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“Well, you’ll just have to stay here.” His tone is so matter-of-fact.
“Jonas, I can’t keep imposing on you like this. I feel like a bum. I’m sure that already, I’m the worst tenant you’ve had in that place,” I sigh.
“Actually, you’re the first.”
“The first what?” I ask.
“The first tenant.”
My eyes look over at him while my forehead creases in confusion.
He continues. “I used to live over there. That place was the main house here on the property. I just had this place built a few years ago, and I’ve been taking my time getting that place fixed up. So, you’re the first one besides myself who has lived there.”
I slump my head again. “Great. I bet you’re regretting becoming a landlord now. Your first tenant is such a pain that she has to come stay with you to avoid sleeping on the floor.”
Gently, he grabs my chin between his thumb and finger and lifts it to look at him. “Darlin’, I’m pretty sure that I am the one who insisted you stay here. As I recall, you wanted no part of it. And you won’t hear me complaining about you being here. It’s kind of nice having company for once.”
I scoff. “I bet you have girls over here all the time.”
“Not as often as you think.”
I look at him again, so I can see the look in his eyes when I ask my next question. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Because sometimes, a person just needs a break. After being dealt a shitty hand, it’s nice to have someone who is there for you. I’d like to be that person if you will let me.”
His eyes show no sign that what he’s saying isn’t true. They’re filled with all the compassion in the world, but for the life of me, I still can’t figure out why. In my life, it’s not often that someone does something for nothing, which makes it extremely hard to trust people. But what choice do I have here? He’s literally the only person within thousands of miles who seems to care about me. Hell, he’s probably one of the only people,period.
“Okay,” I finally say. “But you have to let me do something to make it up to you.”
He playfully wiggles his eyebrows up and down. “What’d you have in mind, gorgeous?”
I give him a slight smack on the shoulder. “I’m serious! I would offer to help with the cooking, but believe me when I say that you donotwant that. I could help clean. Or I could do something on the ranch. What exactly do you do on a cattle ranch?”
He laughs. “That is a sight I would love to see sometime, but for now, I don’t need anything from you. Really. I’m sure this all a big adjustment for you, so just worry about settling in.”
“Thanks,” I say so quietly it’s almost a whisper. “I guess if I’m going to be without my stuff for a few more days, I might as well go into town and get some essentials. Any idea where to go to get some toiletries as well as a couple of new outfits?”
“Well, the market in town is called The Stop ‘N Go. They should have most of what you need. And there’s a place called Daisy’s Boutique that has women’s clothes. I wish I could go with you, but as I said, I have to handle some business.”
I wave my hand as if brushing off the notion. “I’ll be fine. Go do your thing.”
“Okay, but if you really can’t find anything, tomorrow we can keep looking if you want. There’s a mall about an hour from here.”
I let out a slight giggle at the idea of Jonas Mitchell walking around a mall. I bet there would be a thousand teenage girls ogling him the entire time.
“What’s so funny?” He asks with a smile.
“Just thinking of you at a mall. It doesn’t seem like your typical place to go.”
“Oh, believe me, it’s not. But I wouldn’t want you to have to go without clothes. Well, maybe I would.” He smiles, showing off those damn dimples again. The sight sends butterflies soaring in my stomach.
Dear God, I am in trouble.
Chapter Eight
Jonas
“So, Jim, tell me what it’s going to take to close this deal,” I say to the man sitting across the conference table from me.
