“Do you need help?” Sydney asked, walking around the counter. To Jake she said, “I’m fine here. Go find your father.”
He looked between the women for a second, doubt on his face, then said, “I won’t be long.”
Sydney waved him off, then said to his mother, “I can set the table.”
“That would be wonderful.” She set a pan of bubbling lasagna on the stove top, then pushed back a strand of her hair and smiled at Sydney. “Sorry for the enthusiasm. I’m really happy for you two.”
Before Sydney could correct, Jake’s mother grasped her hands. “Jake must be smitten to bring you here, and I’m not surprised. You’re beautiful.”
Maybe Sydney should have told Jake to stay in the kitchen and sent his mother to get his dad.
“You’re sweet, Mrs. Stevenson, but—” Sydney said, moving to the table to see what she could clear off.
“Oh, call me Judy. There’s no formalities here, as you can clearly see,” Judy said. “In fact, I’ve taken to doing the accounting on the kitchen table lately because the north-facing office is too cold in the mornings. And... I’m far from sweet, once you get to know me. I’m a bit of a frazzled mess right now trying to figure out where all the money went last month.” She laughed. “I’m rambling, aren’t I? Today’s your day to share the good news.”
Sydney still hadn’t gotten a word in when Judy clapped her hands together. “Oh, the salad. I forgot to fix it up.”
“I can do that,” Sydney said. “Why don’t you clear off the table, since I don’t want to mix up your paperwork.”
“Smart and decisive,” Judy said with a soft smile on her face. “I like that. You’ll be good for Jake.”
“Mother,” Jake said, a warning in his voice as he walked into the kitchen with a man who looked quite a bit like Jake, albeit an older version.
Mr. Stevenson’s hair was nearly white, but he had kept his shape fine, and his blue eyes reminded Sydney of Rian. She ignored that thought and smiled as Jake said, “Dad, this is Sydney.”
“Nice to meet you,” his dad said, his gaze friendly but watchful.
Sydney extended her hand, and they shook.
“Well,” Jake continued, “it looks like we’re having our discussion over lunch.”
“We rise early on the ranch, so our lunch time is earlier than most people,” Judy said, smiling broadly at Sydney.
Sydney’s chest tightened at the thought of what Judy’s expression might be when she found out about Rian. She went back to mixing the salad. Judy had already chopped everything, and by the time it was mixed, Judy and Jake had set the table and Mr. Stevenson filled glasses with ice water.
They all sat down, and for a brief moment, nostalgia swept through Sydney at the act of sitting down to dinner with two parents. Judy served up the lasagna, and everyone passed the salad around.
“So what’s this big news?” Mr. Stevenson asked, looking from Jake to Sydney.
Jake took a sip of water, then folded his hands on the table and leaned forward. “I’m sorry to be blunt and to show up like this without any warning, but I wanted to tell you both in person.”
“It’s about Rian, isn’t it?” his dad said.
Jake nodded.
“Did you spend some quality brother time together?” Judy asked, hope in her voice.
“I didn’t even see him,” Jake said.
“What?” his father asked at the same time his mother said, “I thought that’s what you were doing this whole time.”
Jake started to explain everything, play by play, from when Rian first texted him, to when Sydney came looking for Rian.
“You’re Rian’s fiancée?” Judy said, obviously stunned.
“Ex-fiancée,” Jake clarified.
Sydney could only watch helplessly as Judy’s face went from shock to disbelief to hurt as Jake continued the story about his desperate attempts to get ahold of Rian, his pleas to get him return to the country, and his meeting with the real estate firm that was pressing fraud charges.
Judy covered her mouth with her hand as her eyes watered.
Mr. Stevenson stood, shoving away the chair, and began to pace the kitchen.
He fired out a few questions, which Jake answered.
His mother started to cry. Sydney scooted over closer and wrapped her arm about Judy’s shoulders. One man’s choices had done all of this.
After a few minutes, Mr. Stevenson stopped his pacing and returned to the table. He placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder, then said, “Today is the last day you’ll cry over Rian’s actions. Tomorrow we’re only looking toward our future, one without Rian. We can’t keep living with these ups and downs. Rian’s not going to change, and we’ll have to accept that. His leaving the country has shown us where his priorities are. And they aren’t with his family.”
Judy nodded and placed her hand on her husband’s. “It just hurts so much.” She used her other hand to grip Sydney’s. “And this poor girl has been caught in our sticky web.”
“I made my own decisions about Rian,” Sydney said. “I don’t blame any of you.” She glanced at Jake, who looked as if he was holding back a comment. She knew he blamed himself for some of Rian’s actions, but Jake had done all he could.
“You’re a good woman,” Judy said, patting Sydney’s hand. “Thank you for coming all this way.” She reached for a napkin on the table and blew her nose. Then she looked up at her husband. “Well, let’s eat,” she said with a watery smile. “I didn’t go to all this trouble to have it grow cold.”
Her husband leaned down and kissed his wife’s cheek, and said, “You’re an amazing woman.” Then he moved to his place at the table and sat down. “Shall we?”
Mr. Stevenson and his wife began to eat, taking small bites, and Sydney looked over at Jake.
He nodded at her, then picked up his fork.
That was it? she wondered. A few minutes of ranting and crying, and now everything was normal again? All Sydney had done was put an arm about Judy. Jake had thought his parents would need more closure, and meeting Sydney would help with that. But they were handling this much better than she expected.
She picked up her own fork and started to eat. If anything, maybe the drive had been worth it to taste Judy’s lasagna. It was the perfect blend of spices and tomatoes and pasta. Still warm enough to enjoy.
As they ate, Jake’s dad asked a few stilted questions about the indictment procedures, and Jake’s answers seemed to satisfy him that Jake was on top of everything.
“Thanks for all your hard work,” Mr. Stevenson told Jake. “I don’t know where we went wrong with Rian, but he’s a fool to give up a woman like Sydney.”
Sydney’s face heated, and Jake gazed at her. “It’s definitely Rian’s loss.”
“I’m glad Jake stuck around to explain things to me,” Sydney said. “I would have been pretty confused to find that my fiancé had completely disappeared on me.”
“Tell us about your family, Sydney,” Judy said.
So Sydney did. Long after the meal was eaten, and quite well, Sydney was still answering questions from Jake’s parents.
Jake had taken it upon himself to clear the table, then bring over more water and a plate of brownies that apparently Judy had also baked that morning. He didn’t ask any questions or add to the conversation, just leaned back in his chair, arms folded, a satisfied look in his eyes.
A clock somewhere in the house chimed, and Mr. Stevenson looked at his watch. “It’s nearly noon,” he said. “Back to work.” He looked at Jake. “You’d better show this young lady around the property. Maybe take her on a ride.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Jake said.
Judy rose and crossed to Jake as he stood. She pulled him into a hug. “You’re a good son, Jake. And thanks for bringing Sydney along. You take care of her, you hear.”
“Yes, Mom,” Jake said, looking over at Sydney and giving her a wink.
The wink traveled straight to her toes, heating her bo
dy as it went.
“Your parents are extremely resilient,” Sydney said as they walked slowly to the stables behind the house.
“They’re ranchers through and through,” Jake said. “They don’t give up easily, but they also keep moving forward, no matter what.”
Sydney nodded.
They stepped into the stables, and after her eyes adjusted, Sydney said, “This place is amazing.” Nearly a dozen horses stood in well-kept stalls, and everything seemed freshly cleaned. A hay loft spread across one side of the stable, making the place feel old-fashioned at the same time.
“Come meet Buddy and Betty.” He led her to the first two stalls, where two russet-colored horses stood, practically prancing at the sight of Jake. “They’re twins.”
“Which one’s Buddy?” Sydney asked.
“You’re looking at him, and I think he has a crush on you already,” Jake said.
Buddy was trying to nuzzle Sydney’s neck. “Hello, boy,” she said in a soft voice, letting the horse smell her. Then she stroked his forehead. “He’s beautiful.”
“Now you’ll have to compliment all the other horses, or they’ll get jealous,” Jake teased.
Sydney laughed. “Is that right?” She continued stroking Buddy—it seemed he wasn’t going to let her move on any time soon.
Jake grabbed some carrots from a pail on the floor and fed a couple of them to Betty.
Sydney watched Jake out the corner of her eye. “I don’t know why you wanted me to come. Your mother cried herself out in about two minutes, and then it seemed life went on as usual.”
Jake turned to look at her, his eyes dark gray. “You caught me.”
Raising her brows, she said, “Caught you?”
Jake reached out and grasped her free hand. “Maybe I had more personal and selfish reasons for bringing you out here.”
They’d been standing close already, but Sydney hadn’t realized how close until now. “What kind of reasons?”
“I wanted you to see the ranch,” he said, one side of his mouth lifting. “And meet my parents, of course, so you’d know that not all Stevensons are crooks.”
“I never thought—”
He stepped closer, and Sydney forgot what she was protesting about. His other hand slid around her waist. Her heart was thumping so hard that if Jake had tried to say something she wouldn’t have been able to speak. But he wasn’t intent on speaking. Instead, he leaned down and kissed her.
Sydney should have been shocked, but all thought and reason had fled the moment he’d taken her hand. Jake’s mouth moved against hers, slow but intense, sending darts of heat through her body. She didn’t move at first, just relished the warmth of his lips and the heat of his breath. And then she gripped the front of his shirt and pressed against him.
Both of Jake’s arms went around her, pulling her in tightly against his body as his mouth continued to explore hers.
Sydney couldn’t quite believe she was kissing Jake, that he was kissing her, and that she didn’t want this kiss to end. Jake rotated her until her back was against the stall. “Sydney,” he whispered, kissing along her jaw.
“What?” she whispered back as her insides melted at the sensations running through her at his touch.
His answer was another full kiss on her mouth as he seemed to drink her in, as if she was his oasis.
Sydney had never really thought she’d missed out on kissing. She’d kissed plenty of men and had enjoyed it enough. But Jake was all encompassing, taking command of every sense she’d ever known, and some that might be new. Who said there were five senses? There had to be at least twenty.
“Sydney,” Jake said again.
“Jake,” Sydney replied, feeling like laughing, or giggling, or simply swooning.
He drew back enough to gaze at her. He smiled, then lowered his head again to kiss the throbbing pulse in her neck. “Mmm,” he murmured. “Better than I thought.”
She ran her hands along his shoulders, then rested them on his chest, feeling the thump of his heart. “Better than what?”
“You taste better than I imagined.” He was looking at her again, and Sydney’s heart flipped.
She wasn’t sure if she’d ever had a man look at her with such complete... want. “What did you imagine?” she whispered.
“Sweetness, maybe with a little spice,” he said, grinning.
“And what did you get?”
“A lot more spice.” He brushed his mouth against hers, lingering. After another few moments, he said, “I’ve wanted to kiss you since I opened my brother’s door.”
“In your towel?”
“Yeah, that would have been really forward,” he said with a chuckle. “So be happy I restrained myself.” He released her waist and lifted his hand to trace a finger along her jaw, then down her neck.
“You seriously wanted to kiss me when you first saw me?” she asked, staring at him and trying to stay calm, although his touch was making her breathing do crazy things. “How does that happen?”
“I’m not a scientist. I know what I want, I guess.”
“I like that about you,” Sydney admitted.
Jake gazed at her for another long moment, then dipped his head. This kiss was more defined, more urgent, and definitely more passionate.
Sydney was heating up fast, and if she wasn’t careful, she might be dragging him to the hayloft. Not that he’d need dragging by the way he was kissing her.
“Jake,” Sydney said, breaking off the kiss. “Aren’t your parents going to wonder where we are?”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
The sheepish look on his face made Sydney laugh.
“Promise you’ll stay tonight,” Jake said. “I don’t want you to leave yet.”
Staying tonight might be a wise thing or a foolish thing, but Sydney didn’t care at this moment. “I’ll stay.”
His smile was slow. “Mmm. Good.” He drew back and stepped away.
It seemed he, too, needed space to cool down.
They spent the next few minutes saddling the two horses. Leading them out of the stables and into the gorgeous surroundings that nearly took Sydney’s breath away. “I get why you love this ranch,” she said.
Jake looked over at her. “Do you?” he asked in a thoughtful tone.
She looked away because the intensity in his eyes made her heart leap into her throat, and she couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt to kiss him, to touch him, and to have his hands on her. “Where are we riding to?”
“Just around the perimeter of the ranch,” Jake said. “Nothing too intense.”
His gaze was intense enough.
“Here,” he said, grasping the reins of her horse. “Let me help you mount.” He held the horse steady, and she placed her left foot into the stirrup, then hoisted herself up and swung over.
“Got it?” Jake asked, looking up at her, his hand on her calf.
Heat was starting to travel up her leg. “Got it,” she said.
Jake smiled, then mounted his own horse and flicked the reins.
They rode at an easy pace, and Jake pointed out the ranch’s property lines, which extended well beyond the grazing fields. He told her about the cattle they grazed and the number of employees they had, which amounted to four ranch hands in addition to Jake’s parents.
Sydney was surprised at the small number. “Do you think your parents will ever retire?”
“Not fully,” Jake said. “I’m sure my mother would be happy to turn over the books someday, but she’ll never stop bossing everyone around.”
Sydney laughed. She could very well imagine that.
They reached a small valley that dipped below the main ranch property. “Come on,” Jake said, pulling ahead of her on a narrow path that wound through a copse of trees. “There’s a stream down here.”
Sydney followed him on her horse, and moments later, they arrived at a meadow that was edged by a stream. Wild flowers dotted the meadow, and the sound of the gurgling water made the pla
ce look like it was out of some fairytale. A few boulders lined the other side of the stream.
“Those are my thinking rocks,” Jake said, pointing to the boulders.
“Thinking rocks?”
Jake reined his horse to a stop and dismounted. Then he held out his hand to Sydney and helped her dismount. She slipped to the ground, landing right next to Jake, who hadn’t stepped back to give her room.
“Yeah,” Jake said, his hands resting on her waist. “This is where I come to think... since I was a little boy. My dad showed me the place. Once, when we were in an argument over something I don’t even remember, both my dad and I showed up here. It was pretty funny.”
Sydney smiled up at him. “Did you fight over the rocks?”
Jake pulled her close, looping his arms about her waist. “We both saw the irony of the situation, and our argument was forgotten. For the moment, at least.”
“Your dad seems like a great guy,” Sydney said, resting her hand on his shoulder. “And he’s lucky to have you for a son.”
Lines creased the space between his brows, and Sydney reached up to smooth them. “You can’t make up for your brother’s actions, you know.”
“I know,” Jake said, but Sydney didn’t miss the storm gathering in his gray eyes.
“I’m glad your parents have you,” Sydney said.
Jake stared at her for a moment, and then he leaned down and kissed her.
This kiss was gentle, more familiar, and sweeter than anything Sydney had ever experienced. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself become lost in him as the sun’s rays surrounded them.
“It looks like you do more than think in this place,” Sydney said in a quiet voice when he broke off the kiss.
“Now I do.” He gave her a half smile. “Come on,” he continued, releasing her and wrapping her hand in his. “You have to try one of the rocks.”
She laughed as they walked together and crossed the stream. She perched on a medium-sized rock, while Jake sat on the one next to her. “Show me how it’s done,” she said.
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