“Tan? Maybe you should go talk to Brett,” she suggested.
“Talk. To Dad,” he said slowly. “Did that horse knock more than just your nose sideways? He’s dead, Lizzie.”
“Go talk to him anyway. It might help,” she replied, hoping he would figure it out.
He gave her a strange look, threw his hands in the air, and stalked out of the office, muttering about crazy people.
Liz waited a moment, then picked up her phone and texted Brady about Rosy, and added that Tanner was brooding again. Brady texted back a bunch of silly-faced emojis, which made her smile as much as her tight, sore face would let her, and then she left it. She had shit to do, and the tension Tanner had brought into the office had made her jumpy.
She found her thoughts circling back to Jake as she tried to refocus on her paperwork. How nice it was to just have time with him last night, talking, eating some of the best chicken fajitas she’d ever had. She’d stolen the rest of the tortillas, and they were in her fridge. She’d wolfed one down with a hastily microwaved egg and a slice of processed cheese this morning for breakfast, and it had been the most delicious thing ever.
It was more than good company and food, though.
All evening, once they had mended the awkwardness of the day, he’d been relaxed, laughing, his deep masculine voice soothing and exciting all in the same breath.She’d been keyed up when she went back to her house, and had sat up for an hour, watching random TV, her body thrumming with the arousal she’d had to tamp down.
“Hey.”
Speak of the sexy-as-hell devil. She looked up at Jake in the doorway, wearing jeans that rode low on his hips, a T-shirt that was molded to his chest and biceps, and a dark-blue baseball cap from which his hair curled out, just slightly. He smiled and stepped into her office as she stared at him.
“So this is where you hide all day,” he said, looking around.
“Not normally. Trevor is refusing to let me work the horses,” she replied, gesturing at her face and pushing back from her work. Swiveling in her chair, she threw her feet up on the desk, putting an invisible barrier between her and the entirely too sexy man invading her space.
Jake moved to the window looking into the indoor arena, and his reflection in the glass showed that he was thinking much too hard. His jaw was flexing and he pulled his hat off, tossing it on the desk with a sharp huff of breath. As he shoved his hands into his pockets, his shoulders rose, tense and tight.
A copy of his brother who had left not long before.
The windows in the arena were unboarded for summer, and the side door hadn’t been closed, allowing beautiful midday sunlight to beam into the office. She liked how it added warmth to the room, and it had been nice watching the horses work in the relative shade the arena provided when it was so hot out. Right now, the sunbeams were still slightly off center, casting Jake half in shadow. It made him look mysterious, which was even sexier.
“You need something?” she asked, hoping to draw out whatever it was he was stewing on. “Normally when a West man comes into my office, it’s to complain or to ask a favor. Already had one come in. He was complainin’. You?”
Jake laughed at that, his face softening, and when he turned, her heart thumped erratically in her chest. He really was gorgeous, so different from his brothers. Now that she knew his mannerisms better, she saw how unique he was, not just an older, more polished West. True, his jaw was cut like Tan’s, his frame and height and some of his gestures were the same, but Tanner was all rugged, sun-weathered, stoic ranch man. Jake was dynamic, outgoing, and moved with a fluid confidence, a nuance of something she couldn’t put her finger on yet.
It was a relief that he had a different presence, because otherwise her attraction would’ve felt utterly wrong.She’d never thought about Tanner or Brady like that. Even though they weren’t her siblings, they were her chosen brothers. They’d grown up together after her mom had married Brett.
“Guilty on the latter,” he said, hands in the air. “I have to return my rental. I’ll need a ride home from Calgary. I’d ask Brady, but he seems to have his hands full because I can’t find him. You’re good to drive . . .”
He trailed off and looked at her with what she figured was hope she would say yes.
She sighed. “Mom put you up to this?”
“No, ma’am. But she’s roped me into feeding the crew every day while I’m here.” Jake grinned and rocked on his heels, lending him an air of mischief.
“They’ll be eating better than ever,” she said, a laugh bubbling out of her. “Soon start asking for fancy meals instead of the egg salad sandwiches or canned soup Rosy normally put out.”
His grin widened. “I’ll ease them into it. Lobster thermidor on Fridays only.”
That made her laugh, and she covered her mouth before she snorted. He chuckled as well.
“Listen, I figure you might enjoy a few hours away from this place.”
He wasn’t wrong, and she appreciated that the olive branch had been extended both ways now. She could stop at the coffee shop and get some expensive beans for her mom to try out in Jake’s fancy machine, maybe get her a few new paperbacks at the big bookstore attached to it.
“I could do tomorrow. I’m trying to get caught up on work I never find time to do today, and I’m a bit sore,” she answered honestly, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose gently. “When you have lunch for the crew squared away with Mom, we could go after.”
“Fair enough,” he replied cheerfully, and offered her his hand. “It’s another chance at a date to make up for yesterday’s crossed wires. I’ll steal you away before Tanner can say no.”
She kicked her feet off the desk, took his hand, and he lifted her up out of her chair instead of shaking. Her eyes flew to his face, the shock of heat that reared up between them immediate, the strength of his arm as he pulled her up sexy and masculine. His eyes were trained on hers, piercing and dark, when only a moment before they’d been soft and happy. She sucked in a breath, frozen, and then blushed scarlet with the thoughts racing through her mind. Just like last night, she wanted to step into his arms and—
