My lips crack open. It's weird how he always gets me to smile, too. "Maybe it's because he knows that his friend Jakob always brings him a treat." I can feel that chirpy little woman staring at the side of my face while I dig into the bag that I'm carrying and hand the boy a fresh-picked plum.
He takes it from my hand, grinning even wider.
"Say thank you," his mother coos into his ear.
"Ta-ta!" he slurs, and an easy laugh escapes my lips.
Grace's attention goes to the woman next to her. "By the way, this is my sister, Lily. She'll be in town for" – an unreadable expression crosses her face – "a while."
She sticks a hand out to me. "Jakob, huh?" Her smirk deepens.
My nostrils flare and something heats up in my chest as my palm gobbles up her tiny fingers. "Yes Lily. I'm Jakob." I size her up again now that I have this new morsel of information.
Grace's sister...I can see that.
They're both petite with blonde hair but while Grace has calm, brown eyes, Lily's eyes are blue. And they spell trouble.
We hold each other's gaze for a long moment. It's almost like she's challenging me, daring me. To do what? I'm not quite sure. I have this strong urge to tame her, to break her in like a wild foal. An image flashes through my mind. She's bent over my knee, the shape of my palm imprinted on her pale ass cheeks as her pussy dribbles with desire.
Now I'm even more pissed at myself. I didn't come here to get ruffled by this woman. I hate that thoughts of her have my cock twitching in my pants.
Grace breaks the silence. "You're here to deliver the milk?" I snap back to the present. That's when I realize I'm still holding Lily's hand.
I drop it.
"Uh, yeah, yeah." My eyes fall to the bottle of milk that I’m holding. I pass it off to Grace, hating that Lily has me distracted, feeling completely out of sorts.
Unlike the other residents of this small town, I'm not the chatty type. I mind my business. I don't mingle just for the social aspects of it. And I definitely don't linger making small talk on my customers' front porches.
"Thank you," Grace says, her eyes bouncing around between Lily and me. She heads into the house with a discreet smile on her lips.
"You're welcome," I grumble as I turn back toward my vehicle. "Have a nice day."
I don't wait for an answer. I just hop into my truck and slip the key into the ignition. And when I steal one last peek at the front porch, Lily is there with those mischievous eyes and those pink lips curled up at the corners.
Our gazes lock for a split second. Then she closes the door and disappears inside.
A reckless, unruly part of me hopes I’ll see her again.
Chapter 5
Lily
"My god! Do you see the size of that vagina?"
Faith holds up a pregnancy textbook to me, her mouth hanging in horror. The old man sitting a few tables away glares at us, his brows slashed with disdain.
"Uh, maybe you should keep your voice down," I say, trying my best not to look at the picture of a baby trying to dig his way out of his mother's uterus. I think they call that ‘childbirth’ and it looks pretty damn horrific. Faith says that she doesn’t want to have kids and looking at that picture, I can definitely understand where she’s coming from.
Just then, Faith’s friends, Sammie and Isla sidle up to our table, carrying pregnancy books of their own. "I need to sit down for a minute." Sammie drops down on the chair next to Faith. "My ankles are the size of a Christmas ham."
She looks like she's about to deliver a tiny human any minute now while Isla — who is recently engaged — claims to be 'baby curious', whatever that means.
I don't know the inner workings of suburban community life but apparently, a trip to the library can easily become an ‘event’. I asked Faith to come with me to borrow a few books on pregnancy and childbirth. Before I knew it, her friends Sammie and Isla were coming along for the ride, too. Not that I mind. They seem to be pretty cool. Of course they had a bunch of questions for me. That's normal. But they were really nice about everything.
I listen quietly as Faith and her friends express their horror over the childbirth pictures. I'm quiet because I know that in a few months, I'll be experiencing everything that book is describing. Alone.
No husband. No boyfriend. Not even a baby daddy.
Alone.
"You guys ready to leave?" Faith asks slamming the book shut and pushing it across the table like it might bite her.
Sammie wobbles out of her seat. "Yeah but I didn't find anything I want to borrow."
"You know you should probably use the toilet before we leave," Isla advises sagely, "'cause you won't make it out to the parking lot before your bladder is threatening to explode."
Faith coaxes me up and turns me toward the front desk. "I'm gonna go help Lily check out. Since she doesn't have a library card, I'll have to borrow these books on my card."
We split up, agreeing to meet in the lobby in a few minutes. Faith makes small talk about her husband's football team as we move to the checkout counter but I hardly hear what she's saying. Messy dark hair and broad shoulders draped in flannel standing in the checkout line have my attention.
I immediately find myself smoothing down my hair and straightening the ruffles of the blouse I’m wearing under my straight-off-the-runway pleather waistcoat.
As we approach, my body gets warm and tingly all over and I feel my lips spreading into a smile as I see the librarian scanning a pile of classic bodice-rippers for Jakob, the big grumpy milk guy.
I nudge Faith in the ribs, pointing my chin in the direction of the naughty novels. When her eyes fall on the books, a stream of giggles pour out of her mouth. I nudge her to be quiet and now we're both giggling.
Real mature. I know.
Jakob peers over his wide back and his sharp, coffee brown eyes squint at me. I should be intimidated by all the fire in his stare, but instead, it sends a thrill zipping through my blood.
God, he really is a handsome man.
I'm not usually attracted to scruffy, burly types — nothing hits my hot buttons like a suit and tie — but this guy...When he showed up on Grace's doorstep this morning, I was all heart-pounding breathlessness and visceral reactions. And of course, I was thinking 'what the fuck?' because I'm pregnant with some other guy's child. But I won't judge myself. I'm pretty sure that it's these damn pregnancy hormones that have turned my body into an irrational, unreasonable horndog. It's a harmless attraction and I enjoy the rush I get from messing with him so I'll just go with it.
"I love Joanna Lindsey," I say with a smirk, gesturing to his reading material. "A Love for all Seasons — classic!"
Just before he pivots back to the counter, I spy the corners of his lips struggling not to curve upward. "Good to know," he says gruffly, but I can hear the laughter in his smoky voice.
I pinch Faith in the ribs to get her to shut up but those giggles keep fighting against the back of her throat.
"How's your grandmother, Jakob?" She calls out beside me.
He gives her a fleeting glance. "She's doing fine." His response is curt and dry.
Faith doesn't seem phased, though. “Well, tell her that her girls at the community center are thinking of her. And the offer still stands; if she ever wants to come out to bingo night, I'd be glad to come pick her up."
"I'll let her know."
The librarian slides Jakob's books into a bag and he grumbles his thanks as he turns toward the exit.
Right before stepping out the door, his attention shifts to Faith and me again. He tips his chin. "Ladies." His eyes linger on mine for a fraction of a second before falling to my pile of books. I angle the covers away quickly to hide the subject matter.
"Goodbye, Jakob," Faith singsongs and I pop her in the ribs again. As he walks off I feel silly for trying to hide my books. I feel silly for trying to hide the fact that I'm pregnant. I'm not exactly ‘on the market’ at this point so I don't know why I care whether or not the
cranky, hulk of a man knows that I'm carrying a bun in my oven.
"Wow, you're pretty annoying," I laugh nudging my sister as we step up to the counter. She nudges me back and it feels really good to joke around with her. We’re bonding.
The librarian's eyes are still on Jakob's tight, jean-clad glutes as I set my books down on the table. "What a man," she whistles under her breath as she brings her attention to us. "He’s so handsome. And he comes here every week to borrow books for this housebound grandmother," she informs us. “This town needs more fellows like him.”
"Too bad he's such a grouch," Faith says, shaking her head.
The woman flicks her wrist dismissively. "Don't be fooled by all that hardness. He's all love underneath it. He just needs the right woman to soften him up."
My heart flutters at her words but I don't stand a chance of being that woman, of course. I feel prickles at the corner of my eyes and heaviness settles in my chest. Am I getting emotional? These pregnancy hormones are the worst.
Faith and the woman chat on. I attempt to not draw attention to my bizarre reaction by focusing on the pamphlets and flyers sitting on the librarian's counter. One of them is a job offer. It doesn't contain much information.
Live-In Caregiver Wanted. Call 555 7878.
Hmm…a job sounds like a good idea. I could stand to make a few dollars. I have doctor’s visits and diaper purchases and 18 years of single-motherhood on the horizon. I fold the paper and tuck it into my purse. I grab my books and thank the librarian then follow Faith out to meet Sammie and Isla in the lobby. The whole time, my mind is on the grumpy, broad-shouldered man who sets my body into overdrive.
Chapter 6
Jakob
My old pick-up turns onto the dirt lane with a loud groan. In the distance, I can see Mini on the porch in her favorite wooden rocking chair. She perks up in her seat as I approach. I park adjacent to the verandah and hop out of the truck with her bag of books in hand.
"Hey little lady."
She smiles as I climb the stairs. "Where ya been all morning?"
"Had to make some deliveries. Stopped off at the library to restock your dirty books." I turn up my nose at her as I set the bag down at her feet.
She twists in her chair and pours me a cup of tea. I know better than to refuse her tea. "Deliveries?" she questions. "What happened to Tommy?"
I lift a brow as I settle into the chair next to her and take the outstretched teacup. "Tommy?"
She rolls her eyes. "That nice young man you hired last week to do the deliveries."
"Ah, you're talking about that kid I fired this morning!"
She jerks forward and her tea sloshes over the side of her cup ever-so-slightly. "You fired him?"
I shrug, staring out at the pasture where my cows are grazing in order to avoid her eyes. "He was late."
"Jakob..." She tilts her head to the side and gives me the look. The look she gives whenever she doesn’t approve of a decision I’ve made, whenever she thinks I’m being a jerk.
I mirror her posture. "Mini...It's business."
She sighs. "I know that tone. That's your subtle way of telling me not to butt into your affairs, isn't it?"
I pat her on the hand and wrinkle up my nose at her. "So perceptive, you are."
She swats me away with her kerchief. "Boy..." she warns through her chuckle.
I grab her hand giving it a squeeze. "In all seriousness, it's my way of telling you not to worry. I've got everything under control."
"But Jakob, you don't have to have everything under control all by yourself. Accepting help doesn't make you weak. You wasted your morning doing deliveries when you could have been tending to those carrots or planting the sweet peppers. You work yourself to the bone when you don't have to."
I give her a look and she rolls her eyes.
"Okay, okay. I'll stop," she says, sighing.
She means well but she doesn’t get to veto my decisions. This is my farm. My business.
I open the screen door and step inside. "All right. Let's see about what's for lunch."
Chapter 7
Jakob
I had this fucked up dream last night.
Lily was lying in my little bed on the paisley patterned sheets wearing those pink satin pajamas. I walked into my room and saw her there. I asked her what the hell she was doing in my house and she said she'd come to buy milk. And for some reason, I interpreted that as an invitation to climb on top of her and undo the buttons of her shirt one by one. Next thing you know, my tongue was swirling around her little pink nipples and I was sinking my cock into her supple curvy body. My name was pouring out of her soft pink lips as she drenched my cock with her orgasm.
It was a strange fucking dream.
And it has no right replaying itself over and over in my head as I milk the cows this morning. But here I am thinking about her. Dammit.
I can’t afford to be distracted right now. I have so much going on. Last season, I had a poor crop. Now, the farm is about to plunge into bankruptcy under the weight of my grandmother’s medical bills. Mini let her diabetes get out of control and now she’s paying with ill-health. Plus, a few of my goats are due for a visit from the vet. So, I don’t have time to be fantasizing about some troublesome woman.
She stormed into town and now my head isn't screwed on right. I don't know what it is about her but she's seriously messing with my brain.
I can't stop thinking about her. I've never seen anyone quite like her. She looks like the sun. Literally. If the sun was a person it would look just like her. With her big bright blue eyes and dimples pinching her rosy, freckled cheeks. Her golden ringlets look silky to the touch. And she won't stop smiling that beautiful gap-toothed smile. She has one of those faces that keep smiling even when the corners of her lips aren't curved upward. I don't know how to describe it. It's like an effervescent energy that halos all around her. It's endearing and annoying and it's messing with my head. It pisses me the fuck off that I want her so bad. Because the last time I felt anything like this, it ended badly. I remember that distinctly.
Emma the Cow whines, seeking out my attention. I sigh and tickle her behind the ears. This is where my focus should be. My farm. My animals. My grandmother. I make a decision here and now to put that girl out of my mind.
She's trouble I don't need.
Chapter 8
Lily
The second Faith pulls into the driveway, Grace bursts out of the front door. It's like she was waiting for us.
"Hey?" Faith says with a lilt in her voice as she climbs out of the driver's seat and trudges up the driveway. "Everything okay?"
Dread tackles me as I inch up the path behind her. I’ve spent the past few days helping out at the community center where she works. I figured that since I had nothing better to do, I might as well volunteer my time. So, I’ve been helping with some scanning and copying she needs done while I continue my mission to ignore the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing with my life. After another long and uneventful day, she’s dropping me off.
Grace's eyes are wide with panic and they're set on me. "I tried calling you," she screeches, "Why didn't you answer your phone?"
"Uh, it didn't ring." I pull it out of my suede satchel and poke at the screen. Why doesn't it work? It was fine this morning. I don't know what hap— "Son of a bitch!" Asshat-in-Chief disconnected it.
"Some tow truck showed up," she shrieks. "I tried to stop them but they took your car away. I didn't know what to do."
My gaze darts over to the spot where my BMW was parked when I left this morning. Sure enough, it's gone. Trevor really is being a cunt right now. What did I ever see in that guy?
Yes, he was paying my way as I waded through unpaid internship purgatory at the fashion blog. But he didn't seem to have a problem with that before he knocked me up. Now, instead trying to accommodate my needs and those of our little fetus, he's going out of his way to spite me. Like he thinks I got pregnant on purpose, to trap him or something.
What a fucking loser!
I sigh as I trudge past Grace, climbing the stairs and entering the house. "I hate you so much, Trevor Black," I whisper under my breath. I hear my sisters’ footsteps following me to the kitchen. I drop heavily into a chair, pregnancy fatigue kicking my ass.
"Okay, this –-" Grace gestures manically at me "—is not the appropriate response. I just told you that someone towed your car and you're sitting here like you're ready for tea and biscuits. What are you gonna do?" She and Faith stand in front of me with worry creasing their faces.
Dirty Farmer (The Dirty Suburbs Book 6) Page 3