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“I’m not crazy yet, but if I keep this teaching job much longer I will be.”
Betsy shook her head. “You must love to live life on the dangerous side.”
Alex grinned. “What other way is there?”
Six
Jesse sawAlex peek around the corner of the barn and slowed his steps. She looked toward the house, over to where the cowboys bunked, then to the corral before running for the open barn doors, darting inside the darkened interior while carrying some sort of satchel. He added her strange behavior to the long list of things he should find unattractive about her but didn’t. So far, nothing she did swayed his opinion and the fact she could do no wrong in his eyes annoyed him more than the fact she was engaged to Hugh Jacobs.
The thought of their impending marriage made his teeth ache. He unclenched his jaw and started back across the yard.
Whatever she was doing inside the barn didn’t last long. She ran back out and nearly collided with him, skidding to a stop inches from where he stood.
Her breath came in shallow pants as if she’d ran clean from town. “What are you doing here?”
Jesse took a moment to admire the yellow dress she wore. There were dainty pink flowers dotted along the fabric. It wasn’t anything he ever thought to see on her. He knocked the front of his hat up with one knuckle. “I work here.”
She let out a breath and glanced around the ranch again as if looking for something. “Oh right,” she said in a distracted tone. “I’d heard pa hired you on.” She straightened her spine and ran her gaze over his face before letting it drop to his chest, then lower. When she looked back up, her cheeks were flushed.
If he’d been a betting man he’d say she just gave him a look that spoke of things he’d only dreamed of. The flush to her cheeks said she knew he’d caught her looking and the heat in her eyes said she didn’t mind what she’d seen. Had Grace been right after all? Did Alex fancy him?
If so, she had a strange way of showing it. Not that it mattered. She’s engaged, he reminded himself. The gossips in town had nothing to talk about other than Hugh and Alex and every time he heard a whispered conversation, he wanted to hunt Hugh down and beat him to within an inch of his life.
He tried not to let his feelings on that subject show and asked, “When’s the big day?”
She looked confused. “Day for what?”
“Your impending marriage.”
Her eyes widened and she took another glance around before telling him to be quiet. She stammered for a moment, her complexion turning pale before she said, “It’s supposed to be a surprise.”
He laughed. “I hate to break it to you but half the town knows.”
She scowled and narrowed her eyes. “I know that but my pa doesn’t know—yet—and Hugh and I want to tell him together.”
Jesse almost told her her pa already knew. Holden had mentioned it to him just that morning but kept it to himself. If she wanted to think she was surprising her family with the news, then so be it.
Holden stepped outside, the back door screen slamming as it hit the frame and Alex sucked in an audible breath. Her pale complexion turned ashen. Tucking a stray curl behind her ear, she started across the yard without another word to him.
He watched her go before starting toward the corral. He sat the saddle he had slung over his shoulder down when he reached it and raised his arm, working out the kink that had crawled into his muscles. The chatter of multiple voices came to an abrupt stop and he glanced over at the other ranch hands. They were all staring at him. “What?”
Lewis, a man Holden had just hired on gave him a curious stare before spitting a stream of tobacco juice to the ground near his feet. “Who’s your lady friend?” he said.
He nodded his head in Alex’s direction. Jesse glanced her way, took in the pale yellow dress she wore and tried to convince himself she wasn’t the finest looking woman he’d ever seen. “Alexandra Avery.”
“She something special to you?” Lewis tilted his head a fraction as he stared at her “Hope not. I wouldn’t mind getting wrapped up tight and sweaty with her.”
When those lingering by the corral fence laughed along with Lewis, something heated and primal surged through his limbs hot enough to leave his whole body on edge.
In the short time since meeting Lewis, he knew the man wouldn’t be joining his list of friends. He was prone to brawls and the others had talked of him taking two or more saloon girls at a time to one of the rooms above the gambling hall. He wasn’t the sort of person Jesse wanted to be around but with both of them working at the ranch, he had to at least be civil with the man.
He watched Alex follow her father toward the barn, Lewis’s words echoing through his head again. That hot sensation heating his limbs was still there as he watched each swing of her hips. “Best watch yourself around her, Lewis, she’s Holden’s daughter.” He gave the man a pointed look. “You’d do good to remember that.”
Lewis laughed. “Take it easy there, chief. I didn’t mean to get you all riled up.” He hooked his thumbs behind his suspender straps and grinned. “From way over here, it looked as if you two were getting a little familiar with each other.” He spit another stream of tobacco juice near his feet. “How you know her anyway? I heard you just blew into town.”
“I did, but I grew up in Willow Creek. Alex and I are old friends.”
Lewis turned his head, looking to where Alex and Holden stood. “She’s a pretty little thing.” He grinned, flashing tobacco stained teeth. “You sweet on her?”
