Timberline

by Skye McNeil

  “Aw, come on, Jessie,” they pleaded in unison.

  Just as she was about to duck into the room and slam the door in their faces, a large hand rested on the small of her back.

  “I’ve got this,” Asher promised, pulling the door open. Jessie stood to the side and watched her cousins fall over themselves at the sight of Asher in full morning glory. He was shirtless but wore a tight-fitting pair of navy jeans. His forest green eyes held every woman in a trance, and Jessie was shocked by her gaping male cousins.

  “Good morning,” he offered with a lazy smile.

  Jessie held in a giggle when Megan’s mouth dropped open like a big-mouthed bass. The rest of her cousins had matching flabbergasted expressions.

  “Oh. My. God. I’m moving to New York,” Megan said, her eyes studying Asher’s body. “Tomorrow.”

  A ping of resentment coursed through Jessie’s mind as she watched the gaggle of drooling cousins. It made sense, if he was given this reception wherever he went. Then again, women in New York City were much pickier when it came to profession, so a barista wouldn’t catch attention unless he was the founding father of coffee. Turning her head to Asher, she was surprised he was staring at her instead of gobbling up her cousins’ blatant stares. Pink flushed her cheeks when he winked at her.

  “All right, I want to meet each and every one of my girlfriend’s cousins when I’m dressed.” He pointed to the group.

  “Shirts are optional.” One of Jessie’s cousins piped up and they all chuckled.

  Asher nodded in understanding and then looped his arm around Jessie’s waist. “But first, I need Mina’s help with a few things.”

  Jessie shrieked when Asher picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder before kicking the door shut with his foot. Bursting in laughter, Jessie heard the audible sighs from her love-struck cousins. Yeah, she could get used to being hauled to bed by Asher.

  »»•««

  Asher would’ve been blind if he didn’t notice the thirsty way Jessie’s cousins perused him in the morning light. They didn’t bother to hide their outright lust for him. Glancing to where his pretend girlfriend stood conversing with an aunt and uncle, he also recalled the way she had looked at him. Not once had he been on the receiving end of a covetous glare. Her mouth had been a tight line and her brows furrowed together as she hated on her cousins in silence. He couldn’t give a second thought to her cousins. He wouldn’t. Not when the prettiest Davis was the same who shared a bed with him.

  Any other time, he would’ve soaked up the glamour rays they tossed him, but he didn’t want them. He desired Jessie alone to stare ardently at him. Asher smirked. At the time, he settled on her pouting face. Her expression was the reason he made his position altogether clear when he hauled her away like a caveman. To his dismay, they didn’t have a chance to do anything except change before more visiting cousins pounded on their door. The cabin was a never-ending disruption.

  That thrilling scene had been three hours ago, and he wished he were locked in the bedroom with her instead of making small talk with her family. They were a lively bunch, but his eyes belonged to the brunette who secreted a glance at him every now and again. Whisking her away in broad daylight would cause more of a hassle than anything, which was why he stayed as far away from her as possible. When he was near her, Asher wanted to toss reason aside and bask in her witty mouth which sent him into overdrive.

  “Asher, would you care to join us tomorrow on a bit of a guy’s day? We’re going to attempt trout fishing while the women go nuts over wedding decorations.” Dennis broke into his thoughts. “No man wants to be around jibber jabber,” he warned with a smile.

  Turning his attention to Jessie’s father, Asher disagreed with the statement. He would gladly listen to the Davis women gab about wedding frippery if he were with Jessie all day. Knowing it wouldn’t be appropriate, he nodded. “Since you mentioned it, count me in. It’s been a while since I went fishing. I could use a little relaxation.”

  Dennis grinned and nodded to Tom. “Super. Maybe you can show us how to do it. I’m afraid Tom and I are two city boys out here.”

  “I doubt it. I’m sure you could teach me a thing or two,” Asher responded in a polite manner. Staying under the radar while in the Rockies was his best prerogative. He surveyed the room and hoped all of them were as void of social networking as Jessie. Witnessing two cousins snap a selfie, he didn’t think that was the case. His eyes drifted to the bookshelf at the far end of the room. All of a sudden, he felt the need to view the titles.

  “You know, there was once a time when this troop overwhelmed me,” Dennis admitted, handing Asher a beer. “They’re a loud and rambunctious bunch, but worth the trouble.”

  Meeting the older man’s eyes filled with understanding, he bowed his head. Though he didn’t feel overwhelmed at the moment, he was positive it would happen in the near future. “I have to agree with you there. Mina is worth all this and more.”

  He chuckled, knowing her father didn’t know the half of it. If he could go back and meet Jessie under normal circumstances, Asher was confident he would still be at the cabin. He didn’t like to throw words around like destiny, but screw it, they were destined to meet.

  Jessie glanced his way and offered him a small smile. Even if she was checking up on him for her own sake, Asher hoped she also did it for more personal reasons. If he gauged her by the way she kissed him, there was no doubt in his mind. But how Jessie acted when they were in front of her family told another story. She was distant toward him, wary even.

  “She’s happy with you,” Dennis concluded. “We haven’t seen her in five years and it was a dark time back them.” His brown eyes seemed haunted.

  In that instant, Asher felt sorry for him. He couldn’t imagine not seeing a family member for five years because of what happened between them. He and his brother fought, but they always shoved their issues aside when the holidays came around. Asher frowned, hearing Jessie hadn’t done the same. It made sense, her grudge, but Tommy didn’t deserve her if he had no respect for the woman he almost married.

  Setting his beer can down, Asher leaned against the hearth. “Mina is a special lady. I’ve never met anyone quite like her.” He smiled in remembrance. “She swept me off my feet from the moment I met her. I’ve been struck ever since.”

  “Ooh, are you telling Asher and Jessie stories?” One of the female cousins asked. Asher recognized her as Megan from the morning wakeup.

  Asher wasn’t sure how their lineage managed so many females, but he felt bad for the few members who were male. Within seconds, word passed through the cabin that he was telling tales and soon he had captured an audience. “I was merely telling Dennis about how great Mina is. Nothing more to tell,” he said when he saw Jessie’s red face. All this attention was new to her, it seemed.

  “Aw, come on, Asher. Tell us about the first time you saw Jessie,” Dawn asked, pushing her oldest daughter toward him.

  Holding out his hand to her, Asher guided her to the open loveseat. She needed to sit for this next part. “We may as well get it over with,” he whispered for her ears alone.

  Jessie nodded and whispered back, “You’re right. Try not to overdo it. They’ll think I created you in a laboratory.”

  Grinning from ear to ear, Asher turned to see all eyes fixed on the couple on the leather couch. Rubbing his hands together deviously, he began. “Now, the first time I laid eyes on Mina she was wearing a horrendous Gucci pants-suit.” Her cousins giggled. “She ordered a tea at our favorite coffee shop.” Pointing his finger, he corrected himself, “An Earl Grey tea with a splash of lemon and cream. The barista called it the Gray Day.” He traced her finger with his own. “I found out they created it specifically for her. It became so popular they added it to the menu.”

  “Geez, stalker much?” one of the male cousins asked from the back of the room.

  “Seems like it, doesn’t it? I was waiting for my drink when I overheard the barista explain it to their new
est trainee,” he said, which seemed to appease them.

  “Anyways, the newbie barista messed up on her drink.” He locked eyes with Jessie. “But she didn’t get mad. She took a sip of the concoction and her face scrunched up in the most adorable way. Mina gave the trainee the most brilliant smile then tossed the horrid drink.” A smile broke out over his face. “I knew right then and there. I had to meet the woman who lit up the little coffee shop with her smile.”

  Jessie blushed and she poked his stomach. “You’re so cheesy.”

  “I love it,” her mother said with a whimsical smile.

  “Go on, Asher,” said Grandma Jane.

  “All right, now the bad news. I was too dumbstruck by her to ask for her name or see if she wanted to go out sometime.”

  A chorus of gasps interrupted his account. “What happened?” someone asked.

  Thinking back to earlier in the week, Asher cuddled Jessie under his arm. “As luck would have it, she bought another atrocious cup of tea.”

  “And you saw her there?” Dennis asked, cutting into the conversation.

  “Sadly, no.”

  Jessie giggled from beside him. “But I ended up taking the subway after some lady stole my taxi.”

  Asher didn’t know this part, but he liked it as soon as he heard it. “And as she hustled to the train, she slammed right into me. Her tea went everywhere.”

  “It destroyed my shirt,” she said.

  “Plus, it got all over my amazing pants from Younkers,” Asher said, teasing her. “And I knew. The tea-soaked woman would change my life for the better.” He tenderly kissed her temple. “And she has.”

  Meeting her eyes bright with unshed tears, he lowered his voice. “I don’t mind you dumping tea all over me. If spoiling a shirt was all it took to get you, I’d do it again and again.” He didn’t bother looking up to hear the chorus of awws by all involved. Storytelling was his prose, but this one was genuine. For the most part.

  As he held her gaze, the creative side of him overtook his mind and his juices whirled. The invisible blockage broke free and engulfed him in ideas. How he wished he kept a notepad in his pocket. Detaching from her blue eyes, he held in his excitement. Great stories needed an ending, but he was wary of how this one would resolve. At the very least, he knew where to start.

  “Yours is the sweetest story I have ever heard,” Dawn announced with a tear running down her cheek. She slapped her husband. “Why couldn’t our story be romantic like Asher?”

  “What? You don’t think a college bar is romantic?” Dennis kissed the tear on her cheek.

  Asher laughed at the swooning eyes he saw around the room. Even Bobbi wore a listless grin. “You never told me why you were in such a rush. Who were you meeting?” He tickled her side. “I hope it wasn’t a date, because I screwed it up for you.”

  Jessie’s face twisted into a frown and he wished he hadn’t brought up the real world. They were enjoying this fairyland too much for reality. “Oh, a, uh, potential author I was supposed to convince to join our publishing house.”

  Those words halted the smile trying to reach his eyes. “You were meeting an author to offer them a contract?” he asked under his breath.

  “Yeah. No big deal.” She put it off as though it was no big deal, but it was.

  To Asher it was. What were the chances he had a meeting the same afternoon for the exact same reason? The odds weren’t in his favor, but New York City was a big place. It was possible he was overreacting.

  Asher needed to check in with Mike as soon as possible. His agent would know if she was the same editor. His gut churned at the possibility that she lied to him about where she worked. Just like I lied to her about where I work. Somehow, he would get a signal for his phone and call Mike. He needed to get ahead of this before she discovered the true identity of the man who shared kisses with her.

  Chapter Eight

  As she waited her turn to use her mallet on the croquet course, Jessie watched Asher’s black ball sail down the pine needles. He tossed her a grin and trekked down to where the rest of the Davises held wooden mallets.

  “You’re up, Mina,” Tom said with a jerk of his head.

  Gritting her teeth, Jessie grabbed her orange ball. “Yeah, it’s Jessie to you, asshole,” she ground out, ignoring the way her sister glowered at her. Tommy, no Tom, already hit his ball down the hill, but was waiting for his fiancée to finish her shot, which meant Jessie was stuck watching the lovebirds maul each other. She let her mallet loose with venom once the ball was in position. To her delight, it knocked Tom’s ball out of position and gave her the best shot available.

  “Quite an impressive shot,” Asher told her once she reached him.

  “Thanks. I guess I have a little aggression to let out,” she confessed, hoisting the mallet over her shoulder. Her eyes trained on Tom as he helped Bobbi at the beginning of the course. At this rate, they would be playing croquet until dawn.

  “You shouldn’t let them get to you,” suggested the ex-Ranger with a small smile. “It will make things worse.”

  Jessie huffed as she watched her grandma knock a cousin’s ball into the shrubbery. “Maybe.”

  “No maybes, Jess. They’re happy together,” Asher observed, his eyes gazing where Bobbi and Tom stood canoodling. “And you’re happy with the idea of us.” He chuckled and pushed back the ball cap her dad lent him. Asher looked rather amiable in the bright orange gear even if he swore he was more of a fan of subtle colors.

  “The idea of us?” she asked as her dad took his shot.

  “Yeah, I mean we’re not technically together.” Asher leaned his hand against an aspen tree. “You made that pretty clear.”

  Cocking her head toward him, Jessie’s lips tightened. They weren’t together. It was the plan all along. To act like they were a couple when, in actuality, they were acquaintances. Despite the agreement, she didn’t feel they were along those lines anymore. In three days, Asher managed to make her feel safe in every aspect. It wasn’t something she expected from their arrangement.

  Stiffening her back, Jessie tossed him a sideways glance. He wore a green Army tee while his cargo shorts held pinecones. She smirked at the gummy cones. Pine-coning was a hazing tradition her cousins insisted he participate in since he was the newest member of the family. He hadn’t discarded the fresh cones yet, and sported them as the sexiest man alive instead.

  “No, I suppose we’re not a real couple, so I don’t know why I would ever think of the possibility of ‘us.’”

  She turned her back to him and heard his audible sigh. She was being stupid and immature, but she couldn’t help it. Being around so much feminine energy brought it out in her. Maybe it was why they always got into familial spats. No wonder their get-togethers were every five years. Too much estrogen made them mad.

  The crunching of needles and twigs beneath his booted feet met her ears as he neared. She sensed him behind her and the steady warmth of his breath amplified her sensory detection. His breath smelled of late afternoon coffee. A mixture of caramel and hearty Colombian beans stunned her nostrils. Pairing the scent with Armani was almost too wrong to be right.

  “I didn’t mean it, Mina. You know that.” His arms drifted around her waist and he tugged at her hips. “To be honest, I didn’t think we were an option when I first agreed to this.” Resting his chin on her shoulder, Asher moved her hair from it with his nose. “But I’ll be the first one to suggest it.” He twirled her around until she faced him. “Could it be something you want?”

  Jessie kept her eyes on their boots until his finger lifted her chin up. The trees behind him had no fight when it came to the colorful hues of his eyes. They mirrored greenery found in the farthest reaches of the world. Did she want something deeper with this man? Her heart said yes, but her mind cautioned her. She didn’t know Asher Whitaker. At least, not how a person should know a potential love interest. Was it enough to know the rhythm of his heart while he slept?

  A rowdy laugh took over th
e quiet of the croquet match, but she couldn’t pry her eyes away from the real prize in the game. “Maybe,” came her mangled reply.

  Shaking his head, Asher let out a low chuckle as he snuck her into his embrace. “All right, I understand. Hesitation is normal, and it’s not a flat-out rejection.” He pecked her cheek. “But perhaps I can sway you to the camouflaged side of life. It’s quite fun on my side.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows with humor and took a step away from her when her dad called out his name. “Looks like it’s my turn. Don’t take too long to decide,” he requested with a grin before skirting the group and finding his croquet ball.

  Jessie couldn’t take her eyes off him if she tried. He was much too tall for his mallet, but he still managed to hit the ball through the makeshift tunnel her mother constructed. This was no normal croquet course but was a Davis masterpiece instead.

  After Asher took a bow, he met her gaze once more before he followed the group down to the next hole. Tom and Bobbi were no longer on her mind. How could they be when it was consumed with Asher?

  »»•««

  “And you’re sure you’ve gone fishing before?” Asher’s uncertain eyes made Jessie smirk. Thus far, the fishing excursion included one trout caught and three hooks tangled with stray branches.

  “Yes.” Jessie breathed, annoyed at his insistence otherwise. “A family outing to the lake was mandatory growing up.”

  “Mhmm, but did you catch anything back then?”

  Narrowing her eyes, Jessie yanked the fishing pole from his grip. “All the time,” she argued. Asher offered her a disbelieving tilt of his head.

  Ignoring him, she cast the line, but it dropped in the water five feet out. As the fly floated into the calm water, she confessed, “Okay, more or less our dads caught the fish and we took credit.”

  Glancing over at him, Jessie held in a smile at the muted laughter on his face. “Oh, shut up and help me fish,” she demanded at last.