~ Jorie ~

Still buzzing with awareness from the ride over here, I looked around the dining hall. Nash watched me as I took in the polished wood floors and walls. There was nothing utilitarian about the space. Part of the room was set up with a sunken conversation area, outfitted with couches, club chairs and low tables. It was large enough to accommodate all the guests should they want to gather together. The upper area had dining tables, all made of heavy natural wood. The whole thing had the feeling of a spacious lodge, not a lunchroom.

“And you host gatherings here?”

“Some,” he said as he led me past the tables. “Our normal end-of-the-week parties are here. We won’t have one this Saturday, because of the wedding they’ll all attend. We have those huge party tents for those.”

“Makes sense. Temporary floors?”

“Of course. There’s also a pavilion by the lake for smaller, more intimate ceremonies and parties.”

“Quite the setup, Mr. Davidson.” Honestly, I was impressed, he’d morphed his ranch into something I’d never imagined. So far, everything I’d seen was well-done and seemed well thought out. Nothing appeared haphazard, slapped together or an afterthought.

He led me into a silver-chrome/stainless-steel dream. “This is Missy’s domain. In here, she plans and oversees all the meals for guests and ranch staff and food for events. We contract some staff for events, but she manages them. She’s overseeing everything for the wedding this weekend, too.” He leaned close. “I think she wants to punch the planner in the face. That woman is pissing off Missy, too.”

“Fun,” I said with heavy sarcasm.

“You have no idea.”

I glanced around the kitchen as we continued through it. I wasn’t much for cooking, since Gran and Aunt Macy lorded over their kitchens, but I could see where someone would love this space. I might even like cooking here, given the chance. Usually, I ate on the run or had meals prepared by the aforementioned. Whenever I had cooked, I was good at it and kind of enjoyed it. It just wasn’t often.

Nash pointed out another door that led to staff dining. He explained not all the cowboys interacted with the guests and preferred the separation. Looking around, I could see Missy kept everything spotless and gleaming. I had to admire her for excelling at the immense task. It was obvious she took pride in this place, which was good for Nash. I wondered how she kept their house. All the work here must be exhausting.

His hand settled lightly at the small of my back as he led me back out of the kitchen into the main hall. I tried to ignore it. He’d hurt me. He belonged to someone else. Unfortunately, my stupid emotions and aroused nerve-endings wanted to forget those things.

While I rallied, Nash indicated the doors along the back wall. “Those are the guest rooms. They have front and back doors. Front goes outside; back comes here.” Going to the wall beside the kitchen, he opened a hidden panel with a push latch then punched a code into the keypad. Inside were eight sets of keys. He took one then relocked everything. “We thought of upgrading to keycard entry, but people seem to prefer keys…like it’s more homey or rustic or something.”

“Don’t you worry about them getting lost?”

He shook his head. “We have spares, and people are pretty careful when they know they’ll get charged a fee for losing them. You know…like they would with car rentals. Anyway, a couple of the rooms aren’t occupied this week. I thought maybe you’d like to take a look.”

“Sure.” I shrugged, desperately trying not to remember the last time I’d been in a room with a bed with him…the last time I’d been in a bed with him.

I’d gotten the impression the rooms were big, but when he opened the cabin door, I was surprised to enter not a large room, but a suite. We walked into a small but airy sitting area with arched doorways to either side. I wandered to one and saw a bedroom with a double bed.

“The other bedroom is similar,” Nash said from the entryway where we’d come in. He didn’t move as I looked around, just watched me. I wondered if he remembered the same thing I did. Or was he trying not to remember.

“This is really nice,” I said. Like with the dining hall, everything was so neat, clean and homey. No wonder the place had done so well. Who wouldn’t love it here and want to come back or tell their friends all about it? Or both? “Why did you put sitting rooms in the cabins when you have the big area in the dining hall?”

He shrugged and studied me, making me wonder what he was thinking. “Sometimes, people don’t feel like being social. Also…newlyweds. We don’t need to see that out there…if you get my meaning. Mostly, this is another place to relax,” he said, sweeping his hand to indicate the whole ranch. “Providing a space like this offers another place to decompress.”

“Makes sense. Okay, so what’s next?”

“The pavilion at the lake? The office? There’s not really a lot to see, per se. It’s mostly a lot to do.”

“Okay. Show me this so-called mess in your office, then,” I offered. The lake would offer up too many memories from our past. Our first date…our first kiss, too…had been a picnic at that small lake.

He nodded, and after he put back the key, we headed out to the four-wheeler. I considered asking him if I could walk back. I still throbbed with the need that had arisen inside me when we’d ridden over here with my body clasped so tightly to his. Climbing back on the ATV and pressing my thighs around him seemed like a little bit of hell and a sensual torture that would end in frustration. But I had no choice.

Suppressing a groan and holding my breath, I climbed behind him and put my arms around his hard torso. Earlier, I’d felt his defined six-pack abs through his thermal shirt. And when I’d breathed him in, a thousand recollections had exploded across my senses. His clean, invigorating scent…musky male mixed with the freshness of spring, and I’d realized he still wore Cool Water cologne. We’d picked that out together our freshman year of high school. Did he remember that?

It filled my senses again as I breathed in, trying to relax, trying not to cry for what we had lost. I had to remember how he’d betrayed me, that we could be civil, but I couldn’t be attracted to him. I couldn’t fall for him again. We couldn’t go there. I could forgive him—we’d been so young—but I didn’t have to forget.

Maybe, we could manage to be friends again.

That was what my head said. Everything else begged me to jump him.

I had to be stronger than that. My fingers flexed into his rock-hard belly, betraying me. I sighed, but that only drew me deeper under his spell.

I was so fucked.

No no no! Stop!

I had more control that that. I didn’t have to fall prey to my hormones.

Besides… He’s with Missy. Off-limits!

Thankfully, we got back to the office in nothing flat, and I jumped off the vehicle as if I were on fire.

“Um, maybe, you can show me your office another time.”

Nash’s eyes narrowed on me. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Nope. Nothing.”

He crossed his arms. I crossed my arms and stared back.

“Jorie, if you leave right now, you’re not coming back. I know that. You know that. Don’t.” He shook his head. “We need to talk, and… Fuck, Jorie…” His hand went through his hair again, his hat clasped in his free fist. “I want my best friend back. Forget everything else. You don’t have to tell me what happened right now. Tell me…someday. Just…come back. I need you in my life. You’re my closest friend. You’re everything.”

I blinked at him, fighting the tears welling in my eyes. I wasn’t everything as he claimed, but I understood the rest. I’d missed him so much. Still thinking it was a terrible idea to be here, to be near him, I nodded. “Okay. Show me.”

He opened the office door then led me through a reception area and into his office. “There are actually two offices,” he said. “I’ve just been using this one. Everything’s here. I can use the other one, and you—or whoever takes the job—can have this one.”

I raised my brows and smirked. “What a gift.”

What had he called the office? A dumpster fire? God forbid there be a fire here. There were stacks of paper everywhere. The desk was covered. There were stacks on the floor and atop the credenza. I think there was a laptop in there somewhere. I could see the cord.

“Smartass.”

“No, seriously, Nash. Is there anything in the filing cabinet?”

He shrugged and gave me a half smile. I don’t think it was my imagination that his cheeks pinked a little. He scratched the back of his neck. “Some, but it’s old.”

I held my hands out, looking around in disbelief. “How do you even…pay your bills? Keep track of reservations? Payroll?”

He pointed at a blotter calendar and dry-erase board behind me on the wall facing the desk. “All the reservation and assignments go on there. I have them in the computer calendar, too. And this pile,” he tapped the stack overflowing a decorative wire basket, “is all the current bills.”

He had a system, though it was just a little better than chaos.

“Wow. You need help.”

“Exactly. I think that’s been the point. So…when can you start?”

“I didn’t say I would.”

“You’re not going to say no. I know you. You love a challenge, and from what Missy says, this must be right up your alley.”

“I didn’t take disaster management classes.”

“Ha. Ha.”

I looked around again, excitement growing as I imagined taking on this task, being part of Nash’s endeavor and helping to build it into something amazing. We hadn’t discussed salary, but I didn’t really care what he paid me. It was close to Gran, and when I’d come down here, I hadn’t intended to get a job anyway. Then this one had fallen in my lap. Fate? Maybe.

I wasn’t one to walk past a clear universe-ordained opportunity.

“My hours need to be flexible,” I said. “The reason I came back is…um…well, Gran’s not doing well. She’s…sick.” I didn’t know how much anyone knew about what was going on—if anyone knew at all. Gran had been vague as hell with me. I wasn’t even sure what she was sick with.

“Magnolia’s sick?” he asked, confirming my question about who knew. Concern filled his face. “I’m so sorry, baby. Of course, it can be flexible. I didn’t even have anyone to do the job until a second ago. What’s wrong with her?”

I shrugged, and I couldn’t help liking that he’d called me baby again after all this time. “Hell, if I know. She’s being close to the vest about it.”

“We can arrange things however you need. When do you think you can start?”

“I need to call her, but I can probably start sorting through things today. She expected me to be gone for lunch with Missy and nothing else.”

“Okay, well, consider this your office. I’ll just move my…” He scratched his head, his brow furrowing. “Actually, there’s nothing in here I want to take.” He pointed to the adjoining door. Apparently, this was the outer office. He’d walk through here all the time to get there—when he came into the office, that was.

I could handle that, right? We could be friends again. Sure. As long as I didn’t see him getting intimate with Missy, I’d handle it just fine. Oh fuck, could I deal with seeing him kiss her? My stomach ached with the thought, and I almost closed my eyes as I held back a sick groan.

Please, God, don’t make me have to see that.

I forced a smile. “So that lunch you promised? Are you reneging like Missy?”

He laughed. “I’ll go get it started. Why don’t you call Magnolia then come into the house when you’re finished? I’ll be back in the kitchen. You remember the way?”

“Do I remember my name? Of course, I remember the way. I spent as much time in your mom’s kitchen as I did Gran’s.”

“Yeah…” he replied, the sound almost a sigh. Then he was gone, disappearing through a door across from my new office that led into the house. I looked around at the mess I’d inherited and smiled, hugging my arms around me. My first hospitality job. In the place I’d always wanted to be when I grew up.

“Well…welcome home, Jorie.”

* * * *

~ Nash ~

This was so not how I’d thought this day would go.

I’d started out wanting to avoid all mention of Jorie, getting irritated whenever someone had brought her up. And now… Now, I’d gone and hired her and was making her lunch—and I didn’t even feel bad about any of it. What did they say about best laid plans? Don’t make them, as far I was concerned. When I made plans involving Jorie, they always went sideways.

I’d just pulled our burgers from the broiler when Jorie came in. I had a green salad and warmed potatoes on the table along with buns and condiments. It wasn’t fancy, but then neither was I. Cooking wasn’t much of my thing most of the time. Usually, I just ate whatever Missy made for our ranch hands and guests.

“Looks good,” Jorie said. “Your specialty, I see.”

“Stick with what you know.”

She grinned. “Tea in the fridge?”

“Of course.”

Nodding, she grabbed tall glasses from where they’d always been kept then poured us each a glass of the sweet tea. Then she set out plates and silverware. It was so familiar, something we’d done a thousand times before, yet strangely domestic and intimate, and something I’d once desperately wanted with her. Home and family and us together as a forever couple.

Once?

I refused to consider I still wanted that, that I still could after five long years alone, without a word from her.

“Why did you leave?” I asked abruptly, though I’d told her less than an hour ago that she didn’t need to tell me until she was ready. Best laid plans and all…

Jorie stiffened and kept her back to me. Truly, she looked poised to run again. I swiftly came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her body before she could move.

“No running. Just talk to me. Like you should have before. I’ve missed you every fucking day—I’ve been pissed as hell at you every day, too. And I don’t even know what happened.”

Her head dropped forward.

“Jorie, please. You were always my best friend. I didn’t think us sleeping together would fuck that up. I thought it was the next step for us, what you wanted, too—”

“You don’t remember telling Max and Dustin I was nothing to you, that they could try for a go at me if they wanted?” she interrupted, her anger erupting.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You sure said something close to that.”

“Fuck. Baby, are you kidding me? All this time…fuck!” I spun away from her, jamming my hands into my hair in frustration and fisting the strands at my crown. Those careless words? That’s what it had been about?

“What happened between us was so important to me,” she went on, turning to me. “But you didn’t care. You were just using me.”

“I cared. I cared about you more than anything else in my life! You didn’t want me to tell anyone. I was trying to do what you wanted.” Holy fuck. All this time because of something I’d said, because of a huge misunderstanding.

“I didn’t…want…” She sighed heavily and shook her head again.

“Yeah, remember? You didn’t want me to tell anyone. Even our closest friends.”

“Things could have been so different,” she whispered so quietly she had to be talking to herself. She looked up at me with wide eyes. “I didn’t understand. All this time… And now…” She sighed heavily again, and I saw unshed tears glistening in her eyes as she stared into the distance over my shoulder. “I’m sorry seems really inadequate and flippant. It hurt so bad.”

I grasped her upper arms, needing to touch her. Needing to connect. Feeling like maybe, maybe we had a chance to start again. “Baby…I didn’t know you were listening. I never would have hurt you like that. Never!”

“You looked right at me while I was standing on the stairs.”

“I didn’t see you. I promise, by God, I didn’t see you. I didn’t know you were there.”

“Unbelievable. What a monumental screw-up.” She shook her head, her light brown curls tumbling around her shoulders and brushing across my hands. I fought the urge to catch it in my fingers, making fists in the soft locks and angling her face for my kiss. God, I needed to kiss her.

“You’re not kidding,” I agreed.

“I should have stayed. I should have fought with you. Told you how much it hurt me instead of running and letting it fester. Instead, I drove a wedge between us.”

“I can’t disagree. Yeah, you should have had it out with me. But damn, we were both babies. Seventeen. Full of high emotions and rash decisions.”

She dropped her forehead against my chest, and my arms went around her. My face buried in the soft, citrusy scented hair at her crown. We stood there in silence for a long time, not caring that our food was getting cold, not caring about anything. I had my girl in my arms again. I could barely breathe from the relief running through me. I’d never been so overloaded with emotions, not even when my dad had taken his life. Then I’d been numb. Now, every bit of me was alive and wanting to explode into action.

“You should probably let me go,” she muttered. “Before someone walks in on us.”

My arms tightened. Hell, no, I wasn’t letting go. “Why?”

She tipped back her head to meet my eyes. Pain filled her gaze. “Well, for one, you have Missy now, and I have—”

“I do not have Missy,” I exclaimed, laughing.

“But she—”

“She does a lot around here, and we’re friends. But we’re not together.” I shook with my amusement as the dots connected with earlier. “Now, I get what you were saying but not saying earlier. You thought her baby’s mine. No. No no no. She got knocked up by a guest. Asshole made her believe he was all in for a real relationship with her. He was all in—until he left that weekend.”

“What a jerk,” she muttered darkly. “I thought maybe she was your wife.”

“Nope. No wife. And before you ask: no girlfriend, either. I’ve never wanted anyone but you. But…you have…?” I didn’t want to contemplate the words I’d interrupted, who she might have back in Michigan. Knowing what I knew now, I’d fight, damn it. I’d fight for her.

“What?” She looked confused.

“You said, ‘I have’ before I stopped you.”

“Oh. I have my life in Michigan.”

“No guy?” I growled.

“Ah, no. No guy. I can’t say I was very trusting after you. Well, with what I thought, anyway.”

“Fucking works for me.” I didn’t want any other man touching her. I also couldn’t contemplate the notion of her leaving again. The thought punched me right in the chest. I took a deep breath, telling myself to remain calm. She wasn’t leaving tomorrow. I could work with this. “Are you saying you’re not moving back here?” I clarified.

“Haven’t decided.”

“What will decide you?”

“A permanent job for one. I need a reason to stay.”

“Conveniently, I have a permanent job for you. One you’re exactly trained for and that you already agreed to do.”

“To do temporarily.”

“Doesn’t have to be. It could be more than a few weeks or months. I’ve needed someone to do that job for a while.” I leaned my forehead against hers and stared into her dark-brown eyes. “And if you’ll let me, I can give you another reason to stay, too.”

“This seems too easy,” she whispered.

“We’ve had five years of hard, baby. Sometimes, things can be easy.” Like kissing her. I had to kiss her right then. My hand came up and I cupped the back of her neck, bringing her close. Her lips parted on a gasp, and I took the opportunity. I captured her mouth and reclaim what was mine, slipping my tongue inside to taste her.

She groaned, pressing closer, and in that moment, it didn’t matter how long we’d been apart. She was mine. I was hers. We kissed as if we’d been dying for this moment for five years, as if we might never kiss again. We would. There was no way, I’d let that happen. Jorie was mine. And that just intensified my need.

I pulled her even closer with my arm tight around her waist. She made a small sound of protest then sighed into my mouth and softened against me. Her hands were in my hair, her chest pressed to mine. We were both gasping for air when I pulled back and tipped my forehead against hers. Like old times, she kept playing with the strands of hair around my face while we breathed hard and stared at each other.

“I missed you,” I murmured. “I fucking missed you every day, Jorie.”

One of her hands cupped my cheek, her thumb tracing lightly over my bottom lip. Her gaze clouded. “Nash…”

“Don’t go again. Stay here in Mason. Take the job,” I begged.

“I don’t want to rush into something.”

“Baby, we’ve known each other since we were little kids. I doubt you’ve changed much over the past few years, not deep down. I haven’t.”

“We can…see,” she hedged, still touching my face and studying my mouth. Her gaze seemed intent on the movement of her thumb, but I knew she was avoiding my eyes. The way we were standing, touching, there was no way to avoid the intimacy. She had to feel how much I still wanted her. It wasn’t just my belt buckle pushing against her belly.

“We’ll see?” I wasn’t sure I liked that. “We’ll…date?”

She bit her lip. Her shoulder started to lift as if she were afraid to say yes then she nodded and she met my eyes again. “It would be a good place to start.”

We’d started a long time ago, but I wasn’t going to point that out. I’d made a lot of progress with her, and I didn’t want to push too far too fast. At least, she was agreeing to something. And that something included being here in Mason for the near future.

“Let’s have lunch,” I offered. “Before it gets too cold. Do you want to eat inside or out on the back porch?”

And so we ate. Jorie chose the covered porch off the kitchen, and we had our meal at the table and chairs back there. We sat close, holding hands throughout and even after, once we’d pushed back our plates and continued talking.

I loved it back here. It was my haven, somewhat sheltered by trees on both sides, so someone needed to come into the large yard to see anyone on the porch. In the distance, we could see the rolling hills, behind which the sun would set tonight. Many evenings, I sat out here with a beer in hand, listening to the night and enjoying the solitude, but more than once, wishing I wasn’t alone. Of course, I’d wanted a particular person with me. But I hadn’t entertained that notion often, only in my weakest moments.

I looked over at Jorie. Though we were shaded by the roof overhanging the porch, a bit of sunlight glinted off her shiny light brown hair that had once been sun-streaked from our hours outdoors. The girlishness of her teen years had faded into womanhood, making her even more beautiful than she’d always been.

Reaching out, I stroked my thumb over her soft, porcelain cheek and the few freckles that lingered there. She leaned into my palm with a hum.

“Do you need to get back to work?” she whispered.

I should get back. I had a shitload of work to do. Always did. The ranch kept me busy, even in the winter months when some of the help went part time because of their work lessened.

“No rush,” I said. I couldn’t help worrying that when we part some spell and what we’d rediscovered would go away.

“Nash…” she chided, knowing. Of course, she knew. She understood ranching.

Even as I opened my mouth to protest, my cell went off. With a sigh, I pulled it out.

“Yeah,” I answered.

“Man, where the fuck are you?” Max asked.

“Having lunch at the house.”

“Are you about done? I need help with one of the fences you ditched me on. This one’s not a one-man job, and all the other guys have their own job assignments. I’d like to get done before sundown.”

“All right, all right, I’m on my way.”

“Good. Tell Jorie hi and welcome aboard,” he laughed, revealing he knew exactly where I’d been. Damn Missy and her inability to keep quiet.

“Jerk.”

“Yeah yeah yeah,” Max said. “See you in ten.”

“Max says hi,” I said when I hung up.

“I heard.”

Oh right, my phone could be loud. Had to be when I was out dealing with the heavy equipment or the animals.

“So,” she continued, “I’ll clean up here then go see what I can do about the office. Maybe, I can make some headway.”

“How late will you stay?”

“I’ll head out around 4:30. That way, I can make sure Gran doesn’t need help, and I can make dinner if she’s not up for it. She was okay when I called, but I don’t want to assume she was being forthright.” Her shoulders stiffened, her jaw tightening, and I knew she was more troubled than she let on.

“Damn, I can’t believe Magnolia’s that sick. She always seems healthy as a horse when I see her.”

“She kinda seems that way now, too.”

“Can I come see you tonight? We don’t have to go out somewhere if you don’t want to leave her.”

She nodded. “Yeah. I think I’d really like that. You know she’ll make us leave, right?”

“Yeah, probably will.” Capturing her chin, I kissed her lightly. “I’ll see you then, baby.”