Jake

The house was too quiet. I searched and found no one. When Jamie asked if she could go on a walk with Dad and Honey, I’d agreed. But I thought they’d have returned by now.

All sorts of bad scenarios played out in my head. I headed to the door, determined to search the entire ranch to find them. As soon as I got to the porch, I saw them about two hundred yards in the distance.

Jamie ran over to me and I scooped her up.

“Hey, monkey bear, how was your day?”

“G–good.” She gave me a thumbs-up. “H–H–Honey’s t–taking me sh–shopping.”

Honey had made it to the bottom step.

“Don’t just stand there and block the way, son,” Dad barked, though a grin filled his face.

I put Jamie down. “Go get ready for dinner.”

Dinner wasn’t ready, but I needed to speak to Honey alone.

Dad eyed me. I ignored him.

“Can I speak to you a second?” I asked after Jamie was inside the house.

Honey nodded.

When the screen door swung shut, I turned my attention to her. I decided to start off easy before I made a mess of things.

“How was Dad today?”

She leaned against the post and tilted her head up to look at me. She was in the perfect position for me to kiss her, but I resisted the temptation.

“He did okay. There was a moment when I thought we lost him.” My eyes widened. “Settle down, sugar. I don’t mean physically. Anyway, it was fine.”

“Thank you,” I said.

Her brows shot up. “For what? I’m just doing my job.”

I was itching to touch her, but I held back.

“It’s more than that. The job description didn’t include babysitting my daughter.”

She straightened and instantly, I knew I’d fucked up.

“Babysitting?” Her tone was filled with irritation.

“It’s just you cook and clean and none of that is what you signed up for.”

“I cook and clean because I like to.” She shook her head. “I love to cook; cleaning is a byproduct. You have my grandmother to thank for that. And I live here. What would it look like for me to make a meal for myself and not make enough for all of us?”

She was right. Mom would’ve frowned on that.

“I can cook,” I said in my defense.

“You can’t boil water.”

“I can,” I said, stubbornly.

“Fine, but your eggs were certifiably bad. As far as Jamie, she’s like my niece. She’s no bother and I don’t see it as babysitting. So don’t cheapen it by suggesting that I’m just babysitting. Is that why you paid me extra?”

It was my turn to stammer. “I—I just—I thought you deserved a little more. And I can’t pay you what you’re worth.”

“You’re damn right about that. But I agreed to get paid for watching over your dad, and that included a roof over my head. The rest is just gravy. I don’t expect to get paid for it, unless I need to watch her while you go on a date.”

My jaw slackened. However, I took the opportunity to bring up something else that was bothering me.

“Speaking of dating—while I don’t have a no-fraternization policy, I think it’s unwise to date any of the hands. Everyone here is of value to the order of things. If something doesn’t work out between you and Mitch, it could make things uncomfortable for you both.”

Her jaw dropped. “You seriously didn’t just say that to me.”

Before I could find words to explain, she shook her head. “I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, we had sex and the next day your girlfriend was here.”

She turned to head inside. I ground my teeth together.

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Could’ve fooled me, sugar. It doesn’t matter anyway, because clearly what we did was a mistake.”

I flew up the few steps and caught her. I spun her around to face me.

“It might have been a mistake, but I don’t give a damn.”

I cupped my hand at the nape of her neck and drew her close. Before she could protest, I closed my mouth over hers.

She gasped, giving me entrance. I invaded her mouth like I wanted to conquer her body. When I drew back, she looked sated. But I had so much more planned for her.

My plans were foiled when she sputtered, “I have to get dinner ready,” and fled the scene.

I was left hard and needy as fuck. I sighed. I’d made so many mistakes when it came to her. If I had a prayer’s chance of getting in her bed and easing into her heart, I had to declare war.

I grasped the door handle and thought, Let the battle begin.

Jamie came down the hallway as soon as I walked into the house. She stole my focus, as she should, so I took her to sit with me in the living room. The aroma from the slow cooker made my mouth water.

Jamie told me all about her day. Her animated responses only made me appreciate Honey more. I hadn’t had a chance to ask Honey about the shopping trip Jamie was so excited about. Jamie’s emphasis on the girls’ trip showed me just how much a woman in my daughter’s life had added something I could never give her.

“Why don’t we set the table?” I suggested to Jamie.

She nodded.

I made it my mission to brush against Honey every time I could as I pulled plates from the cabinet and handed them to my daughter.

I added a polite excuse me and sorry for each touch. When physical contact wasn’t enough, I turned to talk to her.

“Tell me about this girls’ trip you have planned.”

She was ladling what looked like stew over white rice. The beef chunks with carrots and potatoes smelled heavenly. She didn’t miss a beat when she answered.

“We are getting the spa treatment and maybe a little shopping.”

I placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear. “Sounds like you want to relax. There are other ways to unwind like under the stars in an unlit sky.”

I slid my hand across her shoulders and moved to her other side to get Jamie the silverware. Honey’s body shivered under my touch, and I hated that I had to remove my hand.

When Jamie moved away, Honey spoke. “On Saturday, I’m getting my hair cut and Jamie wants to come along. She might want one too.”

The mood shifted. “A haircut? What’s wrong with her hair?”

Though I’d whispered the words, she’d heard them well enough.

“It looks like you took scissors to it.”

I stood tall. “Her hair was tangled. I hated to see her cry. I asked if she wanted me to cut it, and she said yes.”

“You couldn’t have taken her to a salon?”

“I’ve been a little busy trying to run the ranch. I’ve barely had time to get groceries, and usually, one of the hands helps me out there.”

She tipped her head to the side. “Well, I’m going to rectify that.”

Her sassiness called for me to back her into a corner and kiss her until she was breathless. But Dad came in.

“Has anyone seen my wife?”

I closed my eyes and sighed. Honey moved in and the way she talked to my father warmed my heart more than her good cooking filled my belly.