to Texas.”

She smiled. “Maybe someday I’ll go somewhere. Tonight I’m going to bed. I’m exhausted.” She stood. “If you’d like, you can sleep upstairs. I’m sorry I wasn’t hospitable.

He stood and faced her, shaking his head. “Forget it. That hammock looks inviting, and I like it out here under the stars. I haven’t slept outside in a long time. I’ll come in and shower in the morning.”

“Come get a pillow. You won’t need a blanket.”

He held the door and they went inside. She left him in the kitchen while she went upstairs and got a sheet and a pillow and brought them back to him. His hands brushed hers as he took the items from her.

“See you in the morning,” he drawled. The words should have been a brief parting that she barely noticed, but they weren’t. In his husky, soft voice, they were like a caress of his fingers. His eyes held hers extra heartbeats while the silence between them stretched, and she was lost in his gaze.

“Sure,” she whispered.

He turned and crossed the room to the door where he paused and glanced over his shoulder at her. “You can lock up. I won’t need to come back inside until morning.”

She shrugged, embarrassed she had made it so clear that she didn’t trust him and didn’t want him in her home. “That’s all right. We don’t always lock up anyway.”