“Thank you.” She tilted her head. “What type of work did you do on your parents’ ranch?”
“I took care of selling and the breeding of horses.”
“Is that what you want to do?”
“I’m not sure yet.” Lies!
“How do they feel about you leaving?”
“They were all right with it.” Damn, he needed to get going before he confessed everything to her. He pushed his chair back, stood, and carried his bowl, spoon, and glass to the sink.
“Are you finished?” At his nod, she stood. “Let me get you some to take with you.”
Jesse nodded again but kept his mouth shut for fear of saying something he shouldn’t. He watched her flitter around the kitchen. She put a large container of stew, utensils, and napkins in a bag then handed it to him and smiled up at him.
“I’ll give you a ride back up,” she said.
Jesse couldn’t stop looking at her lips. Her bottom lip was full with a bowed lip above it. He wanted to kiss her so badly he could taste it. He knew he’d made her uncomfortable when she stepped back from him.
“If you don’t mind, I’d love to take a horse. I promise I know how to ride.”
“You want to take a horse?”
He shrugged. “Sure. Then if I get a chance tomorrow, I may check out the land. If you don’t mind. There is no sense in you driving me back up there and having to come back when I can take a horse.”
Anna shrugged. “Sure. The five on the right are boarders. I have three on the left. Take your pick. They’re all gentle.”
“All right. Thanks for dinner. It was good, even if it is all you can cook.”
Anna burst out laughing. “I can cook other things just not really good at it.”
“Oh, what about furniture? Is there any for the cabins?”
“I forgot to mention that, didn’t I? I’m not usually such a scatterbrain. The furniture for all the cabins is in the basement.”
“Like I said, you have a lot on your mind running the ranch. I’ll see about getting the furniture after I work on each cabin. Goodnight, Anna.” Jesse gave her a nod as he put his hat on then walked out of the house carrying the bag.
****
Anna pulled a chair out and plopped onto the seat. God! What was she thinking? Asking him to dinner was wrong, just wrong. He was so sexy and didn’t even try to be. Staring into space for a while, she wondered if she’d ever find another man to love her.
Jumping up, she moved to the back door then peered out the window just in time to see Jesse riding out of the barn on Blackjack, and he looked amazing on that horse. He held the bag in front of him on the saddle and nudged Blackjack into a run. Rider and horse moved as one. The man could ride. He should get back to the cabin before dark.
Shit! She forgot to give him a camping lantern. Idiot! Now what? Should she take him one? Groaning, she knew she had to in case he didn’t have electricity.
Opening the back door, she walked onto the porch to see Rusty walking out of the barn and waved to him then walked across the yard to him.
“Do you happen to know if the cabins have electricity?”
“Yeah, they do. Jesse just asked me the same thing. He told me you were going to give him a lantern and lamp, but I told him he’d have light. Did you have a nice dinner with him? Seems like a nice young man.”
Did he just emphasize the word young?
Anna frowned. “It was nice, yes. We talked about the cabins.”
Rusty nodded then spit tobacco juice. “Good. I hope this works for you.”
“I do too, Rusty. I can’t lose the ranch.”
“We’ll do what we have to and if that means turning this place into some kind of damn dude ranch, we will.”
She hid a grin. “Thank you. I’m going in. It’s been a long day and hay needs cutting tomorrow.”
“Wes and I will check the fences tomorrow. Goodnight, Annie.”
“Goodnight, Rusty.” Anna turned on her heel and headed back into the house, just a little disappointed that she hadn’t had to take a lantern to Jesse.
Chapter Two
The next morning, Anna sat on the tractor and drove it through the field cutting it for hay. Rusty would bale it in a day or two then it would be stacked in the smaller barn until a buyer needed some. She hoped she could sell a lot because she needed to make a mortgage payment in a month. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of losing the ranch. It had been a dream of Jamie’s to have this place. Now she could lose it all. A tear slipped down her cheek as she thought of how she’d let Jamie down if she lost it. He had loved this ranch so much.
Driving over a rise, she stopped when she saw a horse and rider in the distance, close to the pond on the property. When he raised a hand to her, she realized it was Jesse and she watched as he spurred the horse into a run toward her. Shutting off the tractor, she jumped down and waited for him to reach her. Oh, yes. The man could ride.
Removing her hat, she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her brow. The sun was rising, and the day was getting hotter as it moved up over the horizon turning the sky a bright blue. She watched as Jesse rode toward her.
Reining the horse to a stop, he dismounted and smiled at her.
“Hi,” he said as he put his fingers to the brim of his straw cowboy hat.
“Hello. Are you enjoying the morning?”
“Yes. It’s going to be hot again today.” He glanced around. “How much of this do you cut?”
“Just another two acres today.”
Jesse removed his hat and swiped his arm across his forehead then resettled his hat.
“Would you like some water? I have a jug of it with me.” Anna turned to climb up onto the tractor to get the jug.
“I’d love some, thanks.”
When she turned to jump back down, Jesse took her hand in his to steady her. She smiled her thanks then handed him the jug.
“Sorry, I don’t have any cups. I just drink out of the jug. I hope you don’t mind my cooties.”
Jesse laughed. “Cooties?”
“I did teach third graders, remember?”
Nodding, he twisted the cap off then took a long swig then lowered it and twisted the cap back on then set it up on the tractor seat.
“What happened to the couple who owned this ranch before you? I mean, do you know why they built the cabins?”
Nodding, Anna sat down and leaned back against the huge tire of the tractor. Her belly fluttered when he sauntered to the tractor and sat down beside her.
“They had lived here for thirty years and after raising and selling cattle for beef, they decided to retire and build the cabins to rent out for the summer to make some extra cash. Once they were finished, they advertised and had guests for two summers before Mr. Vaughn died and then two months later, Mrs. Vaughn died. Their daughter wanted nothing to do with the ranch, so she put it up for sale. Jamie and I had been married five years when we bought the place. We did well with the cattle and since we were both still working, we had no money problems.” She smiled. “Jamie taught sixth grade. He was a great teacher and his students loved him.”
“So you had plans to tear down the cabins?” Jesse asked her.
“Yes. We were going to raise more cattle and wanted to use that land, but it seemed like time slipped away and the next thing we knew, the doctor diagnosed Jamie with cancer. He smoked for years and no matter how much I begged him to quit, he wouldn’t. He said it was his one vice and if it killed him, that’s how he’d go.” She took a deep shuddering breath. “It was. It metastasized very quickly, and he died six months after being diagnosed. Although in truth, he’d been sick for years.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that, Anna. I really hope this takes off for you.” He placed his hand over hers.
Anna looked at him and their eyes met but she quickly looked away and pulled her hand from under his then stood.
“I do too. I’d better get back to work.”
“Yeah, me too. I’ve go
tten a lot done but I’m going to have to drive my truck to the barn and get the metal panels for the roof. I stripped off the ones that were leaking.”
She nodded and moved away from him. He smelled of aftershave, sweat, leather, and horse and she wanted desperately to throw him down and ride him. Heat poured into her cheeks because she’d never thought of doing that with Jamie.
“There are plenty for you to use. They’re in the barn closest to the field. In the hayloft.” She climbed up onto the tractor and gazed down at him. “Are you going to town for food?”
He grimaced. “I hope to get there. The stove does work, but I do have some stew to eat.” He grinned up at her.
She laughed. “True.”
Anna started the tractor then after giving him a smile, drove off before she said something really stupid like asking him to dinner again or if he’d ever been interested in an older woman.
****
Jesse watched her drive away then vaulted into the saddle. Spurring the horse on, he raced past her and waved as he made his way back to the cabin. There was a lot he needed to do before he could drive to town. Arriving back at the cabin, he dismounted then cooled the horse down and let Blackjack graze while he climbed into the truck to drive to the barn for more metal panels. Pulling up to the barn, he climbed out and entered the barn. After letting his eyes adjust, he strode down the center then came to a ladder that led to the loft.
Climbing up the ladder, he stepped over the top rung and looked around the loft for the sections he needed. When he spotted the red panels, he made his way to them then picked a few up, settled them on his shoulder, and climbed down with them. The heat from the loft had sweat rolling into his eyes. Once he reached the barn floor, he leaned the panels against the wall then removed his hat and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his brow. He hoped cooler weather moved in soon if he had to work on the roofs.
Taking a deep breath, he picked up the panels, carried them to his truck, and slid them into the bed. After he finished loading them in the back and having closed the tailgate, he was about to climb into his truck when an older man walked toward him. Jesse stepped forward to meet him.
“How you doin’, boy?” the older man said.
Jesse inwardly sighed. Boy. “Hello, sir,” he said and stuck his hand out.
The man shook it. “I’m Wes Henderson. Been hearing about you from Rusty. You’re working on the cabins, huh?”
“Yes, sir. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Henderson.”
Wes removed his hat and scratched his balding head. “Wes. I hope you can get those cabins up and running before too long. Rusty and I love Annie as if she were our own. It was hard on her losing Jamie, but she’s been tough. Doing all she can to keep this place but if she wants to have a dude ranch, she needs those cabins fixed.” He resettled his hat.
“Yes, sir. I understand that, and I’ll do my best.”
Wes looked him up and down. “You look capable. If you need a little help on weekends, just ask Rusty and me. We’ll do what we can. Even if it’s just sweeping or something.”
“I may have to take you up on that. Is there any way you two could help me get the furniture up there after I get the cabins ready?”
“Sure, we can do that. Just let us know. I’m heading out to look at some fence. Have a good day, son.” Wes gave him a nod then walked off.
Son was better than boy, he thought as he watched the old cowboy amble away.
Jesse walked back to his truck and climbed in, started it, and tore out, throwing dust up around the truck, and headed back to the cabin. When he pulled up in front of the one he was staying in, he stopped the truck and hopped out then strode to the back and lowered the tailgate. Pulling on the panels, he lifted them out and carried them to the back of the cabin where the ladder lay. The sun beat down and sweat trickled down his back already. Removing his hat, he pulled his T-shirt off over his head then headed inside to change into his work boots. Cowboy boots weren’t good for walking on a metal roof.
Walking back out onto the porch, he jumped off the side of it then made his way to the panels. He leaned the ladder against the building, hooked a hammer onto the work belt he’d found in the barn, and picked up the panels then climbed the ladder to the roof. Once on the roof, he set the panels down then carried one to the area he needed to fix. He hoped he’d get done before the sun got too much hotter. The more the sun beat down, the hotter those metal panels would get.
An hour later, he was sweating profusely but he wanted to get this done for Anna. His stomach growled, and he wondered what time it was. Looking up, the sun was sitting high in the cloudless sky. It had to be close to noon. Setting the hammer down, he walked to the ladder and climbed down then entered the cabin. The cooler air felt good against his hot skin. Yanking open the refrigerator door, he took the container of beef stew out, removed the lid then put it in the microwave and hit the timer. Leaning back against the counter, he folded his arms and waited.
Anna popped into his head and he smiled. What a beautiful woman she was. A determined one too. She was doing all she could to keep the ranch. Blowing out a breath, Jesse ran his hand down his face when he thought of what would happen if she found out he was lying to her. Damn it! He really hated lying to her. If he told her the truth now, about why he was really here, she wouldn’t be happy with him at all. Even if he told her he wanted her to succeed, he knew she wouldn’t believe him.
“You’re an idiot, Beckett. A real fucking idiot,” he muttered just as the microwave beeped.
He decided to eat outside. He loved the outdoors, no matter what the weather. He opened the microwave door, pulled the bowl out, picked up a spoon, and headed outside. Leaning against a tree, he hesitated with the spoon halfway to his mouth when he heard a vehicle then saw Anna climbing from her truck. She hesitated in her steps when he raised his hand at her.
“Hi,” he said as she walked toward him.
“Hi. I was curious to see how things were going.” She glanced around as if trying to keep her eyes off him and he wondered why until he remembered he didn’t have a shirt on.
“I was just getting some lunch, let’s go inside.” He waited to see if she’d head for the porch.
Anna hesitated then walked to the porch and climbed the steps. Jesse pushed the door open and entered behind her. She stopped in the center of the room and glanced around. He’d cleaned up the inside last night. Anna turned to look at him.
“It looks good in here. Did you stay up all night?”
He grinned. “Not all night. But I don’t go to bed until late most nights.” He shrugged. “I figured I’d do something while I was up.”
Anna looked down at his feet. “I’m glad to see you have boots other than cowboy boots to get on that roof. I know how you cowboys are with your boots.”
“True. We usually only take them off to set them under a bed.” He grinned when she blushed. “I meant when we go to sleep.”
“Sure you did,” she mumbled making him laugh.
“I’ll be right back. I want to get a shirt on.”
He walked to the bedroom, pulled a clean shirt on, and then returned to the living room. Anna was still in the center of the room. She was such a natural beauty. She made other women he knew pale in comparison. Her skin was flawless yet kissed by the sun and he wanted to kiss each of those freckles sprinkled across her nose. Folding his arms, he leaned against the wall.
“Did you make it to town yet?” she asked him.
“No. I was just eating some stew when I heard you pull up.”
“Oh. Well, I’ll let you eat then.” She turned toward the door.
“What did you come up for?”
“I just wanted to see how things were going and to give you my cell number in case you need to get in touch with me.” She rattled off the number when he pulled his phone from his pocket and he told her his. Turning, she moved toward the door again.
“Anna?”
“Yes?” She turned back to face him.
“If I don’t do this, I’m going to hate myself,” he murmured as he slowly lowered his head and softly kissed her lips. He pulled back to look at her to see her still staring at him. “Again?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
He wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck and pulled her closer then pressed his lips to hers and moved his tongue along the seam of her lips. When she gasped, he slipped his tongue into her mouth and wrapped his other arm around her waist then pulled her tight against him. His dick shot up in record time. Her mouth tasted so sweet that he wanted to keep sipping at it. He dipped his tongue deeper into her mouth. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her hips pushed against his. He couldn’t stop the groan that tore from his throat when she tangled her tongue with his. Slowly, he raised his head and put his forehead against hers.
“Damn, Anna,” he whispered.
She stepped back from him then turned and walked out the door. Jesse stared after her then followed her onto the porch.
“Anna?” She stopped but didn’t turn around. “If I overstepped, I’m sorry.”
Turning, she looked at him. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Don’t worry about it? What does that mean?”
“It shouldn’t have happened, and we’ll just forget that it did.”
“I sure as hell can’t do that. Can you?” Jesse asked.
“I need to get back to the ranch.” She practically ran down the steps, climbed into her truck, and drove off without giving him an answer.
****
“Why in the hell did you let him kiss you?” Anna grumbled as she drove back to the ranch. “Twice. You let him kiss you twice.”
Groaning, she twisted her hands around the steering wheel remembering she’d said yes when he asked again. The man could kiss, there was no doubt there, but she had no business letting him kiss her. He was eleven years younger and she was sure he was just passing through. He was a heartbreak she did not need.
Jesse: A Beckett Brothers Novel Book 3 (The Beckett Brothers) Page 3