AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Anytime.” He looked intently at her. “Really. Anytime.”
She nodded, then he turned away and walkedto the door. He stopped before going out and looked at her again. “Have a good night, Ember.”
Chapter thirty-four
"Not a fan of peanut butter and jelly?"
Jake called the propane company as promised and had them come out and fill the tank at Ember’s house. He also delivered her a week’s worth of wood with J.T.’s help. They stacked it on her porch to keep it dry and make it easy for her to get. Jake then told her, he had a lot of work to catch up on and he’d see her around. He was glad J.T. was with him, because it made it a little less awkward.
He spent Friday and the weekend catching up on what he’d missed while he was sick. He could still feel the effects of the pneumonia, but it wasn’t enough to slow him down too much. But by Sunday night, he was tired and a slight cough had returned.
J.T. came into the kitchen while Jake was making himself a cup of hot tea with honey.
“You went back to work too soon, didn’t you?”
“Possibly. I’ll be fine in the morning. Just alittle cough.” He held up his cup. “This should take care of it.” He took a sip. He didn’t care for tea. But he’d grown up drinking tea with honey when he had a cold or the flu.
“Will you please take tomorrow off? Sawyer and I have things under control.”
Jake nodded. “I wouldn’t mind taking a ride. It’s been too long.”
“Do that, then.”
He took another sip of tea. “You, Sawyer, and Sage kept this place going while I was gone. And I really appreciate it.”
“Dad. Of course we’d keep it going. Just like you would if one of us disappeared.”
“Well, I’m impressed. It’s good to know that… Anyway, like I said, I’m impressed.”
“Dad. Nothing is going to happen to you or granddad for quite some time. So lighten up.”
Jake smiled. “Fine.”
“Take the full day tomorrow. No work.”
“Got it.”
On Monday morning Jake felt better. His cough was gone and he’d slept well. He was looking forward to taking a long ride on Chief. One problem. He didn’t want to go alone. It occurred to him that he’d promised Ember he’d take her for a trail ride. So that’s what he was going to do.
After saddling the horses, Jake rode up to the house on Chief, leading Button. He stopped a few feet in front of the porch. “Hello in the house.” Hewaited a moment. “Ember?”
A minute later, the door opened and Ember stepped onto the porch. “Hey.”
She looked really cute in leggings and an oversized sweater. “Hi. You’re probably wondering why I’m here with a spare horse on this unseasonably warm winter day.”
“Well, I hope it means you came to ask me to take a ride with you. Because I believe you owe me one.”
He smiled. “I do. J.T. ordered me to take the day off. And with Dad spending the day with Lucy, you’re off, too. And maybe you just want to lie around and do nothing. But, then again, maybe you’d like to take a ride.”
“Can you give me five minutes to change?”
“Take ten.” He held up a hand. “Not that you need ten.” He waved at her. “Go. Do what you need to do.”
She went inside and Jake shook his head. “What the hell was that?” He took a breath. He felt like he was in high school again. And he hadn’t felt like that in quite some time. Of course, it was dumb and totally inappropriate for him to feel that way. Ember was barely older than J.T. But there was something about her he really liked. And after Thanksgiving, he believed she liked him too. Unbelievable as that may be. Perhaps she thought about him as much as he thought about her. He took another breath and patted Chief’s neck. “It’s just a trail ride. Justhanging out like she suggested.
She came out of the house in less than ten minutes, dressed in jeans, boots, and a hoodie over a wool sweater. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail which went through the hole in her ball cap. It all made her look even younger than her twenty-eight years.
Jake smiled at her. “No cowboy hat?”
