by L. T. Marie
She’d made the short drive back over the hill around an hour ago and had planned on cleaning out Dax’s stall. That is until she spotted Jay and forgot about her priorities. So instead she’d spent the last twenty minutes watching closely while Jay installed two of the porch supports. With every swing of her hammer, Coal couldn’t concentrate on anything but the rippling of her muscles. As she’d continued to sit there ogling, she wondered if Jay had thought at all about that dance. That one dance had ignited a fire within her that refused to burn out. She’d been smoldering ever since. The memories still burning like embers never completely dying.
The days since had been spent avoiding Jay at all costs. She couldn’t risk running into her because she couldn’t control her body around her. Just seeing Jay made her wet. So instead, she spent time at the HMB ranch, tended to the horses and concentrated on the remodel.
She straightened when Jay climbed onto the roof and shielded her eyes from the bright morning rays. For whatever reason, Jay appeared to be scanning the stables and the pastures beyond. The question was why?
Coal turned her attention to the three horses grazing within the gate’s boundaries and didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Turning her attention back to Jay, her body became momentarily paralyzed when Jay tilted her chin toward the sky and reached into her tool belt for a bottle of water to douse her head. The combination of Jay’s body silhouetted by the sun and the water cascading down her chest and neck shifted Coal’s body into overdrive. She tried swallowing around her sand dry throat and ran her tongue along her bottom lip, pretending to experience the taste of a few of those clear, sweet droplets. As the water dipped down the center of Jay’s chest, she adjusted her sitting position when her jeans became a tad bit tight from her near orgasmic fantasy. With her mind elsewhere, she wasn’t paying any attention to her footing. And when the heel of her boot caught on a loose board inside the stall, she went tumbling out the window, thankfully landing onto a few hay bales below. Dax placed his head through the window opening and snorted as he shook his head at her.
“What? Never seen a girl make a fool out of herself before?” she asked. Dax bobbed his head and stomped his foot. “Whatever, Mr. Perfect. Go away. I’m busy gawking at the help and you’re blocking my view.”
She pushed his head out of the way to find that Jay was no longer anywhere in sight. Knowing it was probably for the best since she hadn’t gotten any of her chores completed, she spent the next half hour hosing out Dax’s stall. She tried everything she could think of to take her mind off of Jay, including humming some of her favorite tunes, but nothing could erase the images of those biceps flexing when she’d hoisted a couple of two-by-fours onto her shoulders or how her quads flexed beneath her jeans as she squatted to fix a few planks on the new bedroom deck. She wondered what it would feel like to have those muscles quiver under her fingertips. Would they become rock hard or would she possess the power to turn them to butter as she used her tongue to outline every firm curve?
These thoughts were exactly why she had left the day-to-day remodel dealings to her mother. She had no chance of running into Jay that way. No chance of them making small talk and getting to know one another on any level. For the last week, that plan had worked perfectly. But with every day that passed, she was starting to regret not taking a more active role. After all, it was her house. Besides, she wanted to see how the installation of the crown molding and gas fireplace in the bedroom was coming along. She planned on making her home as green as possible, and swapping out the log-burning fireplace had been a good start. But it wasn’t thinking about the warmth of a fire on a cold night or the soaring temperatures that made her skin slick and blood boil. It was thoughts of Jay lying down in front of that fireplace with the flames dancing across her bronzed skin that brought a healthy glow to her cheeks and a rush of moisture between her legs. She became so lost in the images of licking a naked Jay that she accidentally sprayed Dax with the hose, receiving a nasty snort from her stallion.
“Whoops! Sorry, boy.” She turned the nozzle to the off position as Dax let out a high-pitched whine and stomped his foot. “All right. I said I was sorry. But give me a break. I was just getting to the good parts.”
Dax snorted again and bumped her with his nose, making her laugh as she wiped a shaky hand across her forehead. It had to be lack of sleep that was clouding her judgment. She didn’t have time for these kinds of thoughts, especially with everything going on in her life. Maybe a good night’s sleep would help clear her head, help put life into perspective.
It could also be lack of sex that kept her from thinking about much else. Jay was smoking hot, of that there was no doubt. She’d spent many nights fantasizing about Jay but the orgasms that followed were hollow and she felt lonely afterward. The last time she’d actually shared a bed with someone was while she’d been living in New York. But like the countless times before, she’d left before the other woman awoke. She still hadn’t got past the ache of old hurts and wondered if she’d ever be strong enough to put it all on the line again. Although that thought scared the crap out of her.
Too tired to think about much else, she contemplated stretching out on a hay bale to catch a few z’s. All the nights of very little sleep since the will reading were catching up to her. Since the argument with her father, most of her early mornings at the ranch were spent trying to sort through most of the finances. The Half Moon Bay operation was a lot larger than she’d anticipated which made not being able to work out some sort of compromise with her father a non-option. Besides the children who needed the ranch for their rehabilitation, some of the employees had been there for decades. Could they find other jobs if the ranch was no longer operational? She guessed, probably not. Then there was the notion of figuring out what to do with the rest of her life. She eventually wanted a relationship and possibly a family. Kids weren’t a priority now but with the right woman, she could see living a fulfilling life.
Irritated that all those plans would have to be put on hold until the rest of her life fell into place, she decided to stick to her current daily plan until she could figure out a better one. The plan had worked so far because she never stopped until her hands were blistered and she could barely keep her eyes open. Last night, she’d been so focused on installing the shelves in her walk-in closet that by the time she’d finished, she’d run out of energy to put her bed frame together. Working until she was too exhausted to think helped her feel as though she were gaining some control over her life. She believed the more she organized the smaller things, the more the chaos that swirled around her would eventually spin itself out.
Putting aside all thoughts of Jay and everything she needed to do, she took out Dax’s brush and gently massaged his face. He laid his head against her body, welcoming the attention as she hooked her hand through his bridle, holding him steadily in place. As she caressed between his nose and eyes, he stood unflinching, evidence that her attentions were having a calming effect on him. She started to fall victim to the steady cadence of his breathing, and soon she closed her eyes and thought of nothing at all.
*
“Hey,” Jay said. “Come on. Open your eyes for me.”
Jay had walked into the barn a few seconds earlier, watching in horror as Coal fell to the floor. She’d been admiring Coal’s gentle approach around the large animal, fascinated by the sight of Dax’s demeanor around Coal. Seeing the two together had almost been hypnotic. The bond between the two was as strong as any trusting relationship she had ever witnessed. She hadn’t been able to move. Hell, she didn’t want to move, until she saw Coal collapse, and then without hesitation she knelt next to Coal and pulled her into her arms.
“Huh?” Coal’s glazed expression was evidence of her confusion. She placed her hand on Jay’s jaw. “Jay, what’s going on?”
Thank God, you’re alert. “You fainted. Try not to move.”
She was still troubled by Coal’s ashen appearance and didn’t want her to risk hurting hers
elf further. Coal had hit her head when she fell and would most likely have a nice bump later. Except for their brief conversation at the restaurant, this was the first time she’d actually been close enough to Coal in the light of day to study her striking features. Coal’s eyes were definitely her most expressive characteristic and were now clouded with pain and something else she couldn’t place.
“I’m fine,” Coal said. “Help me up.”
“Are you sure?” Jay didn’t want to let Coal out of her arms. Coal was still shaking and very pale. “Maybe I should get your mom.”
“No! Please,” Coal said, more alert. “Just help me to my feet.”
Jay lifted Coal with ease but refused to remove her arm from around Coal’s waist. “Is there something I can get you? Water? Anything?”
“Really, I’m fine. I don’t know what happened. I didn’t eat much earlier so that’s probably it.”
“I have a candy bar in my pocket. Would you like it? Maybe it’ll help.”
“That’s sweet of you, but no thanks.” Coal moved away to lean against a pile of hay bales and Jay felt the loss instantly. “I’m actually feeling much better.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Coal said and smiled weakly at her. “Did you need something?”
“Your mother left a message saying she had some additions to your list and that she’d be down here by the barn. I haven’t been able to locate her, and we’ve come across a few problems that need to be addressed,” she said more calmly than she felt. Every instinct screamed at her to take Coal back into her arms, but she had to respect the distance Coal had put between them. “Do you know when she’ll be back?”
“I didn’t even know she was gone,” Coal said and ran a tremulous hand through her hair, a sure sign she was still not a hundred percent. “What are your questions?”
“If you’re up to it, it’ll be easier if I showed you. Then you can decide what you want us to do about them.”
“Sure. Let me take care of Dax and I’ll be right with you.”
Jay waited outside while Coal secured her horse and locked the gate behind them. As Coal’s strength returned, Jay began to breathe a little easier. “He’s a very beautiful animal. Is he yours?”
“Yes. He was a present from my father for my fifteenth birthday. He really is beautiful, isn’t he.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes, he is.” But not as beautiful as his owner.
“So these issues. What are they?”
“Dry rot for one,” Jay said not being able to keep the disappointment out of her voice. She hated to relay the bad news but dry rot always meant termites, which usually resulted in thousands of extra dollars’ worth of repairs. “It looks like we’re going to have to also replace the supports for the deck, not just the planks like we’d first planned.”
“If it has to be done. Did you find dry rot anywhere else?”
“No. But we should also replace the beams attached to the house since it appears they’ve never been treated.”
Coal nodded as if she agreed with everything Jay was saying. “What else?”
“Thankfully, that’s it for now.”
“And this couldn’t wait until the end of the day?” There was no anger in Coal’s question, only curiosity.
“It could have, but if we can get the order in before five, the lumber company we use said we can have those beams by the end of the week. It will help speed up the process and save money and time in the long run.”
“That was thoughtful of you.”
“Yeah, that’s me. Thoughtful,” Jay said dryly, hoping the humor would take the sting out of the bad news. When Coal smiled back, Jay was happy to see pale pink returning to her once ashen cheeks.
“Speaking of delays, why didn’t you drive out to the stables? It would have been faster.”
“Technically, it’s still my lunch break and I needed some exercise.”
“Exercise? You’ve got to be kidding. You’ve been running around all day lifting things and jumping off of roofs. How much exercise does one person need?”
“I didn’t realize you’ve been watching me so closely, Ms. Davis.” The knowledge that Coal had spent time observing her sent a jolt of excitement coursing through her.
“Who said I was watching?”
“You did. But it’s cool. And you have my permission to watch anytime.”
“Permission?” Coal laughed as they climbed the porch steps. “You know, if that head of yours gets any bigger, it’s likely to explode.”
“Funny thing, my cousin says that to me all the time.” Jay followed Coal inside, and after taking a quick tour of the house and getting all her questions answered, she heard Dino yelling to her from the truck. “Guess that’s my cue. Thank you for answering my questions.”
“Jay, wait!”
“Forget something?” Jay paused halfway down the front steps and turned to look at Coal over her shoulder.
Coal approached and placed a hand on her forearm. “I wanted to thank you. You know, for earlier.”
“Not necessary.” Jay registered the softness of Coal’s skin along her arm as something passed between them, something she had no words to describe. The answering flash in Coal’s eyes told her she felt it too. “But I’m glad you’re all right.”
“I’m fine, really, but could you not say anything to my mother? I would appreciate it.”
“About what?” Jay said with a wink before sprinting off to meet her cousin, for the first time not caring the least bit that she could be flirting with disaster.
Chapter Seven
Coal couldn’t relax as thoughts of Jay coursed through her mind like a raging river after a storm. The fading orange skyline meant it would be dark soon, but it was still too early to sleep, not that she’d be able to anyway. Ever since coming to in Jay’s arms earlier that day, her body had been overcome with crackling nervous energy, the kind that made her nerves tingle as though a thousand bugs were crawling all over her skin. Since she couldn’t relax and cooking wasn’t an option considering her kitchen had been completely gutted yesterday, she grabbed her keys and went in search of dinner.
Twenty minutes later, she climbed onto a barstool and ordered a tall Guinness and a cheeseburger to go, recalling the last time she’d visited the once old horse barn that had been converted into a restaurant when she’d been about five years old. Angel had bought her a chocolate sundae to help cheer her up after Taylor had walked out on her without another word.
The restaurant hadn’t changed much in the past three years. Dozens of tables were scattered throughout the thirty-by-thirty space, each adorned with red checked tablecloths that matched the waitresses’ shirts. Old coach lanterns hung from the wooden walls, and pictures from the local fairs and community events lined every available inch of wall space. There had been a time when many happy family memories had been shared within these walls. Sharing a milkshake with her parents on a Saturday afternoon had been the closest thing to tradition that she could remember. Today she was here to drink alcohol, to drown those memories until she forgot them and the pain.
As she watched the many couples enjoying their evening out, she was reminded that she’d once had a dream to share her life with someone. What a fool she had been to believe she had finally found the one person she could give her heart to. Who would desire her above everything else, including what they stood to inherit. Instead, she’d learned another valuable lesson on the things money and power could destroy. The more she sat there and saw that sense of belonging etched into their faces, the more she couldn’t stop the envy from coursing like poison through her veins.
As she sipped her beer, she decided that from this day forward, the self-pity had to stop. Lots of people had lives that were a lot tougher than hers, the kids that relied on the ranch for one. Those children didn’t have years to live. Some of them had cancer, brain tumors that left them with nothing more than mere days left to fill with happy memories. She had never seen one of those kids co
mplain about the hand they were dealt. That reason alone was one of many that made her want to fight harder to keep her grandfather’s legacy alive.
She swiveled around on her barstool intent on taking a quick trip to the restroom when she stood and accidentally bumped into someone coming back from the way she was headed. Even if her eyes weren’t open and she wasn’t familiar with the solid body now plastered to hers, the heady scent of fresh cut wood was unmistakable.
“Well, it seems we keep running into each other,” Jay said.
“Seems that way,” Coal said, her voice an octave lower than usual. When Jay’s cocky grin surfaced, Coal felt her knees grow weak and she placed one hand on the nearest stool to steady herself. Just another reminder of how dangerous being around Jay DiAngelo could be.
“So, hey!” Jay stepped back, the grin fading. “Are you here for dinner or a quick drink?”
Coal moved carefully around Jay, trying her best not to touch her again. “I needed something to eat so I came for one of their hamburgers. They’re the best in town, if you haven’t tried one. How about you?”
“I’m here with my cousin. After we left your place, we went to finish up another small job and got hungry. Would you like to join us? We have extra room at the table.”
“Thanks for the offer, but my order’s to go.” The offer was tempting, but she didn’t need any more temptation where Jay was concerned.
Jay shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans and began to rock back and forth on her heels. Coal didn’t know if Jay was aware of the nervous habit, but she liked the idea that she wasn’t the only one who felt a bit off balance when they were around each other. “Well, if you’d like to join us while you wait, Dino and I are sitting right over there.”