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She scanned the horizon with a peaceful look on her face. “I’d love living in a place like this. But then anything would be better than living in town.”
He frowned. “You don’t like living in Copper Creek?”
Jessica shrugged. “I never imagined myself settling down in a small town like Copper Creek. I always thought I’d move to Colorado Springs. But you can see how that turned out. I guess I have no one to blame but myself. Maybe if I’d made better choices, things would be different.”
“There’s always an opportunity to change. When this is all over, maybe thingswillbe different.”
She sighed. “Yeah. Maybe.”
“I mean it, Jessica. What if I helped you find a place in the city?”
Her features pinched. “I’m not taking any handouts. If I get to the city, it will be on my own terms.”
Ian opened his mouth, but she held up her hand. “Thanks for the offer, Ian. But I’m serious. You’ve already helped so much.”
He gave a short nod. “Okay.” Just because that was what shethoughtshe wanted didn’t mean she couldn’t use a little nudge in the right direction. His family had to have some connections in the city. All it would take was making a few phone calls, and he’d be able to find a place she could afford. On top of that, he might be able to find her a job too. But that wasn’t the immediate issue. For now, they had their hands full.
When they got back to the house, they’d need to get serious about their plan to keep her safe until the coast was clear. It had been nice to take a break from the imminent danger they’d been in, but that didn’t mean she was safe.
Time went quickly as they spent the morning sitting under a large tree. She picked at the tall grass that surrounded them. Birds chirped in the branches overhead. It was quiet and the perfect place to just sit and think. Ian laid back, his hands behind his head. The clouds overhead drifted by lazily.
“Brock said I could visit the orchard sometime.”
Ian rolled over to look at her. “How did you manage that?” Brock had always been a tough nut to crack. The fact she’d won him over in less than an hour was nothing short of a miracle.
A wry smile touched her lips. “More on that later.” Shrugging, she broke off another blade of grass and tore it apart. “I was washing dishes and he said he’d be okay with it.”
He sat up. “Why were you washing dishes?”
She rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I thought maybe I could go there tomorrow or Sunday if you didn’t have anything planned yet.”
Ian settled back again, his gaze locked on the sky. “The weekends are more relaxed. I don’t see a problem with it. But I’m going with you.” The last thing he wanted was for her to fall for one of his brothers. And if Brock was on the rebound, Jessica might not have a chance.
Jessica gave him a crooked smile. “I can handle myself, you know. And Brock will be there. I’m sure I’ll be plenty safe.”
That was what he was afraid of. “I know. I’d just feel better if I was close by.” He sat up and glanced at his watch. “I think we might have missed out on lunch. I didn’t realize how long we’ve been here.” Ian got to his feet and held out his hand toward her.
She grasped it, and he pulled her to her feet. He must have pulled a little harder than he expected because she stumbled forward and bumped against his chest with a gasp. Instinctively, he held onto her, preventing the two of them from losing their balance. Her face lifted and her bright, startled eyes met his.
Her hands were placed on his chest, sending sparks of awareness through his body. She didn’t move away immediately. Instead, she looked down at her splayed fingers. She opened and closed them before lifting her gaze to meet his from beneath her lashes.
Ian swallowed hard. She smelled like fresh soap and lilacs. The wind tugged at her hair, framing her face in swirls of gold. They were so close; all he’d have to do was dip his head and he’d be able to brush his lips over hers. His attraction to her wasn’t so farfetched. From the first time he’d noticed her at the diner, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind.
But she didn’t know him from Adam. He was practically a stranger. No, hewasa stranger. His fingers itched to brush aside her hair, just to touch her skin. And yet, something held him back.
Jessica leaned forward slightly. She took in a deep breath and blew it out through pursed lips before taking a step back. She let out a soft laugh. “Sorry.”
What had felt like minutes had only lasted a couple seconds. Ian kicked himself for not taking action. His eyes followed her as she headed for the horses. She didn’t look over her shoulder as she called out to him. “You coming?”
