by Codi Gary
“You are such an idiot,” she yelled as she walked away, fighting a laugh. She was happy that Red wasn’t the type of guy to hang on to his anger.
She heard the slap of his boots behind her, and when she pushed open the door, he brushed against her as he exited, handing her the sweatshirt she’d forgotten. She pulled it on as the cold air prickled her skin and ignored the warmth of him at her back as she locked up.
They walked down the steps, and he went to her side to open her door.
“I can really get my own door, you know.”
“Yeah, I figured, but this gives me an excuse to show off the manners my mother and the good people of Texas have instilled in me.”
She started to climb in, and he wrapped his hands around her waist, lifting her into the truck easily. When she turned in the seat, he still had his hands against her T-shirt, under her sweatshirt, and where his palms met her skin, tingles spread. Their gazes caught briefly, sparks flying, and then he released her with a grin, whistling as he closed her door.
* * *
They’d driven into Austin and gone to Home Depot and Walmart, picking up everything she needed, including a nice piece of granite for the new counters. They drove back to Loco and straight to the Double C since it was almost seven forty-five.
Red parked in front of the house, turning in the seat to face Jessie. “Rand will let us keep the TVs in the house, and I’ll put a tarp over the countertop and other stuff, just in case it rains.”
She nodded, and he noticed how tired she looked.
“Hey, if you’re too tired for this, we can always do a rain check. I know we stayed up last night texting, and Rand will understand.”
“No way. I’m not going to be rude to your friend after she let me use her truck.”
Satisfied, Red hopped out just in time to see the headlights of Jake’s truck as he pulled in behind him.
He was hoping his buddy wasn’t in one of his let’s-push-Red-to-the-brink moods. The last thing he wanted was to be embarrassed in front of Jessie.
’Cause you like her.
“What are y’all doing with my wife’s truck?” Jake yelled as he climbed out.
“We borrowed it to get some stuff in Austin.”
“So, who’s the other half of this we?” Jake asked as he stopped in front of them.
“Jake Hansen, this is Jessie Dale. She just bought the Watering Hole.”
Red ignored Jake’s raised eyebrows as Jake shook Jessie’s hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jessie. I hope this guy hasn’t been giving you too much shit.”
“Oh, just a couple of times, but he’s actually been a big help.”
“Standing right here,” Red grumbled. Putting his hand on the small of Jessie’s back he guided her toward the house. “Jake, can you help me bring the TVs in and tarp up the back?”
“TVs?” Jake’s eyes brightened.
“Yeah, Jessie is turning the Watering Hole into a sports bar and grill with flat-screens and greasy food.”
Jake turned toward Jessie and put his hand over his heart. “If I wasn’t married, I would be down on one knee right now.”
“Ha, I’m going to tell Rand you said that.” Red watched Jessie’s reaction to Jake. It was no secret women found Jake attractive. Before he’d married Rand, he’d been quite the heartbreaker.
“I’m flattered, but I’d have declined anyway.” Jessie walked up the steps to the house without explaining why, but before she went into the house, she looked over her shoulder at Red.
And something about that look made his heart stop.
When she disappeared from view, Jake pushed him. “Oh man, you are in trouble.”
“What are you talking about?”
“What I’m talking about is that very hot, available woman undressing you with her eyes.”
Red stilled and looked from Jake to the house before scoffing. “Yeah, right. I’ve had women interested in me before and she isn’t. I screwed up whatever chance I had with her the minute I met her.”
“Then what is this whole thing?”
“She doesn’t have anyone looking out for her, so I’m just being a friend.”
Red carried the TV up the porch stairs with Jake puffing behind him, carrying another.
“I don’t know, man,” Jake said. “I wouldn’t do this for a friend without getting something good in return.”
“That’s because you’re a selfish ass.”
Jake chuckled as Red kicked the door.
Jessie pushed it open with a smile. “Rand said to put them in the spare room.”
Red walked past her, and when her gaze caught his, heat spread down his neck and his foot caught on the front rug, making him stumble forward. Luckily, he regained his balance, but not before Jake hooted, “Whew, that was almost a disaster. Been walking long, buddy?”
If he’d had a hand free, he would have already been flipping off his best friend, but instead, he continued on to the bedroom, put down his TV, and lay in wait. The minute Jake put down his own TV, Red punched him hard in the chest.
“Watch it, ham-fist! I haven’t fully recovered from the last time you abused me.”
Red shook his head. “Let’s go get the other TVs.”
“Whoa, ho, I think you’re really into this girl.”
“Will you shut up, you jackass?”
They walked out of the room, and Red looked into the kitchen. Rand and Jessie were talking quietly and looked up briefly as they passed. When they got outside, Jake hissed, “So, if you are really into her, why are you playing the friend card? Seriously, if you stay in that zone too long, you might as well kiss any chance for sex with that woman good-bye.”
“Coming from the man who married his lifelong friend.” Red was surprised that for the first time in two years, the words didn’t hurt.
“That was different,” Jake said as they headed down the porch steps. “When you meet as children, feelings can change, but as adults, once you’ve been zoned, you are screwed.”
Red shook his head and tried to ignore his best friend’s prediction, but it kept needling at him. Since meeting Jessie, his life had definitely livened up, but did he want to ruin this thing they were building? He liked the banter and spice, but if he told her he wanted more, would she run?
* * *
“You like him, huh?”
Jessie jerked at Rand’s question, almost cutting off her finger with the large knife in her hand. “What?”
“You like Red.” Rand put on a couple of oven mitts and headed toward the stove. “I’ve seen that look before. My friend Jamie gets that look whenever our town veterinarian comes into the room. She’s been gaga over him forever, and he’s too dimwitted to realize it.”
Jessie scoffed. “I don’t like Red. I mean, not like that.”
“Hmmm…” Rand sounded disapproving, and the look she shot Jessie was downright threatening. “Fair warning, I love that big ox like a brother. If you use him and break his heart, I will destroy you.”
Jessie’s temper flared. “I’m not using him!”
“Good. Because I want to like you.” Rand dipped a spoon into the pot she’d set on the counter. Tasting it, she smiled. “Perfect.”
“Why did you think I liked him?” Jessie asked, still defensive.
“The way your eyes drifted up and down, like you were checking out his goods.”
Jessie wanted to die. Had she been doing that? “I didn’t mean to.”
“I know. It’s involuntary. Before I realized I wanted Jake, I used to wonder what women’s obsessions with guy’s butts was.” Rand gave her a naughty smile. “Now I get it.”
Jessie finished chopping the cucumber, her tension draining slowly. “I don’t know. I’ve always thought that very few men should be seen in their skivvies. Unless their names start with David and end in Beckham or start with Channing and end in Tatum. Otherwise, they need to keep their Downton Abbey covered up.”
As the men puffed inside and past them,
Jessie and Rand walked to the edge of the kitchen and watched them amble down the hallway.
Rand turned to her. “I don’t know. My husband’s Downton Abbey is pretty nice.”
Red and Jake came out of the room, and Jessie went back to making the salad. As Rand walked by whistling the Downton Abbey theme song, Jessie’s cheeks warmed with a blush.
Jake came around the corner and opened the fridge. “So, what are you ladies talking about?”
Red smiled as he walked into the kitchen, and Jessie tried not to let her eyes wander.
“Threats and David Beckham. You know, girl talk.”
Jake laughed. “Girl talk?”
“Threats?” Red asked.
Both women looked at each other, and Rand said, “Don’t worry. We have an understanding.”
Jessie caught Red giving her a curious stare and ignored him. She was too busy contemplating how to stop ogling him when she didn’t even realize she was doing it.
Chapter Nine
Red hadn’t seen much of Jessie since he dropped her off after dinner Monday, but their texting hadn’t slowed down. Red had been averaging four hours of sleep a night between writing and late-night texts, and by Friday afternoon, he had forty thousand four hundred and sixty-six words. He was so close to his first draft, and it was all because of her.
Sitting at his table, he stretched and stood up, heading back to take a shower. He’d spent most of the day in his boxers and a T-shirt and was pretty sure he’d smelled better.
When he got out of the shower, he saw the light on his phone flashing. He picked it up and touched the little envelope.
It’s all done. Wanna see?
Smiling, he tapped out a message. Sure, be there in half an hour.
He got dressed quickly and drove over to the bar. Jessie was standing in front, holding a wooden sign, and he parked in front of her.
“Did you just ask me here to hang up your sign?” he asked as he climbed out of his car.
“No, although I do need your help. I want your opinion on everything, since you’re my biggest critic.”
Not anymore.
“Sure, show me the goods.”
She flipped the sign around with a little squeal. “Well, what do you think?”
He cocked his head and studied the sign. Jessie’s Bar and Grill looked like it was branded into the wood, and he nodded. “Well, it’s no Outlaws and Angels, but it fits.”
“Gee, thanks for the enthusiasm.”
He took the sign from her and held it up, surprised by how light it was. “So, where are we hanging this?”
Jessie pointed to the ladder against the wall. “I was thinking above the door.”
“Are you serious?” he asked, but she was already gone, walking toward a car pulling up.
He grumbled as he grabbed his tool belt from the backseat, and when he straightened up, he saw Jessie walking inside with a swarthy, muscular guy Red thought looked familiar.
Setting the sign against the ladder, he started to come through the door, but she stopped him. “What are you doing?”
“I was just—”
“I’m conducting an interview for the head chef position, so can you please hang the sign?”
He opened his mouth to argue, but she shut the door in his face. Scowling, he grabbed the sign with one hand and climbed the ladder with the other. As he started nailing the sign into place, he remembered how he’d known her “head chef applicant.” It was Ray Leon. He had been on the varsity football team at White Oak, and when they’d played against Loco, Ray had played fast and loose.
But more recently than that, he remembered seeing Ray on the news several years ago in an assault case.
No way in hell are you letting her hire him.
He climbed down off the ladder and pulled open the door to find Jessie sitting down with Ray. “Jessie, I want to talk to you about this sign.”
He heard her sigh loudly and mutter, “Excuse me, please.”
She got up from the table, and when she reached him, she pushed him out the door hard.
“Hey, I am trying to help.”
“And I’m trying to conduct business, and you are being a pain.”
“Listen, I know this guy, and I don’t want you hiring him—”
He stopped talking when she held up her hand. “Stop right there. This is my bar, my place, and I want to be able to conduct these interviews with an open mind, so keep your opinions to yourself.”
Fine, let her hire a felon. What do you care?
Watching her spin around on her heel and head back inside, he realized the problem wasn’t about him caring for her, but how much he cared.
* * *
“Sorry, Mr. Leon,” Jessie said, sitting across from him. “You were telling me about your experience.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Ray Leon looked like he was in his early thirties with milk-chocolate skin and soft brown eyes. His smile flashed white and straight. “I worked in my family’s restaurant until it closed down right before graduation, and since I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life, I joined the army. I worked in the kitchen, and eventually worked my way up to running it.”
Jessie’s stomach bubbled with excitement. “That’s fantastic. I’ll take you back into the kitchen in a minute to see what you can do, but I noticed that you said yes to committing a felony. Before I do a full background check, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind telling me the circumstances.”
Ray’s cheeks darkened. “I put my sister’s husband in the hospital.”
Jessie jerked with surprise. “Well, that’s…um…thank you for your time, but—”
“Please, hear me out before you make any snap judgments,” he said.
Jessie hesitated. “Okay. Go ahead.”
“I was raised that you never let anyone push you around, just like the rest of my siblings. When I got out of the army and was staying on my sister’s couch, I noticed her and her husband fighting a lot. Kelly was never shy about voicing her opinions, and one day I came home to find her on the kitchen floor. He’d beaten the hell out of her for talking back, and it wasn’t the first time, according to her. The worst part about it was, he was a friend of mine.” Ray’s hands clenched on the table. “We grew up playing ball and backing each other up. I lost it. I went looking for him, and when I found him, he was drunk off his ass. He took a swing at me, and that was it. I went berserk, and when they pulled me off him, he was unconscious. The judge took pity on me because of my service and because my sister pressed charges against him, but I still had to do time. When I got out, I tried to find a job, but no one was willing to hire me. Everyone thinks I’m this crazy man, but it was just one mistake. Haven’t you ever done one thing you wished you could take back?”
Jessie gripped the side of the table and finally stood up. “Let’s see what you got.”
Ray looked relieved, and Jessie followed him back into the kitchen.
Thirty minutes later, Jesse took her first bite of his version of mac and cheese and about died. “This is fantastic. I love the crunch on top.”
“It’s cornflakes. It’s a simple casserole dish we can serve with fried chicken. Also, I was thinking instead of fries, deep fried vegetables—”
“You are so hired,” she said without preamble.
Ray’s smile was wide and genuine. “Are you serious?”
“Can you be here tomorrow so we can go over the menus and food ordering?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He grinned as he grabbed up his bags. “You won’t regret this.”
God, I hope not.
* * *
Red bumped into the smiling man Jessie had been interviewing, and as he came into the kitchen, he saw her sitting on the counter, eating something.
“I take it you hired him?”
Jessie looked up and said around a mouthful of food, “You’ve got to try this.”
Red came around to stand in front of her, eyeing the forkful of food she held out to him. “What is it?”
He took a bite from her fork, and between the crunch, cheese, and kick, he groaned. “Damn, that is good.”
“That guy is money. I just hope he works out,” she said, feeding him another bite.
He chewed slowly, debating on how to let her down easy. “About that. I wasn’t trying to take over your bar, but I’m pretty sure he was arrested.”
“Yeah, I know, he told me. Let’s just hope he wasn’t lying about why he was in jail.”
Red stopped her next bite with his hand around her wrist lightly. “Say that again?”
“He has a felony on record, and when I asked him about it, he told me the story. His brother-in-law was a wife beater, and he lost his temper. I figure I’ll give him a chance and—”
“No, absolutely not. You can’t work with an ex-con, and you especially can’t be alone with him.”
She pulled his hand off her wrist, took the bite intended for him, and waved him off. “I am a grown-ass woman and can do what I want.”
“You are a woman, and that guy looks like he can bench two hundred pounds—”
“There you go with your sexist macho crap—”
“It’s not crap, it’s common sense. You can’t take him in a fair fight and—”
“You know what, get out of here. I want to enjoy my macaroni in peace.”
He almost did it, almost walked out, but her total lack of regard for her safety infuriated him. Stepping into her, he cupped her cheeks, his gaze boring into hers.
“Haven’t you ever had anyone look out for you?”
Her mouth opened as if she was going to smart off again, but he dropped his mouth to hers, just to shut her up.
And the whole world caught on fire.
Chapter Ten
Several thoughts raced through Jessie’s head as Red kissed her. The first was, Oh my God, what is he doing?
Followed shortly by, Why am I letting him do this? Stop him!
Only that didn’t happen, and a few seconds later, with the height of the counter cutting the difference of their heights, she was wrapping her arms around his neck, bringing him in so her knees cradled his hips as she kissed him back. His tongue swept over hers, and her nipples tingled to hard points. She wanted to wriggle closer until the front of his pants pushed against the insistent throb between her legs, but he beat her to it. His big hand slipped down, cradling her ass and pressing her against his jeans. She could feel the hard ridge of his erection, and every impulse screamed at her to start ripping at his clothes.