“…You can tell us, man. Why Plain Jane?”
“You had to have lost a bet, Pierce.”
“Yep,” Grayson grunted.
And with that one word, Jane’s entire world shattered.
“You look like the four men of the apocalypse just rode into your yard?” Molly asked.
Jane glanced up into the very blue eyes of her friend. “You have no idea how right you are.”
A lot of years had passed since the sad truth was revealed, but her emotions were still raw when it came to Grayson. It didn’t matter how good-looking he was, nor did it matter that her insides turned to Jell-O when he looked her in the eye and smiled.
There was no way in hell she was going to let Grayson Pierce destroy her this time around!
8
“DAMN, IT’S COLD, JANE MUMBLED AS SHE stepped out of her Mazda 3. The shock of leaving her car and immersing herself in the chilly night was more like leaving a warm bath only to jump into a frozen pond. A shiver wriggled up her spine and she stuffed her hands deep into the pockets of her coat, using them to pull the warmth closer around her. It was the only barrier she had and by darn she was going to use it.
Another icy breeze blew, lifting the edge of her coat and licking up her body. The cold stung even through the denim that covered her legs. She stomped her feet to keep the blood flowing to her toes and clamped her teeth together to keep them from chattering.
It was the second week in December and, despite everything she kept telling herself about the boost this would give her career, she really did have better things to do. Christmas was right around the corner and she had yet to purchase a single gift. Not that she was overly concerned with that fact. She didn’t really do Christmas and there were a total of three names on her list.
In her opinion that was three names too many. She wasn’t a big fan of the holidays.
Sniffing and stomping, Jane continued to wait. She hated waiting. And it was totally rude that he would make her wait in the first place. Not that she should be surprised. She rubbed at her running nose with a gloved hand, thankful it wasn’t any colder or she might have to resort to sticking tissues up her nose to stop the flow.
The weather was fairly mild for this time of year. No snow on the ground, only remnants remained in the form of snow banks on the perimeter of the parking lot and around the light poles.
She kicked at some chunks of ice that had fallen from the mound of snow she’d parked next to. A snowball the size of a golf ball rolled down and Jane crushed it under her boot. The soft crunch was surprisingly satisfying. A small smile tipped her lips and she began to look around at all that had changed … and so much more that hadn’t.
The campus where she’d gone to school fifteen years ago was the same. The same buildings, the same black asphalt with faded yellow lines. Jane suspected it had been repaved in the time she’d been gone, not that it looked like it now. She guessed the trees were a little bigger.
The baseball field where Grayson had made a name for himself had gotten lights—that was new.
She stomped her feet again trying to shake some of the icicles out of her blood. Damn, she was pretty sure that she was going to turn into a Popsicle.
How long had she been standing here anyway?
She considered looking at her watch. But that meant exposing her wrist to the elements, and she wasn’t willing to do that. She’d been smarter if she had stayed in her car with the engine running. But she didn’t expect to have to wait for heaven-knew-how-long for Grayson to show up.
Maybe that was the joke. Maybe he wasn’t going to show up. He’d leave her freezing to death. Then at her funeral—after she’d been unthawed—Grayson and his friends would sit around and laugh about how pitiful Plain Jane was.
She was looking out over the football field when the crunch of tires on salt and roar of an engine signaled that someone had shown up. She tried to pretend that her heart hadn’t just skipped a beat or that the air hadn’t frozen in her lungs. So the latter could be the weather.
Yes, she couldn’t breathe because it was just too damn cold.
Intentionally keeping her back to him and acting as though she hadn’t heard the click as his door opened or the thud and crunch of his feet meeting the pavement.
“Janie?”
The deep rumble of his voice made her knees go weak. Not wanting to fall flat on her face, she locked her knees and straightened her spine. Which wasn’t too hard, since she was pretty stiff already.
“Who else would be standing here freezing her ass off, waiting for you to grace her with your presence?” She turned around to glare at him as he circled around the Jeep—one of the new four-door kind. Black, of course—to match his heart. “Never mind, don’t answer that.”
The grin that spread across his face made her even more grateful he didn’t begin listing the harem of women who might have eagerly been freezing their asses off.
He was heartbreakingly handsome, even in his fluffy black parka and black knit hat. His muscular legs were covered by jeans that disappeared into a pair of thick-soled winter boots. He had dark scruff that covered his entire jaw.
Jane would consider growing a beard too, if it meant keeping her face warm. She snuggled her chin down into the scarf she had wrapped around her neck.
“Hop in.” He opened up the passenger door and heat rolled out.
Jane could almost see the billows of warmth rushing out to embrace her. Her first instinct was to crawl inside and blast the heater until she melted all over his floorboards—and not in sexual need. Just literally unthawed, leaving nothing but a puddle behind. But then she glanced at her car and asked, “What about—”
“Trent’ll take care of it. You remember Trent?”
“Yeah.” She nodded, of course she remembered Trent. He’d been Grayson’s best friend. Apparently still was. Jane felt her eyes narrow in the suspicion she felt everywhere else. Trent hadn’t taken part in the antics that devastated Jane’s seventeen-year-old self, but Grayson had. And it wasn’t too far out of the realm of possibility that neither of them had grown up.
“He bought the mechanic’s shop. He’s got a tow truck,” Grayson explained.
“He’s gonna tow my car … where, exactly?”
“He’ll bring it up to my place later tonight.” He studied her face and apparently her apprehension was written all over it because Grayson used a long finger to draw a cross over his heart. “I promise, Jane. No games. No tricks.”
She still wasn’t convinced there wasn’t some hurtful ulterior motive behind this whole trip, but had gotten to the point where cold was seeping into her bloodstream. And she didn’t want to be cold anymore.
Reluctantly Jane climbed into the cab of the Jeep while Grayson popped the trunk of her car and pulled out her suitcase. She noticed that her laptop conspicuously didn’t make the leap.
As he settled into the driver’s seat and put on his seatbelt, she shifted toward him. “I’m … uh, I’m gonna need my computer … to take notes.”
He took hold of her hand and pressed a quick kiss to her knuckles. “I’ll give you a notebook and a pen … to take notes.”
Rocks and frozen debris exploded in an arc behind the rear tires as Grayson lay on the gas and maneuvered the Jeep out of the parking lot. There was only a slight fishtail before Grayson had complete control. He went down First North and turned right onto State Street, which was also US Highway 89, and headed south out of town.
Familiar locales flashed by—as much as they can flash when the vehicle is zooming at the break-neck speed of forty miles an hour. The smile that crept to her lips actually surprised her. Jane hadn’t realized she’d missed the sleepy little town, but she had. There were some really good memories attached to the place. The old drug store. The 5 and Dime. The drive-in—burgers, not movies.
“Before I go home, we have to go to the drive-in.” Her stomach grumbled at the thought of the greasy burger with a side of even greasier fries.
“You know, I’ve been all over the nation and have yet to find a better burger than right here at home. I won’t let you get out of here without having one, okay?”
“Okay.”
And just like that, they’d fallen into an easiness that scared her. Jane knew that the man sitting next to her had the power to break her heart all over again. She also knew that no matter how many times she warned herself, every time he looked at her and flashed that grin of his, she melted.
The scenery changed from businesses to circa early twentieth century homes that were only reminders of past generations to sagebrush—and the occasional cow. She recognized every square inch of the landscape but this wasn’t the way to the Pierce house.
But duh!—She caught the motion of her hand moving toward her forehead and was grateful it hadn’t made the connection. Her realizations needed to stay inside her head—of course he’d moved.
Mr. Pierce—she realized that she didn’t even know his first name—had died in a mine accident when Grayson was about five or so. After that Maude Pierce had raised her only son by herself. She’d done a fairly decent job. It wasn’t like Grayson ended up behind bars with a cellmate named Bubba. At least not yet. With the insane life he was leading, there was still time.
The house Grayson grew up in had been small, but well-maintained. The local church group saw to it that the Pierce’s received anything they needed. And the Boy Scout troop took turns keeping up with the yard until Grayson was old enough to do it himself. Then, though, his friends would show up to help him mow the grass, milk a cow or re-shingle the roof.
That had been a sight. The entire baseball team had shown up and eventually shucked their shirts, hammering away while the sun bathed their backs. Needless to say, Jane hadn’t been the only girl in the town to notice. Thankfully it hadn’t been Jane’s car that crashed that day. She smiled, remembering the dent in the big ol’ oak across the street.
“You okay?” Grayson asked from beside her.
The question startled her. Well, not the question itself, but the fact that he’d spoken. She was so lost in her thoughts that she’d forgotten this little rollercoaster-ride down memory lane had someone else with his arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times.
“Yeah. It’s just changed so much.” Which was a lie. The fields were the same; covered with patches of snow with rolling hills that eased from one pasture to the next. They’d left Salina and were heading toward the turn off for Aurora. “Where are we going?”
“My ranch is only a little further.”
“Your ranch?”
She didn’t expect him to have a ranch. A ginormous house with voluptuous maids, maybe—maids dressed in those little black and white outfits, complete with low necklines and obscenely short skirts, who bent over to pick up napkins and crap—but a ranch?
With her luck, it was like the Chicken Ranch in that musical with Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds. If one singing whore came down the front steps of his ranch, she was leaving. End of discussion!
“Do you have any chickens on your ranch?”
He shook his head, obviously missing the reference. “No. No chickens, but I do have twenty head of cattle and six horses—almost seven,” he said, his lips lifting in a proud smile. “Daisy is due to foal here any day. It should happen while you’re here. You ever help bring a life into this world?”
It wasn’t until her tonsils began to dry out that she realized her mouth was hanging open. “Uh … no.”
“No? Not even kittens or puppies?” He looked at her, she guessed he was surprised, but his face was hidden in shadows.
“Nope.”
“Well, then, I really do hope that I get to introduce that awesome experience to you.”
“Great.” She didn’t sound thrilled, she didn’t feel it either.
Her mind was suddenly bombarded with images of blood and birth and … ew! Her nose crinkled in disgust and she wondered if she could get out of Grayson’s idea of a great time.
The silence between them was only disturbed by the soft music playing on the radio. It had been years since she’d listened to country music. It was yet another part of her life she wanted to close the door on. But just like the familiar buildings, the country crooner made her feel nostalgic.
More than nostalgic, she realized. It was like she was home.
That made her pause.
She didn’t want to feel comfortable, not with Grayson sitting next to her looking like a million bucks and smelling even better. Not with the way her stomach fluttered and her heart hammered. And she certainly didn’t want to feel like she’d come home.
Her condo was home. KHB was home. Salina, Utah was not home.
“It’s okay if you’re not interested, Janie. But it is something I’d love to share with you. I have a lot I want to share with you.”
Yeah, right! was her first thought, quickly followed by and I want to share it all with you.
They pulled off the main highway and bumped along a dirt road, filled with mud and car-eating potholes. A few miles later revealed a gate with a large P amongst the wrought iron deer and elk. Grayson pushed a button on what looked like a garage door opener clipped on his visor and the gate slowly swung open.
“I’m gonna guess this is your ranch?”
“This is the west end of it, yes.” He accelerated to ease the Jeep through the open gate, and then waited on the other side until it was completely closed again. A few cows came to greet them, mooing a happy greeting. “It’s dinner time,” he said.
She watched as the bovine sea parted only to move in behind and follow them as they drove over the cinder covered road. Even though it was freezing outside, Jane couldn’t resist rolling down the window to touch the rump of a heifer that was walking right alongside. The cow didn’t react, except to turn her head and moo.
“They’re pretty comfortable around people,” Jane noted.
“Yeah, they see a lot of me.”
She felt her brows crinkle and she turned in her seat to look at him. “But how can … I thought you were on the road a lot.”
“Yeah … well, I am.” His fists had tightened on the wheel and the muscles in his jaw jumped and he very blatantly didn’t look back at her. “If it’s okay, we’ll go to the barn first.”
Okay, so obviously he didn’t want to talk about going on the road. Which meant she did—really bad! What was he hiding? The question was going to drive her crazy. The time to ask her questions would come though, that much he’d promised as his end of the deal. She would bide her time and bite her tongue. For a few days anyway.
A fork appeared in the road. Off to the left was a roofline that was decked out in Christmas lights which twinkled all bright and cheery in the darkness. Jane couldn’t see the whole house because of the low rolling hills and wondered if more ‘Joy to the World’ would greet her when she could.
Grayson took the right fork and in a matter of seconds another roofline appeared, followed quickly by an entire building. The barn. It was big and red with a black, shingled roof—white x’s over the doors and all.
Grayson stopped in front of said doors. “You can wait here if you’d rather.”
“That’s okay. I’d like to help.” Help? Where the hell had that come from? She wasn’t a cowgirl. Never had been, even when she’d done 4-H and had taken care of a lamb.
Grayson smiled at her and got out. As she stepped out, she slipped on some ice. A gasp—and yes, a squeal—escaped and she grasped for anything to keep from meeting the ground in what was sure to be an inelegant display. Her hands fisted into the soft down of Grayson’s parka and his strong arms wrapped under her armpits, pulling her against him.
His breath formed little white puffs that mingled with hers. He held her close and she let him, basking in his warmth, in his strength, in him. It felt good to stand so close to Grayson. Too damned good.
In that moment, it was as if time stood still. Neither of them moved. Surely she imagined that Grayson’s eyes had darkened
, that his lids dropped dreamily. And he wasn’t even now leaning close. He definitely wasn’t going to kiss her.
Except that he was.
And she was going to let him.
Her own eyes drifted closed and she tipped her chin to give him easier access to her lips. Wrapped in his arms she was heated from the inside out and as his mouth touched hers she darn near burst into flames. His lips were warm and soft and firm—and everything she’d ever imagined.
His hold tightened and she slipped her hands up around his neck, sliding her fingers into the short wisps of hair that weren’t covered by his knit cap. Every part of him scorched her. She couldn’t get close enough, and the way he held her against him implied he felt the same.
Another quick brush of his lips across hers, then a kiss pressed to each cheek and the tip of her nose brought an end to the intimacy, although the moment still sparked with desire. He rested his forehead against hers and his breath sawed from his lungs. The heat of his breath and the cold of the night made the action visible, puffs forming in quick succession. Jane liked seeing that he was as affected by their kiss as she was.
“Oh Janie, I’ve wanted to do that for a long, long time.” His thumb stroked over her cheek. “I love your freckles. Always have.”
As cold as she was his words iced her to the bone. Always have. Always…
“Don’t.” She pulled away, almost jerking herself out of his hold. The last thing she wanted was for Grayson to pretend that there was more between them than there was. He had the gall to pale a little under his cold-reddened cheeks. She put her hands on her hips and glowered at him. “You promised no games.”
“You’re right, I did.”
He backed another step away from her and even though she’d pushed him away she felt his retreat with a sting that made her heart sink and her eyes burn. She was grateful when he turned his back to her and walked into the barn seconds before her feelings leaked out of her eyes and tumbled in streaks down her face.
Rubbing the sleeve of her coat over her freckled cheeks, Jane followed Grayson knowing that there was little hope of leaving this week with her heart in one piece.
In It to Win It Page 9