Chapter Five
Meeting Amber and Graham was as much a pleasure as meeting the others had been. Graham was the oldest of the men, early forties was Ari’s best guess. Amber looked young but was most likely in her early thirties. Her flamboyant sienna colored hair, which was dark brown with reddish-orange undertone made Khloe’s look a dull brown by comparison, and was cut to just above her shoulders. Amber was classically beautiful; the kind that brooked no argument even at first glance. Though each of the Westbrooke girls was beautiful in her own way, there was no doubt that wherever they went, Amber would always be the belle of the ball.
The couple was as curious about the new arrival as anyone else, but they were happy to talk more about themselves and their lives on the ranch rather than ask too many questions about her. They’d accepted the explanation of her being the new help around the ranch house and that was it.
More so, Ari’s bruise wasn’t as apparent as it was before, all thanks to Val and Faye, because a short while before dinner, Val beckoned Faye over and whispered something into her ear. Faye had left to go up the stairs with a surreptitious glance in Ari’s direction. When she came back, she handed something to her mother who stood up and gestured for Ari to follow. Through the living area and around the back of the stairwell was Val’s bedroom and Val asked her to sit in front of the vanity. In her hand was a small powder box.
“Let’s give that bruise a little less attention tonight, shall we?” Val had said simply.
Ari didn’t know why but the little gesture touched her to her toes. As Val took the powder puff and began to gently apply some of the makeup over her face, Ari felt nostalgic and it took a lot of willpower not to cry. She didn’t really remember her mother but she remembered her care and kindness. Her mother would have done something like this for her, too. In any case, if her mother was alive, she wouldn’t be in the predicament she was in at the moment.
“I won’t use too much, but enough to even it out a little...make it less prominent.”
“Thank you,” Ari had said softly.
Now, as Ari looked round the table, she felt grateful for this family she’d stumbled upon. They’d treated her like one of their own and nobody joining them today would dare say she was a total stranger in their midst.
Logan and Everett had joined them at the table and everyone seemed to be having fun listening to the couple tell one story or another about how they were learning to live with each other. Obviously, they were in love.
Ari felt happy for them. The love shone in their eyes and the aura of happiness around them flowed across the table, putting smiles on the faces of all the diners.
“We’re going to have a baby,” Amber announced suddenly.
Dead silence met the announcement and then there was a flurry of activity at once. Faye screamed joyously, letting her fork clatter down on her china; Khloe flew up and went around the table to hug her sister; the men went to clap Graham on the back, while Val simply sat like the queen she was, looking pleased and proud.
“Congratulations, Amber,” Ari said when the din had died down.
It was during moments like this when Ari kept felt like she was trespassing. This was a lovely family, but it wasn’t hers. Yet, they’d given her the room of the first daughter, welcomed her into their home and now, she was partaking of their joyous moments. It all felt surreal, like it might be snatched from her at any moment.
But even so, I can enjoy it while it lasts, can’t I?
She made up her mind that she really could. What’s more? She would do whatever it took to make them glad they took her in.
After supper, Khloe tailed Everett out to the porch causing her mother to shake her head ruefully. Val, Graham, Amber and Faye were busy choosing baby names and so Ari quietly began to clear the dishes. She planned to stay in the kitchen washing them. Baby names were special; the family didn’t need an outsider to contribute. She was in the kitchen, washing the dishes when Logan came in behind her, offering to help her clean up. Her hair rose on the nape of her neck; her body flooded with warmth and her breath quickened. Still, she fought against her awareness of him and willed herself to act normal. Dammit. She handed him a towel and they worked in companionable silence.
“I spoke with Graham about your situation,” Logan spoke up suddenly. “He is an insurance broker in town and he says he knows a guy if you’re looking for a lawyer. A good one. Guess he’s a good friend of Graham’s. I bet you can get a good deal through him.”
Ari was silent for a moment. She didn’t know what to say. First, on Val’s orders, nobody discussed her situation in the house. Ari knew it was in consideration for her, but she had wondered how long the rule would last. Moreover, she knew her husband wouldn’t stop looking for her. Her peace of mind deserted her whenever she considered it. Now, here was Logan offering her a way out. Although she knew, good lawyers cost good money. She had only a handful of money with her, and that wouldn’t be enough on its own. But if she impressed Val and worked really hard, perhaps, she might be able to earn enough to get things settled by the end of the year.
Realizing she hadn’t responded, she offered a nod to Logan. “Thank you, I’ll look into it.”
He nodded at her reply. “And how are you feeling after your first week here?”
Indeed, the week had ended and another one would begin tomorrow. Ari found herself wondering if the family would go to church the next day. It’d been a long time since she did herself and she suddenly yearned to sing some hymns along with the choir. She found that Logan was staring at her and she gave a small laugh, saying the first thing that came to her mind. “A little beside myself, I think. I mean I’m right here and I’m safe and I keep expecting to wake up and find out things aren’t as good as they seem. That maybe I didn’t even get this far.” Her voice sank. “That maybe I’ll wake up in my bed at home and find out I didn’t make breakfast like I was supposed to.”
Logan pinched her.
Her eyes widened as she stared at him. She hadn’t even noticed when he came so close. “This,” he said, watching her, “is no dream. You don’t have to worry about that anymore. You’d better start believing you’re really in a safe place, Miss Ari. No one’s going to hurt you here, I promise you that.”
Again, she was at a loss for words. It hurt where he pinched her even though it was only a little pinch, but her skin always bruised easily. So instead of acknowledging the flutter in her stomach at the scent of the man standing only one foot away from her, she concentrated on that pinch spot and rubbed it, cradling her hand against her chest. Just to diffuse the heat she was beginning to feel with him so close, she moved back a step.
At her actions, he immediately looked contrite, holding her hand up to check it. “Oh, I’m sorry, does it hurt?” he asked hurriedly. “I didn’t know what I was thinking. I swear I didn’t mean any harm. I only wanted to—I’m not like…” His voice trailed off.
“No, no, no,” she tried to reassure him. “It’s just that I bruise easily, the curse of my sensitive skin.” She laughed a little trying to lighten up the darkness on his face but it looked darker if anything.
“Here, let me get some ice,” he said curtly. His walk was brisk as he went to the freezer, guilt in his every step. He came back with the ice and applied it against her skin.
Ari didn’t know what to say so she just stood rigidly as he tended to her. When he was done, he went back to the dishes, wiping at them a little bit too roughly. She didn’t need to be told that he was beating himself up.
There and then, Ari knew without a doubt that Logan Cartwright wasn’t like any man she’d known. There was no man in her life nice enough to spare his breakfast for her, and compliment her baking with a thankful heart and now, he couldn’t even stand to look her in the eye for one well-intended pinch. Heat prickled her eyes now and her vision blurred before she could stop it. She tried to find the words to express how grateful she was to him.
She waited till he was finishing up with the dishes. “Logan.”
He turned but didn’t look straight at her.
She remained silent, willing him to look at her.
He finally did, when the silence got too long.
“I just wanted to say thank you,” she told him feelingly. “I’m not upset or even angry at you. On the contrary, you have helped me by bringing me here, giving me new hope, giving me a reason to wake up every morning. A little pinch to wake me up isn’t going to turn you into a monster in my eyes.”
He didn’t say anything.
She hoped he understood her. She would feel horrible if he let himself feel bad because he’d tried to help her. “Say something,” she whispered.
“I’m glad you are here,” he said and with that, he wiped his hands on the towel and turned for the door. He was almost at the door when he said without turning, “I hope you get good rest tonight, Miss Ari.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to stop calling her Miss, but he was already out the door. She would have to tell him tomorrow then.
“Goodnight Logan,” she said to the empty room.
*****
Everett was asleep by the time Logan entered the bunkhouse.
As he shed his clothes for bed, he remembered having woken up that morning a few days ago and expecting the day to be like all other days. But fate had other plans for him. He was sure it was fate. How else could he to describe the strong need to be near Ari Jackson? Every time he was near her and every time he wasn’t, he felt a strong need to hold her close, to protect her, to make her feel better about people and herself. Logan wanted to fix all her problems for her, teach her how to be free with him. He wanted her to understand that he meant no ill will.
With his mind filled with all kinds of thoughts, he slipped into his bed.
Even though work had finished early today in preparation for the once-monthly dinner that Val hosted in the house, he still felt tired to his bones. He had messed up big time. Logan felt like kicking himself a thousand times over. How could he have pinched her so thoughtlessly? Hadn’t he been the one who saw how jittery she was at the slightest threat? Hadn’t he been the one who witnessed firsthand how she’d felt afraid to come near him or let him come near her? So now, since she didn’t flinch when a man came within five feet of her, he had gone ahead and inflicted another bruise on her.
Absolutely splendid.
Of course, she’d told him not to worry. She would, wouldn’t she? He’d been watching her over dinner and seen how forlorn she looked. He knew what she had been thinking, that she didn’t belong. At one time when Amber announced she was having a baby, he’d seen the deep sadness in her eyes. So, he’d wondered if maybe she had children where she had run from. She hadn’t mentioned any kids but what if she had kids of her own? What if she couldn’t go back for them? It was the reason why he’d cornered Graham as soon as she left the dinner table and discussed her issue with him.
Graham was well connected in these parts and he’d been willing enough to help. “Poor thing,” Graham had said sympathetically. “How she must have suffered!”
Then to a man like Graham, who only needed anybody to be affiliated with his family to consider them family too, that’d settled it. Logan was certain Ari would receive the justice that should be hers.
He only wished he hadn’t botched things up tonight.
Turning this way and that in his bed, Logan remembered the hurt and uncertainty in her eyes as she cradled her arm to her breast. He couldn’t help but notice that the action had pushed up her breasts most enticingly but the emotion in those expressive eyes of hers had killed whatever interest he might have felt in admiring the swell of her breasts. He’d wanted to hit himself for daring to cause her pain. She’d even taken a step back away from him. It hurt when he’d been so careful around her, trying to reassure her that not all men were like the brute she had married and now this. Logan wondered if she would ever let him come within speaking distance again.
Cool it off, man. She’d said a little pinch wasn’t going to turn me into a monster, didn’t she?
But Logan still couldn’t stop blaming himself. That night, he scarcely slept a wink at all.
*****
Ari slept well that night, better than her previous nights on the ranch. In fact, she slept so well it was almost sunrise when she woke.
Realizing what the time was, she flew out of bed, did her morning ablutions, and went to the kitchen to see what was for breakfast. Val and Faye were already in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Then when Ari asked after Khloe, Faye replied, tongue in cheek, “She and Everett had a long talk last night…” With a wink, she added to her mother’s chagrin, “…just like you and Logan did in the kitchen. Anyway, I’m guessing the talk was so interesting, she couldn’t make it out of bed as early as she used to.”
“Faye!” Val scolded.
Faye only gave an unrepentant grin.
Ari cringed in embarrassment. When she left the kitchen and saw that everyone had turned in for the night, she’d wondered. Now, she knew what must have been on their minds. “Actually, we were only doing the dishes,” she tried to explain.
“Yeah, we saw them all cleaned up this morning,” Faye said with a naughty grin earning a shake of her mother’s head.
Ari shook her head, too. There wouldn’t be any convincing Faye. The girl was an incurable romantic. In fact, all of Val’s daughters were. Instead, Ari decided to stick to the original topic: Khloe. “So, I assume we’re in for some great news this morning, then?” she said. “I can’t wait to hear what Khloe has to say.”
“Khloe has nothing to say.”
As one, all three of them turned to watch Khloe walk into the kitchen. She looked stone-faced and she barely managed a good morning to her mother before heading straight for the refrigerator, pouring herself a glass of water and then leaving the kitchen immediately.
All three watched in bewilderment. Ari especially, had never seen Khloe in a foul mood.
Val made to follow her daughter, but Faye was quicker.
“Don’t worry, Mom, I’ve got this,” Faye said before dashing after her sister.
“Those girls.” Val sighed.
“I guess the talk didn’t go as she wanted,” Ari said quietly, feeling sorry for her friend.
“Perhaps,” Val agreed. She rinsed her hands off of the carrots she had been slicing and then added. “Perhaps, she puts too much pressure on Everett. We all know the man is scared of marriage.”
“I wonder why that is?”
“We all wonder the same thing, but we know he’s a good man. He’s been on this ranch the longest and in all these years, I’ve never seen a bad side to him; that is other than not knowing where he came from. I guess my husband knew but that man, he could keep a secret forever if you told me never to tell it. I don’t mind, though. As long as he’s honest, does good work and gives me no trouble.”
“You wouldn’t mind having him for a son-in-law?”
“Why shouldn’t I? If my daughter wants him and he wants her, it ain’t gonna be me stopping their happiness.”
Ari found herself admiring the woman more. It took more than maternal love for a mother to accept her children’s choices, Ari knew. She knew it took perfect understanding of her daughters on Val’s part and Ari envied the girls the luck they had in having a mother like Val Westbrooke.
For the rest of the day, Ari tried to engage herself in as much work around the house as she could. Each day, she tried to surpass the last by doing yet one more chore. Every instruction that Val gave to her, she took great care to execute well. She was helping out the stable boys when Val found her after breakfast. Hands on her hips, Val said, “You don’t need to break your back over a job, you know. The work isn’t going anywhere; there’s no end to it.”
“I don’t mind,” Ari said. “I have the energy and might so I put it to use.”
The older woman shrugged in a way that said she felt sure Ari was soon going to tire. “Suit yourself,” she said and grabbed a broom herself.
At odd times, thoughts of Logan crossed her mind and Ari would look around to catch a glimpse of him. Sometimes, she saw him on his horse, Atlanta, or under a tree with Everett or out in the fields far away. She never walked up to him though; she still felt inexplicable flutters in her stomach around him.
Sometime around noon, Khloe resurfaced to help Ari in the kitchen.
“I know,” the girl said in a contrite voice. “I was a bear this morning and I apologize.”
Ari shrugged off the apology. “What happened?” she asked curiously.
“I tried to kiss Everett and he ran off, the coward,” Khloe confessed sheepishly.
Ari didn’t know if she should laugh or squeal so she just did both. “You tried to what?!”
“Yeah, stupid, I know but we were sitting close and he wasn’t saying anything and I just thought up a silly idea…thought it seemed pretty wonderful at the time. Anyway, I pretended as if something got into my eye and he flew up to see. His nose was almost pressed against mine and it was the perfect angle—oh well, he didn’t think so!”
“So, he left you there?” Ari was now laughing hard.
“Yes, he did.” Khloe was grinning now. “I’ve never felt so stupid. I couldn’t sleep because I’m totally embarrassed.”
“I can imagine,” Ari agreed.
“But then, I wasn’t the only one cooped in a place with a man last night,” Khloe said, switching topics easily.
Immediately, her neck felt impossibly hot; she wished the place were furnished with one of those powerful AC units to cool her down. “We were only washing the dishes,” she muttered.
“I see…” Khloe said, pure devilry in her eyes.
Ari laughed nervously and licked her lips. Why wouldn’t anybody believe her? And why did she have this urgent need to flee from the room as if they had been up to something?
“And in case you care to know, he hasn’t shown interest in any girl since he came up here.”
Ari found that she cared to know but she really couldn’t show interest now, could she?
Khloe wouldn’t let the subject rest. “I bet you haven’t seen each other today.”
“Oh, that’s because our paths are yet to cross,” Ari said quickly.
“Not because you are avoiding him?” Khloe asked, one brow raised naughtily.
“What? Of course not!”
“Then you wouldn’t mind taking them lunch,” Khloe said firmly.
So that was how Ari found herself with a tray in hand, heading toward Everett and Logan. Good-naturedly, she cursed Khloe for having manipulated her so smoothly.
Both men were silent as she reached them.
“Hi, I brought you lunch,” she said, trying to inject some cheerfulness into her voice.
“Thanks,” Logan said, standing to help her set the tray on the ground.
“Thanks,” Everett said distractedly and she wondered if he was thinking about Khloe.
“Listen, Graham came down to tell me he’s working with his friend to schedule you a visit,” Logan spoke up. “I’ll let you know when it’ll be.”
Ari could see he still felt guilty about last night because he wasn’t looking directly at her. Suddenly, all the shyness she felt around him melted away. She still felt a little shaky with him but she felt more in need to reassure him that he hadn’t offended her.
Everett was with them though and the other man seemed lost in thought, troubled even.
“Thanks, I’ll look out to get any update on the matter,” she resorted to say and left. She would have to talk to him some other time then. Or better still, she might have to show him.
The day continued and when night came and they were all preparing to retire, Val walked up to Ari.
Before Ari knew what the woman was up to, she put some paper bills into Ari’s hand. Ari gawked, thoroughly surprised. “I—I thought you wanted to wait a couple of weeks…um…to see if things would work out.”
Val shook her head. “I’ve seen all I need to and things are working out just fine. Just take it and put it somewhere safe. Graham told me he’d fix you up an appointment with that lawyer friend of his. You’ll want to start saving up, so you’ll have something to offer.”
So, for the first time in a long while, Ari’s eyes welled up with tears of joy and gratitude. She was sure Val saw, but the older woman said nothing.