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His mother smiled. “I remember watching my first birth. It was with Jake. It never gets old, that’s for sure.”
Ian’s lips quirked into a smile. He shut off the water, turned, and dried his hands on a dishtowel that hung from the stove. “Dad took you along on a birth?”
She grinned as her eyes met his. “Your father had this sixth sense. Somehow he knew that letting me experience it would tip the scales in his favor.” She winked at him. His gaze shot to Jessica, who must have missed it.
But he didn’t miss it. His mother was hinting about his relationship with Jessica. He cleared his throat and returned the towel to the bar on the stove. Their relationship was none of his mother’s business. It was still too new, and he had this almost paranoid fear that discussing it or focusing on it too much would jinx the whole thing.
Jessica’s interest in him was as tumultuous as their safety. No one should have to introduce their girlfriend to their family after only being together for a few weeks. And they’d only been together for a few hours at best.
They needed to have the opportunity to let the dust settle before anyone pointed out what was going on. He shot his mother a warning look to which she simply smiled. She patted his cheek with her hand. “Don’t stay up too late.” She tossed the hand towel she held onto the counter. “Goodnight, Jessica.”
Jessica smiled after her. When she’d disappeared down the hall, Jessica met Ian’s gaze. “I like your mom.”
“Yeah. She’s pretty great.” Ian crossed the room and sat on a chair next to Jessica. He took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. “Today’s been kinda crazy. I hope you’re doing okay.”
“You know, I think I am.” She shook her head, her finger tapping on the tabletop. “Even with everything that has happened. I know I should be terrified, but for some reason I feel safe.” Her blue eyes lifted to meet his. “You make me feel safe, Ian. No matter how much I fight against it, I can’t deny you have this weird effect on me.”
Warmth spread through his chest. He knew exactly what she meant. His thoughts had been consumed with her for so long it was nice to have the emotion returned. Maybe this relationship would work out exactly how he’d hoped. “I’m glad.”
Jessica gave him a half-smile. “Me too.”
* * *
A week passed without incident.The sheriff got their statements regarding the break-in at Jessica’s apartment. She hadn’t needed to return, and the place was locked up tight. Every spare moment Ian had was spent with Jessica. The more time they spent together, the closer they got.
He almost felt like he knew more about her than he did his own brothers. Her only family was her mother, who lived in the city. She wanted to do something more than just waitressing, but she hadn’t figured out what yet. With how much time she spent with the animals, he thought she might be leaning toward something to do with veterinarian work. But she also spent a lot of time in the kitchen with his mother.
She could make a mean meatloaf, and it was a wonder that the owner of Sal’s didn’t have her working in the kitchen. He’d brought up enrolling in some online classes once or twice, and each time she shot him down.
That didn’t stop him from checking it out on his own. There was a decent college located in Colorado Springs that offered a great online option. She’d only have to go into the city for labs or proctored tests. He’d give her a little time to think it over before pointing her in that direction. Jessica deserved to be happy. If that meant he needed to search for a way to give her opportunities she missed out on, he’d do whatever it took.
He sat on the edge of his bed as the sun rose over the mountains out his window. A hand-carved rocking chair sat by the window next to a matching end table. His room was pristine, not a speck of dust to be seen. A mirror hung over his dresser, something his mother had when she was younger. His boots sat beside his feet on the floor and his hat on the bed. This had been the room he grew up in. One day—maybe soon—he’d move out into a place all his own with the girl of his dreams.
Today Jessica and Ian were going to help Brock in the orchard. There were more apples ready for picking, and Jessica had been itching to go. Making her happy had become his top priority. Anytime he could put a smile on her face, he did it.
They’d gotten into a groove, and for the first time he felt confident with the path their relationship was taking. He grinned. Never in a million years did he think this would happen. Jessica Todd was his girlfriend. It couldn’t get better than this. He had the most beautiful girl in Copper Creek. He wouldn’t squander a second of it.
Ian pulled on his boots and grabbed his hat from the bed. He glanced in the mirror, adjusted his hat and left the room. Jessica would probably be downstairs already. The smells of bacon and eggs permeated the air around him as he galloped down the stairs and headed for the kitchen. Laughter filled the air and got louder as he neared the source.
Jessica sat at the table with Brock, who was leaning close to her, a wide smile on his face. She laughed. Her shoulders were hunched slightly, her back facing the door. “How about now?”
Brock shook his head. “It’s still there.”
She moved her hand to her face. “Now?”
Brock laughed again. “Here, let me.” His hand reached for her face.
Ian froze in the doorway. His focus shifted from Brock to Jessica and back. The air left his lungs, and everything went numb. They weren’t flirting. That would be ridiculous. Brock didn’t even like her.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He’d warmed up to her. It hadn’t even taken a full week to happen either. Brock glanced in Ian’s direction. “Hey, Ian. You ready for some actual hard work?”
Jessica turned to look at him. Her features brightened. “Hey, sweetie. How did you sleep?”
Ian shoved down the concern that threatened to poison his day. Jessica wasn’t interested in Brock; she hadn’t shown any indication of that. The look of adoration on her face said it all. But still, that little seed of doubt refused to be tossed aside. Feelings could develop between them if they spent enough time together. All it would take is for Brock to realize just how wonderful Jessica was.
Ian rolled his shoulders and removed his hat before taking the seat beside Jessica on her other side. In one hand, she held a mug filled with what looked like whipped cream. He eyed the cup with curiosity. “You drinking cream for breakfast?”
Her focus shifted to the mug for a moment before she laughed and met Brock’s eyes again. “I made hot chocolate from scratch this morning. Apparently, I was too eager to drink it because I got whipped cream on my nose.”
