Honey Kisses (Romance on the Ranch Series #2) (5 page)

She followed Jackson to the next two bedrooms,
both across the hall with views of the mountains. The main bathroom was next to
the frou-frou bedroom. The hallway ended at an intersecting one that only turned
to the left. He entered that hallway and walked to ornate double doors.
Swinging the doors open, he said, "This is my haven."

Ann caught her breath. The room was built to
take advantage of two views. On one side, huge windows looked across the
pasture to pine trees and her small cottage. On the opposite side, the windows
opened to mountain views. She walked to the windows facing the pasture and
touched the expensive window covering.

"Those coverings allow me to see out, but
no one can see in. If I want, I can darken them."

She turned to see Jackson pick up a remote and
touch a button. The back windows magically darkened. He touched another button
and the front windows darkened. All she could see was his outline. Being in a
darkened bedroom with Jackson made Ann's heart race and forbidden images
flittered across her imagination—images of her and Jackson enjoying each other.
She blushed.

Suddenly, both windows lightened and she could
see outside again. Jackson was speaking, "The bathroom is this way."

She walked past his huge bed, refusing to let
her eyes focus on it, and followed him into a beautiful spa bathroom. "It's
lovely," she gasped.

"I thought you'd appreciate it. Most women
do…er..." He didn't finish his sentence. She noticed his tan deepen.
Standing in the entrance, she didn't know where to look first—huge Jacuzzi tub
or smoky-glass shower or built in vanity or enclosed garden or stained glass
skylight.

"The closet is through here." Jackson
opened another intricately carved door at the back of the bathroom. When he flipped
the switch for the recessed lighting and stepped aside to allow her access, she
gasped again. The closet was as big as a bedroom with massive storage, floor to
ceiling mirrors, built in benches, and plush carpeting. The room was empty
except for a small stash of clothing barely making a dent in the available
space. Jackson chuckled, "As you can see, I'm not much into clothes. I've
been thinking about turning the closet into a weight room."

"I have to tell you, this is the most
magnificent bedroom and bathroom I have ever seen."

"Thanks, Annie."

Jackson led her back through the hallways and toward
the front of the house. Two rooms entered off the foyer, one being a library
with hundreds of tomes, another being an office with a computer, printer, and
file cabinets of rich mahogany matching the desk and chairs. He waited at the
door to the office while she looked around. "This is where I try to stay
on top of business."

In the library, he said, "The books didn't
come with the house. I love to read and I've had them in storage for
years."

After leaving the library they returned to the
kitchen and Jackson led her through a short hallway past the breakfast nook that
opened into a mud room. There was another door off the mud room that opened
into the laundry. A high-tech stacked washer and dryer only took up a small
portion of the large room, which was complete with folding table, double wash
basin, cupboards, and rods for hanging clothes.

"This is perfect," she breathed.

Jackson smiled, "Tommy said Gertie designed
the house."

"She did a wonderful job. It's laid out so
well."

They walked back to the kitchen island and
Jackson picked up the coffee pot and motioned it toward her.
"Refill?"

"No, I'm good."

He poured some java into his own cup. "Like
I said, I don't want you doing anything heavy. If you think floors need
scrubbing, hire it out. If the house needs spring cleaning, hire it out. I want
someone to
run
the household. Also, I'd like to have a home cooked meal
a couple of times a week. I usually eat with the hands, and Jim Bob is a pretty
good cook, but sometimes I just want to come home and enjoy my home."

"I understand. Are there certain days you
want me to cook? I could write out a schedule and menu."

Jackson thought a second, "Mondays are bad.
How about you cook on Tuesdays and Thursdays? Of course, you have the weekends off."

"Alright. What are some of your favorite
foods?"

He laughed, "Anything except broccoli. I
abhor the stuff. Of course, I want you to share the meals with me. While the
weather's nice, it would be enjoyable eating on the terrace."

"Oh, okay. Tomorrow I'll cook ah…lasagna,
and we'll eat outside. Is that okay?"

"Sounds like a great idea."

After Jackson left, Ann warmed her coffee and
went to stand in front of the picture window in the living room. Appraising the
terrace, she knew exactly where she would begin her new duties. She enjoyed a
few minutes solitude and mentally programmed her day.

After a short search, she finally found
gardening tools in the mud room. By mid-morning, the potted plants had been
pruned and watered, the terrace swept, and the patio furniture rearranged and
wiped down. Her next project was dusting the living room and organizing the
bookshelves. By noon, the room was looking homey and tidy. She wondered if
Jackson would show for lunch, and inventoried the food supplies. He didn't show
and she made a small sandwich for herself. By three, the kitchen was spotless
and she decided to make a potato salad. At six, she looked up from the notebook
she was writing in. Jackson, looking dirty and tired, paused in the kitchen
doorway.

"Hey, I hope you're not working. It's after
hours." He looked concerned.

"I'm just scheduling the week. You look
like you've had a busy day."

"Yeah, that's an understatement. We've been
moving cattle between pastures." He walked to the fridge and pulled out a
can of coke. "Would you like one?" He held the can out to her.

"Thanks, but I've got some tea." She
motioned to her glass.

He popped the top of the coke. "What you've
done with the terrace and living room is amazing. So, tell me about your
day."

Pleasantly surprised by his question, she
happily detailed her accomplishments and outlined her plans for the next day.
Most people considered the job of running a household a necessary inconvenience.
Not so for Ann, she'd always loved being a homemaker. "I made potato salad.
Would you like me to fix you a sandwich or something to go with it?"

"No, you're off duty. You should enjoy your
evening."

"Actually, I would enjoy making you
something to eat."

Jackson gave her a quizzed look. "Okay,
I'll just shower. A sandwich would be great."

Ann smiled while she created a sandwich
masterpiece and loaded Jackson's plate with potato salad. When he returned and
she presented it to him, his eyes widened and he grinned. "Oh, yeah,
that's what I'm talkin' about."

Ann felt a shiver of pleasure at his happiness. "I
guess I'll walk back to the cottage. Enjoy your evening."

"Wait, have you eaten?"

"Yes, I ate earlier. I'll see you
tomorrow."

"Good evening, Annie."

Ann's pulse always sped up when he called her
"Annie." She smiled and let herself out by way of the mud room. Being
summer, the sun was still bright as she walked back to her cottage. She had an
almost overwhelming desire to skip like a little girl. It had been a long time
since she'd felt so content and carefree.

* * *

Jackson took his plate and sat at the breakfast
nook table watching Annie walk to her cottage. She bent over a few times to
pick up rocks and toss them like a child. Damn, but the woman turned him on. He
sighed and glanced around the kitchen. It felt—homey. Enjoying a bite of potato
salad, he allowed himself to feel something he always kept at bay—contentment.
He'd often wondered if his dysfunctional upbringing by an alcoholic father had
forever scarred his psyche.

After Annie disappeared into the cottage, he took
his plate of food to his office to finish eating. Turning on his computer, he
checked emails and the latest stock market reports. Mark Johnson, an investor
he'd become friends with during his days at Mitchell Brokerage, had emailed him
the latest trends. Next, he called up his portfolio and made adjustments.
Although Mark managed his investments, Jackson still enjoyed tweaking them. He
was good at calling long shots and he'd had his eye on a little company based
out of Colorado Springs. They had some innovative ideas about alternative
energy products and he wanted to get in on the ground floor. Tomorrow, he would
purchase enough shares to put grins on the faces of the board.

Sage watched Julie perform the last of her vaulting
tricks with her horse, Precious Pudding. Every year the Lazy M Dude Ranch
hosted a dozen children from his favorite charity, the Big Bro and Big Sis
Organization. Seeing the joy it gave the kids, ranging in age from seven to seventeen,
more than made up for the extra work. Remembering the campfire by the river the
previous night made him smile. Most of the kids were city dwellers, so roasting
hotdogs and toasting marshmallows was something they would remember the rest of
their lives. Of course, listening to Newt's ghost stories wasn't something they
would easily forget, either.

"Hey, mister." Sage felt a tug on his
Levis and looked down at the youngest child of the bunch, seven year old
Lester. He squatted beside the freckle-faced, copper-headed boy that asked at
least twenty questions a day.

"Les, what can I do ya?"

"Do you think I can be a cowboy when I grow
up?"

Sage pushed back his Stetson. "I definitely
think you can be a cowboy. In fact, I'm positive you'd be one of the best
cowboys ever."

Lester grinned, showing off the gap where his
front tooth used to be. "I kinda thought the same thing. Okay, I'll come
back and work for you when I grow up."

Sage laughed and looked up at Lester's big bro, Orville.
Orville joined in the laughter and scuffed Lester on his head. "Come on,
cowboy, it's time to rustle up some lunch."

Sage stood and watched the children run toward
the dorm and the feast Curley had prepared.

"Hi, Dad." Julie approached the
railing of the corral with Precious Pudding.

"Hi, honey." The kids loved your
performance. Do you feel ready for the Cortez Rodeo next week?"

"I do. Hey, Dad…"

Sage knew his daughter well enough to realize
something was up when she said, "Hey, Dad…" He waited.

"I know I've told you this before, but
thanks for the Alaska cruise."

"Sarah and I agreed that a cruise would be
something special." He waited for her to speak what was
really
on
her mind.

"I got a letter from Maude. You know, she's
in her eighties and still goin' strong."

"Yeah, that woman is something else."

"Ah, she said their Alaska summer is
beautiful this year. She, ah, invited Jacob and me to spend the rest of the
warm months with her and Clyde.

"Do you want to?"

"You know I do."

"So what's the problem?"

"Jacob won't ask for the time off. He
doesn't want to put you in a bind."

"Well, he is important around here."

Julie looked disappointed.

"But I could ask Jackson if he's got a
ranch hand he could spare. He seems well situated."

Julie's eyes lit. "You mean it?"

"Of course I mean it. Hey, how can I deny
my little girl and my son-in-law the opportunity to spend time with Maude and Clyde,
twenty-first century gold prospectors?"

Julie reached over the top of the corral and
hugged him. "Thanks, Dad." She chewed her bottom lip. "Now I
just have to find a way to let Jacob know I asked you when he asked me not
to."

Sage laughed, "Honey, I think you'll figure
something out. When do you think you'll leave?"

"We won't leave until you're happy with
Jacob's replacement."

"I'll talk to Jackson this afternoon and
let you know."

"Daddy, you're the best!"

Sage watched Julie lead Precious Pudding back to
the barn. He sure hoped Jackson had someone to spare. There was no way he could
deny Julie her heart's desire to spend time in Alaska with Maude, the former
cook at Lazy M for twenty years.

* * *

On Friday, after almost a week at Triple T
Ranch, Ann was proud of herself for getting the main house in shipshape
condition. Although Jackson had told her to hire out heavy labor, she mopped
and scrubbed anyway. She took curtains down in the bathrooms and washed and
ironed them, she changed sheets on all the beds, she did some weeding of
flowerbeds in the back yard, and she enjoyed every minute of her new position.
After shyly asking Jackson if it was okay to enter his bedroom to dust and
change his sheets, he'd nodded and said, "Sure, but you don't have to do
that. Just leave the sheets on the bed and I'll change them."