There’s no unpacking that tonight, even if I did have a therapist on hand. So, I do the thing I do best.
Dodge.
I climb into bed, bury my head under a pillow, and force my brain to stop interpreting why Cal pulled away.
Doesn’t work.
My brain gives me a list of choices. Regret? Self-control? A mistake? Came to his senses? All of the above? I run through all the possibilities before eventually falling asleep.
When I wake—quarter of five, like usual—the memory of the kiss wakes with me, stupidly vivid and warm. I reach for my mobile to call an Uber and escape before anyone else is up. Unfortunately, the only thing Jo didn’t supply me is a charger. Mobile’s dead.
I’m beginning to suspect her kindness is an act and she’s got more nefarious motives convincing me to stay. Could be she’s teamed up with some influencer or journalist—or, worse,Brandon—to sell a story about me. She’s waited years to exact revenge against me for almost destroying her family’s ranch.
Then I smell coffee.
Good coffee.
Like I used to order at Frothed in LA.
I decide to take my chances that a) I’m writing another script in my head—this time a revenge thriller—and Jo is, in truth, fantastic; and b) it’s not Cal in the kitchen.
Just in case it is him, I glance in the mirror, smooth my hair,and wipe vestiges of yesterday’s mascara from under my eyes. I debate putting on a bra but decide to peek out the door first. No need to unnecessarily torture myself any more than I already have.
Jo’s at the counter, so no bra for me. When I walk into the kitchen, she’s got aWorld’s Best Mommug at her lips and a book in hand. When I see the title,The Grand Sophy,I know I’ve made the right call about her. She’s good people.
“Are you a fan of Georgette Heyer?” I ask.
She looks up from her mug with a welcoming smile. “Huge fan. This is her funniest, butFredericais my favorite.”
“Same.” I clasp my hands together, as excited about finding a fellow Heyerite as Junie gets aboutBluey. And I’m a little more in love with Jo than I already was. Her mug doesn’t lie. She is the world’s best. Even if I can’t sort out how I feel about her opinion that we have to love family where they are.
“Well, sit down. Let’s talk Heyer.” She motions toward a seat at the counter then goes to the cabinet and pulls out a mug. “Coffee?”
As much as I’d like to escape facing Cal and reliving the embarrassment of last night, I can’t exactly leave now when I’ve finally got someone to talk Georgette Heyer with. So, I take a seat and the coffee Jo offers me, and we talk Regency Romance for a good ten minutes before I remember I was going to borrow a charger for my mobile so I can call an Uber.
I set down my empty cup and sigh. “Thanks so much for the hospitality, but I should be on my way. I’m happy to call an Uber, but my mobile’s dead. Could I nick yours for a bit?”
Jo’s face falls. “I hope you’re not thinking of leaving already. But if you want to grab some things, I’ll get someone to take you in, if you don’t mind waiting. No Uber will come out this far.”
“No worries. It’s early. I can wait until someone’s up.”
Jo laughs. “Oh, sweetie, Junie’s the only one still asleep here. Ranch work starts early and ends late…actually, it never ends, but we try to sleep every once in a while.”
At the mention of Junie, I remember I promised to make her pancakes. But withthe kissstuck on replay in my head, I’d rather avoid Cal if I can. The second he sees my face he’ll not only see how embarrassed I am about throwing myself at him, but also how much I want to do it again.
“So, how soon til someone can take me into town, yeah?” I ask tentatively.
She tilts her head and her eyes dart back and forth, searching for an answer. “Cal’s taking Joey and Wes to check our cows for IBK, which leaves us shorthanded with the avocados. Sanctuary gave us a big order, so we’ve got a lot of picking to do. Hayes is in charge of the crew—he has the best Spanish. And I need Cassidy’s help catching up on accounts and paperwork. The boring stuff. And Ben’s in charge of Hayes—because somebody’s got to keep that boy on task.” She looks back at me. “Noon or so? Is that too long? We’ll find a way to get you home if it is.”
I doubt I can dodge Cal until noon. At the same time, I don’t want to inconvenience the Holloways any more than I already have—not just today, but for the past three years. They could probably hire more help if they didn’t have solicitor bills to pay off because of me. And I don’t want to pull them away from work the hotel has given them.
“Yeah, nah, Jo. It’s all good. What can I do to pitch in?”
I hold my breath. If she says cows, I’ll know she’s not only intent on revenge, but also a mind reader. That’s the only way she’d know I’m avoiding Cal.
“Nothing at all except stay here and rest. You could use it after what you’ve been through.” Her sincerity kills my revenge-thriller script.
“I’m no good at resting. ‘Specially when something needs to be done. I’ve never harvested anything, but I’m a quick study.” I leave out any mention of helping Cal deliver a foal—something else I’d never done until a week ago. But I don’t want to give her any ideas about assigning me to his work crew.
