by Cindy Stark
Chapter Five
True to his word, Jesse had stopped in every day for coffee for ten days straight. More often than not, he stayed for breakfast, too. Scarlett hid her anticipation until he showed, and then spent the rest of the time pretending she didn’t care. Sometimes, the thermos he brought was almost big enough to hold the entire pot. He never mentioned how good her coffee was again, but his actions showed what he thought and that secretly pleased her beyond words.
Hank had also shown appreciation in the past, but he’d chosen to mark the rare occasion by not hitting her.
Her bruises had faded to a greenish-brown, Lydia had helped to remove her stitches, and the body aches mellowed to intermittent twinges. She was healing, and she hoped over time her soul might as well.
“I think Jesse has a serious crush on your coffee.” Lydia laughed as she gathered dirty breakfast plates and hauled them to where Scarlett stood at the sink. They’d both fallen into a regular routine over the past days where both women cooked and cleaned up afterward, but Scarlett always made the coffee.
“I think the guy is desperate for food, so he’ll take anything.” Through bits and pieces of conversation, Scarlett had learned that he’d found himself single again after a failed ten-year marriage, and that he struggled to find a new normal.
She could understand and respect that since she was doing the same.
Lydia tipped her head in agreement. “You might be right. I was thinking…” she paused long enough to grab Scarlett’s full attention. “You can say no if you want, but I thought I’d spend some time over at Jesse’s house today. The guy has been out on the range from sun-up to sundown for weeks now, except when he stops for coffee. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but his t-shirts are getting holier than church. I think he’s running out of laundry.”
“You’re going to wash his clothes?” The idea of going into Jesse’s house without his knowledge and touching his personal things seemed to cross an important boundary.
Lydia sleeked her hair back into a ponytail and wrapped a band around it. “We all need help in different ways. It’s not much, but he’s made my life easier so many times. I don’t mind helping him around the house. Poor guy needs something to smile about. What do you think?”
She shrugged. How could she refuse? Lydia had opened her door and her heart to Scarlett. Paying it forward seemed like the least she could do. “I’d love to help.”
****
Leaving Lydia’s place and heading to Jesse’s was the first time Scarlett had been out since arriving. She couldn’t deny leaving her new sanctuary left her skittish, but she needed to take a step forward eventually if she believed she’d have a future after Hank.
She couldn’t decide if excitement or fear caused the shivering inside her as they climbed into Lydia’s car and headed down the drive. Gorgeous aspens and maples surrounded the house before giving way to wide open expanses of yellowed grasses. That golden carpet spread until it bumped into hills which eventually grew into mountains not too far in the distance. What she’d seen of Wyoming on her way in had been colored by a haze of pain and fear.
What she saw now could only be described as an incredible showcase of nature’s beauty. “How do you fit so much pretty into one place?” she asked as they passed a herd of cattle grazing on the blowing grasses.
“It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? I fell in love the first time I passed through here with my grandparents on our way to Yellowstone. My school friends laughed when I said I wanted to be a rancher’s wife when I grew up, but something about this place called to me. I moved out right after high school, found a job on a ranch, and met Merle not long after that. It’s not a Hollywood or Manhattan life for sure, but it’s mine, and I love it.”
Scarlett considered her words and nodded. “There’s a beauty and serenity here that they’ll never find in downtown New York.”
Lydia grinned. “Exactly.”
A mile down the road, Lydia slowed. Scarlett lifted her gaze to the metal sign proclaiming Brogan Ranch. It hung above the entrance to a long drive and the log rambler waiting beyond.
“His land and cattle outnumber ours about two to one, so if you think our place is hard to run, you can imagine his. Merle hopes to add to ours now that he’s working for himself full-time, but that will take a while. Jesse does hire a few guys during the busiest times, but he mostly manages on his own. Or, at least, he did.”
From a distance, the place looked gorgeous. Tall pines and maples flanked it, and a green lawn claimed the space enclosed by white-washed fencing. As they drew closer and parked, Scarlett noticed signs of neglect. The lawn desperately needed to be watered and mowed. Weeds choked any flowers trying to grow in the beds surrounding the home. Dirt had blown onto the porch and grew thicker where it had amassed against the side of the house.
Lydia pulled keys from her pocket and opened the door. The scent of overripe food reached out to them, and they both wrinkled their noses as they stepped inside the darkened house. The first thing Lydia did was open the blinds and windows.
Jesse’s house wasn’t incredibly dirty as Scarlett had suspected when they’d first opened the door, but it needed a quick run-through. A few tossed shirts lay across the back of the couch and a pile of newspapers sat discarded on top of the coffee table. A few rolled newspapers had fallen to the mocha brown carpet as though they’d finally given up on being read and had tried to end their existence. Other than those things, along with a fine layer of dust, the man kept a decent house.
Until they reached the kitchen.
Discarded boxes and trays from frozen dinners filled a garbage can near the counter to overflowing. A fair number of unwashed dishes had taken up residence in the sink. When Scarlett opened the fridge, she found a tub of butter, a lone bottle of beer, and a single pickle remaining in a jar.
Not one other thing.
She shut the fridge door. “No wonder he’s always at your house.”
“He’s in a real bad place right now. I probably shouldn’t say anything, but his wife left him with a hell of a mess. She drained their bank accounts and disappeared. One morning she made breakfast, and by supper, she’d taken any easily-transported valuables and their life savings. He had a hell of a time finding her long enough to divorce.”
“He mentioned the I.R.S. Is he having trouble with them, too?”
“Oh, yeah,” Lydia said with a sarcastic laugh. “Couldn’t pay all his taxes last year. Now, they’ve tacked on all kinds of penalties and interest. I just pray the guy can get ahead before they place a lien on his land or worse, take it from him. He would literally be left with nothing.”
Like her.
“Why doesn’t he ask for leniency?”
She snorted. “Oh, girl. Don’t you know? The I.R.S. always wins.”
Except Scarlett knew sometimes they would forgive penalties. She’d watched the accountant she’d worked for do exactly that a few years before.
Lydia pulled the tabs on the garbage can liner and quickly tied them together. “This goes first.” She hauled it out the back door and disappeared without a backward glance.
Apprehension nipped at Scarlett for being in Jesse’s house without permission. She knew Lydia wouldn’t lead her into a possibly volatile situation, but she’d been afraid to make a move for so long that it went against everything Hank had ingrained in her. She needed to get over that. They were there to do a service for a decent man. A job to keep her busy, just like he’d said she needed.
This was a deed that would make everyone feel good. No tricks, no fooled you and now here’s your punishment. She’d left that monster behind, and she would move on.
With a breath of determination, she went in search of a vacuum. An hour and a half later, she and Lydia had done a decent job of tidying up. The kitchen and bathroom were clean. Jesse had fresh sheets on his bed while other laundry swished in the washer or tumbled in the dryer. Going into Jesse’s room had been a whole new level of uncomfortable for Scarlett, b
ut she’d pushed through that as well.
They’d done a great thing here today, and incredibly satisfying happiness rolled through her in a way she couldn’t remember before. Oh sure, she done plenty of housework and cooking for Hank, but none that he truly appreciated.
She wished she could be here when Jesse showed up so she could see his face. Not that she wanted to be seen. Oh, hell, no. Just in a fly-on-the-wall way to enjoy his happiness.
Lydia brought a clothes basket laden with towels and set it on a kitchen chair. “After I finish folding these, let’s run to the store and pick up a few staples for him. Easy things for a guy to eat, because Lord knows he’s not going to cook a meal. Have you seen his freezer? There’s literally nothing there. The man will either work himself to death or starve first.”
She froze at the thought of others in town learning of her existence.
Lydia zeroed in her gaze. “What? Did I say something wrong?”
“I…I’m not ready to go out in public yet.” Coming to Jesse’s was hard enough. “I know you probably can’t understand, but the thought of seeing people, no, of being seen by people…I just can’t. Not yet. I’m willing to do anything else, just not that, okay?” Her heart thundered uncontrollably, and she placed a hand over her chest as though that might soothe her fear-induced state.
“Okay,” Lydia said in a soft, reassuring voice. “It’s not a problem. Really.” She glanced about the kitchen. “Are you okay to stay here while I go? You could switch over the laundry and help me put away the groceries when I get back. It will save me some time if I don’t have to backtrack to my house to drop you off first. Would you be okay with that?”
She hesitated. Being alone would be difficult, but she couldn’t be there when Jesse returned. “What time will Jesse be back?”
Lydia waved away her concerns with a flick of her hand. “You have nothing to worry about there. He’s been working fourteen to fifteen-hour days trying to keep up. I doubt he’ll be back until dark.”
She swallowed and cast a quick glance around the room. The house did have a warm feeling and being here alone wouldn’t really be any different than having Lydia in a different part of the house like they’d done for the past couple of hours. There were still many smaller duties like wiping out the fridge and cupboards that could keep her occupied while Lydia was gone. Her friend’s request was reasonable, and she needed to respond accordingly.
“Sure,” she said without feeling it. “I’ll be fine. Still plenty of stuff I can tackle.”
Lydia gave her a brilliant smile. “Great. I’ll let you finish with these towels. I should be back in thirty minutes. Forty tops. I’m only going to the local store here in Moose Meadows. Even if I bought everything in the store, it wouldn’t take more than an hour.” She laughed, and it took Scarlett a moment to realize she’d joked at which point she added her own chuckle.
The moment Lydia closed the door behind her, Scarlett braced for the darkness that would come to swallow her. A few seconds passed, and then a few more. She released the breath she’d held and waited a bit longer.
Nothing. She found it strange to be in Jesse’s house, but she couldn’t say she was frightened. She only sensed good vibes here, and coming from a house filled with pain and anger, she knew a happy home when she felt it.
She could be safe here.
Thirty-five minutes later, Lydia’s tires crunched on the drive outside. Scarlett hurried to finish folding the basket of socks and underwear. She’d been out of her comfort zone long enough that day and was ready to leave. The sooner she helped Lydia put away groceries, the sooner they could go home.
Home. Not her home. But certainly a place she felt at home, and that was a bigger blessing than she could have asked for.
The front door opened and closed, and she turned to ask Lydia if she needed help carrying groceries. Instead of her friend’s face appearing in the kitchen doorway, Jesse stood there. The look of surprise registered on his face matched the jolt that flew through her.
Chapter Six
Jesse stared in surprise at the unexpected woman who stood in his kitchen. How the hell had she got in? And what in the hell was she doing smack dab in the middle of his disaster?
Scarlett had pulled back her dark hair into a messy ponytail as usual and several escaped wisps of hair teased him. She widened her deep brown, mesmerizing eyes, haunted by a past that he wished he could ask about, and seemed just as shocked to see him. Without his consent, she’d occupied a fair amount of his wakeful moments since the night he’d helped her, broken and bruised, into Lydia’s house.
He wanted to be happy to see the pretty lady, but she’d crossed a line. How did she even know where he lived? “What are you doing here?” He dropped his gaze to the pair of blue boxer briefs she held—his boxer briefs. Good God. She’d washed his dirty laundry.
Her gaze followed the same path as his, and she dropped his underwear into the laundry basket as though they’d burned her. Her color heightened, and she bit into her bottom lip as she regarded him with wary eyes.
“I… Lydia. She brought me here. She just went to the store, but she’ll be back any minute.” The frightened look in her eye warned she might bolt.
He didn’t want to scare her off, but he had a right to know why they’d invaded his personal space. “Lydia dropped you off here and left?” That made no sense.
“We cleaned. Both of us. Earlier. Before she left. I was just finishing.”
Jesse held up a hand to stop her rambling. “Not that I don’t appreciate it, but I didn’t ask either of you to do that.” He knew his place was a hot mess, but it was his mess. No one else had to live in it. He’d get to it when he could.
She held his gaze for several long seconds, her face a mask to the emotions beneath. Then she blinked and strode from the room without another word. She made it to the front door before he caught up with her.
He placed his hand over the knob before she could claim it. “Where are you going?”
Her gaze flew to his. “I’m leaving.” She inhaled a shaky breath, proof that he’d scared her. “I can do that, you know. I can go when I want and where I want.”
He lifted his other hand to scratch the three-day scruff on his chin, and she flinched at his actions. The thought that she feared he might hit her knocked him hard. This was no skittish filly. She’d been hurt, and apparently, hurt bad. He dropped his hand from the knob and took a step back. “Of course, you can.”
The moment he moved away, the stiffness in her body lessened, but she remained wary as she reached for the doorknob.
He kept his distance as she opened and stepped through the door.
“How are you going to leave without Lydia to pick you up?” She obviously hadn’t thought through her situation.
“I’ll wait on the porch for her.” With that, she shut the door in his face.
He blew out a frustrated breath. Dammit all to hell. He didn’t have time for this today. The vet would be arriving soon, and he’d only made a quick pit stop at home to grab something for a pounding headache.
She wanted to be alone, and he’d let her. Most of the time, it was best to leave a wounded soul to herself instead of poking and prodding. Especially if he was dealing with a woman. He’d thought he’d had a pretty good handle on reading the fairer sex, but Michelle had proven him flat out wrong on that account. He’d thought she’d been happy, that they were working to build a life together, and he couldn’t have been more wrong.
Apparently, ranching hadn’t been her dream after all.
He turned to head back to the kitchen to look for ibuprofen and then stopped.
Hell. He didn’t want Scarlett to hate him and think he was an ass, and he’d just given her every reason to believe he was. Worse, he didn’t want to be categorized with every other asshole out there in the world, including the man who’d left bruises on her face.
Resigned, he opened the door. She glanced over her shoulder with a start, and he held up a hand li
ke he would if he’d frightened a calf. “I’m sorry, Scarlett. I didn’t mean to be rude. I just wish Lydia would realize a man needs his privacy. None of this is your fault.”
She hesitated a moment before she exhaled. “We were only trying to help. Most people would be grateful to have their house and clothes clean.”
He lifted his hat and ran a hand through his hair before he settled it back on his head. The sad state of the house he’d built in anticipation of a happy future ate at him, but he couldn’t tell her that. He couldn’t, no, he wouldn’t let anyone know how much his ex-wife’s betrayal had devastated him. Admitting that would be admitting she was right when she’d said he couldn’t live without her.
That plain wasn’t true. He’d prove it. He’d take care of things. He just needed a little more time to get his feet beneath him again. “I know most people would be happy, but those people need help. I can handle this on my own. Lydia seems to think she needs to take care of me, but I’m doing just fine.”
She arched a brow that said she’d seen everything including his dirty laundry, and she had plenty of evidence to argue otherwise.
He folded his arms across his chest. “I know it’s a wreck, but the world ain’t going to fall apart if I don’t get to it until the weekend.”
She settled her lips into a firm line but didn’t speak.
“What?”
“Nothing.” She straightened and turned her gaze back to the driveway. “We all should have the right to live the way we want.”
Now, she thought he liked living in a pig sty. He strode past her down the steps and turned, blocking her view. “That’s not how I prefer to live, but the house isn’t a priority right now. I will get things under control. It takes time.”
She squinted her eyes as she looked up at him. “For three years, I had to keep my house completely spotless and in perfect order. If I didn’t…there were consequences. Having the freedom to choose is a priceless thing, and I’m not going to judge you either way.”