by Skye McNeil
“The next guy to propose to you will go all out,” he promised, glancing down into her warring eyes. “I’ll make sure of it.”
Jessie smirked and she rolled her eyes. “Yeah, okay, I’m sure.” She broke free from his embrace and continued walking up the trail.
Asher followed at a distance, thinking about the load of information he had gleaned about Jessie since meeting her. She wasn’t as cold as she pretended to be. A woman like Jessie deserved every ounce of happiness. As they rounded the final bend of the path, Asher determined he would do his best to show her what she deserved in a man. It was the least he could do for her.
»»•««
Later in the evening, Jessie slipped into her favorite pair of pajamas, shorts and a tank top, and pulled her hair into a messy bun on top of her head. Dinner went as well as to be expected. The majority of the conversation surrounded Bobbi and Tom’s wedding, to her dismay. The wedding was the primary focus of everyone, notwithstanding her attempts to steer the conversation elsewhere.
Curling her lip up, she stared at her reflection. To her delight, redemption was found in Asher. He was quick on the draw to make light of the situation when someone questioned her about a wedding in their future. Other than their run-in at the pool, they got along better than she could hope for. Jessie sighed. She never should have kissed Asher, but it was too hard not to.
Fixing her hair into the last arrangement in her arsenal, Jessie gathered her clothes and cosmetics and then stepped out of the bathroom. Not looking where she was going, she treaded on someone’s toes by accident during her exit. “Sorry,” she mumbled, hoping it was her mom. When she lifted her eyes, she saw she wasn’t so lucky. “Bobbi.”
“Hey, big sis,” Bobbi said, leaning against the door. She had on a cute pair of matching pink pajama pants and T-shirt with a purple cat on the front. Though she was two years younger than Jessie, her sister hadn’t grown out of all her childish things. Bobbi’s sandy brown hair was twisted into a French braid as she folded her arms over her slim chest.
“Hey.” Jessie avoided her kid sister’s baby blues for obvious reasons. Talking wasn’t on the schedule. Ever. “Okay, well, night.”
“I’m glad you came.” Bobbi’s saccharine voice stopped Jessie’s swift retreat. “I didn’t think you would. I literally fell out of my chair when I read the RSVP. Ask Mom. She was there.” She pointed to the bedroom door. “And with a plus one no less.” She shook her head, her braid slipping off her shoulder. “To be honest, I didn’t believe you had a boyfriend until I saw him.”
Glancing at her toes painted pastel purple, Jessie was glad she’d remembered to get the pedicure before she left New York. “Yep, he’s pretty special.”
“I’ll say. He’s more attractive than the last few guys.”
“One above all of them,” muttered Jessie with a shrug. “I better hit the hay. See ya at breakfast.”
“Oh, Tom and I have to meet with the pastor tomorrow to go over last minute wedding details, but we will meet up for lunch,” Bobbi told her, flipping on the bathroom light.
“Super. Can’t wait,” Jessie retorted, her words dripping with sarcasm, as she continued her trek to the safe haven of the bedroom. It suddenly seemed miles away.
“Look, Jess, I’m sorry for what happened. I never meant to hurt you.” Bobbi placed a hand on her sister’s arm.
Glaring at Bobbi’s hand, Jessie withdrew her arm as though burned. “You did, Bobbs. You and Tommy both.”
Bobbi nodded in remorse. “But you and Asher look happy together. He’s an entertaining guy. I can see why you like him.” She let out a breath when Jessie remained mute. “Can’t you be happy for me? It’s been five years.”
“Yeah, because it makes it okay now,” said Jessie, her eyes narrowed at the subject matter. Though her sister was shorter and cuter than her, Bobbi was also a smidgeon chubbier, too. It was the one thing which made the betrayal a little better.
Pointing to her sister, Jessie said, “You and I will never be okay. No matter how long it’s been or how happy Asher makes me.”
“Aw, he makes you happy?” Bobbi’s eyes glistened with joy.
Jessie hadn’t meant to spill the morsel. It wasn’t true. Well, not all of it. She silently cursed like a sailor and stalked to the bedroom down the hall. Out of all she said, her sister narrowed in on one part.
“How he or any guy makes me feel doesn’t change this.” Her finger flicked between the two of them. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to cuddle the crap out of my super gorgeous boyfriend while you sleep alone.”
Bobbi’s mouth gaped open, but Jessie didn’t give her a chance for a comeback. She whipped the door open and barreled inside. Muscular arms caught her when she teetered at the impact of the slammed door.
“Whoa, calm down. Your super gorgeous boyfriend isn’t going anywhere,” Asher affirmed when she met his eyes.
Jessie’s vision cleared enough to realize his torso wasn’t clothed. “Sorry, I was mad.” She pushed away from his chest. “You heard all of that?”
“I’m pretty sure the entire cabin did.” Asher turned the lock on the door, and Jessie tossed him a raised eyebrow. “As much as I find your grandmother charming, I don’t want her barging in on me while I sleep.” He sank onto the mattress, his black shorts the one piece of clothing covering him. “I love my sleep a little too much for an interruption.”
Tossing her clothes and cosmetic bag on the dresser, Jessie saw him crawl under the handmade quilt. “Sleep does sound nice. I can’t remember the last time I slept in.” She flipped the light off, the glow of the moon illuminating the room.
“It’s been too long,” Jessie admitted, grabbing an extra quilt from the closet. Trying to be mindful of the situation, she tucked it between the two of them before slipping in bed beside him. “There. Now you know which side is yours.” Sleeping beside a stranger still unnerved her.
“Are you serious? I thought you wanted to cuddle the crap out of me,” Asher complained, turning on his shoulder to face her. Jessie lightly shoved his shoulder in jest. “We’re running out of room for the two of us and you add a barrier.” His voice lowered. “I won’t touch you unless you ask me to.”
Jessie swung her eyes over to him and tried to quiet her thudding heart. “And I’m supposed to take your word for it? I’m pretty sure I didn’t ask you to kiss me earlier.”
Chucking the quilted barrier from in between them, Asher poked the bun on the top of her head. “No, I didn’t.” His eyes drifted over her face. “Did you want me to stop?”
Stuck between the sheets, Jessie swallowed hard. There was only one answer he deserved to hear. “No, I didn’t want you to stop.” She turned toward the wall and away from him. How else would she answer that the question? Of course she liked the way he felt against her lips. She would be insane not to.
A minute passed before Asher’s low voice met her ears. “You shouldn’t wear so much makeup. You’re stunning without it, you know.”
Jessie smirked in the darkness. She scolded herself for going overboard. If New York City taught her one thing, it was to be as fashionable as possible. She forgot she was in the Rocky Mountains. A place where makeup wasn’t necessary. “You think so?”
Asher inched closer to her and edged onto her pillow. His warmth seeped through the sheets. “I do.”
Catching her bottom lip with her teeth, Jessie stifled a smile. Why his opinion of her made her giddy was new territory. As a rule, she didn’t care what a guy thought. Though, most of the time the men wanted to change her instead of accepting the way she was. Changing for a man wasn’t in the cards for her. She did once with Tommy and look where it got her.
After repositioning on her back, she filled the void. “About what my sister and I talked about…”
Asher’s fingers hushed her thought. “I get it. I have a brother. We say stupid shit to each other all the time.” He chuckled. “But not about guys.”
“I would hope not,” Jessie t
eased then added, “Thanks, though.” She didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. They were friends. Hell, they were not even friends much less acquaintances.
“But I do have one request.” His quiet words washed down her face, causing her to turn toward him. “I know you said you wanted to keep a barricade between us and all.” He tossed his head toward the discarded quilt laying in a heap near the door. “But, your snuggling idea you told Bobbi about sounds pretty damn good.” The silence in the room amplified when he added, “Do you think we try it for a little while? I promise not to do anything but hold you.”
Panic spread through Jessie’s veins. She hadn’t cuddled with a guy since Tommy. Sex, obviously, but spooning with a guy? No. That level of intimacy terrified her, but for some reason she found herself warming to the idea. She shouldn’t let a random stranger sleep beside her, but it was a typical occurrence with a one-night stand. Asher should have insisted on sleeping on the floor, given their circumstances. Instead, Jessie felt as though she had known the tall barista for years, not days. Her subconscious reminded her that they had already shared a kiss which could be described as steamy at the very least. The way his arms fit around her in a unique way calmed her thudding heart. She would allow a boyfriend to cuddle her, so what could possibly go wrong with her fake boyfriend embracing her?
“Okay, but don’t try anything. I have a killer elbow jab,” she replied, her body tense with anticipation.
In one fluid movement, Asher pulled her into his arms. “Uh huh, I’m sure you do.” He settled his head above hers, the missing puzzle piece to her empty bed. The rhythmic sound of his heartbeat calmed every tension from her body. His arms encircled her, but not to intimidate. An embrace, but not a seductive one.
“Your fuzzy bun is in my face,” he mumbled after a minute. “It tickles.”
Giggling, Jessie moved her hair farther into his face with sass. “That’s what you get for cuddling with me,” she tossed back.
In a split second, Asher reached up and pulled her hair free from its confines. Her hair tumbled from its high perch and rested on her shoulders. “Much better,” he remarked, nuzzling his nose to her neck and inhaling.
Whether it was the innocent act of releasing her hair or the snug planes of his body near hers, Jessie let her eyes drift shut. The warmth exuding from Asher’s bare chest was enough to toast marshmallows on. Enjoying a night’s sleep in his tattooed arms was something which made her adore sleeping even more. His steady breathing matched her own and within minutes, she was lulled to sleep by the comforting scene.
Chapter Five
Jessie woke the next morning to an empty bed. Not an unusual thing to wake up to, but a disappointing one this particular morning. Stretching her lazy bones, she lay in silence and wondered if it had all been a dream. If she had conjured up a make-believe boyfriend, one who was growing on her affections at a steady pace. A woodpecker in the distance caught her ear. The window was opened, something she hadn’t forgotten to close last night. A grin played her lips when she heard rumbling laughter echo throughout the rafters.
“Asher.” She breathed his name as if he was in the room, waiting for her to awaken.
Rolling up to sit, she wondered what caused his boisterous laughter. The clock on the wall caught her attention and she gasped. It was ten past ten in the morning. It had been almost a decade since she’d slept in so late.
Tumbling out of bed, Jessie changed into a pair of dark jeans and a red shirt. As tempting as it was to dress to perfection, she had to be reasonable. They were in the Colorado Mountains, not the mountains of New York City. Practicality came first at eight thousand feet, not designer clothes.
She attempted to wrangle her hair in the mirror above the dresser as fast as she could. No matter what style she tried, nothing worked. Glancing at herself, she noticed the easy sway of her curls. Had she not known better, she would’ve labeled them as just had sex curls. Those were the curls she missed.
Remembering her younger days at the cabin, she twisted her long hair into a braid as she thought about the night before. Falling asleep in a man’s arms wasn’t new, but sleeping in them all night was. Per usual, one or both of them rolled away to find sleep. Last night, Jessie found the closer she was to Asher, the faster dreams found her. Shrugging it off as jetlag, she pulled on a pair of tennis shoes, and after a pit stop, bounded down the wooden staircase.
Asher’s vibrant voice reached her again when she entered the kitchen, updated with stainless steel appliances in the last five years. “Good morning, sunshine,” he said with a welcoming smile.
Jessie took in the pink apron wrapped around his hips and matching spatula in his hands. For a man well over six feet, he pulled off a homemaker well. “Morning, chef,” she teased, taking a seat at the eat-in bar. Her mom and grandma were already seated while her dad poured a cup of coffee.
“I made strawberry crepes,” Asher said, turning back to the griddle.
Breakfast for Jessie was a protein shake on a typical day, but she couldn’t deny how pleasing the thin pancakes were. “I see you made yourself at home.”
“And he should,” Grandma Jane stated, patting Jessie’s hand. “This gem was up before me, making those delicate things.” She pointed to Asher and lowered her voice. “Don’t lose this one, Jessamine. He’s a keeper.”
At that moment, Asher placed a plate of chef-approved crepes before Jessie. “Well, I think so. The jury is out with this one though.” He winked at Grandma Jane, and the woman cackled.
Shaking her head at their scheme, Jessie eyed the elegant breakfast. Her nose caught the scent of fresh coffee and her mouth watered. She hadn’t touched the Colombian addiction since Chicago, but the way it would go with crepes overwhelmed her better senses.
As if reading her mind, Asher poured a mug with coffee and placed it in front of her. “It’s no fancy tea, but I do pride myself on making a good cup of joe.”
Jessie took the proffered cup of coffee and inhaled with cautionary care. It did smell better than her tea, but that wasn’t hard to do. She drank tea because it was better for her and because Tommy got her hooked on coffee in the first place. After their debacle, she didn’t want any reminder of him, so she switched gears in every facet she could, starting with coffee.
Snatching up her fork, she dug into what could’ve passed off as gourmet. “Wow. This is incredible,” she said between bites.
Asher whipped off his apron and piled dishes into the dishwasher. “Thanks, babe. I know they’re your favorite.”
Jessie took a sip of the coffee, her eyes widening at the ideal combination. The brew was by far the best she had ever tasted. The crepes on her plate disappeared within moments. “They are now,” she mumbled beneath her breath.
“What’d you say, darling?” Grandma Jane asked with a poke of her bony finger.
“Um, I was mentioning that Asher should take a bow from all his hard work this morning,” she said. “He’s a whiz in the kitchen.” She met her Grandma’s eyes and finished to herself. Apparently.
“I agree,” Dennis stated with a slap on Asher’s back. “Now, tell me, Asher, where did such name like yours come from? It’s peculiar.” He took a seat beside his wife. “Is it Scandinavian?”
Holding in her laugh, Jessie coughed on her sip of coffee. Dear God, the man must think her family was insane.
Asher leaned his forearms on the counter across from his captivated audience. Jessie saw a hint of arm tattoos his short-sleeved shirt failed to hide. The full upper sleeve to his tattoo intrigued her. She had yet to examine it up close, but aimed to rectify it when a free moment popped up. Cradling her cup of coffee, which was converting her back to the Dark Side as if by the Force itself, she focused on Asher as he spun his tale.
“My dad served in Vietnam and while he was over there, he met a guy named Asher. And yes, he was from Saskatchewan. The two became close as anyone in the service can be. They were practically brothers.” Asher paused and glanced at her. “Are you sure y
ou want me to tell the story? I know it makes you cry.”
Put on the spot, Jessie cleared her throat and waved her hand at him. “I’ll be fine. They should hear it.”
Asher scratched the top of his ear and then nodded. “All right. So, my dad and his buddy got letters each week from their devoted sisters. One day, they decided they would write each other’s sisters for the fun of it. As it turned out, my dad formed an attachment to Asher’s sister and vice versa for Asher and my dad’s sister.”
He hesitated and shifted on his feet. “They made a pact that if they ever got out of the god-forsaken jungles, they would marry the women the instant they set foot on American soil.”
Jessie gripped the mug tightly when sadness flickered across Asher’s handsome features. The story was compelling so far. It would make a great book. The notion made her squeamish. A romance novel, no doubt.
“Toward the end of the war, my dad and Asher were on their way out of the jungle when a group of guerilla soldiers attacked their convoy.”
Perching on the edge of her seat, she snuck a glance at her clan. They were as enraptured with Asher’s tale as she was.
“One of the enemy soldiers let off a round into the convoy. Asher stepped in front of my dad and took the slew of bullets.” His eyes turned a shade darker as they stayed on his hands. “Asher didn’t make it out of the jungle. My dad returned to the States, but had to tell Asher’s sister the bad news.”
“Did he marry her?” Dawn piped up. Jessie noticed tears glistened in her mother and grandmother’s eyes. She also felt unexpected drips on her cheeks at the gut-wrenching story.
A smile crept over Asher’s face. “Yeah, he married her. They named both their sons after my uncle. Asher and Jared.”
“Oh, my goodness, what a sweet story,” Grandma Jane said, wiping her eyes with a tissue, appearing from her sleeve. “Whatever happened to your dad’s sister?”
Starting the dishwasher, Asher replied, “She joined the Red Cross for solider relief in the Vietnam War. I guess she thought Asher was waiting over there for her in some POW camp.” He returned to the counter. “She ended up meeting a soldier from the U.K. They live in Bristol with their three kids now.”