To Protect the Heart of a Brazen Woman [Brazen Sisters 6] (Siren Publishing Classic) (5 page)

“Should we at least go see what she’s done this time?” Jessie pushed herself up out of the rocking chair.

“No. She’s just beginning to forgive us. I think we should stay out of it this time,” Sam said, though she walked over to the edge of the porch, which gave them a clear view of the garage Jake was now striding toward.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look so angry.” Sam was right
,
and Jessie felt a moment of that mother
-
hen instinct, but pushed it away knowing Bobbie had to live her own life and none of them should stand in her way.

“Damn it
,
Bobbie
,
you have to listen to me!” Jake’s shout carried all the way to them.

“Anything you have to say should be said to Kerri, because the only thing I have to say to you is fuck off.” Jessie cringed, but Jake had brought this on himself and deserved the hell Bobbie was about to give him, even more in her opinion.

“Son of a bitch. I don’t have time to fight with you.” His tone got deeper and louder each time he spoke.

“Then you shouldn’t have come. Now go away!”

“I’m not leaving here until we ta—”

“Watch out!” Bobbie yelled as she came barreling around the side of the house up the stairs onto the porch, flying into the house.

* * * *

She was quick
.
H
e’d give her that. Jake was only a few feet behind her
,
dripping wet and covered with suds. He stuck his foot in the doorway, but that didn’t stop Bobbie from trying to slam it.

“Little girl
,
you are in big trouble now.”

“Jessie, are you going to let him threaten me like that?” Bobbie stomped on his foot and tried to peel his fingers off the door.

Jake looked over his shoulder at Jessie
,
who nodded as she rubbed her slightly rounded belly. “Yup. We’re staying out of you
r
love life just like you told us to.”

“Your sisters are obviously smarter than you. Now open the door and take your punishment like a woman.” He gave the door a shove
,
adding his shoulder to his leg.

“Ooh, are you finally man enough to give it to me?”
s
he taunted and he heard her sisters gasp behind him.

He leaned in so close only she could hear him. “Darlin’
,
from here on out you can count on it.”

“I told you, you’re too late. I’m done playing games with you. Just go away.” Her eyes filled with tears, but the conviction in her voice was what really bothered him.

“Don’t think you’re going to sway me with tears. This is important.” He kept trying to wedge his body into the gap
,
and somehow she found the strength to fight him.

“Damn it, Jake
,
I’m not talking to you.” Bobbie’s voice held a steeliness he’d never heard before
,
and it had the strangest effect on him.

It was like she flicked the one switch she hadn’t touched until now
, t
he one thing that had been keeping him from acting on the carnal urges she constantly brought on. Damn. The little wench would have to be the only one who could make him want
her
so badly
he actually ached for her touch
.

“That’s fine with me. You don’t need to talk. I just need for you to listen.” His retort was just as harsh as hers and he saw the flash in her eyes that should have been a warning.

“After what you did, I never have to listen to you again. If I’ve broken the law in some way
,
send that cute new deputy of yours out to talk to me. Otherwise
,
get of
f
my property before I call him myself.”

“You may live here but it
’
s Sam’s property now. Until she orders me off I’m staying.”

“Fine, then I’ll go.” The fucking little shit let t
he
door go and bolted.

Her unexpected retreat didn’t even give him a chance to back off. With all the weight he was putting behind the door
,
he couldn’t stop himself falling forward. He landed on the floor
,
taking the brunt of the fall with his shoulder and hip. Pain radiated up and down his side, but he didn’t let it hold him back. He scrambled to his feet
,
crawling the first few steps toward the back door, which the little witch had left wide open after she dashed through.

He raced outside and thought he saw a blur of white to the left, but his gut told him to go right. Years of intense situations had taught him to always go with his gut. He made it around to the front of the house in time to see Bobbie’s new yellow Jeep tearing down the driveway, suds and all. Damn, right now he wished she hadn’t gotten rid of that piece of crap she’d driven for the past three years. He would have been able to catch up with her so much easier if she couldn’t
get away
so fast.

“Before you chase after her
,
do you want to tell us what’s going on?” Sam asked from up on the porch.

“Not yet, but once I get things straight I’ll explain it to all of you. In the meantime
,
can you pack a bag for her
?
W
e’ll pick it up when I drag her back.” He could tell neither of Bobbie’s older sisters liked the idea, but they headed inside
,
hopefully to do as he asked.

Jake climbed into his truck and tried to think of where to look first. He could radio in for help, but her comment about his new deputy stung too much for him to do that. He knew it was a mistake to hire the kid, but he had all the skills Jake was looking for. How would he have explained not hiring him because he was too handsome? Truthfully
,
the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind, but it was in there festering now. Did she really think the son of a bitch was cute? It didn’t matter. Neither did the fact she still thought something had happened between him and the new stenographer
, Kerri,
over at the courthouse. None of it mattered, because they had much bigger and more immediate problems to deal with.

Bobbie might think she had a legitimate reason to be pissed at him—and maybe she did—but that was only because she refused to hear the truth. Or at least his version of what had happened. Instead
,
she was getting the information from everyone but him. He hadn’t pushed too hard, because truthfully
,
he knew she was hurt. Damn it, that was one of the reasons he denied them both what they’d wanted for years. Getting any more romantically involved with her than he already was would only risk hurting her more. Couldn’t she see he was trying to protect her heart? Why couldn’t her sisters see it
,
either? Maybe they all did and just didn’t care.

Again
,
that would all have to
be
put aside until he dealt with this threat. More than her heart was at risk now
,
and he wasn’t about to let anything happen to her.

* * * *

It had been four days since she had dinner at Beau’s
,
and this was the first time she’d seen Jake. She had no idea what Beau had said to him, but she’d noticed the bruise starting to go from red to purple on Beau’s cheek when he picked Charlie up that evening. She hated that he’d gotten it on her account. Bobbie expected Jake to show up later that night
,
and she planned on giving him a piece of her mind, but he never showed.

He hadn’t called or stopped by to see her at all even though he’d hinted in town that he would—under the guise of some other reason of course—so Bobbie assumed Jake was back to avoiding her. He really didn’t have to, because she was too busy with her own life to think about searching him out. She needed to get the new reservation system installed and get everyone trained before school started next week.

For now
,
Jake was nothing more than an annoying blip on her radar, at least that’s what she tried to tell herself. Truthfully
,
she was glad he hadn’t come around, because she still wasn’t ready to deal with him. She hadn’t decided what she was going to do about her feelings for him. The time was at hand for her to make
a
choice. There were three ways to handle the situation. She could love him and be alone knowing she’d never have him. Or she could find someone else and still love Jake, which wouldn’t be fair to anyone. Then there was her last resort, making him choose.

Her sisters had confessed that they’d hoped her leaving town would have made him come to his senses about their relationship, which was one of the reasons Bobbie had taken the job at the B&B. That hadn’t worked out as any of them had planned. Without her in town
,
Jake obviously felt free to see other women. Not that Bobbie would have ever tried to stop him, because she didn’t have the right.

She didn’t have to like it though, and Jake was usually circumspect to protect her feelings. The same went for her. She’d gone out with other guys, but always in a
“
we’re just friends
”
sort of way
,
and Jake knew it.
Please
.
N
o one had come close to making
me
want them
even half
as much as
I
want Jake.
She wasn’t sure anyone ever would either, but if she opened herself up to the idea it might happen.

Bobbie knew she was running out of time to consider everything. He proved that when he showed up at the house demanding to talk to her. She figured there were other things he wanted to talk to her about, besides her dinner with Beau and Charlie. Her brothers-in-law had hinted that he wasn’t happy with her cruising around town with her friends. As if registering for classes and shopping for school supplies could be considered cruising.

Bobbie wasn’t going listen to the reasons why he thought her new car and her behavior was inappropriate. She pressed down on the gas pedal
,
loving the feel of the power as her new Jeep climbed the rough
,
overgrown trail up the back of the mountain to the peak. Right now she had no doubts Jake was driving around town looking for her. If she hadn’t given into all the prodding from her sisters to get rid of her old hand-me
-
down car and get something more dependable
,
he would have found her already. If she’d let them talk her into getting a staid sedan or coupe
,
climbing this path would have been out of the question.

That’s why she’d done it on her own before she came home. It was her choice
,
and she didn’t want anyone trying to influence her decision. At times
,
having five older sisters was the equivalent to having five mothers. One of them always had an opinion about what she should or shouldn’t do. Bobbie respected their input because she knew it came from a place of love. Still
,
there had been times when she’d wished they’d all back off a little. But now
,
after being on her own for six weeks
,
she was glad to have them hovering over her again.

Jake
,
on the other hand
,
had no say in anything she did anymore. In the past
,
she’d given him the opportunity to think he had some influence on her decisions, but that time had come and gone. During her internship at Georgie’s friend
’
s B&B down in New Hampshire
,
she had learned a lot of things they could implement that would help them run the lodge and campground more efficiently, but she’d also learned a lot of things about herself she hadn’t known.

Her sisters had noticed the changes right away. They seemed pleased with her newfound strength and confidence. Not so much with the independent streak she’d embraced. Jake probably wouldn’t like it either, but that wasn’t her problem. She was done trying to please him. Bobbie still loved him, but she truthfully didn’t think that would ever change. She just hoped that she’d shielded enough of her heart for someone else to squeeze
in
and try to conquer it.

Bobbie knew she’d gone about as far as she could go in the Jeep. She set the emergency brake and hopped out. Her feet hit the ground and she paused
,
just listening. She heard nothing, which was a good sign. The path to the top of the peak was just wide enough for one of the four-wheelers they had down at the lodge. She could tell from the churned
-
up ground that someone had been up there recently.