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8
Jessica
It was funny that the moment Ian left, Jessica felt utterly alone. She fidgeted with her napkin and avoided looking directly at Brock. Out of all of them, he was the one who wanted her here the least. She glanced at Cal, who appeared to be just as shocked as she was regarding Ian’s outburst.
She’d never seen Ian so temperamental before. To be fair, how much did she really know about the guy? The handful of times when she’d served him wasn’t enough to dig deep. But he’d alwaysseemedlike a calm, levelheaded person. Even when they were driving to the ranch, he seemed to keep his cool despite all the chaos they’d found themselves in.
She might have assumed that things were different when he was around his family. But based on the chill in the air around them, that couldn’t be the case. His family seemed just as shocked as she was.
Cal pushed away from the table and got to his feet. He took two steps toward Liz and kissed her temple. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll figure out what’s going on.”
She gave him a soft smile and nodded.
He grabbed an apple from the table, gave Jessica a salute, and strode out the door.
Liz sat back in her seat. She didn’t make eye contact with anyone right away. The air was thick with uncertainty. It was almost like Ian’s quiet nature was the soothing balm that held this family together. Between Ian’s father passing half a year earlier and Brock’s tenuous relationship failing, Jessica’s arrival was a catalyst for an explosion waiting to happen.
She chanced a look in Brock’s direction and was relieved to find he wasn’t staring at her. Sean wasn’t meeting anyone’s gaze either. The oxygen had been sucked from the room, and the light had flickered into a tendril of smoke.
Jessica pressed her lips into a thin line. This family hadn’t come together on a strong consensus regarding what to do with her. Jake was probably the glue that had held the family together, but without him it looked like their strong bond might break. She refused to be the reason that would happen. If it came down to it, she’d be the first to make Ian understand she needed to leave.
Fortunately, picking oneself off the floor was something she excelled at. Jessica quickly finished her food and stood. A few eyes landed on her for a moment before they went quietly back to their breakfast.
Jessica wandered around the table, clearing empty serving plates and the dishes of the men who’d left.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that, dear. We can—”
Jessica waved Liz’s objection off like a fly. “I’m happy to help.” She moved to the sink and turned on the hot water. In no time, the deep stone sink was filled with hot water and a mound of bubbles. She set to work washing the dishes.
Brock came up beside her. He held his plate in his hands as he watched her with curiosity. The disdain from earlier was missing. Jessica held out her hand for his plate, but he didn’t give it to her right away.
A smile tugged her lips. “I’m sure you have more important things to worry about than watching me wash dishes.”
He glanced down at the plate. “Right.” Brock thrust her the dish and took a step back. “Look, if you really want to come out to the orchard with me, I don’t mind.”
Jessica’s arms were elbow-deep in the sudsy water. Her eyes cut to meet his before she pulled them from the sink and dried them with a nearby hand towel. Tossing the linen over her shoulder, she placed a hand on her hip. “I’m a guest here. I don’t need special privileges, and I most definitely don’t need pity. If you want the help, I’d be happy to tag along. Otherwise, I’m sure there are plenty of other things I can do.”
Brock’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Why? I’m sorry, I don’t understand your question.”
“Why do you want to help?” He frowned, his voice lowering as if he didn’t want his mother and brothers to hear their conversation. “Hypothetically speaking, if you felt you couldn’t go home—you realize that you aren’t expected to do any work here, right? Madis—” He cleared his throat. “Most of the women that I’ve met—and men too, for that matter—don’t have that kind of work ethic.”
Jessica snorted. “And the people I know wouldn’t dismiss any help that was offered to them. I get that you don’t like me because of your past experiences. I can even understand Sean’s aversion to having me here for safety reasons. But for now, I’m not going anywhere. You should know, however, that I’m also not the type of person who can just sit around doing nothing when there’s work to be done. It’s what made me such a good waitress.” She took a deep breath and puffed out her cheeks as she blew the air out through pursed lips. “I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have a job or income. The way I see it, this is a win-win. You get some help around here, and I get more than physical security.”
She let her words sink in. Brock was a few inches taller than Ian, and looking up at him from her five-foot-five height made him seem even more intimidating. Out of all the brothers, he was the only one who seemed to dislike her for no other reason than he’d been hurt. Sure, Sean might not want her here, but it wasn’t personal. With Brock, it definitely was.
Brock’s eyes continued to bore into her like he was drilling into her soul.
“I’m not Madison.” She blurted the statement before she had a chance to think it over.
A split second of surprise rippled across his face, but it was quickly replaced by a stone-like indifference. “I know.”
“Then why are you making me feel like I’ve done something to hurt you personally?” She placed her hands on her hips. “Just because you’ve been hurt doesn’t mean you can pass that pain onto others.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “First of all, I can’t make you feel anything. Secondly, Ian and I are incredibly close. I can tell when he’s into someone, and from what I can tell, he’s fallen hard. I don’t want him getting hurt.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. Ian was interested in her? How could anyone tell who Ian liked? His poker face was one of the best she’d seen. She brushed off Brock’s statement. He was just trying to feel her out. Jessica cleared her throat. “IfIan was interested in me, it would be none of your business. But I can assure you that isn’t the case. I’ve been serving him for months and he’s never said one word to confirm your suspicions. We’ve developed a small friendship and he’s a good guy. You have nothing to worry about. Besides, I have a boy—” Her voice cracked and she shook her head. “I just got out of a relationship. It’s not like I’ll be ready for another one any time soon.”
