“He’s more than welcome,” Allie said as she pulled a casserole from the oven. “There’s plenty of food.”
Ted said, “Ah, but, Allie, that would defeat Jena’s purpose in playing hard-to-get.”
Jena rolled her eyes. “Why is no one listening to me? I’m not playing hard to get. I’m playing… not-gettable.”
“I don’t think that’s a thing,” Alex said.
“It should be.”
Ollie’s low voice boomed from his station by the grill. “Can we talk about something other than Jena’s love life? I feel my hair starting to braid itself.”
“Let’s talk about Alex’s failed hotel idea,” Ted said.
“It’s not failed.” Alex’s glare reached across the table. Ted just smiled sweetly at him. “I told you, Grandma Crowe will be putty in my hands. I’ll get it passed by the council.”
“I hope so,” Allie’s husband, Joe, said. “Sure would be nice not to have to work in that piss-poor excuse for a farm supply store anymore.”
Jena bit her tongue and looked away from Allie’s embarrassed face. That “piss-poor excuse” for a store that Allie’s father owned was the only thing keeping food on the table since Joe had lost his job as an electrician at the base. In Jena’s experience, some men took to unemployment with the pragmatic attitude that “this, too, shall pass” and went on about their lives. Joe wasn’t one of those men, and the strain on her friend’s face was becoming more and more evident as the months went by.
“Seems like any honest work that takes care of your family is good work to me,” Ollie said quietly.
Joe glared at Ollie. “I’m going out for a smoke. Allie, watch the kids?”
“Sure thing.” He slammed the screen door as Allie watched him go. “He and my dad were fighting about hours last week.”
Jena saw Ollie and Alex both roll their eyes behind Allie’s back before they turned back to the meat on the grill.
“Of course,” Ted said soothingly. “It’s fine. Hey, Allie, don’t the kids need a check-up? Seems like I haven’t seen them in ages. And I should check Kevin out since he’s shifted. Just make sure everything’s okay on that end.” Few people in town were as educated as Ted. She was an M.D. who also took as many online veterinary courses and seminars as possible. Just par for the course when half your patients turned into something furry or scaly a few times a month.
“I… uh—”
“Just bring them in, mamá,” Ted said under her breath. “I’m not gonna charge my best friend.”
“It’s only until we get back on our feet. Then I’m paying you back.”
“Of course. And Jena?”
“Yes, Doctor. I’ll call the office tomorrow and make appointments for the boys.”
“You’re due for your annual, too. Both of you.”
“Whoa! No,” Alex said, holding up a spatula like a shield. “We’re not talking about that stuff in front of the guys, okay? We have to draw a line somewhere.”
“You boys have been getting your prostates checked regularly, right?” Ted gave them a wicked grin. “You’re not in your twenties anymore. I’ll give you the family rate.”
Alex made a disgusted sound as Ollie silently backed around the corner of the house and disappeared.
“Ted, you do know how to clear a room.”
“Don’t get me started about colon health.”
Allie said, “Okay, I’m drawing the line on that one. Are we almost ready to eat?”
“Meat is… done.” Alex put it on the platter Jena set out. “Give it about ten minutes to rest and I’ll slice it.” He nabbed a chip from a bowl as he walked past before he opened another beer and made his way to the backyard to watch the kids with Ollie.
“It’s so nice having him back,” Allie said. “Do you think he’ll stay?”
Ted snorted. “Not likely.”
“Has anyone talked to Willow lately? Maybe she knows.” Allie asked.
Jena shook her head. “She’s been at that art convention in Boulder this month. I haven’t seen her.”
“Neither have I,” Ted said. “Now, Jena, since the boys left us alone, let’s talk about the delicious man who now lives within grabbing distance.”
“Can we not?” She sat down and sipped a can of soda.
Allie sat next to her. “He’s so cute! And he’s really interested. I can tell.”
“The whole town can tell,” Ted said. “He’s totally hot, Jen. You should go for it.”
“He’s asked me out a couple of times.”
Allie and Ted exchanged an incredulous look. “Why haven’t you said yes?”
She shrugged. “Too busy. And I don’t feel like hiding who I am.”
Allie gave her a sympathetic look. “Well, I can understand that.”
Ted said, “Who knows, maybe he’d be okay with you having feathers.”
“And talons,” Jena said. “And wings. Yeah, I’m imagining that conversation right now. It ends with me being that crazy chick he kissed one night.”
Ted shook her head. “He’s going to find out eventually. He’s not an idiot.”
“We just have to be careful,” Allie said. “It’s probably good practice for when the resort comes anyway.”
“Do you guys want it?” Jena asked. “I still haven’t decided to be honest.”
Ted said, “I’m on the fence too, but leaning to yes. There are a hell of a lot of people out of work. The Springs can’t survive without something new coming in. And if the town doesn’t survive…”
She didn’t have to finish her sentence. Every shifter from the Springs knew it was unique. This was the place the water flowed. This was home.
Allie glanced at her husband, brooding in the corner of the yard. “I do. If Joe doesn’t find something soon, I… I just don’t know.”
An awkward silence descended between the three of them. Jena knew that Allie and Joe had problems, but her friend tended to put the happiest face on any situation, and she hated to rock the boat.
Finally, Ted said, “I don’t know why Alex thought he could pull off hiring a detective from away, though. He should have just had Jeremy—”
“Shhh!” Allie hissed. “Someone is coming over.”
Caleb strode toward the house. His hat was perched on his head and his chest was bare. His jeans rode low on his hips and Jena could see sweat dripping down the V muscles that framed his abdomen.
“Those are some seriously impressive transverse abdominis muscles he’s got going on there,” Ted muttered.
“I’m not sure what that means, but… wow,” Allie said. “Jena, you’re officially crazy.”
Just then, Caleb looked up and shot her that grin that made him so damn irresistible. Jena melted a little, Allie sighed, and Ted said, “You know, if you’re really not interested—”
“Shut up and back off, Ted. Don’t even think about it.” Jena didn’t know what made the words pour out of her mouth. She still wasn’t sure what to do with him, but Caleb Gilbert was hers. She’d figure it out later. At the moment, she was transfixed by… man. Hat, dirty jeans, and man. Who was walking right toward her. With no shirt.
A small groan left her mouth. “He’s not playing fair.” Ted and Allie laughed. “And you two are no help.”
“Give up and go for it, Jen,” Allie said. “I shudder to think how long it’s been.”
Ted added, “Think about your health.”
She cleared her throat as Caleb approached and tried to look disinterested. “Fine. I’ll think about it.”
“Hey there,” Allie called out, raising a hand to wave at Caleb. “So you’re the new neighbor?”
He leaned against the split rail fence and nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I don’t think we’ve officially met.”
Allie grinned. “Allie McCann. I’m Jena’s best friend. My dad owns the feed store here in town. That’s my husband Joe over there.” Allie pointed to Joe, who looked like he had cooled off and was playing with the kids in the grass. Joe gave a friendly wa
ve. “And most of the short ones running around are mine, too.”
“Ah.” Caleb nodded and waved back at Joe. “You’re a busy girl. Nice to meet you, Allie. I think I met your husband the other day. Needed some rope, and he helped me out.”
“What did he need the rope for?” Ted muttered under her breath. Jena elbowed her. Hard.
Caleb must have caught it. “And you must be Dr. Vasquez.”
“You can call her Teodora,” Jena said. “She likes that.”
Ted scowled. “Or Ted. Please.”
“Or ‘pain-in-the-ass,’” Allie added, shooting Caleb a bright smile. “She does prostate exams.”
Caleb opened his mouth, but nothing came out. “I… have nothing to say to that. Dr. Ted, nice to meet you.”
Ted laughed and said, “Likewise, Chief Not-just-passing-through.”
“I see my reputation precedes me.”
Ted shot Jena an evil grin. “In so many ways…”
Caleb smiled back before giving Jena a scorching once-over. She cleared her throat and tried to ignore the flush in her cheeks. “Is there something I can help you with, Chief?”
“I can think of a few things.”
“With the trailer?” Jena tried not to smile. He knew he was pushing her buttons. If her face was as red as it felt, he had to.
Luckily, Caleb had mercy and asked, “I’m having trouble with the AC. Think you can take a look? I’m not real familiar with—”
“We’ll check it out.” Jena heard Alex interrupt as he and Ollie walked around the corner. “Alex McCann.” He held his hand out and Caleb shook it.
“Nice to meet you. But I don’t want to bother your dinner—”
“No bother.” Ollie said. “Ollie Campbell. And Jena’s family. Besides, I helped her mom fix up those things. I’m happy to help.”
“We both are.” Alex slapped Caleb on his shoulder and started toward the trailer. “Give us a chance to get acquainted with the new chief.”
Caleb paused, then gave the two men a nod. “Thanks for the help.” Then he turned back to Jena and the girls and tipped his hat. “Ladies, enjoy your dinner.”
“We will,” Ted said. “Enjoy your… air-conditioning.”
“I definitely will.” He took off his hat to wipe the sweat that had collected in the desert heat. “This town is way hotter than I expected.” Then he caught Jena’s eye again before he turned to walk away.
She tried not to laugh. What was she doing? He was smart, funny, not put off by her kids or her job. Despite her initial reservations, his swagger hadn’t turned into a run. Caleb Gilbert was turning into someone she looked forward to seeing every day. Even her own mind was rebelling against her; she kept flashing back to that amazing mouth.
“You know,” Jena mused as the three men walked away, “if Ollie gets the AC fixed, he might put a shirt on again.”
Ted took a sip of her beer, her eyes following her friend’s. “You can always break it if you have to.”
Allie said, “Think the boys will scare him off?”
Jena made herself a mental deal. If Alex and Ollie couldn’t make Caleb back off, then she’d give him a chance. Maybe. “If Caleb can’t handle Alex and Ollie getting alpha male protective over me, then he doesn’t need to ask me out in the first place, does he?”
“I guess not,” Ted said.
Jena watched the three men walk toward the silver trailer. “Definitely not.”
Chapter Eight
So, these were Jena’s bodyguards. Unlike his earlier concerns at the church service that morning, he wasn’t getting any romantic vibes between Jena and either of her two friends. Still, she hadn’t hesitated throwing him to the wolves instead of checking the air-conditioner herself. By the look in her eyes as she had examined his deliberately bare chest, he had a feeling she might have given him a replay of their first meeting if she had.
Caleb had a wry smile on his face as he crossed the scrub, leading the two men to his trailer. The AC was the only problem with the place, which had proven to be exactly what he was looking for. The proximity to his current distraction was only an added benefit. Jena’s house sat on a couple of acres that stretched back from Spring Street and butted up against the red cliffs of the canyon. Caleb’s trailer and one other sat at the back of the property, within shouting distance of Jena’s place, but with enough privacy not to be intrusive. From his front yard, he could see the fabled natural springs that gave the town their name, surrounded by a park with some trails and picnic areas. One of these days, he needed to go jogging again. Then maybe he’d sleep better.
“This place working out for you?” the big one, Ollie, asked. He was the owner of the bar and he looked like a cross between a farmer and one of the bikers that frequented his place.
“It’s working great. Perfect size.”
The other one, Alex, said, “Just you, then? No wife? Girlfriend? Kids?”
Caleb crossed his arms and grinned. “Sorry. Don’t swing your way, Alex. But I have a cousin you might be interested in. We look a lot alike.”
Ollie laughed and tried to cover it up behind a hand. Alex just looked pissed.
“You know why I’m asking, smartass.”
“I get it.” He nodded and reached down to right a chair that had tipped over in the dry breeze before he pulled on the T-shirt that had fallen to the ground. “You’re looking out for Jena. Nothing wrong with that. I know I’m new in town, but I also know that you did a very thorough background check on me, Mr. McCann, so how about you back off the personal questions you already know the answers to, huh?”
He dusted off his hands as he heard a low sound. Caleb turned and frowned. Did this city boy with the pressed pants and nice shoes actually just… growl at him? Who the hell did that?
Alex was curling his lip until Ollie grunted and nudged his shoulder. Caleb liked the big guy. He had the easy confidence of a man who would use violence, but preferred to be left alone. The city boy was a bit of a hothead, if he had to take a guess. Used to getting his way, that was for sure. He wondered if the man had ever set his sights on Jena. He doubted it.
Ollie broke the silence. “Chief, why don’t you let me take a look at the AC. Cathy—that’s Jena’s mom—is great at fixing these things up. She’s a hell of a carpenter, but she skimps sometimes on the electrical. I should be able to tell what’s going on with it.”
Caleb nodded and let the big man into the trailer while Alex paced outside.
The 34-foot Airstream would have been a pain to haul down the road, but it made the perfect apartment. Small and efficient, deep cabinets lined the curved walls, holding the books Caleb hadn’t been able to part with back in Albuquerque and the rest of his belongings. The low ceiling just skimmed Caleb’s six feet. Ollie had to duck.
“Let’s take a look. Is it turned on?”
“Yep.”
Ollie frowned. “And not even a hum.”
As he walked back to check the breaker box, Caleb tossed a few dishes in the sink. He didn’t eat here much, but it was enough. The fridge and freezer were new and the old sink had been replaced by a deeper, full-sized model. The whole trailer had a spare, desert style with a feminine touch, but not in a fussy way.
“I think it’s just the breaker. The rest of the electrical’s working?”
“Yep. And the plumbing’s fine. The AC’s the only problem.”
Ollie knelt down, fiddling with something in the bedroom. “This place working for you? It’s small for a permanent place.”
“Yeah, it’s good. Enough space for my stuff.”
“You travel light.”
“I left a lot of stuff back in New Mexico.”
“That’s good.” Ollie stood and brushed off his hands. “Opposite of me. I need to go through my house and get rid of shit.”
“Oh?”
He shrugged. “It’s a huge old family place, you know? Lots of stuff and just me.”
“Really?” Caleb frowned. Despite his rough appearance, Ollie see
med like the more settled type.
“Yep, just me,” he said. “I think the fuse is blown, so it’s probably no big deal. Go talk to Allie’s dad in the morning. He’ll have something.”
“The farm supply store?”
“He’s got a little of everything. Can you make it without AC till tomorrow?”
“I’ll have to.” It wasn’t ideal, but he had fans. Plus, the desert cooled off at night. “I’ll keep the windows open.”
Ollie’s mouth twitched under his beard. “Just keep the doors closed and your stuff pulled in. Full moon in a few nights, there’ll be lots of animals out.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah…” There was that smile again. “We get a bit of everything out here. It’s the springs.”
Water in the desert. Well, that made sense. “I was going to ask, there any good hunting around here?”
The sudden darkness in the man’s eyes actually had Caleb taking a step back. “We don’t hunt around here.”
He blinked. “What? Never?”
“Never. Anyone catches you… Just don’t, Chief. It’s not a good idea.”
And the weirdness was back. Caleb shrugged. “Not even birds, huh? I was on a dove hunt not far from here a while back, and… What?”
Ollie had started laughing under his breath. “Especially not birds. Take my word on this one. You do not want to be shooting at birds around here.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He opened the fridge, which was still nice and chilly. “Want a beer?”
“Wouldn’t turn one down.”
Caleb handed him a bottle, which he quickly twisted open.
“Your friend out there want one? He seemed like he could cool down a bit.”
“Eh, don’t mind Alex. He’s on edge right now. But he’ll never turn down a beer.”
Caleb grabbed another and the two men made their way outside. The sun had started to tilt toward the horizon and the sky had turned pink.
“Alex? Beer?”
“Yeah, thanks.” Alex reached out, took the cold bottle, and lifted it. “And sorry about prying. It’s a habit.”
“Understood. Privacy’s a habit for me.”
Alex grinned. “You’re in the Springs now. You can kiss privacy good-bye.”
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