Heartbreak's Reward (Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight Book 2)

by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

  “I haven’t heard anything different so I assume so. I’d appreciate a lift over there.” Brenna laid her hand on his arm. “I’m excited to see it.”

  “I hope it works out for you, girl.” They pulled into the parking lot and Jase eased into a spot midway to the door. “Do you want me to come in with you…you know, help dry your back so we’re even?” Crimminy, I have to get home.

  Brenna chuckled. “I have it under control.” She unhooked the seatbelt, lifted the console, and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “We’re even, but in reality, I still owe you.” She opened the door and he got out, meeting her behind his truck.

  “How do you figure you owe me? We’re even as you said. Call it done.” Jase slipped his arm around her shoulder and brought her close. “Have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow about ten past six.” He hugged her tight before releasing her, but he wanted to kiss her again…and again. And again.

  “See you, Jase. Thanks for the drenching. I enjoyed every minute.” She headed in, but came back. “Do me a favor?”

  “Anything.”

  “Get your keys and walk in with me. This is embarrassing to go in alone. Cover my back, please.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Jase went to his side and grabbed his keys and a flannel shirt out of the back seat. “Here, it’s dirty, but it’ll cover most of the wet.” He waited while she put it on. “It looks great on you.” He’d like to see her in nothing more than that flannel shirt. Shake it off, cowboy. “I’ll go with you to your floor, but I have to get to work after.”

  Brenna put her arm around his waist and they walked inside together. He kissed her on the cheek in the elevator and she held him. It was a good feeling. When the door opened, he winked and said so long.

  Outside on the way to his truck, he peered over his shoulder and glanced up toward the third floor. He was shaken, overtaken by a frisson unbeknownst to him for months now, an emotion dragging out from the place he had it hidden. He wanted to welcome it, give it permission to remain, but he wasn’t ready to lock the door to keep it from running back yet. Time would tell.

  Chapter 7

  Brenna made her way down to the lobby at six o’clock, surprised to see Jase’s truck sitting in a parking spot beside her car. She walked out the front door. The tinted window rolled down and she laid eyes on his oh-so-handsome face. His eyes sparked when he smiled that way. She blew out a big breath before walking over there.

  He jumped out and waited for her. “Hi, Brenna.” Trying her best not to notice, his gaze swept over her. That sexy look on his face was irresistible.

  Jase slid his hand to the small of her back and escorted her to the other side of his truck. “Shall we go?” He opened the passenger side.

  She hiked her leg up there. “How are you today?”

  “I’m okay. One of those days.” He pointed toward the mountains and turned into a circle. “Hey, darlin’ check out these mountains and desert. Sometimes I go into both of them. You should try it sometime.” He handed her the seatbelt. “It’s a lot of fun.” Glancing over to her car, he said, “Well, I wouldn’t try it in that ‘stang.”

  She watched him walk round the front looking as good as any man had a right too. He might have invented that right. Darlin’? A real-life cowboy called her…darlin’. “Not in a good mood?” she asked when he got in.

  Jase faced her. “Sort of, I don’t know.” His voice was barely audible. He rested his arm over the console and gripped the edge. “Sometimes I forget how to act around a pretty woman. It’s been too long.”

  “Act natural, Jase. Don’t worry about anything else.” Brenna laid her hand over his arm, watching as his gaze went right there. She didn’t move her hand, and when he lifted his eyes, there was something she’d like to see more often. A longing, need, and it made her curious to know his story. She broke eye contact with him and looked out the front window. “Do we have far to go?”

  “About twenty miles.” He glanced over her way. “Hey, did you have dinner?”

  She smiled. “No, I…not yet. I thought I’d wait until I got back.”

  “Well, let’s get something to eat afterwards.” Jase shrugged. “I mean…would you like to get something when we leave Nora’s? It’s been a while since I had lunch.”

  She was sure he needed a lot of calories to keep those muscles strong. Dinner sounded like a plan, and a surprise. “We can get dinner. It’s boring sitting in my hotel.” She squeezed his arm. “It’d be nice.”

  Jase turned to her when he stopped at a light before getting onto U.S. 60. He didn’t say anything only stared into her face, lifting his eyes to hers until the light turned green and the car behind tapped the horn. “What sounds good for dinner? I’m up for anything.”

  “I could use some suggestions on what is around here. I mean, it’s not that big of a town. I have no idea what they have other than the couple places you’ve taken me. Fast food?”

  “We’re not having fast food, Brenna. This man needs more.” He glanced back and gave a cockeyed grin. “Not this time anyway.”

  “How about you choose this time?”

  “No problem. I was hoping you’d say that.” He turned to her, a quick glance before focusing back on the road. “I told my niece about you. All I have to say is be prepared for that little one.”

  “Nora must be so proud to have such a smart daughter.” Another stupid statement. Of course she’d be proud. All of a sudden, again, she lost her sense of smart.

  Jase hit the gas and passed a slow moving vehicle. “Nora isn’t her real mom. Destiny doesn’t remember her mom.”

  Brenna gasped. “Oh, no, how awful.”

  “It’s a very long story and not my place to tell it. She’s a happy little girl though. My brother’s a great dad.”

  “Aw, a bittersweet story. You’re a great dad, too, I can tell.” Now she’d learned a little of his brother’s story, but she still had no idea about him. By what he said last night about missing his kids, his story had to be sad, too. “Jase?”

  He lifted his chin in acknowledgement and checked his rear-view mirror.

  “Where are your kids?” Was she out of line with that question? “I’m sorry, not trying to be nosy, just curious.”

  “Brenna…I can’t talk about it right now. Don’t be offended, I’m not trying to keep secrets.” He reached for his phone and scrolled through, handing it over to her. “This is my son and daughter.”

  Brenna studied their faces. His son looked so much like him with lighter hair, and his little girl was a cutie. She resembled her daddy, even with eyes a different color than his. “They’re adorable. Your pain must be awful.” She choked back a big gulp. Because of her own pain, she understood. “Please let me ask one question?”

  He removed his hat and reached to the back of his head, smoothing his hair down. “Go ahead, but I won’t guarantee an answer.”

  “Your kids are…with their mom, right? Oh, dear, God, I’m sorry for asking a question like that.”

  “Somewhere on this planet…I just don’t know where.” He pointed ahead. “We’re almost there. Do you like to play golf? You’ll be surrounded by a huge golf course if you take this townhouse.”

  “The only golf I’ve ever played has been just for fun, and to get out for a day with some of my teacher friends. Nothing serious.” Brenna chuckled. “Or good! Not my best sport.”

  “Hey, how about steak? I don’t eat that much of it, but it sounds good for tonight. Unless you’d prefer something a little lighter.”

  “Sounds delicious. Making me hungry now, too.” She smiled inside over the fact Jase suggested dinner. Three nights in a row with him sounded like a good plan. She kept waiting for his attitude to return. No one ever said she backed down from a good go-round. The debate team in college loved her.

  “Here’s the golf course. Pay attention to where we’re going now. We’re a little early, but I’m sure Nora won’t mind.”

  “Has she lived here a long time, I mean at the townhouse?”r />
  “Nope, Nora hasn’t lived here long. Once she met my brother that was it. Neither one of them can think straight when they’re apart from each other.”

  “Aw, how sweet.” It kind of reminded Brenna of the romance novels she used to love reading.

  “You’re a romantic,” said Jase. “Sounds like my brother might be a tough act for me to follow.”

  “Remember what I said about twenty miles back…act natural? Be Jase Carlson. I meant to ask, is your name Jason?”

  “Nope. Plain old Jase. Some people call me J.C., although don’t ever confuse that by calling me Jas-ccc. Plain Jase works.” He pointed ahead. “We’re going right here. The place has a lot of amenities, too. Nora was happy here. Probably happier when my little brother was with her.”

  “That’s not very nice. You can’t blame people for being in love.” She glanced upward. A rail wrapped around the top of the building. “It looks like something on the rooftop.”

  “I blame love on everything, including broken hearts.” Jase took a big breath and took his time blowing it out. He glanced to the roof. “There’s a patio up there. Nice in the fall and winter. Not now. But I’m happy for them. He’s been through his own kind of hell.”

  “And you?” Brenna knew she got close to crossing a line by being so inquisitive. In truth, she’d like to know more about this man.

  “Nothing about me, Brenna.” He shifted out of gear, rested his elbow on the console, and leaned closer. “If you’re ready, let’s get inside.”

  Jase opened his door and waited in the front of his truck for her. They walked up to the front door and Destiny swung it open.

  “Hi, Uncle Jase!” She wrapped her arms around his legs and he picked her up. “Hello there, sweetie pie. Nice to see you here.”

  “Daddy’s comin’ later.”

  Nora appeared at the door and took hold of Jase’s hand. “Much later, honey,” she said to Destiny. Turning back, she motioned her hand inside. “Come in.”

  Jase introduced Nora and Destiny to Brenna.

  “Please have a seat in the living room,” said Nora. “You can see there isn’t a lot to the place, but what’s here is pleasant. I enjoyed it.” She led them into the living room and turned. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Got any beer in there?” asked Jase.

  “No thank you,” said Brenna. She admired Nora’s coppery red hair. Her blue eyes were friendly. She rocked the business casual type of attire she wore, portraying a woman with confidence.

  “Jase, we’re all out of beer. I don’t keep much here now.”

  “Okay,” he said, “I don’t need anything.”

  Brenna turned to the little girl. So cute. Pretty blonde hair, long, full of waves and soft curls. Her eyes were the lightest of blue, large and round. They almost matched Nora’s and if she didn’t know better, she’d think they were mother and daughter. “So you’re the one who might be in my class this year. That’s exciting.”

  “My uncle told me your name.”

  Brenna glanced at Jase. “Oh, he did, huh? What did your uncle say about my name?”

  “Nothing,” she said, dropping to the floor. She turned back, snickered at her uncle, and rummaged through her backpack.

  “Des,” said Jase. “Remember we had a talk?”

  She tossed herself to the sofa and started laughing. “Yep, sir.”

  “Well, Brenna,” said Nora, “If you’d like to see the rest of the place, follow me for the grand tour. Once our little one gets the giggles it might go on for a while.”

  “Uh, uh,’ said Destiny burying her face into a pillow on the light colored sofa.

  Brenna stood and nodded. “Looking forward to it. This is thrilling to think of maybe finding a place so soon.” Brenna turned toward Jase to see if he was about to follow, but he remained on the sofa. She took a look out the front window on the way to the stairway. “Nice view of the desert landscape.” Nothing green and lush like she knew, but maybe something she’d get used to.

  “I’ll wait here with Destiny.” He continued to stare at her when she turned back from the window.

  Brenna followed Nora toward the stairway. “Do you know if they have an age minimum here? A teenager will be living with me.”

  “I’ll double check to be sure. We do have Destiny here with us and no one ever said anything. I’ll call Mrs. Reece after you look around.”

  “Thanks so much.” Brenna glanced back at Jase on her way up the stairway and he still watched her as he teased his niece. He almost looked content.

  A loft sat at the top of the stairs. A great size and ideas already flowed through her mind. It’d be a great place for Chloe to have privacy, or a media room. One side was a railing overlooking the living room and the floor to ceiling windows. Next, Nora showed her a huge master bedroom, explaining the townhouse had two master bedrooms and baths—this one upstairs and one down.

  “Perfect for us!” said Brenna

  “Come on, I’ll show you the rooftop patio. It’ll be hotter than an oven right now though. I loved it up there earlier in the year.”

  “Jase said fall and winter are the best times. It’ll take me time to get used to this kind of heat.”

  “Where are you from?” asked Nora, pointing out the master bath on the way out of the bedroom.

  “Oh, the Midwest—Iowa City, Iowa. Lived there all my life. Sure, we have hot summers, but not like you get here.”

  “I have to get used to it again, too. As you can tell, the heat is going to be difficult for me this summer. I’ve been gone from Canyon Junction for a long time and recently moved back, met Tristan…and well…” Nora chuckled.

  “It’s sweet. And the little one is adorable.” They stood in the loft at the railing overlooking the downstairs, and Brenna glanced down into the living room. She lowered her voice. “Looks like Jase has fun with his niece.”

  “She loves her uncle.” Nora peered over the railing, and spoke low. “He misses his kids something terrible. If only his ex-wife would contact him.”

  Brenna had a hard time removing her eyes from him as he played with Destiny at the same time he flipped channels on the TV. A fluttering in her stomach caught her off guard. She moved away, following Nora up more stairs and onto the rooftop.

  “It is dreadfully hot.” Brenna turned in a full circle taking in the view.

  Nora moved toward the railing. “You look like me the first time I came up here. Impressive at sunset…and sunrise, too. At the ranch the mountain is right there, although it looks much closer than it is.”

  Brenna had already decided to accept the townhouse. Perfect for what she needed. She stood beside Nora at the rail, looking over the city in the distance. “This place is what I need.”

  Nora turned to her. “Great. I’m happy to hear you like it.” She placed her hand on Brenna’s. “Let’s go inside and discuss it. I’ll call Mrs. Reece before we go any further. You can go on down and look at the other master bedroom while I use the phone in my office. It’s left of the stairs, and there’s another small bathroom off the hallway.”

  “I’ll take a look. Oh, I hope it works out.” Brenna continued downstairs to check out the other bedroom and both bathrooms. She came back to the living room and took a seat on the sofa next to Jase. Sitting beside him was like a natural thing to do. “I’m sorry for taking so long, I know you’re hungry.” She observed the size of the room. What she had in furniture might not fill up the place, but she’d get what she needed later. The open floor plan was something she liked, with all the rooms viewable from each other. As long as she and Chloe had a bed to sleep in, she’d deal with all the rest as it came.

  “So, you like the place?”

  Brenna nodded, a slight quirk to her lips. “Yes. Nora is making a phone call to see if they have an age minimum.”

  “Age minimum. Aren’t you old enough?” His gaze passed over her, but a spirited smirk played on his lips.

  “For my sister. She’s sixteen. I’m well
old enough.”

  His eyes widened. “Wow, that’s a big age difference.”

  “What? Maybe not. How old do you think I am?” Humph. She didn’t think the age difference was a big deal. Jase could keep guessing. She wasn’t all that much older. Thirty-one wasn’t old.

  Nora took a seat in the ivory-colored recliner when she returned. “Yeah, Jase, now that you’ve stuck your big foot into your mouth, answer Brenna.”

  He lifted his hand. “Two of you against me? I take the Fifth Amendment.”

  “Let’s say my sisters were a bigger surprise to my parents than to me.” Her face heated and she excused herself to use the bathroom.

  She had to get out of there before someone asked a question. One she wasn’t ready to answer. Saying sisters as plural was still a habit she didn’t want to break. Her heart skipped a beat over the thought of Jordann, and she had to be alone for a minute.

  In the bathroom she held her hands under the water and patted her face. She dried it on a blue hand towel. Cooling her face had helped. Doing her best not to think of Jordann worked most of the time—to keep her sanity, yet, each time she looked at Chloe, it was a dismal reminder.

  She had to get back out there. “Please don’t let them ask,” she prayed. With a big exhale, she exited with a smile. Taking the seat on the sofa again, she faced Nora. “What did the agent say about an age limit?”

  “Nothing,” said Nora. “You’re good to go.” She moved to the edge of her chair and patted Brenna’s hand. “I’m excited for you. You’ll be happy. A pool and hot tub are close by if that interests you. Especially since you’re off work all summer. But you’ll burn in no time if you’re not careful.”

  “My sister, Chloe, will love it and I might get myself out there.”

  “I like that name,” said Destiny. “Who is Chlo-e?”

  “She’s my sister, honey. You might get a chance to meet her during the school year.”

  “Goody. Does she have a cowboy hat?” Destiny jumped off the sofa and came around to sit on Nora’s lap.