Returning to the kitchen, she stirred the cheddar and broccoli soup, then ladled it into bowls to cool.
“Something smells absolutely amazing.”
Jericho crossed the room and didn’t stop until he was beside her. Her heart stuttered at his nearness, and goose bumps popped up on her arms. She inhaled and got a whiff of soap and clean male.
“Thanks.”
Jericho was dressed in black jeans that revealed his muscular thighs and a T-shirt that pulled against his broad chest. Camille’s mouth began to water, and it had nothing to do with the grilled pork chops.
This was insane. She barely liked the man. Okay, so he wasn’t a horrible person, but that didn’t make him a potential romantic interest. She needed to stop this ridiculous attraction before it got her heart in trouble.
He lifted one side of his mouth in that sexy half smile that threatened to decimate her good sense. “I know I’m late to the party, but is there anything I can do to help?”
She put the mashed potatoes on the table, then brushed her hands against her shorts. “No. Everything is done. All that’s left to do is the eating.”
He pulled out her chair and she murmured her thanks, pleased by the courtesy.
“This is delicious,” he said after sampling everything. “My friend Brandon is the chef who drops off food from time to time. This is just as good as what he makes.”
Ah, so the chef friend was a guy. Not that it mattered. The important thing was that Jericho had a friend who cared enough about him to keep him from starving.
“He owns a restaurant in town,” Jericho added.
“Is he the same guy who’s getting married?”
“How do you know that?”
“Hannah mentioned it. She designed the dresses for the bridesmaids.”
“Yes.” Jericho rubbed a hand across his forehead and frowned. “Brandon is one of my best friends and I barely talk to him. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own life I haven’t considered what’s been happening with my friends.”
“You’ve been mourning. You lost a wife and a child. Your friends understand.”
He stared at her so long she wondered if she had food stuck in her teeth. Or maybe she’d said the wrong thing by mentioning Jeanette. “What?”
“I’ve been thinking about your situation and what we should do.”
She frowned and her heart sped up. “I’ve been trying not to think of it.”
“Using the old ostrich-with-her-head-in-the-sand approach to problem solving.”
“It gets me through the day.”
“I think we should let Trent know what’s going on.”
She dropped her fork and knife, her hunger forgotten. “No. He might do something to draw them here. Since I don’t even know who I’m hiding from, they could walk right up to me and I’d never know.” She shot to her feet. “Maybe staying in Sweet Briar is a mistake. I should keep moving. A moving target is harder to hit.”
He stood and took her hand before she could escape. Of course, she had no idea where she could run. Her reasons for coming here hadn’t changed. Jericho was still her only hope.
“Shh. I didn’t mean to upset you. Please sit back down. It was just a suggestion. If you say no, the answer is no. I won’t say a thing to Trent or anyone else. But I think we need to at least discuss it before you reject the idea.”
“My life is the one on the line here, so the final decision has to be mine.”
“By coming here you put my life at risk, too. Isn’t that one of the reasons you chose me? Because you didn’t want to put someone you love in danger?”
Shame swamped her. Sure, she knew this was the last place anyone would think to look, but that was only part of it. If she had to risk someone’s life, she preferred it be someone she hated. Except she didn’t hate him now. “Sorry.”
He shrugged. “I’m not looking for an apology. I just want you to know that I have something at stake, too. You’re not alone.”
She was glad of that, even if she didn’t like what he was proposing.
“But we need a way to find out how the investigation is going. You can’t hide out here forever.”
Of course she couldn’t. He was probably counting the minutes until he would be rid of her. He might be treating her with kindness, but the fact remained that they weren’t friends. Even if they no longer actively hated each other, that didn’t mean he wanted her to live with him indefinitely. And she did have a life to get back to. A job. Family and friends.
“I know.”
“Just think about it. We don’t have to decide anything now, but we need to come up with a plan. Right now I can’t think of a better one.”
Neither could she. She knew Jericho trusted Trent, but could she?
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, which despite her jangling nerves sent sparks shooting throughout her body. Apparently even fear of discovery couldn’t dampen the fires he lit in her. “Stop worrying, Camille. We’ll figure this out.”
She managed a wobbly smile. “I don’t have much of an appetite anymore.”
“How about a walk? There’s still a bit of daylight left.”
“That would be nice.”
He kept hold of her hand as he led her out the back door, and it felt perfectly natural. His palm was calloused yet warm against hers. She could have asked him why he’d taken her hand, but decided not to overthink things. He probably wasn’t even aware of what he’d done.
“Which way did you go on your walk the other day?”
She pointed north. At least she thought it was north. “Toward the road.”
“Then let’s go in a different direction. There’s a stream about a mile from here. Do you think you can make it?”
He looked so serious she smiled. “Yes.”
The evening was perfect and a gentle breeze blew, rustling the leaves in the giant trees. Birds flew overhead while others chirped from the safety of their nests. The farther away from the house they got, the more distant her problems seemed. She was finally able to breathe again.
Two squirrels ran down one tree, scampered across the grass and then ran up another tree. Perhaps they’d sneaked out and their mother was on the way home. She sighed at the fanciful image.
“Penny for your thoughts.”
She shook her head. She didn’t know how she’d handle it if he laughed at her.
“Come on.” His brown eyes twinkled and then grew serious. “You can tell me. I promise not to make fun of you.”
Darn her insecurity. Why did she care what he thought? He was just a man. She’d be out of here soon and likely wouldn’t see him again.
But suddenly she wasn’t so anxious to get back to New York. Here she was able to slow down long enough to hear herself think. She even had time to cook, which she absolutely loved. The stars that filled the night sky were brighter here, and the peaceful evening was so different from the constant bustle of the city.
She sighed. It mattered because he mattered. There. She admitted it. She wanted him to think well of her. But she was a grown woman. Not some girl who couldn’t share a random thought even if it revealed a part of herself that she preferred stay hidden.
“I saw the way the squirrels ran from tree to tree and imagined they were trying to get home before they got caught sneaking out.”
“That’s funny.” One corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“What?”
“Sharing a personal thought.”
“I wouldn’t say it was easy, but I got through it.”
“It gets easier with practice.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
He laughed and nudged her with his shoulder, and she found herself laughing, too. His charm was lethal.
They walked in silence for a few minutes more before Jeric
ho stopped.
Camille looked around in awe. The entire ranch was beautiful, but this spot was exceptionally so. She turned in a slow circle. No matter which direction she looked, she saw nature at its most spectacular. The grass was greener than the small patches of lawn in New York. And more fragrant. “This is wonderful.”
“Come on, we’re almost to the stream.”
They climbed up a small hill. Soon a new sound joined the others. A moment later they were at the water. The stream bubbled over rocks as it wound its way out of sight. The setting sun made the water look like liquid diamonds.
Jericho guided her to a boulder where they sat side by side. His broad shoulder brushed against hers, and sparks seemed to shoot between them. He didn’t appear to notice. The attraction was definitely one-sided. But then she already knew that. His mind was too filled with Jeanette to even think of another woman.
“I come here when I need to escape my thoughts. I don’t always get the peace I’m searching for, but I have a better chance here than anywhere else.”
“I can imagine anything would be possible here.” There was nothing but rolling hills and leafy trees as far as the eye could see. Man had yet to interfere with the pristine quality of the land. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, inhaling the fresh air and exhaling a lifetime of tension.
“Look,” Jericho whispered in her ear. His breath brushed against the sensitive skin beneath her ear, stirring feelings of intense longing in her. She shivered, although the evening was warm.
“Where?” Camille whispered in return. She opened her eyes and peered into his. He was so close that if she moved even an inch their lips would touch.
“There.” He pointed.
“Oh,” she turned and gasped. A mother deer and her two babies were emerging from the shadows and approaching the stream. First the mother drank and then the two fawns. Camille glanced over at Jericho. He wasn’t looking at the deer but at her. He was so close she could see tiny flecks of gold in his brown eyes. Her excitement at the wonders of nature morphed into a different type of excitement, and her skin tingled with anticipation. They sat in frozen silence. A flock of birds flew overhead. Jericho blinked and turned away, breaking the spell.
* * *
What the hell? Why had he brought Camille here? He could tell himself he wanted to soothe her fears after she’d gotten so worked up. Perhaps that was true. But that wasn’t the entire reason. Crazy as it sounded, he wanted to share a place that had meaning for him. He wanted to see her reaction. He needed to know if a city girl like her could appreciate the simple beauty of the ranch. And, boy, had she. The expression on her face could only be described as pure bliss. She’d practically vibrated with joy when she’d seen the deer.
Camille was still sitting very close to him, her unique scent tempting him to pull her even closer. He wouldn’t, though. He needed to maintain distance between them. Her life was in turmoil. The last thing she needed was for him to act on his confusing feelings and make her life even more tumultuous.
There was no doubt he was confused. Until she showed up on his doorstep, his feelings for her had been perfectly clear. Now his certainty was starting to blur. The kind and thoughtful Camille he was discovering was completely different from the Camille of five years ago.
But no matter how different she appeared, he wasn’t going to become enthralled by this woman. His attraction couldn’t be real. They were too different. They had totally different outlooks on life. The amount of time they were spending together had to be to blame for this insanity. Add in the air of danger—even though she was perfectly safe here—and his senses were naturally heightened. Every feeling was more intense than it would have been under ordinary circumstances.
He’d been alone for over a year, interacting with others only when necessary. He could count on one hand the number of times he’d shared a meal with someone in the past year. And those occasions had always been when Brandon barged in. Given how solitary his existence had been, his responses were normal. He would react to any woman under these circumstances. There was nothing special about Camille Parker. Nothing at all.
“I could stay here forever,” Camille said. She wrapped her arms around her knees, then turned and smiled at him.
She was so beautiful. His heart thudded in his chest, and all he could do was stare at her. When he didn’t respond, her smiled faded. “Not that I have designs on the Double J. I know you probably regret letting me in your door.”
Her pained laugh reached inside and squeezed his heart. His silence had hurt her. “Not at all.”
But his answer had come too late. Her joy had faded. They sat in stilted silence for a while before she stood and shoved her hands in her pockets. “I guess we should be getting back.”
He rose, as well. The distance was back between them. He told himself it was for the best and that he preferred it this way, but he knew he’d told himself a whopper of a lie. Somehow he had to find a way to face the truth.
Chapter Eight
Jericho heard the sound of Camille’s boots tapping on the stable floor, and despite himself his heart began to race. The walk back to the house last night had been awkward. He’d wanted to avoid an equally awkward breakfast, so he’d grabbed a piece of toast and a mug of coffee, claiming he had a lot of work to do. That was wrong. It wasn’t fair to avoid her. She wasn’t to blame for his mixed-up feelings. It wasn’t her fault that he was becoming attracted to her no matter how hard he fought against it. And Camille was making an effort to get along. Courtesy demanded that he do the same.
He turned and waited for her to reach him.
She smiled as if the awkwardness between them didn’t exist. “I’m here to help.”
He wasn’t expecting that. “Are you? And just what do you propose to do?”
She shrugged and her sweet scent wafted in the air, making him wish for something he had long since given up on. “Whatever you need. I guess I could rake out the old hay.”
“Do you have any idea what’s in that old hay, City Girl?” He doubted it. He didn’t want to be within screaming distance when she figured it out.
“Not for sure, but I can take a wild guess. I don’t imagine stalls come equipped with toilets, and I don’t see a litter box.”
And she was willing to clean it up? Jeanette had loved living and working on the ranch, but she’d drawn the line at cleaning up after the animals. He’d assumed Camille would do the same. Maybe it was time to stop assuming he knew her and let her show him who she was.
“All right, then. I’d appreciate the help. You need gloves so you won’t end up with calluses.”
For a while he’d employed teenage brothers from a neighboring ranch as hands, so he had plenty of leather gloves. He grabbed a tan pair that looked about her size and offered them to her. Her hazel eyes sparkled as if she was about to have the time of her life scooping up horse crap. Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, and absolutely no makeup, she should have looked plain. Instead she was ravishing. Her skin was free of blemishes, and she seemed to glow from within. Her cheekbones were high in her perfect face. Her full lips, parted in excitement, were all too kissable.
His body jumped to attention, reminding him that he was still a man. A man who had been without a woman for over a year. Until Camille’s arrival, he hadn’t cared. His desires had been dormant, and sex was the furthest thing from his mind. Now his body was wide awake and jumping up and down demanding attention. He focused on trying to shut down his libido, but he’d have to work until he dropped to have a chance of lulling his desires back to sleep.
Camille slipped her hands into the gloves, then brushed them over her slender thighs. “I’m ready.”
So was he. Too bad they weren’t talking about the same thing.
He grabbed the tools and led her to the first stall. The horses were in the pasture, so the stall was empty.
“Las
t chance to change your mind.”
She lifted her cute little nose in the air. “I won’t dignify that with a response.”
He chuckled and called to her over his shoulder as he walked away. “Hate to tell you this, City Girl, but that was a response.”
He started on the stall across from her. He expected Camille to work slowly. To his surprise, she finished a few seconds after he did.
He must have looked as surprised as he felt because she laughed. “What’s the matter, Country Boy? Surprised that a city girl can keep up with you?”
A laugh burst out of him. “I have no response.”
“I hate to tell you this, but that was a response.”
Shaking his head, he grabbed the handles of his full wheelbarrow and headed for the door. She did the same, following him until they reached the pile where they emptied their loads. He hid his admiration as they returned to the barn to clean more stalls.
He could hear Camille singing popular songs as she worked, making up words when she didn’t know the right ones. She had a nice voice and managed to stay on key for the most part. He’d cleaned more stalls than he could count in his life, and he had yet to sing while doing so. Camille was definitely an original.
* * *
Camille leaned against the wall of the last stall and wiped her forearm across her forehead. She was tired but exhilarated. The job was quite physical and she’d used muscles she hadn’t known she had, which accounted for her exhaustion. It was Jericho’s presence that made her feel like bubbles in champagne. As they worked, they’d traded jokes, Jericho’s corny and hers only slightly less so. They’d laughed, and she’d enjoyed herself immensely. Now they were finished and Jericho was putting away the tools.
While they had been cleaning the stalls and laying down fresh hay, she’d reached a decision. She was going to confront her fear of horses. She was twenty-seven years old, much too old to let childish fears rule her life. Millions of people rode horses every day without incident. Her classmate being bitten was an aberration, just as Jericho said.
The Rancher and the City Girl Page 8