by Jillian Hart
"What?" Aiden scrunched up his round face, cute as could be. "Okay, now that's something I like. Now that's a cookie!"
"They've got shirts and pants!" Austin chimed in.
"And suspenders!"
The rough, butter-rum rich rumble of Frisco's chuckle rolled through the air like a warm spring breeze. Far too aware of the man, she chose two of the gingerbread cookies that Aiden was pointing to, the ones with the red shirt and blue trousers, and carefully set them in the box.
"Gingerbread is our very most favorite," Aiden informed her. "Austin likes the same one, too."
"Good to know you boys have very fine taste in cookies, the very best." Jada chose more cookies, added a few for Grandmama, Grandpop and Frisco. The box wasn't quite full so she added more until it was, popped on the lid and tied it up with a string. She handed it over the counter to Aiden. "You boys be sure and don't eat them all at once, at least not every one."
"I'll sure try, but they look awful good." Aiden's big blue eyes were wide and shining with delight, happy at the unexpected turn of events. Those blue eyes, with gold and bronze threads, were just like his father's. "Austin and I just aren't sorry enough, Miss Shepherd. We really didn't mean to bring the pony into your store. I just couldn't steer him. He wouldn't do what I said. Honest."
"I believe you. I noticed that from the start," she said.
Frisco gave her a full-fledged smile, making those bronze and gold threads glint.
Really, very attractive, Jada thought, ignoring that he made her toes curl. And worse, she knew she was gaping at him like a sappy fool. Not like her at all! She snapped her gaze away from him, focusing instead on the boys scooting over to the other side of the display case to look at the pies, their heads bent together.
Keep looking at the kids, she told herself, not the man, while feeling the magnetic pull of Frisco's gaze, as unmistakable as a touch and the knell of his boots as he moseyed in closer.
Gosh, where was her sisters when she needed them? A safe distraction would be good, someone else to talk to, to break the intense awareness of his gaze and of his attention. Her heart gave a hard, fast flip-flop.
"Aiden, get away from that broom." She smiled the words at the good boy. He was stealthy! She hadn't noticed the little boy had put the bakery box on the nearest table and had hold of the wooden handle with both little hands. Her heart stopped as he steered the bristles of the broom toward the dried mud on the floor. "I don't think that's a very good idea!"
"Don't you worry, Miss Shepherd. I'm gonna clean all this right up. I'm good at cleaning up mud. I'm a real expert." Aiden capably swept a path through the chunks of dirt, so fast that she had no time to move to stop him.
"I got the dustpan!" Austin called out, bending over to place it precisely in his brother's path. "It's sorta like playing baseball. Right here, Aiden."
"I can see this turning into a disaster. Let me do that, boys." Frisco reached over with good humor to steal the mop from his son's grip with practiced ease. "Go grab the bucket from outside for me."
"Yes, Pa." Aiden whipped around and strode toward the door. There was a bucket with sudsy water in it sitting within view on the boardwalk.
Jada really tried to look like this didn't matter to her, but honestly, the man got to her. He was handsome, but it was more than good looks that drew her. There was something about his easy-going manner that made her want to keep looking. Which was hardly her fault, was it? It was all Frisco's fault for making her like him.
Like him? Wait, maybe she didn't have to go that far. Maybe she could settle for staying neutral on him. That was sensible for a spinster like her, right?
"Boys, why don't you put that broom back where you found it." Frisco gestured at the wall as he finished sweeping up the last bits of dirt into the dustpan. He traded it for the mop and the little boys trudged out the door to empty it in the street. The door swing shut, and Jada marched toward him.
"Oh, no you don't. I'm not trusting a man with my floor. You heard Miss Heather Pratt, remember? She has exacting standards and I'm responsible for this floor."
"No, I'm not gonna surrender this mop. I told you, I know what I'm doing." Her attempt to reach for the handle he held was thwarted by a gentle bump of his shoulder. Wow, he was solid, rock-hard. Startled, she drew in a breath and smelled his pleasant scent of clean man, sudsy soap and mountain wind. Very manly and very attractive.
Not that she ought to think of Frisco that way.
"That was nice of you to reward my boys with some of your cookies." He wrung out the mop capably and swished it across the floor. Perfectly. Not too wet, not too dry, just right. "You are a good sport, Jada. That is more than expected and more than they deserve."
"Well, I like your boys. Not you, but that's okay. I can live with that."
His chuckle came warm and rumbling. "That's good to know. I can see I'll have to work hard to improve your opinion of me."
"Go ahead and give it a try. We shall see if it works."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing, nothing at all. Who wouldn't think well of you? You have such a charming personality."
"Now I know you're lying." He chuckled again, swishing across the last of the soiled floor, leaving it pristine in his wake. "Most folks say I'm rather stoic. Stern."
"Do you know you have mud on your boots?"
"No, but I'm not surprised. It's just on the toes." Frisco knew good humor when he heard it. He had to be honest, it only made him like her more. Too bad she thought so little of him. "One of the boys must have shook himself like a dog."
A bubble of laughter escaped, but pretty Jada caught herself and pretended that it hadn't happened. She looked up at him through thick curly lashes. "I can't win when it comes to you, can I? I've sworn not to like you, and then you go and make me laugh."
"Is it working?"
"I won't let it, otherwise, yes. I put some cookies in that box for you too, you know."
"I'm aware. Which means I owe you for them. The least I can do is pay."
"Sorry, no, not going to happen. I refuse to accept your money."
"Then I will have to retaliate." He felt sucker punched by her beauty. Speechless. Rendered unable to breathe. He had no idea what it was about her that spoke to him, but, boy, did she. He leaned the mop against the counter. "Sorry, but, pretty lady, I'm tougher than I look. Don't think you can get around me. I'm friends with the sheriff."
"Oh, would you arrest me?" She arched a slender eyebrow adorably, a smile touching the soft pink contours of her mouth.
"I'd arrest you in a blink. Are you aware that you are impeding a posse member in his duty?" He set his large hands, one on each hip, and faced her. "I'm sworn to be fair to merchants. I accept no bribes. This is a serious offense."
"I doubt the judge would take you seriously and a jury would not find me guilty." Jada narrowed her blue-as-dreams eyes at him, making his heartbeat stutter. "Although they might find you guilty considering you let your sons ride wild around town on a reckless pony. Look what can happen to innocent business owners. Although, I have to say that you're pretty good with a mop."
"Necessity dictates it. I do my share of housework, I don't let my mother come over and do it always."
"You've got a soft-heart, sir."
"Don't let that get around. I've got my tough-guy reputation to think about. Everyone I know would lose all respect for me."
"Without a doubt. To be honest, I'd wager you are a good housewife." She clamped her lips together, having the manners not to laugh at him out loud.
"Thanks for that. I like your sense of humor." The door swung open before he could say more and icy air hit him, cooling his overheated face. Boy, he hadn't realized she was making him flush. Heating him up real good.
Huh. How about that? That was not unexpected. He really didn't know why Jada got his heartbeat up, but he didn't mind. She was sweet enough that his libido was not the same. Every single time he looked at her. She was wow, and he liked
talking to her. He was pretty pleased about that.
It was the light in her that drew him. The lamp on her counter shone behind her, haloing her, drawing her in shades of beauty. She was just a little bit of a thing, slender and cute. No, cute wasn't a big enough word for how she looked right there, adorably whimsical.
His knees knocked together. She'd never been more captivating. She had a gentle heart, which shone through as if with its own light, making her sweet beauty more stunning. Her kindness enchanted him, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sight of her, blazed by golden light. His chest filled up with feeling, he felt dazzled and at peace all in the same moment. She just lit him up and made him feel bright.
The bell above the door jangled as it swung open, changing the moment between them, no longer alone. He took a step back and reeled in the first eke of the fall of his heart.
"What's going on, boys?"
4
"We poured out the bucket, Pa, but Chester tried to drink from it. He didn't know what the suds were!" Aiden gave a two-footed hop over the threshold. "He's so funny. Are you sure we have to take him to the livery stable?"
"What else are we gonna do?" Frisco blew out a sigh. "It's not like we can take him back."
"Chester was a good bargain. Guess what we paid for him, just guess."
"I have no idea." Jada tilted her head to consider the possibilities. "Ten bucks?"
"Are you kidding?" Austin hopped excitedly. "Chester cost a whole twenty-five cents."
"Yeah, we negotiated him down from a dollar fifty. We did a real good job."
"You clearly did. Not everyone would want that valuable of a pony." Jada shot an assessing gaze at Frisco as he tipped his head back and let loose a big bark of laughter.
He got the distinct hunch that his sons and their outrageous cuteness were not raising her opinion of him. Maybe that was for the best. He shrugged one shoulder, sure it would be smart to keep himself all locked up tight, keep his heart behind thick iron bars and, better yet, throw the key as far away as he could. It wasn't as if he wanted to be vulnerable. He didn't like vulnerable. A tough-and-rough horseman was his image, and it was a natural one for him, especially since it was his vocation.
"Pa says we gotta take Chester to the livery." Aiden hopped backward over the threshold and landed with a loud thud on the boardwalk. "Do you think that's right, Miss Shepherd?"
"I can't say. It's a good place to stable a horse or a pony. It's better to keep him at home with you. Do you have a stable in your backyard?"
"Yes, we've got a whole ranch and a barn full of horses! We even have an extra stall. But Pa says we can't keep him."
"Then maybe you can find him a good home," Jada suggested.
"Yeah, that's a good idea!" Austin jumped up and backwards, landing beside his brother on the boardwalk, full of jokes. "He could live here with you!"
"And all the cookies," Aiden quipped.
Frisco shook his head. Boy, did his boys know how to turn on the charm. And that was a good thing to know. He couldn't resist it. Grinning to himself, Frisco swiped the mop of wind-tousled hair out of Aiden's eyes, careful not to give too much of his heart away. Jada Shepherd looked like the kind of lady who cared about tidiness, which meant they were a lost cause. "Boys, Miss Shepherd doesn't want a door opening pony. What is she gonna do? He'd always be getting into her bakery."
"I'm in trouble enough with my landlord already." Jada's mouth worked, holding back a grin.
What a pretty mouth. Frisco rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, trying to keep from misbehaving. Thinking about Jada's mouth wasn't going to do him any good. Her beauty was affecting to him, no doubt. It was the simple truth that a man was helpless against a woman that fine.
Likely there were men in this town who felt the same, secretly trying with all their might not to stare at Jada's plush, rosebud mouth or the dear, sweet cut of her chin or the dainty curve of her cheek, where those cinnamon-brown locks curled around her face.
Get back to being practical, Frisco. So he turned his back to her, gathered up all his willpower to make himself leave and walk out that door, but his focus stayed pivoted on the sound of her voice, drawn toward her light.
"I wish I knew somebody who needed a good pony," she was saying to the twins. "That was a very good thing to do to buy Chester. He needed a home and someone to love him so bad. He looked pretty ecstatically happy with you boys and when he came bursting through my door, I've never seen a pony look happier."
"He looked sad with his head down when the salesman was yelling at him in the street to stop being stubborn and more." Austin's voice rose three notes, extra high and thin, pure hurt, compassion and little boy heart. "That's why he ran into the big puddle. I would have never talked like that to a pony if I had one."
"We would have loved him," Aiden finished, his voice wobbling.
"That's enough to break my heart." Frisco moseyed on over to the door. "There's no need to put us all in tears. Miss Shepherd doesn't need to be subject to all of this. Maybe we can be on our way and let her get back to running her business and stop chasing away her customers. We've done enough for her already."
"But she looks glad we saved Chester or she wouldn't be teary eyed like us." Aiden looked relieved. "Maybe she thinks we should keep Chester, too? Then we could ride over and see her all the time."
"Please, Pa? We could get more cookies for Grandmama and Grandpop." Austin pleaded, eyes wide. "And for you, too."
"And us," Aiden chimed in.
He clapped one hand to his forehead. Give him strength against such cuteness. Runaway horses and marauding desperadoes shooting up the town was something he could handle, but this? He was not equipped. He gestured the boys over to the door. "Miss Shepherd, thank you for being so kind with my sons. And for the cookies."
"The real problem is not with them." Her dream-blue eyes snapped with caring, making his heart beat faster. "What are you doing?"
"Since I can't pay for the cookies without offending you, fine lady, I'm leaving a fee to cover the replacement of the cookies and to make up for any losses from any customers we might have chased away."
"That's not necessary and it's not right." Jada looked at the ten dollar bill he'd laid on the uprighted table as if she were debating giving it back. "Trust me, you've done enough already. I really appreciate it, and you owe me nothing. The cookies really are my treat."
"Thank you, but I can't do enough for you. Not everyone would be so kind to my boys, so you are pretty stellar to me. Let me treat you the right way."
Miss Jada Shepherd squinted one eye at him, as if she were judging his merit and his worth and perhaps found him lacking. "I am surprised that after this, I don't despise you."
Fun humor danced in her eyes.
"Then I consider this a success." He grinned as he went through the door and turned to her, standing on the boardwalk. "One day, I'm going to win you over and earn your good opinion. Maybe not too high of one, but still, I'll do it."
"Oh, I doubt it. I'm not particularly fond of you and I'd like to keep it that way." The corners of her mouth curved upward, saying differently, and her smile was spellbinding. He let the moment linger as they grinned at one another and he knew if he wanted to take the next step with her, he'd have to take a risk. One he wasn't sure would be easy with his old heart so long ago broken.
Besides, Jada wasn't about to say yes to him, even if she was twinkling up at him with that kind warmth so steady. It was how she treated everyone, he wagered and, besides, a man had his dignity, so he grabbed the empty bucket beside the front door, took the cookie box from one of his sons, and caught a glimpse of Jada before she turned away and their paths might never cross again.
There was definitely something about her that hooked him and kept him. Good thing he was a wise man and knew that it was better to walk away. The livery stable was supposed to be next on his to-do list, and he had a feeling that wasn't going to turn out like he planned.
* * *
Clouds slipped across the twilight sky like a sailboats on a night sea. Jada stared out the window, considering her options.
With a cold change in the weather and a storm likely to blow in, it might be a bad idea to head out to the gold claim. She'd done it before, huddling on the creek bank in the dark, the whipping wind putting out the lantern's light, either that or knocking it over, while she panned and panned for only the scant bit of dust. But still, it was a scant. It added up, pennies to dollars, but still, after a few week nights, it was enough to fund part of their weekly groceries.
Maybe tomorrow, she thought. Tomorrow was a new day, one she hoped would go more positively. She had to find a way to bribe Miss Heather Pratt again to let them stay.
For the moment, anyway, it felt good to relax after such a long day. She settled her feet on the ottoman, leaned back into the chair's deep cushions and let herself finally relax. Since the rent was paid ahead until the end of the month, she assumed she had at least a little time to find new living arrangements, and likely the sheriff would help if she needed it, he'd said so last time when the skunk had been the issue and ran at her and through the open door into the kitchen.
But if this could not be resolved, would their business survive such a move? She couldn't say it could. Start up costs were so pricey. Worrying about it, she yawned and reached for her book on the lamp table beside her.
Whew, this getting off her feet and relaxing felt good. Wonderful. If she didn't take care and stay on guard, she'd fall asleep in a split second.
"Here's your chamomile and lemon tea." Mindy eased a steaming teacup onto the table where the book had been. "This will help soothe what ails you."
"Thanks, Mindy, you're the best sister ever." Jada set the book in her lap, pages open to the bookmarked page, and smiled in thanks at her littlest sis. What a sweetie she'd grown up to be.