He walked into the kitchen, clattering his plate into the sink. When he walked past the dining room table moments later, Jenny resisted the urge to throw a biscuit at his retreating back. What on earth was Jo Jo thinking when she asked that conceited, self-absorbed jerk of a man to help on the ranch? There must have been a lack of good cowboys to choose from at the time.
Jenny pressed her hands onto the table, breathing deeply so that angry tears wouldn’t fall. She counted backwards from ten, trying to calm her racing thoughts. Hank didn’t fight fair, dodging out of there before she could explain her side of things.
Her heart had almost slowed to a normal speed when the front door banged open, causing it to race once more. She reached for her fork, ready to stab Hank’s stubborn hand if he came anywhere near her. Instead, Jo Jo’s voice rang through the house. “Jenny. Are you awake?”
“I’m in here, Grandma.” Jenny lowered her fork to the table, breathing out for a final time before plastering a smile on her face. If Jo Jo looked closely, she’d be able to see in an instant that Jenny wasn’t okay. Fortunately, Jo Jo was distracted by the elderly gentleman who had his arm wrapped around her side. Louis. Jenny felt stupid for even thinking that Hank would have been dating Jo Jo. The guy standing in front of her was the real deal.
Louis looked like he had been pulled straight out of an old western movie. His tanned skin was leathered, baked from years in the sun. Greying hair framed his head, his hairline starting to recede. He walked slightly bowlegged, but his back was straight, and the hand that stretched out to shake Jenny’s was strong. Her heart lifted at the sight of the two of them together.
“Jenny, meet Louis. Louis, this is my Jenny.” Jo Jo clasped her hands in front of her chest. “I’m so happy that you guys are finally meeting.” She glanced at Jenny’s plate. “And from the looks of things, you met Hank, too. Isn’t he the best?”
Jenny bit her tongue. The words she wanted to use to describe Hank would have earned the younger Jenny a mouth full of soap. She smiled. “He’s certainly something.”
Jo Jo looked at Louis and winked. “We were thinking. After breakfast, how would you like to help Louis out on the ranch?”
Chapter 4
Hank sloshed a bucket of slop into the pig pen, jumping back as the liquid splashed towards at him. He was being careless, and it was showing. A slimy banana peel landed on his boot, and he kicked it off with a grunt. Jenny wasn’t in the barn with him, but she was still messing with his head.
She was certainly easy on the eyes with her mussed-up hair and the way her nose crinkled when she smiled. Unfortunately, he had seen very little of that smile. He had been willing to give Jo Jo’s granddaughter a chance, but she was every bit as shallow as he imagined she would be. That was to be expected from someone who was visiting for all the wrong reasons.
When Hank started working at the ranch, he knew he would have a roof over his head and a steady paycheck. He hadn’t bargained for an employer who treated him like family. He had tried hard to not get too attached, but Jo Jo had a way of making everyone who came to the ranch feel important.
He couldn’t imagine the ranch without the sweet lady who was at its heart. Loyalty was everything to Hank. Jo Jo was already his family, even though he wasn’t blood. She didn’t need a city girl who pretended like she cared.
Hank turned on the water spigot, filling a large red bucket to the brim. He hefted the bucket into the water trough, then put it back under the spigot, making a mental note to order a new hose attachment. As it filled, he leaned against the railing of the pig pen. It was going to be a long summer if Jenny planned to stay the entire time. He had too much work to worry about without adding in a new complication.
After pouring a final bucket of water into the trough, Hank crossed over to the horse stables and climbed up to the hayloft. He had gotten into the habit of checking on Cali and her kittens every morning. They were much more active now, swatting at anything that crossed their paths.
The sound of approaching voices came drifting into the quiet barn. Of course, Jenny would already be scoping out the ranch. He wondered how long she had waited before feigning interest in the place. As a realtor, she had to figure out how much everything was worth before she tried to sell it off to the highest bidder. Too bad she couldn’t see the value of the ranch past the dollar signs attached to the acreage.
He leaned back against the hay bale, hoping she’d leave quickly so he could get back to work. He didn’t need some city girl following him around asking questions. From the sounds of the voices, she had already talked Louis into being her tour guide. Hank was tempted to send them on their way, but then he might get stuck with the girl.
“These stables house our horses,” Louis said. “Sage, Buttercup, and Sadie live in these first pens. But that pen over there belongs to Bree. She’s going to be a mom soon.”
Jenny’s squeal rose through the air, forcing an even deeper scowl to cross Hank’s face. “I’ve never seen a pregnant horse before. Can I pet her?” she asked.
Hank rolled his eyes.
“You can feed her a carrot if you’d like. Just don’t tell Hank. He’s got her on a pretty strict diet.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me at all?” Jenny asked. She raised her voice to a high pitch, cooing presumably at the horse. “Aren’t you the most gorgeous momma ever!”
Hank peered over the edge of the hay loft. Sure enough, Jenny was standing outside Bree’s pen, holding her hand out towards the horse. When Louis handed Jenny a carrot, Hank had to stifle a growl. If he blew his cover, he’d be stuck talking to the silly city girl.
She leaned over the edge of the gate. “Speaking of Hank, is he always so . . . abrupt?” Bree snatched the carrot out of Jenny’s hand, rolling it around between her lips.
Louis smiled and clamped a hand on Jenny’s shoulder. “Nah. He may be a little rough around the edges, but he has been a godsend to your grandma.”
Jenny scowled. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same person?”
Louis shook his head back and forth. “Give him some time. You’ll learn to appreciate him as much as we do.”
A snort came from Jenny’s mouth. “I highly doubt that.”
Hank clenched his jaw together. He wanted to dump hay down on the judgmental girl, but that would bust him. Instead, he leaned back against a bale of hay and picked up a kitten, holding a piece of hay for it to bat at. It was going to take some work, but Hank was sure he could avoid Jenny all day if he stayed alert. Now if only they would leave so he could get back to feeding the horses. He hated having the flow of his day interrupted.
Hank looked over the edge of the loft in time to see Jenny patting Bree on the nose. “So, you have four horses. Soon to be five. What else is on this ranch?”
Louis led Jenny out of the stables, and Hank stood up slowly. It was exactly as he suspected. She was taking inventory. She didn’t even wait a day before trying to assess her future inheritance. That was all his ex-girlfriend Amanda had been worried about. They were cut from the same cloth. At least he knew he didn’t have to waste his time getting to know Jenny. City girls didn’t last long on the ranch. Amanda was proof of that. Once Jenny saw the real work involved, she’d be running back to California. He just had to wait her out.
Hank threw a couple hay bales down to the floor. Then he walked down the stairs and crossed over to Bree’s pen, making sure that she was okay. With her foaling day coming soon, he didn’t need her getting spooked by strangers. He patted her nose. “Did you enjoy your treat?”
Jenny’s tour of the ranch went better than she expected. She started the day off with a visit to the animal barns and ended the morning helping Louis repair some fence line that had blown down in the night. She saw glimpses of Hank working in the distance, but their paths never crossed. It was probably for the best. She was half-inclined to punch him in the face.
When the sun was high overhead, a loud clanging rang through the air. Jenny turned to Louis, her
eyes lighting up. “I forgot about the dinner bell. I loved it when my mom would hold me up to ring it.”
He laughed. “It’s time for lunch. Let’s go see what Jo Jo has cooked up for us.”
They pulled into the ranch at the same time as Hank, who nodded briefly and then took the steps two at a time to reach the door first. He ducked inside, not bothering to wait for Louis or Jenny to get out of the truck. “See? Abrupt,” Jenny said.
Louis shook his head. “Give him some time. He’ll warm up to you soon.”
Jenny’s legs were trembling when she climbed out of the truck. She leaned against the side of the cab to steady herself. Louis was by her side in an instant. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m a little dizzy. I think I stood up too fast.”
Louis looked at Jenny’s face and frowned, his eyes widening. “How about you hold onto my arm, and we’ll get you inside.” The world was beginning to spin by the time they reached the final step. Louis pushed open the door and hollered, “Hey Jo Jo, Hank? I need some help.”
Jenny leaned on the entryway table, catching her reflection in the mirror above it. She gasped. The face looking back at her was beet red, from the tips of her ears all the way down her neck to her shirt. Every inch of skin was burnt. The SPF 15 face cream she had applied that morning was obviously no match for the harsh Montana sun. Louis watched her in the mirror, his furrowed brow reflecting the shock she felt.
As Jenny spun around to face Louis, she reached for the wall, fighting the urge to collapse. Hank cleared his voice behind her. He stood in the entryway, his arms reaching for her as she began to fall. He scooped her up and carried her to the couch, laying her down like Jo Jo ordered. Mortification flooded through Jenny’s body.
Jo Jo bustled out of the room, returning moments later with a tray piled high with supplies. She wrapped ice packs in towels before carefully placing them against Jenny’s body. Jenny hissed when the first ice pack touched her skin, but sighed when the coolness began to seep through. Jo Jo put ice packs along Jenny’s neck, under her armpits, and along the side of her body. Then she held a glass of water out to Jenny with a straw. “Drink. You have a touch of sunstroke, sweetheart. We need to cool you down.”
The water was soothing to Jenny’s mouth, but she couldn’t drink much. She pushed the cup away and leaned back against the pillows, closing her eyes. Hopefully, it was all just a bad dream.
Chapter 5
When Jenny opened her eyes, the sun had shifted, shining through the window to the side of her. She rolled to her side and yelped. Her skin was on fire. Even the light sheets that Jo Jo had thrown on her sometime during her nap rubbed against her arms, causing her to wince in pain. She carefully untangled her body from the sheets and lifted a hand to feel her face.
A soft snore punctuated the silence. Jenny looked up in alarm. Hank was slumped down in an armchair across the room, his head bobbing up and down with each breath. He held his hat on his lap, one hand draped protectively across the side brim. Hank shifted in his sleep, and Jenny took a moment to study his face.
Black, wavy hair fell across his forehead, the top of it slightly smushed from the hat he had been wearing. The thought of a cowboy with hat hair made Jenny smile before she remembered who she was studying. The start of the beard covered defined cheekbones, which framed his full lips. Jenny stared at the lips a touch longer than necessary, her pulse speeding up. How could such a handsome mouth hold such cutting words? Hank shifted in his chair again and opened his eyes, his gaze immediately snapping to Jenny.
“Oh good. You’re awake now,” Hank said. He stretched his arms above his head, yawning widely, and then he stood, placing his hat back on. “You look like crap.”
Jenny snorted. “Thanks a lot.”
The cowboy walked over to the table, grabbing a cup that he handed to her. “Jo Jo says that you’re supposed to drink all of this, and I’m supposed to watch you until you do.”
Scowling hurt because it pulled on her burnt skin, so she settled for a slight frown. “I don’t need a babysitter, and I don’t want any water.”
“Well, according to Jo Jo, you do. On both the babysitter and the drink. Her orders. Not mine.” He waved toward the cup. “Drink up, and I’ll let you be.”
Jenny wanted to refuse just to spite Hank but her dry mouth trumped her pride. She lifted the straw to her lips and took a sip. Fresh lemonade met her tongue with an explosion of tangy sweetness and a hint of fresh mint. A flood of memories filled her mind. The last time she was at the ranch, Jenny and her mom had helped Jo Jo make this exact drink. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she smiled. It felt like her mom was sending her a hug.
“Where is my grandma, anyway?” Jenny sipped another mouthful of lemonade. Her stomach let out a loud growl, reminding her that she had skipped lunch.
“Louis drove her to the store to buy some aloe vera for your face. From the looks of things, you’ll need gallons of it.”
Jenny’s stomach was doing real somersaults now. “Did she leave food by any chance? I’m starving.”
“This is your grandma we’re talking about. Of course, she left you food.” Hank walked out of the room and returned a few minutes later carrying a tray filled with a sandwich and some grapes. He set the tray down on the coffee table near Jenny. Then he walked back to his chair and plopped down.
“Are you going to sit there the whole time?”
“Like I told you before. I’m following Jo Jo’s orders. I’ve got plenty of other places to be.”
“Well then, perhaps, you should get going.” Jenny’s head was starting to spin again, but she couldn’t tell if it was from exhaustion or the stubborn cowboy sitting across from her. He really needed to leave so she could get back to sleep.
In response, Hank waved toward the tray. “How about you eat up? Jo Jo will be back soon.”
“And you?”
“I told you. I’m not going anywhere. I know better than to cross Jo Jo’s wishes. Besides, someone has to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”
Jenny grabbed the sandwich and shoved a bite in her mouth, determined to eat quickly and then fake sleeping so Hank would leave. The arrogant, bossy, handsome guy was really getting on her already frayed nerves. One day down, eight weeks to go. How was she going to handle being around him for such a long time?
When the sandwich was gone, Jenny leaned back against the pillows, wincing with each movement, but Hank didn’t budge from the chair. She sighed dramatically and closed her eyes. “I’m fed and watered now. You can leave.” Silence met her demand. Jenny snapped her eyes open, hoping he had actually left. No such luck.
“I’m comfortable right here.” He grabbed a book off the bookshelf and opened it to the center, beginning to read. Jenny adjusted the back of her head against the pillows and tried to relax, but her face was burning up. She moaned softly, and sure enough, the book lowered.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’m in pain, Hank. Haven’t you ever had a sunburn before?”
Hank met Jenny’s eyes and smirked. “Not like yours, city girl.”
“Well, this city girl feels like her face is on fire and is going to fall off.”
Hank looked down at his book and cleared his throat. “Maybe your skin is telling you something. I guess you’re not really suited to the ranch life. Are you planning to head home anytime soon?”
Jenny bristled at the comment. “I’ll be visiting my grandma for a while. Do you have a problem with that?” She stared at Hank, but he didn’t look up from the book again.
“No problem at all. I’m just curious. Two months is a rather long time for a social visit, don’t you think?” He turned the page, glancing up.
She held his gaze, willing some of the fire from her skin to blast over to Hank and burn away his arrogance. “It’s really none of your business how long I stay, though, is it?”
Hank watched Jenny a moment longer before turning back to his book. “You’re right. It’
s none of my business, except that here I am, sitting in the family room instead of taking care of the ranch. Lost work hours equal lost work wages. So, in some ways, I guess it kind of is my business how long you plan to be here.”
“I told you that you could leave.”
“And I told you that Jo Jo asked me to watch you. If that’s all, I’d like to get back to my book.”
Once again, Hank had a valid point, but he wrapped it in the worst words possible. Jenny didn’t come to the ranch to make more work for her grandma, Louis, or even stupid Hank. Besides, he didn’t have the whole picture of why she was here. She had come to help her broken heart heal. Being around Hank wasn’t going to help with that. She was sure he had girls fawning all over him. She refused to be someone who slowed him down or even gave him the time of day.
Jenny watched Hank as he got comfortable in his chair and propped up the book against his leg. He didn’t talk to her again, but the silence in the room was laced with tension. Although Jenny kept her expression neutral while she watched Hank, her stomach rolled. He clearly had a respectful side, or he wouldn’t be doing Jo Jo’s bidding. Jenny hated being an assignment.
“Hey, Hank?”
He looked up from his book.
“Can you hand me something off the shelf to read?”
He ran his hand over the spines of the books, stopping at one with a bright red cover. He held it up for Jenny’s approval.
“Alice In Wonderland?” She raised her eyebrows at Hank and winced, immediately regretting the movement. “That doesn’t seem like your type of pick.”
Love at Rosecrown Ranch Page 3