Chapter Five
“Want to dance?” Grant asked, his green eyes staring into hers.
“N, no. I really don’t.” Lucy shook her head.
“That’s a shame.”
“Why are you here?” She frowned. “You live and work in L.A.”
“Why are you here?”
Her brain froze, unable to answer him.
He laughed. “I’m just out here visiting a cousin. Small world. Catch you later.” He winked and then turned and was gone, moving through the crowd.
He couldn’t have known I’d be here. I just got here.
Disoriented and confused, she glanced around for Jack and saw him shaking his head at a woman who was leaning close, likely asking him to dance.
Jack hadn’t seen Grant and her talking.
Grant. Why is he here? Bozeman, Montana is a long way off from L.A. What’s this about a cousin?
The man made her nervous. Always popping up out of the blue to ask her out again.
Suddenly, Lucy felt the need to be by Jack’s side and headed straight for him. She reached his side and then glanced around the club.
Where had Grant gone? I hope he left. Oh, why wouldn’t he go away and stay away? My God, out here in the middle of nowhere as Angelica called it, the man was still popping up like some damn prairie dog.
“Lucy,” Angelica called. “Come sit down. Our drinks are here.”
Lucy sat next to Angelica and tried to redirect her thoughts to focus on Angelica and their drinks, which had just arrived. Angelica had insisted they try a Montana Mule, which was a mix of whiskey, ginger beer, and lime juice, in a copper mug.
Lucy eyed the copper mug before taking a sip. Whiskey wasn’t something she’d tried before. One taste told her this was going to be a sipping drink for her. Up till now, she’d only tried fruity rum drinks or wine. This was much stronger.
Angelica was going through hers quite fast and seemed to be enjoying herself. She was used to drinking every day. Lucy wasn’t even going to attempt to keep up with her. She’d learned her lesson the last time at Trixie’s Bar and Lounge, the one Grant worked at. Lucy had gotten more than a little tipsy that night.
In fact, last time was why that damn prairie dog kept popping up and being a pest now. Leaving her purse was what started it all in the first place.
Lucy quietly nursed her drink, her thoughts circling around to Grant and then back around again.
Angelica quickly got tired of talking about herself with little response from Lucy, so she moved to the dance floor to dance now that she’d been invited by a tall, handsome man to do the two-step. She seemed to pick that up fast and enjoyed all the attention she was getting. Never one to lack a partner, she went through dance partners one by one, laughing and carrying on.
Lucy sat watching and every so often, caught Jack’s gaze upon her as he scanned the room. Fortunately, everyone was polite and mannerly around the actress, so it wasn’t as stressful as an L.A. club would’ve been. Lucy would’ve been able to relax if it wasn’t for Grant.
Finally, it was last call and Angelica came over to the table to say, “Let’s go find something to eat. I’m hungry.”
“Okay.” Lucy stood, feeling the effects of the whisky, which had made her quieter than usual and kept her thinking of Grant. “I could use something to eat too.”
Jack got them to the car and soon they were driving away, looking for a coffee shop to eat at. It was two in the morning, so Lucy pulled out her phone to look for a place as they rode away from the club. After several long minutes, she said, “I’m not really finding anything.”
“They have to have a coffee,” Angelica said in the tone that made it sound like she was speaking to a child.
“Of course, they have coffee,” Lucy said. “But the coffee shops don’t stay open late. Wild Jones Coffee shop closes at seven on the weekend and Cold Smoke closes at nine. Even the bars stop serving anywhere between ten and two. None of the restaurants stay open twenty four hours.”
“You have got to be kidding.”
“No, I’m not. I hate to tell you this, but the best place to get coffee and a meal this late would be back at the ranch house.”
Angelica glared at her. “Un f…ing believable.” She kept the glare up and then she said, “Call that woman who cooks and make sure she’s there to cook something. I want an omelet and coffee when I arrive.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Angelica leaned back in her seat, stared at the ceiling, and gave a great sigh.
****
A text came in as they were driving back to the house. Lucy glanced down at her phone. Grant. Again.
Good to see you tonight. Too bad you didn’t feel like dancing. Who’s that guy you left with?
She got goose bumps. So Grant had still been at the club when they’d left, though she hadn’t seen him there, so he must’ve stayed out of her sight. He’d stayed and watched her leave.
Frowning, she thought, It’s none of your damn business who I left with or why.
She deleted his text without answering it.
****
Lucy just didn’t feel like talking or sitting up with Angelica while she had her coffee and omelet. She needed a break from Angelica. In fact, she was really tired and wanted to get back to the house, take a shower to wash off the smoke from the club, and then go to bed.
Once they had arrived, she made sure the omelet was started, and then told Angelica, “I’m really tired. I’m headed to bed.”
Jack approached Lucy once Angelica was in the kitchen eating her food. He touched her arm. “You’re quiet tonight. Something wrong?”
“There was this guy at the club tonight who asked me to dance.”
“Nothing wrong with asking you to dance. If we weren’t both working, I might’ve asked you.”
“Oh?” Her eyes widened.
“Sure. I’d have asked you to dance. I’d ask you now, but we’re both working and that makes things more difficult. When we’re not working though…”
“I’d love to go dancing with you.”
“Good. How about the first night we both have free, we go to town? Anywhere you’d like.”
“I’d love to.”
“Then that’s settled. So the guy at the bar. What else did he do to make you nervous? I’m sure you’ve been asked to dance before.”
“He’s done it before.”
Jack frowned. “Before? Done what before?”
“He’s always showing up and asking me out. I was surprised to see him here because he lives and works in L.A., and it creeped me out. He said he’s out here visiting a relative, but it didn’t feel right to me.”
“You’re jumpy because of the stalker. That’s natural. Has he done anything besides ask you out?”
“Well, no. It’s just, he makes me feel odd.”
As if speaking his name had conjured him, a text from Grant came in again and she jumped.
Looking at the phone in her hand, she read the message.
It’s a shame you didn’t want to dance with me. One day, you’ll say yes. Have a fun visit in Montana. Catch you later.
Jack, who’d been watching her expression closely, asked, “That from him?”
She nodded.
He held out his hand. “Can I see?”
She handed it to him and waited for his reaction as he read.
Calmly, he handed it back and said, “Coincidence. The guy was probably as surprised to see you, as you were to see him. I know you’re jumpy because of Angelica’s stalker, but you’re safe here and there’s no reason to be scared by some guy asking you out. If he’s been asking you out and you’ve politely said no, he’s a persistent guy and probably thinks you’ll give in one day and say yes. You’ll have to give him more than a polite no if you want him to stop asking you out. Make it clear you want him to stay away from you if that’s what you want.”
She looked down at her phone. “I usually just delete them. I don’t want to look at them. Don’t want them in my phone.”
“Take a deep breath.”
She did and was starting to feel better already. Just talking about it with Jack was making her feel better. “Okay.”
“Better?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Now, send him one text and tell him not to contact you again. Be firm.”
She started typing.
Do not text or call me again. I am never going to go out with you.
She pressed send and then sat looking at the phone.
“What did you tell him?”
She turned around the phone and let him read it.
“That’s a clear message. Now if he contacts you again, you’ll know there’s a problem and you let me know. Otherwise, he’s just a persistent guy who really likes you.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“Can’t blame him for that. You’re very likeable.” He gave her a warm smile and winked.
“Thank you. I like you too.” She smiled back at him.
The pull toward him was irresistible and she leaned in just a little. Something about him made her want to get closer to him. Any time he entered a room, she turned toward him and found herself listening for the sound of his voice. It was so very nice, his voice.
As she leaned in just a little more, he leaned in a lot and kissed her lips with the softest of kisses.
Her eyes closed and she forgot everything but Jack and the kiss.
“Lucy,” Angelica called from the kitchen.
The spell of the sweet, sweeping kiss broken, they broke apart, gazing at each other with longing.
Every part of her wanting to stay and not go, she sighed.
“Lucy,” Angelica called again.
“Coming,” Lucy called back. “I’d better go see what she needs.”
“Yes. Go see.”
“There’s never any time. I don’t get a day off as long as we’re staying here.”
“I know,” he said, and he watched her turn to go.
“Hey,” he said softly.
She turned back toward him.
“We’ll make time.” He winked at her.
She smiled, suddenly feeling lighter. “Okay.”
They would find a way.
****
The next night, he was off duty and doing laps in the pool when Lucy came out to the pool. He stopped swimming to float and watch her as she peeled out of her shorts and t-shirt to reveal soft curves beneath a blue bikini, which matched her eyes. She looked good in a swimsuit and had her long, black hair pulled into a ponytail, which emphasized her cheekbones. She walked down the steps into the water and he swam closer.
“Glad you could join me,” he said.
“It’s a perfect night for a swim.” She grinned.
“It is.”
He watched her swim toward him, and then they both floated in the pool checking each other out.
“I noticed you swim a lot of laps almost every night. Not when you’re on shift, but every time you’re off.”
“Keeping in shape. I like to swim.”
“You’re in great shape.”
“Thanks. I like your shape too.”
She blushed and looked surprised.
Hadn’t she figured out how good she looked?
“Thank you,” she said.
“Come here.”
She swam toward him in the deep end, and then stopped.
“Closer,” he said.
She came closer.
Now they were face to face, gazing into each other’s eyes, smiles spreading across their faces. Finally, they were alone.
He leaned in and kissed her lips softly.
Her eyes drifted closed and she placed her hands on his shoulders. Then her eyes flew open again as she broke the kiss.
“Relax,” he said. “What has you so skittish tonight?”
“I don’t know. I’m just, well, I’m not that good of a swimmer. It’s why I use a float noodle.”
“I’m a good swimmer, so don’t worry. SAR trained, so I can rescue you,” he smirked.
She smiled, relaxing but still holding onto him. “What is SAR?”
“Search and rescue.”
“Oh, then you really could rescue me.”
“Anywhere, any time.”
She smiled. “That’s pretty sexy.”
“I know.”
She laughed. “You’re not very modest.”
“Why should I be? A fact is a fact.”
“And that’s the fact, Jack,” she said with a grin.
He laughed. “That’s right.” Then he gave her a wink.
“What made you go into the Marines? What made you want to do search and rescue?”
“I have a twin who nearly drowned when we were kids.”
“Oh wow. What happened?”
“We were at a lake in Texas and Ted didn’t check to see how deep it was before he dove in.”
“Oh no.”
“I knew right away something was wrong, even before he was slow to come back up, and I swam out, looking for him.”
“You sensed it, like twins do?”
“Yes. I found him and brought him back to the surface. Got him over to the shore and they called an ambulance.”
“Was he okay?”
“Yes, aside from a couple broken teeth that had to be repaired.”
“How old were you?”
“Fifteen.”
“So you’d already started doing search and rescue when you were just a boy.”
“Yes. I joined the Marines right out of high school.”
“How is your brother today?”
“He’s fine. He’s in the Air Force.”
“Two different branches of service. Trying to be different from each other?”
“No. He said he’d never join the Navy or the Marines because he didn’t want to die by drowning. So he took to the skies and flying.”
“He’s a pilot?”
“Yes. Fighter pilot.”
“Wait. You said his name was Ted.”
“Short for Theodore, like President Roosevelt.”
“So Jack Barr and Ted Barr, as in teddy bear?”
“You got it. His nickname is Bear, though he doesn’t much like it unless a girl is all over it.”
Lucy laughed. “I’ll bet.”
“I’m glad you saved him, Jack Barr.”
“Me too.”
She looked up at the stars overhead and said, “It’s such a pretty night. I love the stars out here. They’re so clear here without all the light pollution like we have in L.A.”
“They are,” he agreed. “It’s good to see you relaxing and laughing. You’re always so quiet and serious.”
“The job keeps taking so much of my time out here, it’s not like back in the city where I can go home and get a break from my phone.”
“You ought to be able to put your phone away out here. They don’t get good reception on the ranch and don’t work half the time. Every time you pick that phone up and look at your text messages, you look unhappy. What’s been bothering you, Lucy?”
Clearly there was something on her mind and had been for days.
“It’s nothing big. Just stupid stuff.”
“Like what? Nothing is stupid or too small. What’s going on, sweetie? Tell me.”
Still she hesitated.
The guy who’d shown up at that bar.
He knew before he even asked. That man had upset her and there was more she hadn’t told. She was easy to read, as the expressions on her face and in her eyes always showed her emotions. Jack had found himself watching her every time she was within his sight.
“Is it that guy from the bar? You were upset the other night.”
She nodded.
“How did you meet this guy?”
“I left my purse at Trixie’s and that’s..”
“Wait. Where’s Trixie’s?” Jack interrupted.
“Trixie’s Bar and Lounge. It’s in L.A.”
“Okay, so you left your purse.”
“Yes, and Grant, who bartends there, found it and put it behind the bar so no one could steal it. When I went back for it, he was real happy to be able to give it to me. He wasn’t sure how to reach me. My phone was in my purse. When I went back for it, I was just happy to have my purse back, and that was when Grant asked for my phone number.”
“So you gave him your number and then went on a date with this guy based on the fact he had found your purse?”
“Yes and no.”
“Explain. I thought you said you hadn’t gone out with him. Did you or didn’t you?”
“Well, I didn’t want to go out with him, so I sort of gave him the wrong number.”
“You couldn’t just tell him no?”
“I tried. He was very persistent. No, I don’t think I could have. I was tipsy and well, the whole thing was just confusing. I was just glad to have my purse back.”
“So you gave him the wrong number intentionally.”
“Yeah. I know it wasn’t very nice. But I got a weird feeling about him, and I’d had a few too many strawberry daiquiris and had never really been out drinking like that before. Just had a glass of wine here or there. Angelica was celebrating and bought pitchers of strawberry daiquiris for everyone. They sort of crept up on me. It was a big party for about ten of us. Girl’s night out. I posted pics on social media. She loves when I do that. Pics on Facebook and Instagram and tweets on Twitter. It’s part of my job.”
“So you were drunk, this guy found your purse, and you were in a happy state of drunk and happy to have your purse back. He was manipulating that situation and using it to get to know you, pressuring you to get his way. How did you lose your purse? Walk off and leave it?”
She frowned. “You know, I really don’t know. It was on the seat beside me. I don’t remember losing it. I just know when I went back for it, he had it behind the bar.”
“Okay. Then what happened?”
“Well, he asked me for my number and I gave him the wrong one. He said he’d call me tomorrow.” She frowned. “But he figured out my number anyway, or I gave him the right one by mistake, because he called me the next day and asked me out again. But I could’ve sworn I gave him the number for Cassie’s Cupcakes instead.”
“Wait. What? Cassie’s Cupcakes?” Jack shook his head.
“Angelica sends their cupcakes to her girlfriends on their birthdays, and the number was on the box. I looked at it when I told him their number. It was sitting on the bar with the cupcakes we didn’t eat.”
“So you gave him this bakery’s number instead, and he called you the next day after you’d given him the wrong number.” Jack frowned.
“Yes, and I don’t know how he got my real number. Unless I messed up. He really knocked me off guard. I just don’t know.”
“Stop second guessing yourself. He probably looked at your phone when you left it and got it off there.”
“Maybe. I put him off and said I couldn’t go out with him. He said he realized he’d caught me at a bad time and he’d give me more time to think about it and would call me the next day. I keep telling him no but he’s so pushy. He called every day for a week and every day, I turned him down. Then he showed up at a party we went to and asked me out again. He stopped calling after I stopped answering the phone, and now he just texts. But he’s kind of persistent.”
“That’s more than persistent. What’s this guys full name?”
“Grant Kilgore. Maybe I should’ve gone out with him.”
“Seriously?” Jack frowned deeper. “Why would you think that?”
“Because he kept asking and I kept saying no, and then he got mad.”
“He got mad?”
“Yes, it was so strange. Like he flipped a switch and went from nice to angry all of a sudden.”
Jack frowned, tension filling his jaw. “Go on.”
“He said I wouldn’t even give him a chance, and then he got angry. Maybe if I’d gone out with him once, he would have realized we weren’t a good match and wouldn’t have gotten angry.”
“No, sweetheart. You did the right thing. It’s better to listen to your intuition and not second-guess it. Guys like that take any slight encouragement and run with it. Any number you gave him, even the wrong number, he’d take as encouragement. He’d think you were interested and too drunk to remember your number. That was mistake number one. Mistake number two was telling him where you worked or who you worked for so he could find you.”
“After that last call, he switched to texting. I didn’t think he’d really do anything. I thought he’d move on. But then he showed up at a party we were at and asked me out again. He pops up or he sends a text, then nothing for a week or two, and then there he is again. He’s so persistent yet annoying.”
“Yes, he is. We’ll see how invested he is in going out with you if he bothers you again. Then we’ll deal with it.”
She looked into his eyes and let his words wash over her.
We. He said we.
And suddenly, she felt less alone and more secure with Jack there. His words were like a lifeline to her.
“You have me now,” he told her.
Smiling, she nodded, happy and secure. Too happy for words, and full of that happy smile.
“You’ll know to be more careful next time.”
“Yes.”
“Feel better?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
When he kissed her again, she felt weightless as their tongues intertwined. He swam her over to the side of the pool where she could put her feet down and they continued kissing.
It had been far too long since she’d been with a man, and Jack’s touch was firing every cell in her body to come alive.
His fingers untied the straps of her bikini top and it fell down, exposing her breasts in the moonlight. He bent to kiss one nipple, and then the other. Liquid fire gathered below and she wanted her bikini bottoms off, but instead, he slipped his hand down beneath it, his two fingers entering her and moving with just the right timing. As he kissed her and fingered her, the pressure and timing of his fingers swept her away until she was lost, her legs giving out even as his other arm held her up.
She cried out and threw her head back as all that tension she’d been holding in released and she exploded against his fingers. Breathless and unsteady, she gazed into his eyes and found a deep and abiding strength there, along with an intense passion.
He simply held her as her body went languid, and then he said, “Better?”
She nodded, a huge smile spreading across her face. “Much better,” she breathed. “Oh, so much better.” Then a realization came to her and she said, “But you didn’t…”
He kissed her lips, silencing her, and said, “Plenty of time for that later.” He removed his hand and turned her around, then swam them away from the edge of the pool to float together as he held her.
“You really needed that,” he said.
“Yes, I did. Thank you.”
“Thank you for allowing me to. I enjoyed watching you. That was pleasure enough for me. Now relax.”
And she did. For the first time in a long time, she did.
There, in his arms, was the safest and most comforting place she’d ever been in her life. Resting in his arms felt like home.