Heartbreak's Reward (Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight Book 2) (7 page)

A few hours later she headed to her car. First switching the air conditioner to high, she pulled to the exit and turned right. Maybe it should have been left. She didn’t remember Jase saying it would come to a curve before turning onto a second side street.

She turned around. “I definitely have a problem finding that stupid highway!” In the distance sat the same range of mountains she saw last night, but the biggest one sat apart—the one called Superstition. Her shoulders shimmied at the spooky name.

Back where she started from, she continued past the hotel parking lot, and sure enough, she found the street she needed a mile down the road.
Finally
. He had said it was about twelve miles to the store. As she continued, she spotted a good-sized supermarket ahead on the left. She parked at the far end of the lot to get a few extra steps in since she’d be cooped up in a hotel suite for days.

Removing her short shopping list, she went inside, gathered all the items she needed as quickly as she could, and headed for the checkout line. Paying for her order, she pushed the cart out, loaded up her trunk, and walked the cart back to the door.

She no sooner got near the entrance and the tall cowboy came out through the door. His face lit with a big smile. “Wow, good timing,” she said.

Jase gave her a nod. “Hi there, Brenna Page. I see you made it all on your own.”

“I didn’t know you came here, too.”

“It’s closest to the ranch.”

“Thank you for the directions. I loaded up my car so I need to get the food home to the fridge.” He looked so good, rugged, dirty, and all rolled into a handsome guy. She hadn’t noticed how white his teeth were last night. Maybe it was his tanned skin making them look that way. Either way, he was smoldering hot. The intense blue of his eyes just sparkled in the Arizona sunlight.

“Yeah, me too, girl. I have a couple big steaks in here. Sure don’t want them to spoil.” He tilted his head toward his truck a couple rows over. “I have to get these home.”

They walked beside each other until he turned off toward his vehicle. “I’ll see you later, Jase.”

“Hey.”

Brenna looked over her shoulder. “What is it?”

He stood there, two paper bags in his arms, head cocked a bit, and he licked his lips. Hard to miss that. “Have lunch with me. I’ll run this home, you do the same.” He nodded across the street. “There’s a place right over there. Good food. How about it?”

Brenna glanced in the direction to the restaurant. His idea sounded good. She was hungry, and since he refused to let her pay for their beers and burger last night, she’d insist this time. “Okay. How long?”

“Thirty minutes? No, make it forty. Give me a chance to change. Does that work for you?”

“That gives me plenty of time to get home and put this stuff away. Sure, I’ll meet you right across the street.” She checked her watch. At least it was a place she knew how to get to. And the company—better than pleasant. Not here two full days, yet, and the hotel was already boring. She’d have to call her friend back in Iowa City later to ward off the boredom of the night.

“Hey, there’s two restaurants over there. Let’s make it the Golden Nugget. See you soon, Brenna.”

She watched him walk away. All six or more feet of him. His cute swagger showed his confidence. Jase turned around and winked. He knew she watched him walk away. “Damn bold man.” She liked that cowboy being damn bold.

Rushing home, she made one trip in with three bags. At this rate, she’d be shopping a couple times a week. She took a bottle of water from the fridge and carried it to the vanity while she freshened up her make-up, even sprayed an extra spray of perfume. She only brought one kind. The rain made her hair wavy. Running a brush over the length, she sprayed it with a shiner. Satisfied with how it looked, she put in her diamond stud earrings.

It was lunch, but she had no idea how long it might last. If he enjoyed her company as much as she did his, it could… Who was this woman? Looking in the mirror one last time, it was her.

Checking her watch, it was time to go. She left a light on in the front part of the suite, headed out the door, and took the stairs down.

Almost there, and she didn’t like the song playing so flipped through radio stations and stopped on a country song that made her laugh. Before long she was singing along with the song, “Cowboy Take Me Away.” She pulled up, her driver side to his, and lowered the window. He did the same. The song was about a cowboy. Well, that’s what this man was. Brenna was curious to see his reaction, so she turned the volume up a tad. Sinking into the seat, she turned toward him and smiled.

Jase opened his door, stepped down, and leaned into her window. “Hungry?”

Taking a big breath didn’t help when his sexy scent of cologne had hit her in the face.
Hallelujah
. “Yeah, I’m getting there.”

“Let’s go. The cowboy just came to take you away.” He reached in and turned off the ignition, clasped her keys and opened the door. When she stepped out, he didn’t bother to move back any and they were close. This man was hot and not only his temperature. Whatever kind of chemistry radiated off him, soaked right into her.

She tilted her head back and looked up at him. “I’m ready to go inside.”

He took a step back, allowing her room to move, and closed her door, clicked the fob, and handed the keys over.

It was dimly lit inside, but her eyes adjusted in no time. Jase led them to a table in the bar area and ordered them both a soda. He turned to her. “Hope that’s okay, I mean, unless you wanted a beer. I have a bunch of work to get back to later, so I need to stick to soda.”

“It’s perfect. What is good here? I mean, do they have a specialty?”

“They always have something special for a pretty woman.”

He laid his hand over hers and nervousness encompassed her. The idea of being so close to him, and the touch of his hot, calloused hand excited her. Not knowing where it came from, but she turned her hand over and their fingers entwined.

She gulped as inconspicuously as she could when their gaze met and held. Warmth made its way from her cheeks, trickled slowly over her shoulders and down her spine, settling right in the center of her. A tingle rattled her senses.

A reeling low inside of her made a statement and she did a physical shutter. She squeezed his hand and the strength of his fingers held hers tight. He licked his lips, and whether on purpose or intentionally, his tongue barely moved over them. The cold drinks arrived right on time. She lifted it to her lips for a drink, but she wanted to take the ice cubes and dribble them down her blouse.

After a held breath was released, she glanced at their hands, their skin both damp from sweat. Heaven forbid, this man awakened something inside of her. Was he the one? This stranger in the night? And why was she
still
holding his hand?

“So what do you feel like eating, Bren?” Jase released her hand and opened the menu. “Lots of choices, steak, pasta, seafood. Tacos are great. Pies are made by the owner’s wife. Whatever suits your mood.”

Thank God he broke the spell because her appetite was going in the opposite direction. Very out of the ordinary for her. “I’ll…I’ll have to look at the menu unless you can suggest something.”

“I will.”

Brenna saw his throat constrict, saying it wasn’t only her enjoying this moment. “So, you’ll surprise me? Let’s see how good of a job you can do getting my mood right.”

When the waitress came Jase pointed to two different places on the menu and she wrote it down. Instead of leaving, she set her hand on his shoulder. “How you been doing, J.C.? I don’t see you much anymore.” She glanced at Brenna, real quick, as if to say, “Oh, you’re not alone.”

“Hey, Sal, I’d like you to meet Brenna Page. She’s new in town, a teacher as a matter of fact. Y’all run into each other at school, I suppose, with all your kids there.” He said to Brenna, “Meet Sal Loren. She works here but volunteers at the school.”

Brenna held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.” Sal nodded, but ignored her hand. Her action said a lot to Brenna. She had a thing for Jase. It appeared to be one-sided though. Sal squeezed his shoulder before leaving to put in their order.

“What did you order for me?”

“Wait and see. As long as you aren’t allergic to anything, we’ll be fine.” Jase took out a lighter and lit the candle at the end of the table. Shortly after, a salad was brought by a different person and set in front of both of them with a small loaf of bread.

“I’m not allergic to anything I know of yet.” She waited for him to pick up his fork and they both took a bite at the same time. The dressing bit her tongue. “This is different, spicy-tart, yet sweet.” She fanned herself. “Hot in a way.”

“Makes ya pucker, eh?” Jase took a drink of soda right after.

He was right, it did cause that drawing-in on the inside of her mouth after the sting went away. She’d never had anything on a salad like this before. What would dinner be like?

“I know I still have chores at home, but after lunch go somewhere with me,” said Jase. “A walk through town. You haven’t actually been through Canyon Junction yet. I’ll help ya check out our little place. Grab an ice cream cone for dessert.”

She moved her plate and folded her arms on the table. “It sounds like a good idea. I’m anxious to see what this little town is all about.” Jase didn’t ask. Her earlier observation was correct. Demanding, yet in a way that seemed innocent. She saw it as confidence.

He placed his hand over her forearm. “You’ll like your new town, Brenna. I was new here once.” He moved his hand to hers. “And for lunch, we’re having grilled lemon/pepper chicken. More of a spicy bite than the salad. I eat lighter when I can, but every now and then nothing works like a burger or steak.”

“It sounds delicious and I’ll need a walk afterward.”

Sal brought their food and refilled beverages. Jase ordered coffee and asked Brenna if she’d like a cup. She agreed to coffee, too. “Are you interested in history at all? If you are, check out the
ghost
story that goes along with this place.”

Sal brought coffee and Jase added cream. “One of these days, you might even learn enough about that old mountain to go up into it. By horse or hike, it’s awesome. There’s even a ghost town.”

“This place has a ghost, too? Are you teasing me?”

“I’m not teasing you.” He removed a menu from the rack at the end of the table. “Look, the story’s in there.”

Taking in the bar area, she liked the red and black combination on the bar stools and tables. Typical neon lights reflected in the mirror behind the bar. She opened the menu and read it. “Wow, a real ghost story. Should I be afraid?” She tilted her head and grinned.

“I’ve got your back.” He took the menu and put it away.

“And your mountain? I’ll make it a goal to check it out. The name sounds freaky though. Reminds me of Halloween and black cats.” All through dinner she did more listening than talking. Hearing Jase tell his ranching stories, horse antics, and traveling to his auctions, she was blown away, and loved his laugher—though it rarely snuck out.

Even the serious topics—horse injuries and his own broken collar bone from being thrown from a horse not yet ready to give in to breaking, interested her. With the mention of his children, a sadness crept into his eyes and he’d pause and look away. She’d love to hear more about his son and daughter, but it was obvious how it pained him to speak of them.

He was nothing like the same person she met in the parking lot last night. His pleasant company was expected. No, it was more…better than she had expected or anticipated. He was an entrancing kind of man, and she’d take pleasure in spending more of the day with him. So engrossed in his tales, time got away and lunch was over.

“Before we go, teach, I’m giving you a homework assignment.”

“What? I’m on vacation.” It was so cute the way he called her
teach
. Sure, she’d been called that many times, but coming from his lips made it all different. “And what is my homework assignment, rancher?”

“Study the mountain, the history, and maybe I’ll take you panning for gold…if you can figure it out.”

“I accept your challenge, Mr. Bright Lights Carlson.”

“You won’t see those lights anymore, baby. You ready?” He grabbed the bill and her hand and they were off. Jase still wouldn’t let her pay, even after she begged standing at the cash register.
But…baby?

***

On the way to their vehicles, he held her hand until he unlocked his truck. Brenna didn’t make an attempt to release his either. She hadn’t known how much she missed the closeness that came from another person. Almost two years, being alone was the norm now.

“So, Brenna Page, are you riding with me into town?”

She had to think about it a moment. What would it hurt? “What about my car?” She didn’t feel good about leaving it sitting here in a parking lot while she left. Wasn’t that why she paid the high cost of insurance though?

“I’ll follow you home and you can park in your parking lot.”

Now he’s a mind reader.
“All right.” She unlocked it and he opened her door.

“You remember how to get back?”

The straightforward expression on his face said he wasn’t teasing. “Yes, I do. Thank you.” She dropped down into the fine leather seat and stuck her key into the ignition. “Behind or ahead of me?”

“Oh, I’ll stay behind you this time.”

Something special about him in her rear-view mirror this time caused her to smile. He drove with his parking lights on, right close to her bumper like a shadow. She was proud of herself for knowing where to go without looking at a map or GPS. When she pulled into her parking lot, he pulled up beside her, jumped out and went around to open his passenger side door.

Brenna got into his truck. Quite a difference from her low car. “Thank you,” she said, when he went to close the door. Jase was a gentleman among other things. He went around and got inside.

“We’ll grab a cone and do that walk I talked about. It’s a decent night.” He shifted into first gear and drove out toward Canyon Junction. “The ice cream place closes early most nights, but they’re open later on the weekends. Well, maybe not Sunday. The whole town closes early, for that matter.”