Heart of Love

by Shanna Hatfield

  “You!” Jake spluttered, glaring at Anna. “You’re the library girl who won’t tell me her name?”

  “Guilty as charged.” Anna savored the shocked look on Jake’s face. “I’m Anna. Anna Zimmerman.”

  “It’s nice to make your acquaintance, Anna Zimmerman.” Jake grinned, processing this completely different and utterly fascinating side of his library mouse.

  Behind those baggy clothes and out-of-style glasses was someone Jake couldn’t help but notice. He would never have pegged her for a hard-working farm girl in a million years.

  Yet, she sat next to him wearing dusty boots, dirty jeans, work gloves and a ball cap. She was obviously accustomed to the manual labor.

  When he stopped the pickup, Anna didn’t give him a chance to open her door. She jumped out and rushed over to her dad.

  Jake didn’t know what was said, but a smile and a friendly handshake greeted him as he walked around his truck to speak with her father. “Jake Chandler, sir, from the soil and water office. We met the other day.” Jake returned the friendly handshake.

  “Nice to see you again, Jake.” Ken glanced at his daughter. “Anna has mentioned you a few times. What can we do for you today?”

  Jake could only imagine what Anna had shared about him with her family. No doubt, she’d described the jerk that made a habit of knocking her down and trying to run her over. He cleared his throat, deciding it best to stick to business.

  “I came about the application you brought in for some soil testing on thirty-five acres of ground in your northeast corner. I hoped to take some samples today, if that works for you.”

  “Sure.” Ken removed his ball cap and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Sugar, would you mind showing Jake that section we discussed? I want to pick up another load of hay before lunch.”

  “No problem, Dad.” Anna turned to Jake. “Do you have a lot of equipment you need to take with you?”

  Jake reached into the back of his pickup and pulled out a toolbox. “Everything I need is right here.”

  “Great. We can run over on the four-wheeler and save time.” Anna walked to a four-wheeler parked by the hay shed.

  Jake looked at Anna then back at her dad before touching his fingers to his hat. “It was nice to see you, Mr. Zimmerman.”

  “You as well, Jake.” Ken returned to the stacker with a spring in his step, whistling a jaunty tune. That boy had it bad for his Anna. Equally as bad as she had it for him, or he would eat his hat. Ken deemed himself quite clever for his deception and drove out to the field to pick up another load of hay.

  Anna started the four-wheeler and turned it around. Jake climbed on behind her, uncertain where to put his toolbox or his hands. She grabbed the toolbox, strapping it into a carrying case on the front of the machine, solving one of his problems.

  As she shifted into gear, she grinned over her shoulder at him. “You can hang onto me or keep your balance on your own.”

  Jake tugged down his hat. Anna probably wouldn’t drive fast enough to stir up the dust. Unconcerned about losing his balance or his seat, he settled his hands on his thighs. When Anna took off across the field behind the hayshed at breakneck speed, Jake quickly grabbed her waist and held on.

  Although she’d obviously worked hard that morning, her soft, tropical scent drifted around him, teasing his senses. He also couldn’t help but notice how small her waist seemed beneath his big hands.

  He would never have pictured the library mouse getting on a four-wheeler much less being able to drive it so skillfully and fast. In minutes, she pulled up at a fenced corner of property and turned off the ignition.

  Jake gathered the samples he needed while Anna watched with open curiosity. Most girls he knew would have been bored silly, but she seemed genuinely interested in the process. He explained how he collected samples, what he looked for, and part of the testing procedure. She asked several questions before he finished then waited while he labeled the samples and stored everything in the toolbox.

  While he strapped the toolbox in the front carrier, Jake watched her lean against the four-wheeler. She seemed so alive, confident, and enticing.

  If he wasn’t careful, he’d wind up caring about her more than he should. Thank goodness, she wasn’t his type. Not at all.

  Mindful of that, he fought to control his intense desire to remove the sunglasses she wore and satisfy his curiosity to know if her rosy lips tasted as temptingly sweet as they looked.

  Oblivious to Jake’s interest, Anna was lost in her musings. She appreciated him treating her like a peer instead of a stupid girl while he answered her questions and explained the soil testing process. She loved learning new things and needed to glean every bit of information she could that would help on the farm.

  All her growing up years, she dreamed of leaving the farm for a life in the city, avoiding involvement with the day-to-day operations. After returning last fall, she wished she’d paid more attention when her dad attempted to teach her years ago. She felt like she took a crash course in farming, taught by hands-on experience.

  If Jake provided the daily lesson, it wouldn’t seem like such a bad thing.

  As he finished packing his equipment and gathered the samples, Anna ogled the swell of his muscles beneath his shirt.

  Jake possessed every attractive attribute any red-blooded girl could dream of, making it hard not to admire his physical beauty. He had the whole package, and boy, was it nicely packaged.

  To keep a sigh of longing from escaping, she bit her lip. It was time for her to get back to the business of farming instead of dreaming about something she could never have.

  “Ready to go?” She slid onto the seat of the four-wheeler and started it. Jake sat down behind her, trying to hold himself steady without sitting too close. The first bump they hit, he gave up and wound his hands around her waist again. With every passing second, he found it more difficult not to lean close and plant a kiss on the slender column of her neck.

  The ride back to his truck was as energetic as the ride out to the corner section. Before he knew what happened, Anna handed him his toolbox and thanked him for coming.

  Her dad hurried over from the load of hay he’d just set into a neat stack. “Did you get what you needed?” Ken asked as he approached them.

  “I sure did.” Jake set the toolbox back in his pickup. “Thank you, Mr. Zimmerman. As soon as I have the results, I’ll be in touch.”

  “Well, would you look at that, Sugar?” Ken glanced at his watch. “How did it get to be lunch time already? Jake, would you like to join us for lunch? My wife left something in the slow cooker and this girl of mine can have it on the table in a jiffy.”

  “If you’re sure it isn’t an imposition.” Although Jake knew he should leave, he wanted to stay, especially if it meant more time with Anna.

  “No imposition at all.” Ken grinned and motioned toward the house. “Sugar, you two go on up to the house and I’ll be in soon.”

  Anna glared at her dad, then remembered she had on her sunglasses. She hoped he would get the hint and back off. Whatever mischief he was up to, she didn’t like it. Not one bit.

  It was one thing to be around Jake out in the field, knowing time spent with him was limited. It was something else altogether to have him in her house, eating lunch across the table.

  She turned off the four-wheeler, got off, and walked over to Jake’s pickup. He hurried around to open the door for her.

  He had nice manners. She had to give him that.

  At the house, Anna led the way to the kitchen door. She stopped long enough to set her hat, gloves, and sunglasses on a bench before tugging off her boots. Hay leaves and scads of dirt clung to her socks.

  Jake glanced down as Anna removed her dirt-encrusted socks and brushed dried hay leaves from her jeans. Surprised to see her toenails painted a pretty hue of pink, he grinned. Delighted by the shade of red coloring her cheeks, she appeared embarrassed that he’d glimpsed her bare feet.

  Quickly removin
g his hat, Jake started to remove his boots, but Anna stopped him. “You’re fine, Jake. There’s no need to take off your boots, unless you want to. Mine are filthy.”

  Jake left his boots on but gave them a good swipe on the doormat before following Anna inside to a sunny kitchen where meaty aromas filled the air.

  Sam sat at the table, thumbing through a farm magazine, tired from his therapy session.

  “Hi, Sam,” Anna said cheerfully, glad to have someone to keep Jake occupied while she cleaned up. “This is Jake Chandler from the county extension office. Dad had him come out to get some soil samples from the northeast corner and invited him to stay for lunch.”

  If Jake was surprised to see Sam in a wheelchair, he didn't show it. Instead, he walked over, hand extended, with a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you, Sam.”

  Sam shook his hand and asked him about his work.

  Anna took the opportunity to escape to her bedroom, wondering what had gotten into her dad. She had no idea what he was thinking inviting Jake to join them for lunch. If he had any idea how infatuated she was with the man, he’d know that inviting him into their home when she looked and smelled like a farmhand was the worst idea he’d ever had.

  With three hungry men waiting on her to get lunch on the table, she rushed to change and set aside her tendency to go into panic mode. Hurriedly yanking off her dirty clothes, she washed her face and arms, tugged on a clean T-shirt and jeans, and put in her hearing aid.

  After adding a few swipes of mascara to her eyelashes, and indulging in a splash of perfume, she hustled back to the kitchen. Sam and Jake laughed together at the table. Anna assumed Sam pointed Jake in the direction of the bathroom because his hands were no longer dusty and the hat ring in his hair had disappeared.

  “Anna, why didn't you tell me about Jake running into you at the library?” Sam inquired, innocently. “He's got some great stories to tell. It turns out his cousin was one of my favorite instructors when I took classes at the community college.”

  “That’s great.” Anna offered a smile to them before turning her attention to lunch preparations. Jake offered to help, but she assured him she could handle it. The last thing she needed was having him elbow to elbow with her while she put lunch together. Since his presence turned her into a certified klutz, it would spell disaster for the meal.

  The previous evening, Sue had boiled eggs and potatoes for a salad then sliced a watermelon into bite-sized chunks while Anna whipped up a chocolate sheet cake. Before leaving the house that morning, Sue placed a pork roast in the slow cooker and the scent of the meat made Anna’s stomach growl. Grateful they’d planned ahead, Anna could serve their guest a nice meal instead of a cold sandwich and chips.

  After setting hoagie rolls in the oven to warm, she shredded the pork by pulling it apart with two forks. She added barbecue sauce to the meat and mixed it in then layered the meat on the warm bread.

  The sandwiches went on a platter then she stirred together the potato salad, set out the bowl of melon, and retrieved a pitcher of sweet tea from the refrigerator.

  Ken walked inside the kitchen as Anna took plates out of the cupboard to set the table. “I'm just in time,” he said with a grin, excusing himself to wash up.

  Anna handed the plates to Sam. He wheeled around the table setting them out then gathered silverware and added it to each place setting. Jake helped Anna carry the food to the table then she filled glasses with iced tea.

  When Ken returned, they all sat down and the three Zimmerman’s bowed their heads for grace. After a quick glance around, Jake bowed his head. Ken asked the blessing, then he and Sam kept Jake engaged in a lively conversation about irrigation systems, water rights, soil testing, and farming in general.

  Anna discovered Jake's parents owned a small acreage on the other side of town where he kept his horses. He was an only child and he shared a house in Tenacity with four other guys. She could only imagine the conversations that took place there.

  By the time she sliced cake and served it with ice cream, she’d learned any number of things about Jake, including the fact that he was exceedingly polite and behaved like a gentleman. To her relief, he and Sam seemed to hit it off.

  Once they finished the meal, Jake helped her carry dishes to the sink then lifted his hat from where he’d left it by the door.

  “I appreciate your hospitality and the fine meal.” Jake nodded his head to Anna. “I’m sure I'm keeping you from your work and I should be getting back to town, as well. Thank you, again.”

  “Anytime,” Ken said, shaking his hand. “We'll look forward to seeing you again.” Ken tipped his head toward the door and grinned at his daughter. “Sugar, walk Jake out to his truck, just to make sure the dog leaves him alone.”

  Anna raised an eyebrow at her dad, but followed Jake out the door. Their dog, Patch, would no more bother Jake than she could fly over the barn. By sheer force, Anna refrained from stating that fact.

  She and Jake walked in silence to his pickup. Before he opened the door, he turned to Anna with a cocky grin. “So, Anna Zimmerman, now that I know your name I bet we could even be friends.”

  “Possibly, Mr. Chandler.” Anna offered him a shy smile and shoved her hands into the front pockets of her jeans to keep from fidgeting. “Thank you for coming out today.”

  “My pleasure. Thank you for the delicious lunch. A pretty girl who can cook, bale hay, ask intelligent questions, and drive a four-wheeler… you don’t see that every day,” Jake teased, getting in his truck and starting the ignition.

  A blush rode her cheeks as she turned back toward the door.

  “Anna?” Jake called to her retreating form. “Anna!”

  She turned around the second time he yelled her name. “Yes?”

  He leaned across his pickup cab and looked out the passenger window.

  “I’ll see you later, Sugar.” The wicked grin on his face made her stomach flutter. Jake put his pickup in gear and left in a cloud of dust.

  Dreamily returning to the kitchen, Sam and Ken worked on loading the dishwasher.

  “Geez, Dad, what are you trying to do to me?” Anna asked as she helped finish the dishes.

  “Sugar, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ken feigned an innocence he was far from feeling. He liked Jake Chandler and it was obvious the young man had more than a passing interest in his baby girl. If love needed a little nudge, Ken was more than happy to oblige. “You seemed to enjoy his company well enough.”

  “Daddy.” Anna sounded exasperated. “The last person I would want to see me like this is Jake Chandler. The absolute last.”

  “He didn’t seem too bothered by your farmhand appearance,” Sam added with a chuckle.

  “Oh, you two!” Anna threw the dishtowel at her brother then stomped off to her room to change back into her dirty clothes.

  Jake couldn’t believe his little library mouse turned out to be the hottie farm girl. His mind struggled to reconcile the two separate images into one person.

  There was a night and day difference between the shy but spunky girl he was coming to know from the library and the long-legged, take-charge woman with dirty socks and cute pink toes.

  Points fell in her favor when he realized she could cook. She’d made one of the best chocolate cakes he’d ever tasted. With a raging sweet tooth, Jake wondered what else was in her baking repertoire.

  Now that he knew her name, maybe she’d give him a chance to get to know her.

  Anna Zimmerman.

  The name fit her. She seemed like an Anna.

  Or a Sugar.

  She was definitely sweet and tempting. He laughed at the irony of her nickname being one of the things he enjoyed the most. He could definitely get addicted to her particular brand of sugar.

  After fighting for weeks to keep those violet eyes from haunting his dreams, Jake knew there was much more than beautiful eyes to this girl. He wondered, again, why she hid behind the clunky glasses and baggy clothes, especially when she filled
out her jeans and tank top amazingly well.

  As he pulled into the parking lot behind the library, Jake refused to examine the reasons the girl completely enthralled him. Instead, he pictured Anna as she jumped off the tractor and strode toward him wearing a smile.

  Chapter Four

  Jake didn’t see Anna again for another week. It wasn’t for a lack of effort on his part. Every time he went to the library, she seemed to be in the basement, helping a patron, on a break, or running an errand.

  Impatiently waiting in the parking lot after work, he hoped to catch her as she left. When he closed his eyes, he could see her in a lavender tank top with dusty jeans and purple boots. Something about her out on the farm seemed a little wild and untamed. And that something drew him in and kept his thoughts lingering on the lovely girl.

  Since he’d first bumped into Anna six weeks ago, he’d been on exactly three dates. All of them were disastrous. The girls seemed boring or clingy and he couldn’t get away fast enough. The entire time he was with them, he envisioned a cute freckled nose and haunting violet eyes. Loath to admit it, Jake started to think he might have more than a passing interest in a girl completely not his type.

  He stepped away from the side of his pickup and watched Anna hurry out the back door of the library. Sunglasses covered her eyes and a long braid fell down her back. A simple navy dress, nipped in at the waist with a wide belt, caught his eye. The dress fit her surprisingly well and looked nice with a pair of ballerina flats.

  She hurried to unlock the door on a small car that had definitely seen better days.

  “Anna!” He spoke loudly as he approached her, not wanting to startle her. “Hey, how’s it going?”

  Both anticipating and dreading the next opportunity to see Jake, Anna took a deep breath, eager to calm her jangled nerves. She hoped the day would arrive when Jake’s presence didn’t completely rattle her senses and befuddle her thinking.

  Since that day had not yet arrived, her palms grew damp while her stomach clenched and her heart began to race.