by Vivian Arend
Considering the cabin occupants who would be messing with said toilet paper amounted to only two people, he knew exactly who his opponent was. Although why Julia had decided to wage war on this particular topic, he wasn’t sure.
It was more fun not asking her the specifics, though, and blithely battling forward.
The last time he had adjusted the roll to face the proper direction, he’d used one of the really thick elastics off of a bunch of broccoli and lashed the edge of the holder in place so that when Julia went to turn it, it would take her more than a few moments.
The next time, he’d come back to discover she’d removed his elastic, flipped the roll, and somehow glued the center cardboard ring in position so there was no way he could flip it around without trashing the entire thing, which he was too cheap to do. So he left it and grumbled in amusement every time he had to face proof that she was currently ahead in the TP war standings.
It was a small amusement added to all the other positive things they were involved in. Not just their weekly activities, but when he went to put Delilah into storage, he had Julia help him. He brought her into the conversation regarding his future plans for the Brewster building in downtown Heart Falls. Picking her brain and getting her fresh ideas was a ton of fun.
Hopefulness rose that they were off to a good start, all things considered.
As the end of October approached, Zach began to plan his next letter. He figured every month he would slowly up the ante and share more about how he was feeling, although taking small steps still seemed important.
Plus, he had decided that this month he would decorate the edges of his letter with little pictures, just the way Julia did.
The house was quiet after supper, with Julia working for the night. Zach wandered outside, a warm jacket in place against the cool evening temperatures. This was one of the rare years that it hadn’t snowed yet, although it was clear winter could arrive at any time.
Across the yard, Finn waved him over. His best friend looked amazingly content these days, as he and Karen continued to work together to build their home and prepare Red Boot ranch for next year’s planned spring opening.
Zach took his time meandering across the yard, pleased to realize that in just a few days Julia would also be working full-time at the ranch. It would mean more opportunities to be together, and he was looking forward to it immensely.
“You look like a cat that’s gotten into the cream,” Finn offered dryly.
“Julia’s farewell party is tomorrow evening. She’s got only one more night shift before she’s all mine.” Zach paused. “I mean ours, since she’ll be medic for the whole ranch starting next week.”
His friend chuckled, tilting his head toward his truck. “I think you said it right the first time. You’ve definitely claimed ownership.”
Zach matched Finn’s pace without questioning until they were in the truck and headed into town. “Did you tell me where we’re going?”
“Nope.” Finn stared ahead at the road.
Zach hesitated. “Am I supposed to know where we’re going?”
Finn snorted. “This time, nope. Your concentration has absolutely sucked for the last couple of months, but this time I can’t blame your confusion on being Julia-obsessed.”
Not much he could say in defense to that, so Zach sat back and enjoyed the ride, smiling as they pulled into the yard at Josiah’s house. “Does he have a need for free labour?”
“Definitely. His sister sent a case of liquor from Ireland. I volunteered us to help sample.”
Zach gave his friend’s shoulder a squeeze before hopping out of the truck and joining him on the path up to the house. “Have I thanked you lately for being my second-best friend?”
“Second?”
Zach let them into Josiah’s house without knocking then let out a loud whistle. “Hey, best buddy. Where are you? And where’s the hooch?”
Laughter sounded a second before Finn smacked him in the arm with a fist. “Jerk.”
They grinned at each other as Josiah called to them from the kitchen. “You two are trouble. Come on. We have some catching up to do. Not to mention some drinking.”
Hours later the area around the fire pit was strewn with empty imported beer carcasses and a fine collection of open whiskey bottles.
“I’m not saying you should just straight-up tell her, but at the same time, why don’t you just straight-up tell her?” Josiah swirled his most recent refill as he stared into the depths and repeated himself for the third or fourth time that evening.
A very dramatic sigh, even for him, escaped Zach. “I did tell her right at the start that I wanted to date her for real. Things just got a whole hell of a lot more complicated a whole hell of a lot faster than I expected.”
“Uncomplicate them.” Finn shook his head. “Never mind us. You’re the one with the eerily accurate gut instinct. If you think slow and steady is still the way to go after two months of being married, then so be it.”
“Slow and steady. Sounds like you’re out in the field breaking pasture instead of spending every spare moment in and out of the bedroom convincing her you’re a good deal.” Josiah shook his head sadly.
Zach must’ve made a noise, or maybe he’d sighed again, because suddenly he was being stared at intently by both of the other men.
A very calculated expression narrowed Finn’s gaze. “Every spare moment…”
“…in and out of the bedroom?” Josiah’s jaw dropped. “You just cringed when I mentioned the bedroom. Please tell me you and Julia are not still sleeping in different rooms.”
“We’re not having this conversation,” Zach said as firmly as possible. A second later he reached down to find some random wood chips so he could throw one at each of his grinning friends. “Buzz off. I’m not talking about my sex life with you.”
“Obviously, because you don’t have one,” Finn offered dryly. “I thought the idea was to be your usual irresistible self. How come you guys aren’t hitting the sheets?”
“We’re fooling around,” Zach admitted. “We’re having fun. Now drop it, unless you want me to discuss how often over the past five years I had to listen to you moon about Karen.”
They were good enough friends that they listened, or at least pretended to for a moment.
Many hours later, Lisa and Karen, both clearly amused, appeared beside them at the fire.
Lisa laid a hand on Josiah’s shoulder. “Hey, honey. You and the boys tying one on?”
Josiah waved his empty glass in the air before catching hold of her fingers and toppling her into his lap. “No rope involved. We could do something about that, if you’d like.”
She pressed a finger over his lips, laughing as she chastised him. “Don’t embarrass me in front of my big sister. She doesn’t need to know what kinky games we play.”
“And on that note, before somebody says something I’ll regret hearing, let me take this tipsy one home. Or these tipsy two,” Karen corrected herself as she tugged Finn to his feet and crooked a finger at Zach. “Come on, you wild men. I’ll drive, and we’ll pick up your truck later. You’d better get some sleep, Zach. Julia’s going to want you in tip-top shape for her party tomorrow night.”
“He doesn’t get to party. He’s partiless. Which is sadly not the same as pantie-less.” Josiah’s words were barely audible, his lips buried against Lisa’s neck.
She giggled. “What?”
Zach considered slapping a hand over his friend’s mouth but decided he was just tipsy enough it was possible he would miss and give Josiah a black eye instead. It would probably hurt.
Ha. Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea after all.
Zach didn’t remember the details, but he was still in bed when Julia made it home from her shift. That part was crystal clear because she came flying into his room and bounced excitedly on the mattress.
“I’m done. I’m done. I had a good time, and I’m glad I had the apprenticeship, but I am so looking forward to working at Red Boo
t ranch.” She paused, perched on her hands and knees beside him as she examined him closer. Her amusement rose. “Do you have a hangover?”
“Don’t be cruel,” Zach whispered.
Sheer mischief flashed across her face. She knelt upright and pretended to hold a microphone to her mouth. “To a heart that’s blue.”
When she continued to sing Elvis at him, rather poorly and with increasing volume, Zach gave up. He enveloped her in an enormous hug and rolled her under him. Nibbling on her neck and tickling until she screamed with laughter.
He finally let her go, rolling away and pulling her to her feet. He kissed her forehead then turned her firmly toward the bathroom. “Congratulations on your final day. Now go get some sleep. I hear there’s a party tonight in your honour.”
It took a whole lot of coffee and a couple of Tylenols, but by the time he escorted Julia in the door of Rough Cut, Zach was back to one hundred percent.
It was a bit of a low-level party, with people generally showing up whenever it worked for them and coming to offer Julia a handshake or hug as appropriate.
In between, Zach and his friends took turns dancing with their ladies, music and energy rising as the evening wore on.
When Brad arrived with his wife, Hanna, Julia squeezed Zach tight and hauled him across the floor to where they stood waiting.
“Good to see you guys,” Zach offered. “Thanks for training my new employee of the month.”
Hanna winked then turned to Julia. “I’m glad you’ll still be nearby. It’s my turn to host girls’ night out next month. I wondered if you’d help me.”
“That would be great. I’ll get in touch this week,” Julia said with a smile.
Brad offered his hand. “It’s been a privilege working with you. And ditto, I’m glad you’ll still be nearby.” He shook her hand then offered a squeeze when Julia went in for a hug. He stared over her shoulder at Zach. “It’s good to see you settling into the community.”
“Heart Falls really feels like home,” Julia said as she backed up.
Zach glanced around, but no one seemed to be paying any negative attention. Still, being proactive wasn’t a bad thing.
He gave Brad his own hand clasp and hearty pat on the back. “Thanks for being such a good mentor to Julia. It’s made a difference.”
He wanted to say something about everything else he was thankful for, but it wasn’t the place or time.
As Zach guided her back onto the dance floor, he realized he agreed completely with Julia. Any of the sacrifices they were making to keep Brad’s reputation intact—it was worth it. On every single level.
Although it wasn’t much of a sacrifice to have Julia in his arms.
They danced a quick two-step then ended up near the edge of the room when the music shifted to a slow ballad. Zach rearranged her in his arms, hand against her lower back so he could push their bodies together tight enough to be at the very edge of public decency.
“Somebody’s feeling perky,” Julia murmured, her hands linked around his neck. “I take it you’re over your slight indisposition from this morning?”
He didn’t answer. Just took a chance and stepped one leg between hers, nestling even closer. His thigh brushed her core with every step, and it didn’t take long before her breathing went erratic.
Julia’s cheeks glowed, and her eyes shone as if she were debating either murder or mayhem. “Zach. What are you doing?”
He whirled her in place then raised her up his body. The following slow glide down his thigh forced a moan from her lips. “If you can’t tell what I’m doing, I’m not doing it very well.”
Half a song later, her breath rushed against his cheek in rapid puffs. “You’re killing me, baby.”
He was doing a good job of torturing himself. Zach glanced around the room and spotted the service corridor that led toward the back storage rooms. He slow danced with her into the shadows and out of sight.
The music was still audible, so he kept up the pretense of the dance, but this was one dirty round that promised to have a spectacular finish.
Julia ground down harder against his leg, sounds sneaking from her lips that pushed him closer and closer to the edge. Zach gritted his teeth to keep from cursing. To keep from stripping them both down right there and then laying her out flat and thrusting into her hard.
She caught him by the ears, damn near ripping them off as she pulled their mouths together. She kissed him frantically, hips pulsing in a rhythm that said in no uncertain terms the end was near. He put all his focus on being there for her. Being what she needed. Tightening his grip on her ass so he could offer a little more leverage.
Her gasp rushed past his lips. He separated them far enough to stare into her wide eyes as her expression tightened and her lips opened in a perfect circle.
Her swaying rhythm faltered, but he kept her tight, dragging her higher.
That was it.
“Zach.” She moaned his name before the word turned into a long drawn out quivering noise that released the cover on his safety latch. He came while staring into her face, loving how pleasure continued to grow until she relaxed bonelessly against him.
Relaxed a little bit too much, considering he had no blood left in any part of his body except his cock. His legs quivered, and he barely managed to rearrange them before sliding to the floor. Back braced against the wall, they landed with Julia in his lap, his legs stretched all the way out into the corridor.
Her breath quivered now, not just with passion as tiny chuckles slipped into the mix. “We’re terrible,” she whispered. “We’re in public.”
“At least it’s not the middle of the dance floor,” Zach pointed out.
She snorted, tapping her fingers against his chest. “At least it’s not that.”
The music played in the distance while they sat there in the shadows. Secret and yet not. Zach took a deep breath and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Happy retirement. Welcome to the ranch.”
She laughed before slapping a hand over her mouth then staring back onto the dance floor as if certain somebody would spot them at any moment.
When she turned back to meet his gaze, she still looked far too amused. “Thank you. Now I think we’d better sneak out of my own party.”
No arguments from him. And as uncomfortable as he was at that moment, he wouldn’t change a thing about the evening.
19
The snow arrived with a vengeance not even two days into November. Zach got a huge kick out of how excited Julia was as she peered out the cabin window, coffee cup in hand.
Her happiness lit up the room, and he stepped beside her to see what she was quivering on the spot about. “What’s got you all perky?”
“It’s just so pretty,” she said. “This is why I love being in Alberta. Winter means pristine fields of white as far as the eye can see instead of grey skies and rain.”
“I love it too, but remember there’s a price to pay. We’ll have a cold snap at some point. And they’re already talking about El Niño, which means a huge snowfall around Christmas.”
Julia shook her head decisively. “Nope. You can’t harsh my buzz on this one. In fact…” She put her coffee cup down and stole his from his fingers, grabbing his empty hand and pulling him toward where their boots and coats hung neatly by the door. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk.”
Her excitement was not only contagious, it was delicious. The urge to grab hold of her fingers while they walked was nearly impossible to ignore. Instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled at her side as they wandered into the crisp morning air.
She pointed toward the building that was earmarked as the general gathering point for the ranch. “As part of my first official week here at the ranch, I’ll be setting up the first-aid station. Cody said there’s already a bunch of boxes waiting. You want to help me later today?”
Zach thought through his to-do list and trashed the ones that would have interfered with being able to help. “Love to. You’re
pretty excited about getting started.”
“Hopefully the job stays pretty boring, even after the paying guests arrive, but yeah.” She kicked up some of the snow underfoot, laughing as the horses in the arena beside them hurried over, hoping for treats.
“Boring is good. I hope you’re not going to be too underworked.”
Julia paused, resting her arms on the railing and looking over the horses. “The thing is, I know the work’s not the same as being on an emergency callout. What I remember from growing up on a dude ranch was our medic focused more on the whole person for the full-time staff. She kept an eye on everyone, and made sure they were healthy and happy, which is different than simply dealing with dangerous cuts or broken legs.”
Zach nodded. “That’s a big, important responsibility.”
“I’ve got a lot of resources to help me,” Julia pointed out. “Including Tony, if it comes down to that.” She grinned, twisting to the side. “I’m also on the emergency backup list with the fire hall still. If there is a disaster in the community, I’ll be called out.”
“I didn’t know that. Good for you. If anything needs to be adjusted for your job here at Heart Falls to make that happen, let me know.” Zach watched as she stepped a couple of paces away from the railing.
“Everything should be good. Although there is one thing I should warn you about.” Her expression went solemn.
“What?”
Icy cold snow smacked into the side of his face, showering down on him as shock zipped up his spine.
Julia laughed as she ducked away. “Incoming snowball.”
Zach twisted barely in time to duck away from a second volley of snowballs, flying through the air from where Finn and Karen peeked up behind the truck bed.
It was the first of many snowball fights over the coming weeks. Julia got her medic station set up. They continued to enjoy their horseback rides and yoga sessions, and all the other things on their to-do list.
Mid-November, Julia came back from her girls’ night out looking as if she desperately wanted to tell him something but couldn’t.