Chapter Three
Winter woke around seven the next morning with Jay lightly snoring next to her. Her body screamed for rest; however, she had a meeting today and couldn’t be late. As much as Jay had told her to stay with him, she had to take care of this first. Maybe if she did the meeting, she could meet up with him afterward, and spend more time with him. Get to know him more than the little small talk they did between twisting the sheets, and walls, and the bathroom. Which, she had to say, was amazing. Never had she thought having sex in a tub would be possible.
Giving one last look at Jay, she scribbled her number on a small piece of paper, letting him know to call her, and they could meet up for dinner. Running around the room, she found her clothes after she called for a cab in the bathroom. Opening the door, she gave one more look at the sweet cabin and wished she could just stay. Her father would kill her if she didn’t show, though.
Finally dressed, she waited outside near the front. It was only a ten-minute drive from the small cabin to her hotel. Trying not to attract attention, she snuck up to her room, showered, and dressed in an ugly black blazer over a green dress. With new black pumps on, light makeup, and her hair once again up in a twist, she made her way to the breakfast room for some coffee. Shocking her more was her father there, reading a paper.
“Winter, glad you see you up and ready. Join me.” He pointed to the seat in front of him. Not wanting to be rude, she sat, very gingerly, as she was indeed as deliciously sore as Jay had promised. She placed her order for coffee and a fruit salad, because pancakes and eggs would only result in her getting a stern talking-to by her father and then mother, as if she were a petulant child.
“Were you able to get everything done last night for the meeting today?” Taking a sip of her coffee, she watched her father set the paper down next to him, joining her for real this time.
“I did. Not sure how the land owner will feel about everything we have to offer. Some hillbilly recluse for sure wouldn’t sneeze at the amount we are offering him. It would be perfect for this sleepy town to get some larger buildings and a small shopping center put in.”
“But it’s a sweet town. Why mess it up with some big building?”
“It’s about money and power, Winter. Understanding that we can control what goes on and how to make the most out of places like this without going into the city. People out here only look out for themselves, anyway. It’s about getting money or a drink. So we throw some cash, acquire the land, and be done with it.” He went on about some financial figures; it was all gibberish to her. Personally, she wouldn’t change this town. Hell, if it was up to her, she would live in a place like this. Up north, away from everyone, and never worrying about smoke, fog, or traffic jams again. It wasn’t her life, not the one she wanted. Sadly, Winter knew she wasn’t strong enough to stand up to her parents, or venture out on her own.
Not wanting to say any more on the subject as her father seemed annoyed, she drank her coffee, hoping it would wake her more before this awful meeting. When her father rose from his seat, she knew it was time.
Smiling politely at the waiter who took her plate away, she smoothed down her dress before making her way into the room. She was surprised to see that two other men were already there. Both of them stood when she walked in, before taking their seats on one side of the table while she sat off to the side to observe the meeting.
Fifteen minutes later, a knock sounded on the door before it opened wide. Winter was unable to stop the gasp that escaped her as Jay walked in, shaking hands with everyone as they introduced themselves. Never without her manners, she stood as her father went around the room introducing himself and her.
“Mr. Brennon, glad you could make it. I’m Walter Stevens, and this is my daughter, Winter. She’ll be observing the transaction today.” Jay shook her father’s hand before stopping at hers, taking it while holding her gaze steadily. She could almost hear a pin drop as nervous sweat beaded on her forehead. Never in a million years would she ever have guessed she would be dealing with him.
“Ma’am,” he said before releasing her and taking a seat, but not before she saw his jaw tick with anger.
The meeting was boring, and truth be told, she wasn’t listening as Jay was drilling holes into her head between looking at her, and back at the stack of papers in front of him. When her father was done speaking, Jay asked a few questions before shaking his head. Oh, this wasn’t good.
“I can’t do it. Not for what you want to do it for. My land is worth more than this offer, plus you want to clear it out and build God knows what. Sorry, no deal. Thanks for the coffee.” Oh, shit, it was over. Standing quickly, Winter waited as her father looked confused and Jay left. Trying not to draw attention to herself, she slipped out the back door to catch up with Jay.
By the time she was able to circle around the room, she was walking outside. Running out the door, she called out his name. He stopped and turned toward her.
“Why?” he asked. It wasn’t something she knew how to explain, but damn it all if she wasn’t going to try.
“I didn’t know it was you.”
“So what? Am I just some token boy? Going to be slumming it for a night to see how the other half lives? Or were you doing dirty work for daddy dearest to get me to sell my land?”
“No, it was nothing like that. Please, look. Jay, I just wanted to go out. I didn’t know who you were. This is just a big mistake.”
“A mistake, that’s for sure. Too bad, it was one I would regret. Glad I could entertain you for the night, Ms. Stevens. Now, I gotta go.”
“Please, wait.” She didn’t know why she was so upset. It was just supposed to be a one-night type of thing. Jay made her feel more alive than she ever had. And now, she felt like she’d used him and that wasn’t the case.
“Wait? For what? It was a one-time thing, babe. You were just a pleasant distraction for me when I came into town. It’s done, I’m over it. I got what I wanted from you. Bye, Cookie.” When he turned and left her alone, her heart sank. The way he called her the simple pet name ate at her. Damn, she really was an idiot.
“Winter?” Turning, she spotted Travis, from the bar last night. God, could this day get any worse?
“Oh, hi.”
“I see you came to your senses and ditched that lug head of a lumberjack. Wanna get a drink with a real man?” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, guiding her back to the hotel bar, where she did not want to go.
“Real man? Seriously? Look, I don’t feel like talking, maybe some other time. I’m leaving tonight and just want to rest. Have a nice day.” Getting out from his arm, she turned and left, making sure that people saw her leave him, so Travis wouldn’t follow her up to her room. Hitting the elevator button, she felt the first tears start to fall. She would not break down in the elevator. No, she would have a pity party in her room in a hot bath while trying to relax from last night. She was sore, and now with the lack of sleep and emotional rollercoaster, she was ready to collapse.
Once in her room, she started a bath, letting the hot water wrap around her in a protective bubble. Only then did she let out the unshed tears. She had never done the one-night stand thing, and for a good reason. Sex was supposed to be an emotional connection, not some booty call. She’d never known what it would be like, and now she did. It wasn’t for her. She actually liked Jay, thought he was sexy, roguish, and smart. God, she was an idiot.
Of course, he would look at her as some rich chick. She was nothing like her family or the so-called friends she had back home. She wanted a family, a small place to call home. She wanted to cook her own meals, paint pictures of the sunrise. Everything she would never have. Giving into her tender side, she cried for everything she’d lost and would never have. Life just sucked monkey balls right now.
****
Jay was furious, but for some strange reason, he felt like shit about how he’d treated Winter. She genuinely seemed upset about everything. He had connected with her last night, and more than a free night of pussy. It was something on a deeper level for him. She had spunk, a fire he hadn’t seen in years. She may not have been from here, but she didn’t seem like a rich snob he had met in the past. He had grown up in the high society world, but he was so far from that now, he wouldn’t even know what he would do if he stepped back into the city.
He made it to his truck, before turning around to apologize to her. She looked devastated when he threw her words back at her. But shit, her being a Stevens had thrown him for a fucking loop. As he turned to the lobby door, he spotted Travis with his arm around her. And this time she wasn’t pushing him away.
Fuck it. He was done. She had played him. Travis was perfect for her, then. Playing the helpless damsel in distress card. God, he was such a God damn sap. And he’d played right into her hands like a damn fool. Fuck that shit. He was done. Jay would just stay up in his cabin, cut trees, help out at the mill from time to time, and mind his own fucking business. Only go into town when he needed to once, every three months. After that, he couldn’t give a rat’s ass what happened to anyone anymore.
He might even get a damn dog just to show he wasn’t a hermit and had someone who would love him for him. He didn’t need pussy, he had a hand to ease his ache if one ever happened. It wouldn’t be the first time he masturbated, and now, it wouldn’t be the last.
Making it to his truck, he made a list of supplies he would pick up. No one was getting his land, and no one was going to get into his heart again, either.
Picking up his items from the store, he gave one last look at the hotel before heading up north to his cabin, to his land, away from everyone.
The path was smooth this time of year, the July leaves and trees were vibrant, and the mountains sang a song as the wind blew through them. His land was home, a place he called his own. No games up here.
Stevens had asked about his other investments, such as the land and small cabin his aunt owned, but he’d promised her he would never sell that. He looked after it when she wasn’t home, but with it being summer time, he didn’t need to do much but clean it out.
Once home, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind with various thoughts of how things should have gone, but didn’t. And what should happen now? Picking up a box of supplies from the back, he went inside.
There was no place like home.