by Dean, Taylor
Yes, it was definitely going to be a very good summer.
Josh insisted that Bethany give Marisa some time alone to unpack and rest from her trip. Her bedroom was right next to Bethany’s and Joshua’s was just a few doors away. All together there were six bedrooms upstairs, all a fairly good size and each one had a connecting bathroom. Josh had gone all out with renovations.
“Why so many rooms?” Marisa asked.
“They’d planned on filling this house with children. Unfortunately, that has never happened. Each generation has only produced one son as heir to the ranch. My grandfather was the only one to have a daughter also. That would be Mary.”
“Looks like you have your work cut out for you,” Marisa teased.
“Are you volunteerin’ for the job?” Josh asked with a wicked gleam in his eye.
“What do you mean?” Marisa blurted before she could think straight.
“After all, you’re part of the family now and we are in need of an heir,” Josh explained and she felt silly for jumping to conclusions. For a moment there, she’d thought he’d meant him and her…
“I’ll see what I can do,” she shot back at him quickly to hide the fact that she suddenly felt flustered.
“I’m kiddin’. In this day and age a daughter can be the heir and no one will think twice about it.”
“Still, this house should be filled with children, with life,” she told him wistfully.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he told her with a wink and she knew she blushed. “Get some rest. I’ll see you at dinner.”
The walls in her room were painted a restful yellow, while the décor was navy blue and white, making it a cheerful space. She was sure she was too excited to rest, but to her surprise, she fell asleep as her head hit the pillow and didn’t awaken till it was only five minutes before the appointed time for dinner. She quickly changed her clothes, freshened up, and made it to dinner only a couple of minutes late.
Josh and Bethany were waiting patiently at the table for her arrival. Marisa was seated across from Josh, at the opposite head of the table, with Bethany to the left of her.
“Sorry, I overslept. Guess I was a lot more tired than I thought.”
“Traveling has a way of doing that. You’re right on time, we were just fixin’ to start,” Josh replied as Constance served dinner.
If they were fixin’ in California, they were making or repairing something. His manner of speech would take some getting used to.
Dinner was delicious—meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, homemade rolls, and warm brownies for dessert. Comfort food at its best. Marisa filled her roll with a little dollop of potato and a splash of gravy, eating it sandwich style. As she took a bite, she looked up to find Josh and Bethany had both gone completely still, watching her with incredulous expressions. “It’s good. Try it.”
Josh politely declined. People often called her “a quirky eater” and she didn’t try to hide it. As far as she was concerned, they didn’t know what they were missing. Because of her penchant for mixing different foods together, Mary always called her ‘the little chemist’ when she ate. She didn’t mind the nickname.
Marisa ate until she thought she would surely pop and then felt a little embarrassed at her gusto. She’d always had a large appetite. Most people were surprised by it and remarked on it. She must have good metabolism because she kept her slim figure. However, it seemed people loved to tell her that it wouldn’t last and that as she aged she would have to change her eating habits or get fat. She hated that comment with passion.
“Would you like more, Marisa?” Josh asked, but didn’t remark on her appetite, which she adored him for.
“No thanks, I’m stuffed.”
“Tomorrow I’ll show you around and get you acquainted with the surrounding area. There’s a lot for you and Bethany to do.”
“Mary says you saved the ranch. Is that true?” He’d only just turned twenty-eight years old and he’d turned the ranch into a million dollar enterprise. He was a genius.
“In essence,” he replied modestly. “My father let things slide in his later years and we were headed towards bankruptcy. He simply didn’t have a head for business. At the same time he could handle the workings of the ranch like no one else. I worked every job on the ranch; my father saw to that. From shoveling manure to branding cattle. He wanted me to know everything. It turned out to be one of the best things he could’ve done for me.”
“I’m impressed.” Amongst other things, like infatuated, enamored, smitten…
“Technically, Mary still owns half the ranch. She wants nothing to do with it—and has had nothing to do with it for years—but as far as I’m concerned, it’s still half hers. She won’t take any of the profits for herself. She refuses. But I’d never deny her anything.”
Yep, he’s perfect, no doubt about it.
The conversation faded as Marisa noticed Bethany picking at her food while she and Josh had spoken of boring adult stuff. She’d hardly eaten a thing. No wonder she was so thin. Josh seemed lost in thought. They sat at the table in silence. Marisa tapped her fingers on the table, hardly able to contain her excitement at being in Texas at Josh’s ranch. She looked from Bethany to Josh. They were having dinner together, but both seemed to be a little lost. Together, yet lonely.
“What do you usually do after dinner?” she asked.
“Bethany usually takes a bath and goes to bed. I always have paperwork to finish in my office which usually takes up most of the evening,” Josh told her.
Marisa looked outside. It was only six-thirty at night and it was summer. It would be light out until at least nine-o-clock. Completely ignoring Josh’s plan for the evening, she said, “Why don’t we play a game?”
Josh looked at her blankly. “A game?” he repeated.
“Yeah, a game. You do have some games, right?”
“I have some,” Bethany’s small voice chimed in.
“Go get ‘em,” Marisa told her enthusiastically. “C’mon, let’s go in the living room. We can sit by the fireplace and have a huge roaring fire.”
“It’s summer,” Josh said, stating the obvious.
“I know, but I’m freezing in this air conditioning,” Marisa expressed with a shiver. Josh seemed a little stunned and speechless as he continued to look at her blankly. Bethany came down with a stack of games and an unending smile, her earlier hesitation on the stairs forgotten. Josh followed them into the family room and started the fire. Marisa and Bethany set up Candyland on the rug next to the fireplace.
Josh said, “All right, one game. But then I have a pile of paperwork with my name on it waiting in my office.”
“Daddy’s playing too,” Bethany squealed with delight.
Soon they were all laughing at their fierce competition over who could win the most games of Candyland. Before they knew it, it was nine-o-clock at night and the fire was dying in the fireplace. Bethany let out a huge yawn as she climbed onto her dad’s lap and closed her eyes. Josh glanced at his watch in surprise.
“Guess we’d better get her to bed,” he said.
They climbed the stairs together and helped a very sleepy Bethany into her nightgown, which was pink, of course. Josh and Marisa sat on her bed, tucked her in, and watched her fall into a sound sleep within minutes. Josh took Marisa’s hand in his.
“Thank you for that, Marisa.”
“For what?” she whispered.
“For bringing life and laughter back into my home.”
They held each other’s gaze for much longer than necessary, making Marisa shiver—not from the air conditioning. “You’re welcome. I’ll see you in the morning,” she said softly and went to her room. As she brushed her teeth, her heart kept pounding at the memory of sitting shoulder to shoulder with Josh next to a roaring fire. He’d sat close to her all night, shoulders and arms touching, sending chills down her spine. Was it the game or sitting close together that kept him from his work? She didn’t know or care, but
she wanted more, much more.
It was several hours before she was able to get any sleep.
Joshua sat in his office brooding over the evening. Just this morning his life was decided upon. His life was the ranch and Bethany. He couldn’t ask a woman to stay at the ranch, it was far too isolated. He’d decided this a long time ago and had accepted his fate. He couldn’t watch any more women leave the ranch. It was just too painful. He wasn’t about to subject himself to any more heartache.
Women hate it at the ranch.
His dad’s words echoed in his mind, a warning bell. He knew he wasn’t going to heed his father’s oft repeated cautionary advice.
Here it was the evening of the same day and suddenly everything had changed for him. A solitary existence suddenly seemed like a death sentence. Why should he exile himself from love? It wasn’t till Marisa arrived that he realized how much he longed for companionship. He’d gone to the airport to pick up his aunt’s foster daughter, relieved that he would have someone to help him with Bethany. He felt great guilt over the time he couldn’t spend with her. He was completely taken aback at the sight of Marisa. He’d suddenly realized Mary hadn’t sent him a picture of her in at least six years. Even though he knew she was in her early twenties, he’d somehow pictured a young gangly teenager coming to help him. Instead, there stood the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes upon. Josh couldn’t help but notice the blond highlights and the glossy sheen in her straight, waist-length hair. There was something about the combination of brown hair and green eyes that he’d always found non-descript, but on Marisa he suddenly found the blend beyond gorgeous. Her skin held a naturally bronzed glow that made him want to skim his fingers over the surface, just to feel its softness. He’d always thought she was a pretty girl, judging from the pictures Mary had sent him on occasion, but he had to admit, he was overwhelmed by her beauty. It had taken him far too long to find his voice at the airport after meeting her for the first time.
If first impressions were anything to go by, he found her saucy and sweet, light-hearted and fun-loving, yet an intelligent, mature woman. A mixture of all the good things in life rolled into one. She knew how to be mature, but she knew how to have fun too. He found the combination strangely alluring. She certainly wasn’t afraid of letting her hair down and playing a game with Bethany while sitting on the floor. She’d kept them all together that evening playing, of all things, Candyland. Still, he hadn’t wanted the evening to end. She brought life and vitality to his home—something that was sadly missing. He felt a certain feeling of intense anticipation in his soul, like every day with her was about to get better and better. His heart raced and he actually felt a little nervous, even giddy. Being in close proximity to her all evening had felt so…good.
His thoughts had wandered to being alone with her next to the fire and taking her in his arms and kissing her. Not just a simple kiss either. Oh no. An all out, fully-on-top-of-her, tackled-her-to-the-ground, extremely passionate, not-coming-up-for-air-anytime-soon kiss.
He was on dangerous ground and he knew it. It wasn’t wise to hire someone closely related to family. It could create untold problems for him. Everyone knew that—Business 101.
There was an attraction between them, he couldn’t deny it. He’d felt it immediately at the airport. As her slender frame stood close to him and he’d looked down at her upturned face, those green eyes looking directly into his, he’d felt himself go speechless. That’d never happened to him before. When he’d hugged her and felt her arms tighten around him, he hadn’t wanted to let go. He suddenly felt like a teenager with his first crush. And yet, he couldn’t wait for tomorrow, if only to be with her and look upon her, listen to her laugh, and see her smile, look into her eyes, and touch her hands. He felt a little thunderstruck, he had to admit.
To hell with his father’s advice. He didn’t want to be alone anymore. He was foolish to think he could live like a monk. He wasn’t going to try.
He was in trouble, big trouble, and he knew it.
–3–
Marisa learned Bethany’s routine the next morning with the help of Constance. When Bethany woke, Marisa was to help her to dress, fix her hair, and clean her room. She was learning how to make her bed and Marisa thought she did a great job for a five-year old, but Constance was a bit of a perfectionist. Marisa caught on to that real quick.
Next they joined Josh for breakfast. Marisa felt a little flutter in her stomach—she couldn’t wait to see him again. He was already seated at the table by the time they arrived downstairs. She and Bethany were getting acquainted and therefore running a little slow.
He looked up with a warm smile, the newspaper spread out before him. His eyes immediately sought out hers. “Good morning.” He stood as Bethany gave him a big hug and kiss and he returned the favor. Marisa wondered if she could get away with doing the same, but decided not to give it a try.
“You look…rested, Marisa,” he said casually. Was it her imagination or did his comment imply that she looked good? Maybe that was wishful thinking.
He wore a short-sleeved, slim fitting, plaid button-up shirt, untucked, and unbuttoned at the neck, along with jeans that hugged his legs perfectly. The sight nearly made her dizzy.
“Thank you,” she answered politely, feeling sweat bead on her palms. In her entire life, her hands had never become moist with sweat. Not once. Get a grip, Marisa.
Constance served hot, homemade wheat bread along with a fresh fruit salad, hash browns, and eggs. Marisa never ate this much for breakfast, but she loved it all the same.
‘Would you like honey, butter, or molasses, Marisa?” Josh asked politely.
Marisa paused as she considered the all-important query. “Hmmmmm. Now, that’s a serious question,” she said aloud. “My initial instinct says all of them. But maybe I only want the taste of sweet, melted buttery goodness on my warm bread. Or maybe I only want the sticky yummy-ness of gooey honey. Or maybe I want the strong syrupy taste of molasses. I’m not sure. All together they might counteract each other and lose their individuality.”
Josh’s face remained blank until her words registered. Then he threw his head back and laughed, just a tad bit uproariously. “You are quite the character, Marisa,” he said. “All this time and I’ve never realized what an important, life-changin’ decision my bread topping is. Truly, I’ve missed the mark.” He continued to chuckle under his breath.
Since she really wasn’t a particularly funny person, she wasn’t sure what was quite so comical.
“Why don’t you live dangerously? Follow your instincts and use them all,” he added.
Marisa knew he was teasing her. But she was too distracted by his smile to care. It was a crime to look as good as he did first thing in the morning. And to be this cheerful.
Just then, Bethany unexpectedly joined the conversation. “I like cinnamon,” she said innocently. “It’s the best because it’s…spicy and good.”
Both Josh and Marisa burst out laughing this time, and Bethany smiled shyly at her ability to make adults laugh. She was an adorable child.
With a lull in the conversation, Josh glanced down at the newspaper.
“Any interesting news this morning?” Marisa queried.
“The usual. Lots of horrible things happenin’ in the world. It makes me wonder if there’s any happiness on the earth at all.”
“The news is often depressing, that’s for sure.”
“There’s a funny article about debate topics.”
“Bring it on, I love a good debate.”
“Do you really?”
“Yep. What is it?”
“Which is better on a date, a funny movie or a scary movie?”
“Funny,” Marisa said immediately.
“Scary,” Josh contradicted.
There was a moment of silence as they stared each other down, small smiles on their faces. “Go for it,” Marisa challenged.
“Are you serious?” he asked. The light in his eyes told her he wa
s stoked.
“Yes, convince me.” Then she added, “If you can.”
Josh scoffed. “All right, you’re on.” He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “When a guy goes on a date, he wants to get close to the girl. When the girl gets scared, she tends to cuddle up to the guy. Therefore a scary movie is the perfect date.”
“That’s such a ‘guy’ answer.”
“Well, I am a guy. Or are you goin’ to debate me on that?”
“No debate there,” she laughed. Are you kidding? He oozed testosterone. Marisa dove into their debate just as quickly as he had. “The purpose of a date is not just for physical affection. You also want to have a good experience with said date. A funny movie makes everyone happy and puts them in a good mood. The girl will now associate the guy with happiness. After a scary movie, the guy is going to be forever associated with creepy feelings. And she won’t want to go out with said guy again.”
“Wow, I didn’t know what I was dealin’ with,” Josh said with surprise. “You’re good.”
“Thanks,” she said cheekily. “Debate team in high school.”
“I think that gives you an unfair advantage.”
“If this is too hard for you, then I understand, Josh,” she said with a wicked smile.
“I’m only just getting started, Marisa.”
“Quit stalling, then.”
“When the girl becomes frightened at the scary movie, not only does she cuddle up to the boy, she looks upon him as her protector, her guardian of sorts. She will always look at him as the boy who made her feel safe.”
“First of all, I don’t date boys, I date men,” she stated primly. Josh guffawed loudly in response. “Secondly, in this day and age, we women don’t need a man to make us feel safe. And thirdly, you know what they say, laughter is the best medicine…”
“No clichés,” he declared.