Falling for Jillian (3 page)

“Good for them.” Jill grins. “Your parents have worked hard all their lives. I’m glad they’re going to take it easy.”

“Well, we’ll see how long it lasts. Dad loves ranching too much to retire completely.”

“How is Seth?” she asks as I pull into our driveway.

“He’s doing so much better,” I reply. “His grades are awesome, and he’s got friends. I wish I’d moved him here years ago.”

The guilt sets in as I think of what my son went through before coming home to Montana.

Jill lays her hand on my arm and squeezes gently. “I’m glad he’s doing so much better. He’s a great kid.”

I grin and nod. “Thanks.”

Pulling up to Josh and Cara’s place, I park and turn to face Jill, who is frowning and biting her lip again. She looks almost . . . disappointed.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

She shakes her head and offers me a smile. “Nothing. Thank you for rescuing me.”

“You don’t need to be rescued, Jill,” I reply and return her smile. “I’m just glad you know how to ask for help when you need it.”

I step out of my truck and retrieve her bags from the backseat, then trudge through the snow to Josh’s front door, which is now open as Cara has
rushed out to hug Jill. Thor runs out of the house, lifts his leg on a snowbank, and then dashes right back in.

Smart dog.

“Dad! I creamed Uncle Josh in Need for Speed!”

“That’s my boy,” I reply and ruffle his hair when he runs over to me.

“He cheats.” Josh glares at Seth, who laughs hysterically.

“Do not. You suck.”

“I bet I can beat you,” Jill announces and Seth stills, watches her with narrowed eyes, and then shoves his controller at her.

“You can try, but I’ll beat your girl butt.”

“We should go, Seth.”

“Just one game? Please?” Seth asks, bouncing on his toes.

“Please?” Jill joins him, both of them about the same height, looking up at me with hopeful eyes, and I can’t help but burst out laughing.

“Go ahead.”

“Yes!” Jill cries and races Seth to the couch, where they settle in to race.

“Couldn’t fix the furnace?” Josh asks.

“We’re gonna have to send someone over there tomorrow,” I tell him and watch the dark-haired woman with my son.

“Thanks for going in to help,” Cara says and hugs me around my waist.

“Anytime,” I reply.

Jill is laughing and when Seth beats her in their race, she smiles widely at him and offers her fist for him to bump, which he accepts happily.

What the fuck am I going to do about her?

“All right, Seth, it’s time to head home. You have school tomorrow.”

“Dumb school,” Seth grumbles under his breath next to me. “Maybe we’ll get a snow day.”

“Doubtful,” Cara replies with a frown. “This isn’t Texas. We’re used to snow around here.”

“Dumb school,” Seth grumbles again, making me laugh.

“Thanks for playing with me.” I nudge him with my shoulder. “This was the best part of my day.”

“It was?”

“Yeah, I had a crappy day. So thanks.”

He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but smiles and pets Thor before standing, putting the game away, covering his dark hair with his hat, and stuffing his feet into boots.

“Thanks again, Zack,” I murmur and offer the tall, sexy man a grin. He just nods and shoos his son and their dog out to the truck, leaving me with Josh and Cara.

“Want to watch a movie?” Cara asks.

“I can go find something to do, give you some girl time,” Josh offers, but I shake my head no.

“Honestly, I’ve had one of the worst days I’ve had in a long while, guys. I’d like to just go take a long, hot shower and go to bed.”

“Okay, follow me.” Cara leads me down the hall to a bedroom with a soft queen-size bed, and towels and washcloths stacked neatly at its foot. “The linens are clean. The bathroom is just across the hall. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks, friend.” I hug her close. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

I gather my toiletries and towels, turn on the water in the shower as hot as it goes, and take my clothes off.

This has been one long day. I can’t seem to get warm, despite sitting in front of the fire with Seth, playing the game. I step under the water and flinch as it bites my cold flesh, then sigh in relief when it begins to warm me up. I go through the motions of washing my hair and shaving, and then just stand in the blissfully hot water until the temperature starts to fall.

It’s stupid to be disappointed that he brought
me here rather than taking me home with him. Of course he would bring me to Cara’s. Why in the world would he take me to his house?

We’re just friends.

He has a twelve-year-old son, for the love of Moses.

Yet, for just a few moments, the thought of staying with him for the night was a tempting fantasy.

When I’m dry and dressed in clean yoga pants and an old University of Montana T-shirt, I comb out my long dark hair and blow it dry, and as I watch my fingers comb through the strands, I can’t help but remember that night months ago when Zack was inside me, surrounding me with his big, hard body. I was coming down from the best orgasm of my life as he pushed his fingers through my hair, whispering about how soft and beautiful it is. My legs go weak and my stomach tightens as I switch the dryer off and brace myself on the sink, staring at my own reflection.

“He has baggage,” I tell myself. “And you do too. Jesus, between the two of you, you could fill the cargo hold of a 747. It doesn’t matter that he’s hot as fuck and makes you crazy. It’ll never work.”

I lean in and give myself the stink-eye. “And he doesn’t want you anyway. Get over it.”

I climb into the soft bed in Cara’s spare bedroom and curl into a ball as exhaustion takes over and pulls me into sleep.

Someone is trying to bulldoze the house down.

I wake with a start as I push my hair out of my face and gaze about the still-dark room in confusion. Then I remember the cold house, Zack coming to help, and him bringing me here. I lie down and listen. Loud voices and a gurgling engine are coming from out front.

What in the hell are they doing out there?

I check the clock and wince when I see it’s not quite six yet. After yanking the covers aside, I stand and walk out into the hallway, almost running smack into Cara.

“What are they doing?” I ask and rub my eyes.

“Plowing,” she mutters, evil and bloodshed coming from her narrowed hazel eyes.

“Are you going to beat Josh up?” I ask hopefully.

“Oh, it’s all three of them,” she replies.

“What?”

“Put your eyes in and follow me.” I hurry into the bathroom to put my contacts in and join Cara back in the hall. She leads me to the front door, we shove our feet into boots and throw scarves around our necks, and step out into the cold.

The snow stopped falling at some point during the night, but not before dropping at least two feet of fluffy white powder.

And right now, at the butt crack of dawn, Josh and Zack are plowing the driveway with a big green
John Deere tractor. They’re bundled up in Carhartt jackets and boots, gloves, and hats. Thor is running about, jumping in the snow, chasing sticks that Seth throws for him while he helps direct his uncle and father.

“Hey!” I call out. They don’t hear me. “How do you deal with this?” I ask Cara.

“They’re not typically this loud in the morning.” Cara props her hands on her hips and glares at her fiancé. “I usually just wake up alone.”

We continue to glare at the boys until I decide that the best way to get their attention is to demand it. With a shot to the head.

I pack snow into a nice, hard ball, and throw it, hitting Josh in the shoulder.

“Good shot!” Cara announces and joins me, scooping balls of snow and throwing them at the guys.

Seth gets into the spirit, throwing snowballs back at us while Thor barks encouragement.

“They’ve declared war, Dad!” Seth exclaims when Zack cuts the engine to the tractor and watches us.

“No, you did!” I yell and throw another snowball, hitting Zack square in the chest. He looks down at the snow on his coat and then narrows his eyes at me. “You woke us up!”

“How is Cara supposed to drive to work if we don’t plow?” Josh asks with a laugh and hops off the tractor.

“You didn’t have to plow this early,” she replies
and throws another snowball. We duck and weave, avoiding the snow being hurled at us by Seth.

“This is a big ranch,” Zack says as he also jumps off the tractor and slowly advances toward us, ignoring the snow being flung at him. “We had to start early so we could get the other chores done too.”

“You woke us up,” I reply haughtily, but can’t smother the giggle that comes out when I hit Zack in the right shoulder, sending snow spraying up onto his face. He wipes his eyes on his sleeve and then slowly kneels to scoop up a ball of snow. “Oh shit.”

“We’re dead,” Cara agrees and giggles when Josh runs after her, tackling her before she can run into the house, tickling her and rubbing snow in her hair.

Zack stalks me slowly, his brown eyes pinned to mine, the dimple in his cheek winking at me as he tries to hold the laughter in.

“You don’t scare me,” I lie. I will not show fear. I clench my lips to keep from screaming as he advances. “I’m going inside.”

“Oh no, you’re not.” He catches me and shoves snow down my shirt.

“Oh my God!” I scream and run away from him. I grab snow and throw it haphazardly over my shoulder, missing him by at least six feet, and he laughs loudly.

“Is that all you got?” he taunts me.

“You’re a bully!” I laugh and try to get away, but
suddenly Seth and Thor are there too, tossing snow and laughing, and I can’t take it anymore. I fall into the snow, on my back, heaving and laughing and wet. My eyes are closed for a moment, but when I open them, two brown-haired heads are staring down at me as Thor licks my cheek. “Uncle.”

“We won, Dad!” Seth and Zack high-five each other and Zack holds out a hand to help me out of the snow, but I shake my head.

“I’m comfortable.”

“Aren’t you freezing?” he asks with a frown.

“Yeah, but it’s not bad. I worked up a sweat kicking your ass.”

“I’m not the one on the ground, sugar.”

I giggle again and when he offers me his hand, I take it and pull him down onto the snow beside me.

“You were saying?”

He chuckles and looks over at me, flat on his back. “I never would have pegged you for someone to get dirty in the snow.”

“I’m not
dirty
,” I reply. “I’m wet.”

I laugh at the implication and see his brown eyes spark with awareness.

“You know what I mean,” I whisper.

“Yuck,” Seth grumbles. “Uncle Josh is kissing Aunt Cara again.”

We glance over to see that Josh has rolled them so he’s under Cara, taking the brunt of the cold, and they’re kissing like high school kids.

“Get a room!” I yell.

They laugh, then come over to help us out of the powder.

“That’ll teach you,” I say and toss my wet hair over my shoulder.

Cara mimics me and follows, stomping to the front door. As we step inside, I can hear the guys laughing. Cara shuts the door and we dissolve into giggles, high-five each other, and strip out of our boots and sopping-wet scarves.

Suddenly the door opens and Zack pokes his head in.

“Jilly, I’m taking you car-shopping today. I’ll come get you at noon, after I wrap some things up.”

“I have to work today.”

“You can work here,” Cara offers with a grin. “You brought your computer.”

I look back and forth between them and then sigh in defeat.

“Fine.”

Zack winks and shuts the door as Josh fires the beast back up.

“I’ll get the coffee brewing,” Cara offers. “We won’t be going back to sleep now.”

“You don’t have to go with me,” I insist as Zack and I drive back into town. “You’ve done enough. Josh called the guy to come fix the furnace and will meet him at my place in about an hour. I can take my old car to the dealer and trade it in.”

“I don’t mind,” he replies without glancing at me.

“If you’re worried that I’ll be taken advantage of because I’m a single woman buying a car—”