by L. T. Marie
“No.” her mom shrugged. “I just thought you’d be interested is all.”
The topic was beginning to agitate Coal, and she needed to do something with her hands. When she couldn’t get the shovel back from her mother, she reached for a pitchfork and started shoveling hay. “What makes you think that? I mean seriously, Mom. You already know how Daddy is going to vote. And the court has six conservative judges on it. Do you really think the issue has a chance?”
“Actually, I do,” her mother said with a sense of confidence that made Coal see her mom for the first time in a very different light. “Think about it. If it didn’t, it wouldn’t have made it all the way to the Supreme Court.”
“Do you really think so?” Coal fervently hoped her mom felt that way, not just for the issue itself, but because it would make her feel a sense of acceptance from one of her family members. “Because it would mean so much to a lot of people.”
“Yes, dear, I do. But that’s not the reason why I’m here. Jay asked if you have any new instructions for me to give to them before they leave for the day?”
The mention of Jay’s name brought Coal’s pitchfork to an abrupt halt. “Yeah. Tell her…” Tell her she’s driving me crazy! “Oh, never mind. I have to go up to the house so I’ll tell her myself.”
“Are you sure?”
There was a loaded question. She wasn’t sure about anything anymore, but she couldn’t keep ignoring her responsibilities. They needed to talk and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Chapter Ten
For the third time in the past few minutes, Jay measured the opening for the new double mahogany French doors that would open up onto Coal’s master bedroom deck. Rechecking her work was essential since making mistakes on special order items could potentially prolong a job and cost her cousin for the error. After the morning she’d had, she’d triple-checked all her work because her focus kept waning since she and Coal had shared that mouth-watering kiss. She wondered what Coal was doing right now—wondered if she was angry at all with her considering she could have stopped the kiss but hadn’t wanted to.
She could never recall meeting a woman that made her want so much. Had never met anyone who consumed her thoughts so completely. But she’d learned long ago that want came with a price. That painful lesson was schooled into her the hard way after years of wishing her mother would return, only to be disappointed when birthdays and holidays came and went with no word from her. The more she thought about Coal and her world, the more she realized that Coal Davis was a luxury she couldn’t afford. The sooner she got that concept through her thick skull the better off she’d be.
Sweat trickled into her eyes, and she used a bandana to wipe it away. She’d given up on finding her hat hours ago. The temperatures were in the low nineties, and every time she stepped out into the heat, she could feel her skin suffering from the lack of coverage.
“Looking for this?”
Jay glanced over her shoulder to find Coal standing directly behind her, holding her black baseball cap at arm’s length. She took the cap and placed it on her head. “All morning. Where did you find it?” She drove another nail into the frame, all the while keeping her eyes glued to Coal.
“Over there by the toolbox. I was trying to figure out why you weren’t wearing it since you’re starting to resemble a lobster out of water.”
“You saying you care about me?”
“I didn’t say that,” Coal said with a hint of defiance in her voice. “But if you want to risk skin cancer go ahead.”
“Well, I think you do.” All Jay could do was stare at those incredible kissable lips. Was she playing with fire? Probably. But for Coal, she’d gladly burn.
“Jay, we should talk.”
“Uh oh.”
She placed her hammer back into her tool belt bracing for a brush-off. The only time she ever heard that tone was when she didn’t measure up to someone’s expectations or she pissed someone off. The last time was with Dino at the restaurant when he attempted to school her on all the reasons to stay away from Coal. The time before that, it was her father. She pushed that unwanted thought to the back of her mind.
“Jay, relax. I just thought we should talk about this morning.”
“What about it?” She knew she sounded defensive, because she was.
“Well, for one, I kissed you and I wanted to apologize.”
“No harm no foul. Besides, I’m totally cool with it.”
“Really?
Coal crossed her arms over her chest. The defensive posture nearly made Jay laugh. Coal was even sexy when she was mad.
“You might be fine with it, but what is Shiloh going to think?”
“Shiloh?” Jay considered the question. “Why would she care?”
It occurred to Jay that Coal might have the wrong impression of her roommate. She smiled. Was Coal jealous?
“I’m glad you think this is funny.”
“Coal,” Jay said softly. She stepped closer. “Shiloh is my roommate. Nothing more.”
“Roommate?”
“Yeah, as in she rents out one room and I rent the other.”
“Oh, well…” Coal began to back up toward the entrance to the master bedroom, blindly searching for the doorframe behind her. “That’s uh…great. She’s nice. See you later.”
Jay couldn’t take her eyes off of Coal’s retreating form as she pulled out her hammer to continue with her work. The blush that had stole across Coal’s face had been adorable and she was so busy looking at the way Coal’s hips swayed when she walked out, she missed the next nail she planned to hit altogether and smashed her knuckle instead.
“Ow, shit!” she said with a grimace and dropped the hammer to the floor.
Coal ran through the doorway as Jay cradled her left hand against her chest. Dino was not far behind and stared at Jay in what could only be disbelief. “Seriously, Cuz? I’m going to have to take out hazard pay if you keep this up.”
Jay gritted her teeth as if that would stop the throbbing. This strike was much worse than the last two times she’d hit her hand. The previous mishaps had caught her thumb. This time, since her concentration had been elsewhere, she hit the back of her hand and was sure she’d broken it.
“Dino, take a quick drive up to my mom’s house and ask her for some ice. I’ll wait here with her,” Coal said urgently, leaving no room for him to argue.
“I’m on it.”
Dino disappeared as Coal gently placed her arm around Jay’s waist and guided her onto the floor where she knelt between her outstretched legs.
“Jay, honey, you’ve got to let me see it,” Coal said.
Maybe it was the way Coal called her honey or the way Coal seemed to appraise her with such intensity that made Jay want to give her whatever she wanted. No matter the reason, she unfolded her hand, noting the obvious discoloration and swelling.
She set her teeth against the pain when Coal rotated her hand between both of her own. She couldn’t afford for it to be broken and actually let out a sigh of relief when Coal asked her to make a fist and she complied.
“How does it feel?”
Jay heard the question but was too overcome with the gentle way Coal was appraising her to form words. What also wasn’t helping were the fantasies she was having of Coal kneeling between her legs. “Like I hit it with a hammer.”
“Smartass. Stop dodging the question.” Coal placed her palm on Jay’s face and moved a sweat-soaked strand of hair away from her eyes.
“I don’t think it’s broken,” Jay said. She could feel Coal’s touch all the way to her core. “Probably be fine in a day or two.”
“Oh, so you’re a doctor now? Because unless you have an x-ray machine outside with the rest of your tools, I don’t see how you could possibly know that.”
“Coal, I’ll be fine. Promise,” Jay whispered huskily. As she locked onto Coal’s eyes, they became as black as the sea at night. The longer their gazes held, the more the black became hazy, fathomless.
She knew that look. This color gave away Coal’s wants. Her desires. And it was directed at her. I know where you got your name.
“Are you sure? It looks like it hurts.” Coal dropped her gaze to Jay’s lips. She scooted closer and Jay gripped the floor beneath her fingers. If Coal moved another inch, her knees would press against Jay’s center. If that happened, Jay’s head and other body parts would surely explode.
“It does, but I’ve done worse. Look, I want to apologize for not being clear yesterday about Shiloh. I’m sorry if you had the impression—”
Jay looked up when she heard the front door slam and footsteps pounding up the stairs. Coal shot to her feet just as Dino burst through the bedroom door.
“Here’s that ice,” he said and handed a bag to her wrapped in a towel. “How’s the hand?”
“Better, thanks for getting this.” She placed the bag over the back of her hand and closed her eyes in an effort to center herself. She had to fight back both the pain in her hand and the swirl of arousal that Coal’s presence invoked. “Just give me a few minutes and I should be good to go.”
“Good to go?” Coal said incredulously. “You better mean good to go to the hospital because you can’t work until you have that checked.”
“I can take you now if you want to go, Cuz,” Dino said. If he was surprised by Coal’s outburst, he didn’t show it.
“Hell no! We aren’t going to the hospital. Look, it works.” She gingerly opened and closed her hand then braced her good hand against the wall and pushed to her feet. She bent forward to pick up the hammer with her uninjured hand and tried to hold a nail in place but swore as it fell from her grip.
“Dino, could you give us a moment please?” The question sounded more like an order.
“I’ll be out front if you change your mind, Jay,” Dino said and disappeared down the steps. Jay reached into her tool belt for another nail and dropped that one too.
“Damn, I know mules that aren’t this stubborn!” Coal swiped the hammer from Jay and held it behind her body. “You’re done here today. Now please, go get that hand examined.”
“I told you, I’m fine. This kind of stuff happens all the time.”
“You’re not fine,” Coal said softly and placed her hand in the center of Jay’s chest. “You’re hurt. Please, Jay. For me.”
Jay sighed in defeat. She focused on her boots, ashamed for what she was about to confess. Partly because it was true, but partly because she didn’t think someone with Coal’s upbringing would be able to understand the gravity of her situation. “It’s not that easy. What if it’s broken? Then what? They put me in a cast and I can’t work for what…six weeks? I can’t afford not to work. So I’d rather not go.”
“Hey.” Coal reached out and placed her hand on Jay’s jaw. “Look at me.”
Jay fell into Coal’s steady gaze and forgot about the pain. Forgot about everything. “It’s hard to look anywhere else when you’re in the room.”
“Do other women fall for that line?”
“Sometimes.” Jay groaned as Coal ran her thumb across her lower lip. “Look, I’m sorry, for pushing. I didn’t realize.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Jay said. She could feel the soft touch deep in her belly. “How would you know?”
Coal stepped back, dropping her hand to her side. Her gaze became flat, unreadable. “Just promise me, you’ll be careful. Okay?”
Feeling the growing distance between them once again, Jay said softly, “You have my word.”
*
How would you know?
The words echoed in Coal’s skull as she pushed her way into the barn. She’d heard what Jay had said but knew what she’d meant. How could someone like you understand?
She had nearly offered help, even thought about paying for Jay’s hospital visit. But after Jay’s comment and watching her try to work while injured, she knew Jay would never accept any type of help out of stubborn pride. And Jay was stubborn. And tough. And so downright annoyingly sexy it made her heart hurt knowing that Jay couldn’t look to her for comfort.
She’d never taken the time to consider how something as common as an injury could have such an impact on someone’s livelihood. Of course, she’d witnessed people’s struggles in the past. Had spent a lot of summers watching kids with crippling injuries and life-threatening diseases ride those horses on her grandfather’s ranch. In some cases, she even saw the light return to those that knew their world would soon end in darkness. And it stung to know that Jay thought that her social status meant she couldn’t sympathize with her in any way.
As the day trudged on, she fought with the deep desire to go check on Jay. She would have done anything to take away her pain. But she also couldn’t keep denying she wanted her. And if she had to witness Jay in another unguarded moment, her control would crack. Deciding a ride on Dax would help with her pent-up frustration, she saddled her horse and headed into the hills. The rush of adrenaline and the wind in her face always made her feel as though she had some sort of control over her life. An hour later, they returned, and she pulled out the hose to wash away the large clumps of mud that masked Dax’s dark chocolate hair. In the quiet of his stall, she began talking to him like she’d done a thousand times before.
“I just don’t get her, boy. She’s driving me crazy!”
Dax let out a snort that made her laugh.
“Why can’t I stop thinking about her? Oh, and did I tell you I kissed her in my sleep?”
Dax snorted again, pushing his nose into her side. He pulled a gum wrapper from her pocket that she immediately swiped from him. “I don’t have any carrots, so stop! Anyway, this is about me, so pay attention. I kissed her, and honestly, I can’t think of anything but kissing her again.”
Dax stomped his foot and bobbed his head like he agreed.
“Of course it was fantastic, but yesterday I saw her with this knockout blonde and found out that they live together. And then that kiss….” Coal groaned like she was in pain, the good kind of pain that caused a certain body part to swell and throb with the intense need for release. “Jay said they’re roommates, but they look like so much more. I’m so fucking confused.”
Dax let out a high-pitched whine and knocked Coal’s hat off her head.
“Thanks a lot.” She picked up her hat and swatted him with it. “Was that your way of agreeing with me?”
Dax bobbed his head again.
“Very funny, smart ass. But the weird thing is, I was a little jealous. How could that be? I barely know her. Ugh…see…crazy!”
Dax made another snorting sound that sounded a lot like a cough.
“Okay, you’re right. I was a lot jealous. And now I know they’re not an item, so what do I do?”
Jay had been eavesdropping outside Dax’s stall, her heart soaring with Coal’s revelation. She didn’t want to let on that she’d been listening so she backed up a few steps and made sure to drag her boots along the dirt path to make her presence known. With a heavy knock, she pushed open the stall door to find Coal and her horse covered in mud from head to toe. The sight was beautiful and strangely erotic.
“Hey.” Coal laid the hose by her feet. “Is everything okay?”
“Actually, no. Can I speak with you for a sec?”
“What is it?” Coal moved to her side and picked up Jay’s hand, cradling it between her own to inspect it. “Is it your hand?”
“No.” She took a deep breath and steadied herself for what she was about to say. She’d been practicing for the past half hour hoping it would be adequate. “I came to apologize for earlier. I didn’t mean to snap at you. My problems are not your concern, and I’m sorry if it felt like I took out my frustrations on you.”
“Please don’t apologize,” Coal whispered and moved closer. “I was worried about you. And I was out of line.” She rubbed her thumb over the back of Jay’s hand. Jay groaned. “Hurt?”
“Christ no. Don’t you know by now that when you touch me—” Jay swallow
ed her next words, afraid that everything she had wanted to say since they met would come pouring out. She wanted to tell Coal that she was all she thought about. That when Coal touched her she forgot about all the reasons why getting close to her on any level was a bad idea.
“When I touch you…what?”
“I feel everything. All at once. Everywhere.”
“Well then, how does this feel?” Coal asked before brushing a kiss over Jay’s injured hand.
“It’s still a bit sore,” Jay said thickly.
“It’s a good thing then that I have something a lot better than ice.”
“You do, huh?”
“Oh, yes.”
Forgetting that Coal was a warning sign she should heed at all cost, Jay leaned forward intent on brushing a kiss across Coal’s lips when she heard heavy footsteps approach. They both quickly retreated to opposite sides of Dax’s stall just as the barn doors swung open admitting Coal’s father who was being shadowed by a taller man who looked as though he had recently stepped out of an issue of GQ.
“There you are, Coal,” Thomas said, although his laser gaze was focused on Jay. “We meet again.”
“Nice to see you, sir,” she said, although her sights still hadn’t left the younger man who was staring at Coal as if he were a cat ready to pounce on his next meal.
“How’s the house coming?” Thomas asked.
“We’re right on schedule.”
“Good to hear. Let me introduce you to Jefferson Sutter. A friend of Coal’s.”
Jay didn’t care for the inflection of the word “friend.” Instead, the word preppy came to mind as she studied the tall blond with his perfectly coiffed hair and not a wrinkle in his clothes. His Italian loafers probably cost more than she made in a week, and to make matters worse, he had placed his hand casually on Coal’s shoulder as if it was something he’d become accustomed to.
“Dad, what’s this about?” Coal sounded about as annoyed as Jay felt, but she made no move to back away from Jefferson.
“Jefferson just relayed to me that during the Fourth of July party, you were gracious enough to offer to take him out on the town. We came to find you since he’s free tonight.”