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4
Jessica
Jessica rested both elbows on the counter and watched Ian’s mother bustle around the kitchen. She was a slight woman with prematurely graying hair that hung in loose waves to the middle of her back. Her face was aged with smile lines that spoke volumes about how hard she worked and how much she loved.
Smiling, Jessica turned and glanced around the kitchen. There were hints of a country feel to it, but with modern upgrades. All the appliances were stainless steel. The fridge was twice as wide as a standard one. But that wasn’t surprising, seeing as there were six grown men who lived and ate there. White cabinets lined the wall with a large island in the middle. Three pendant lights made from what looked like old jars hung overhead. The smooth quartz countertops gleamed under the lights. Four bar stools sat happily on one side of the island, and a large table that could seat at least eight was situated just past a partial wall near the door.
“Are you from town or do you live in the city?”
Jessica jumped and faced Ian’s mother. “I grew up on the other side of town—closer to the city, but never made it there. I’ve always wanted to move there but never had the chance.” That wasn’t one hundred percent true. Her mother had invited her to move there with her a few years back. By that time, she’d been happy living on her own and moving in with her mother seemed like a step back. Jessica cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught your name.”
She smiled warmly. “You can call me Liz.”
Jessica moved to sit on one of the stools at the island. “And all your sons live here with you? That’s brave.”
Liz gave Jessica a confused look, then her face broke into a wide smile and she laughed. “Our ranch spans hundreds of acres. Even if my boys didn’t reside in our house, they’d probably live on the property. It’s been in my husband’s family for generations.”
Jessica perked up. “Whereisyour husband?” All of Ian’s brothers shared some similarities. All were tall and built much like she’d expect from a ranching family. Any one of them could have easily knocked Tucker out in one swing. But there were distinct differences too. Ian had his mother’s eyes, dark and perceptive.
Sadness flashed across Liz’s expression. “Jake passed away about six months ago.”
Jessica stilled. She covered her mouth with her hand. That was right around Christmas. “I’m so sorry.”
Liz held out a glass of lemonade and leaned against the island. “It was unexpected. But a rancher’s life is full of dangers.”
Jessica itched to delve deeper. What kind of danger? Had one of the animals Ian mentioned been the cause?
Liz took a sip of her drink and gestured to Jessica’s uniform. “You’re a waitress? How long have you been doing that?”
She turned the glass of lemonade between her palms, fighting the embarrassment that usually came with that kind of question. “I’ve been working at the diner for about eight years. I think the owner hired me out of pity when I dropped out of school when I was sixteen.” She hurried on to add, “But I’ve always wanted to do something more. Nursing maybe. I just never…” She trailed off. She’d met Tucker shortly after quitting school. He was sweet and paid her a lot of attention. But now he was gone. Her stomach twinged and she shook off his memory.
Liz’s brows lifted, and Jessica felt a blush crawl across her cheeks. She took a quick drink and focused on other parts of the room. “I’m guessing all your sons went on to college or something?”
Laughing, Liz shook her head. “Oh heaven’s no. Sean, my oldest, and Ian are the only ones who finished getting their degrees. Their father was adamant they needed business sense to keep this place going. Brock is my third boy. He didn’t have an interest in school. He fell for a girl in high school. They dated a while and got married.”
“That’s so sweet.” They were all handsome enough. It wasn’t a surprise at least one would be married.
Liz shook her head slowly. “Not really. She left him about a month ago.”
Jessica sucked in a breath. “Wow.”
“Then after Brock is Tate, Cal, and Finn. Tate started school but didn’t finish, and neither Cal nor Finn had any interest. They all grew up knowing where they wanted to be. And I suppose that’s right here. Heaven help the women who fall in love with them. They’ll be trapped here too.” The tone in her voice was anything but dismal. She even had a funny kind of smile on her face.
Jessica studied her glass, swirling the liquid within it. “Why do you say that?”
“I was a city girl.”
Her gaze shot up to meet Liz’s. “You were?”
That heart-warming smile that Liz continued to wear shone on her face. “I was. Then I fell for this hard-headed cowboy and there was no going back.”
“I suppose it must run in the family.”
“What’s that, dear?”
“Hard-headedness. It doesn’t seem like your boys want anything to do with my being here. But Ian doesn’t want to listen to them.” His stubbornness was somewhat endearing. The way he insisted on protecting her was far different than any other guy she’d dated. And the fact that he was easy on the eyes made it even worse. She could easily fall for a guy like him.
“What doyouwant?”
