by Vivian Arend
“Oh, she’ll be fine, Blake. I’m pretty sure she’ll have the help she needs. Now, you’ve got me curious. You plan on joining us at the supper table dressed that way or a little more formal?” Daniel grinned again as he turned to stare out into the yard.
Blake stepped next to him, towel held in a fist at his hip. He followed Daniel’s gaze. He looked past the walkway, the garden and the greenhouse, clear to the sheep and cattle barns without seeing anything unusual. Shaking his head he retreated toward the house. “I swear, you get harder and harder to understand. Of course I’m dressing. You think I plan on prancing around stark naked in front of everybody?”
Idiot.
He scooped up his dirty clothes, stopping to deposit them in the laundry room. The piles waiting on the floor only took a minute to deal with. Blake loaded the oversized washer and got it going. He ducked into his bedroom to pull on clean jeans and a T-shirt, wondering how long he’d be able to keep up with the washing before his ma found out and tried to take over.
Walking the familiar path through the sleeping area of the basement, striding past TV and recreation rooms toward the stairs to the main level—even after living elsewhere for years, the place felt like home.
Appetizing scents greeted him as he stepped onto the landing—rich beef stew, mashed potatoes and something that smelled like apple pie. The neighbours, it had to be. Damn it was good to live in an area where people took care of each other. Maybe his father’s dreaded pancakes could be avoided for a few days.
Blake rounded the corner to see his folks resting easy in the family room, talking together quietly. In the adjoining dining area, the massive table that could comfortably sit a dozen was already set for the meal with pickles and salads, butter and sliced bread.
“Wow, ladies help organize supper before they left?” Blake asked as he settled on the couch across from his father. “Looks great. We’ve got a wonderful bunch of friends, don’t we?”
Marion nodded. “Well, yes, we do, Blake, but actually it was—”
“You get that furniture order ready today, Blake?” Mike interrupted. His parents exchanged peculiar glances. “I know you had to take a break to help your ma. If you need a hand after supper, the boys and I can come and load the last of it.”
Blake sat back in his chair. “I’d appreciate that. There’s still a couple of items to haul together, but it won’t take long.” The strange looks continued. “Did they give you some happy gas while you were in the hospital today, Ma? Or is it a full moon tonight? Everyone is acting bewitched.”
She smiled innocently and raised her eyebrows. “I don’t know what you mean. I believe supper is ready, so ring the bell, please?”
Blake strode to the side of the room and picked up the hammer for the dinner bell. They used an old-fashioned triangle to call for meals, and in spite of being a grown man, he still loved to chime the meal in. One place that his past memories of family time blended into his future.
Or maybe it was a simply Pavlovian reflex—ring the bell and salivating could begin.
Soon the table groaned with food. He never would have guessed his ma had a broken arm by the way the food overflowed the bowls. He and his dad transferred dish after dish from the sideboard until his mouth watered. There were three salads, a huge bowl of corn on the cob slathered with butter, mashed potatoes, the stew, a couple of different casseroles and the biggest apple cobbler he’d ever seen in his life.
Blake shifted around to access his usual spot, waiting while his dad seated his ma. Her expression as she picked up her fork in her left hand was priceless—another tough challenge she had to face. The rest of the boys filtered in, all scrubbed and tidy, a vast improvement from the sweaty mess he’d seen less than thirty minutes earlier. Jesse wore a collared shirt, and Blake raised a brow in his direction.
“Hot date tonight, stud?”
“Just looking presentable for the family.” Jesse ignored his brothers’ laughter and grabbed a chair opposite Matt.
Joel wandered from the kitchen carrying a couple of pitchers. He held the door open with his hip and spoke to someone behind him. Blake did a fast check. Why was there an extra place set at the table?
His question was answered soon enough as Jaxi floated through the door carrying the gravy boat. She chuckled at something Joel said before depositing the dish and taking her seat in the only empty chair. The one directly across from him.
Blake’s mouth went dry and a loud roar of blood in his ears deafened him. Shit, he was in a mess of trouble.
Chapter Two
Jaxi was so busy passing food bowls she missed his question. Jesse nudged her in the ribs, and she turned to discover Blake’s storm-grey eyes staring at her. Jesse’s fingers lingered on her side, and she pinched his wrist to prompt him to withdraw them.
Jesse was fun, but Blake…he made her body ache.
“Are you still working for the doctor and his wife?” Blake asked again.
Mike cleared his throat. “Actually, Jaxi’s got a new job.” All heads swung toward the end of the table.
“She’ll be my helper for the next bit.” Marion made a face at her arm before glancing up and putting on what Jaxi was coming to recognize as her make-the-best-of-it expression—something midway between a grimace and a grin. “Doctor’s orders are that I have a nursemaid, and if I have to have one, she’s my first choice.”
Joel leaned over and whispered as he scooped another spoonful of stew onto her plate. “You’d be my first choice as well. Wanna play doctor with me later?”
Jaxi hid her laugh behind a cough. She had to cool the twins off and fast if her plan to catch Blake’s attention was going to work. She looked across to see Blake’s eyes darken as his gaze flicked between her and where Joel’s elbow rested on her chair.
Interesting. A tiny flicker of feminine intuition trembled with hope.
Marion told Daniel about the compound fracture of her arm and how long the cast needed to stay on and all the details he’d missed while trapped in the tractor hauling bales. Jaxi enjoyed her supper, taking time to lick every drop of the savoury stew from her fork, listening to the easy conversation about what needed to be accomplished in the fields the following day and what animals had to be transferred where.
She watched each of the faces around her in turn to see what their reaction was to the announcement she would be in their hair for the next while. Travis gave her his usual smoldering stare, the one that made her wonder if he was still attracted to her, in spite of everything else that had gone south between them. Daniel and Matt seemed pleased to have her around, in their typical non-threatening and non-sexual way. The twins—well, they were a little too delighted by her presence, but she’d already suspected she’d have to nip any plans of theirs in the bud.
“Pass the potatoes,” Matt said, scooping the last of the sliced cucumbers onto his plate.
“Sorry, Daniel finished them.”
Jaxi pushed back her chair. “There’s still more in the kitchen, I’ll go—”
“You sit. I’ll get them. Everything is delicious but you’ve barely eaten anything.” Jesse held her in place as he grabbed one of the empty bowls and trotted away.
Jaxi sat comfortably and looked around. A feeling of contentment rose at being here with the family, accepted and cared for by all of them. She checked Marion with a casual glance. The woman was managing all right for her first meal with her left hand, although she seemed to be running out of steam.
Mike was doing a little examining of his own. “Young lady, you make sure to eat enough. You’ll be working hard the next couple of weeks and we don’t want you to overdo it.”
Jaxi pulled a face at him. “Jesse exaggerated. I ate plenty, just not as much as he did. I’m not six foot something and two hundred pounds. Don’t you worry, I’m strong. I’ll do fine.”
“You’ll do wonderfully.” Marion nodded her approval. “I can’t believe you found enough lettuce in the garden for a salad. What did you think about the re
st of things out there? Can we leave the beets for a few days?”
Jaxi’s face flushed at the mention of the garden. Involuntarily, her gaze swung to Blake’s face. She had to stop herself from licking her lips as she admired the way his plain blue T-shirt stretched over his shoulders, tight over the firm muscles.
Soft laughter rose from Matt.
“Yeah, Jaxi,” Daniel said. “I wondered too. When you were in the garden earlier, did you see anything interesting? Anything that needed taking care of?”
Oh lordy, Matt and Daniel must have seen her gawking at Blake as he showered. An awkward silence hung in the air before she plucked up her courage. She grinned at Daniel. Might as well let them know right off the bat what her plans were. As far as she knew, those two boys wouldn’t give her trouble. Heck, they might even support her.
“There’re a few things looking mighty fine in the garden.”
Matt choked on his drink and his shining eyes met hers. He raised his glass for a moment, then leaned forward to speak around Blake to Daniel. “Wonder what Jaxi’s favourite vegetable is?”
“Carrots?”
“For better vision? I don’t know, she’s probably got pretty good eyesight already. Maybe the red-hot cayenne peppers?” Matt wiggled his brows, and Jaxi bit her lip and fought to keep from laughing.
“You think? Here I thought it might be the zucchini.” Daniel started stacking empty plates together. “Course, the garden has such amazing views she—”
Jaxi rose quickly and went to the sideboard to serve the apple crisp. She’d been watching Blake out of the corner of her eye and knew the exact second he realized what the boys were teasing about. He didn’t seem upset, more…distracted. She closed her eyes for a moment and drew in a slow breath.
He’d probably never thought about her that way before. He needed some time to realize little Jaxi was all grown up, and it was fine for her to admire him as a woman admires a man.
Hmmm. Maybe he needed a chance to do some admiring of his own.
Blake and Joel finished hauling the last of the order into the crate and wrapped it carefully. A few years back, neighbours had asked their dad to make them sets of the log furniture he’d filled the house with. One thing led to another, and the handcrafted items had become a huge success with people living in Canmore and Calgary. Now in their spare time, the Coleman boys took turns creating the solid log bed frames, tables and other household items. Most of their work was done in the winter when field chores were slower, but there was a constant trickle of orders they filled throughout the year to keep their name in the community.
Blake helped, although building furniture wasn’t his favourite thing. He preferred outdoor chores or working with the animals. Daniel and the twins were more into the woodworking, but as a part of the family business he did his share to get everything done.
Besides, tonight it was mindless labour, and after sitting the whole meal across the table from Jaxi, he needed a little mindless.
Since their disastrous trip home a few years back, he’d tried his best to avoid her. She spent so much time with the Coleman clan, it hadn’t always been possible. She was invited to birthday parties and holiday dinners, like she’d been since she was a little tyke. He worked hard to never be alone with her, always the first to leave the room and get chores started. Although he ached to touch her, all the reasons he had to stay away seemed more valid than ever. She was just a baby, barely twenty-one, while he was over thirty. She still looked up to him like a little sister to a big brother.
When she and Travis had broken up, Jaxi had gotten real busy with school and work, even though she hadn’t left the community. She’d never mentioned anything about the ride with him, and Travis hadn’t said a word about any strange farewell message from Jaxi, so Blake assumed she either didn’t remember or just thought it was a fever-induced dream.
A dream. That’s where the memories haunted him the most. He still woke in the middle of the night, picturing those wide grey eyes looking into his as her body pressed intimately close. Woke up armed and dangerous and no amount of cold showers stopped the wanting.
Now she was in his house, hell in the room next to his. What was his ma thinking to let a girl sleep in the basement with three grown men? Not only was he next door to her, but Matt and Daniel slept downstairs temporarily as well. If they were still living at the Peter’s on the east section of the ranch, this whole situation wouldn’t be nearly as complicated. Blake now wished like hell they’d never agreed to rent the house to that single mom for six months.
Sleeping would be tough, but supper tonight—watching her lick the stew off her fork—was another kind of torment altogether. He’d only had brief touches of what her mouth and tongue could do, and he wanted another round and more. More of Jaxi touching him, loving him.
More of what he could never have.
“What’s the long sigh for, Blake? You feeling sentimental about shipping our trees to somebody else’s house?” Joel asked as they finished packing the furniture into a crate, hammering the lid in place.
Blake looked up in surprise. “Did I sigh?”
“Like a dog that’s been run ragged all day and just flopped down in front of the fire.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s Jaxi, I bet.” Blake jerked. Joel leaned back on the worktable, his arms crossed in front of him and a knowing expression on his face. “Listen, Jesse told me to talk to you, so remember if you have the urge to punch me out you have to save half of the pounding for him. What do you think of Jaxi?”
Blake hesitated. What could he say in response to that kind of open-ended question?
“She’s a good friend and it’s going to help Ma a great deal to have her here. I appreciate her kindness.” He looked around the shop for something to do with his hands. There was no way he could stand here and talk about Jaxi without fidgeting, and Joel was no dummy. He’d know Blake was pissing into the wind with his “good friend” comment if he fidgeted.
“You sure?”
“Why are you asking?” Blake found a table leg that needed hand sanding, and he sat to smooth the piece as he spoke.
“He’s asking because he and Jesse are hoping to sweet-talk the girl into kissing them. I’m right, ain’t I?” Daniel asked, joining them in the workshop.
Joel grinned. “We want more than kisses, but I’d settle for starting there. She’s the sweetest kisser—”
“How do you know?” Blake demanded.
Daniel snorted. “You missed that one? The boys hogtied her back in high school, what was it, tenth grade? I heard about it for weeks, couldn’t get them to shut up about how much fun they’d had, how soft her lips were, how she fit between them so well.” Daniel shook a finger at Joel. “This habit you two have of going for the same girl at the same time isn’t very socially accepted around these parts, you know. You better step real careful around the girls’ daddies until you know for sure they don’t plan to shoot one of you.”
“You say that as if we’re the only ones in this family who’ve shared a woman. Bullshit on that.”
Daniel grinned. “Yeah, well, that might be true. But you boys take it to the extreme—do you even know what to do with a woman without a backup?”
Joel shot him the finger, and they both laughed.
“You and Jesse kissed Jaxi? At the same time?” Blake was still reeling from the thought. “Was this before or after she went out with Travis?”
“Before.” Joel plopped on the bench next to Blake. “I still don’t understand why she ever dated him. I know he’s our brother and all, but sometimes he’s such an ass. Of all the guys she could have gone to Grad with, why’d she pick him?”
“I still don’t believe she kissed you and Jesse. Together.”
“Well, it wasn’t her idea, Blake. We were rather insistent. And she kissed us one at a time. It’s not as if I want my lips right next to Jesse’s. I’m not into that.”
Daniel sat across from them on a stool and join
ed in. “I kissed her once.” Blake barely stopped his jaw from hitting the floor. “Yup, only it was kiss her or kill her. She rode Thunder without permission, and when she managed to get him back into the barn without getting killed, I kind of lost my head.” Daniel winked at Joel. “You’re right, she is a sweet kisser.”
Joel poked at Blake. “You ever kiss her?”
“No! Course not. She’s just a little girl. I’m surprised at you, Daniel. She’s five years younger than you.”
“If I had been fifteen and her only ten, it would be have been a problem,” Daniel said. “She was old enough and she knew what we were doing. I didn’t give her much choice in the matter either. Looks like you’re the only Coleman boy she hasn’t kissed yet, Blake. Maybe we’d better set you up or something.”
Joel bristled. “Hey, Jesse and I—”
“When did Matt kiss her? He’s been going with Helen forever,” Blake interrupted. All his brothers had kissed her. He didn’t quite know what to think. He didn’t expect her to be some kind of saint who’d never kissed anyone, but…all five of them?
“Oh, that. Matt kissed her when she was thirteen. She told me about it.” Joel shrugged. “We were all down at the swimming hole, and Travis was teasing her how she didn’t need to wear a girl’s swimsuit yet, that she could still join them like she had as a little tyke, shorts and nothing else. Matt stopped the ass from being himself, then escorted her home. Jaxi told me he talked about changes, and how she would be a beautiful woman and not to worry when and where things would grow. Then he kissed her. She didn’t remember exactly what he said because she’d been surprised but it was something about a kiss for the woman she was going to become.”
“You talk to her a lot, Joel?” Daniel asked.
“Until she finished school. She’s been so busy since, it’s been like trying to track wildfire. Now that she’s here, right in the house with us, Jesse and me figured it was a good time to make a move. We’re all old enough.”