Jake (Heart River Valley: Montana Protectors #1)

Chapter 2

Elena

T he door has barely shut behind Jake when Rachel rounds on me with a grin that spells trouble. “Well, well, well...”

“Don't start.” I busy myself with my suitcase, very deliberately not thinking about the way Jake's voice had gone all rough and deep when he'd said my name.

“Start what?” Rachel flops onto the couch. “I was just going to comment on our local mountain man's remarkable hospitality. And jawline. And the way he couldn't keep his eyes off-”

Isabella throws a pillow at her head. “Leave her alone, Rach. She's been in Montana for exactly two hours.”

“One hour and fifty-eight minutes of which involved serious eye contact with tall, dark, and brooding.” Rachel hugs the pillow, unrepentant. “Come on, E. When's the last time I saw you look at anyone like that?”

“Like what?” I challenge, though I know exactly what she means. “Like I was wondering if he owns anything besides flannel?”

“Like you were wondering what was under the flannel.” Rachel dodges another pillow. “Which, by the way-”

“Rachel Winston!” Isabella cuts in, but she's fighting a smile.

I collapse into an armchair, knowing resistance is futile. “I hate both of you.”

“No you don't.” Rachel's expression softens. “And honestly? It's good to see that spark back in your eyes. Even if it took a grumpy mountain man to put it there.”

I think about protesting, but the warmth in her voice stops me. It has been a long year. A hard one. Maybe she has a point about the spark.

Not that I'm admitting anything.

“I'm going to bed,” I announce, gathering what remains of my dignity. “Some of us didn't sleep through the flight.”

“Sweet dreams!” Rachel calls after me. “Though with visions of Jake dancing in your head, I'm not sure how sweet they'll-”

This time, both Isabella and I throw pillows.

∞∞∞

“So that's where all my expensive face cream went.” Rachel's voice startles me from where I stand at the bathroom mirror. “Been slathering it on since dawn, hoping a certain brooding mountain man might stop by?”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.” I pat my cheeks, hoping she can't see the flush rising. “And it's seven AM. I always get up early.”

“Sure, in New York maybe. To catch a breakfast meeting. Not to wander around a snow-covered ranch in Montana.” She perches on the edge of the tub, grinning. “You know, Ryder mentioned that Jake usually stops by and does his repairs in the barn around this time...”

“Rachel! Enough already.”

“What? Just sharing the local schedule. Being hospitable.” Her innocent look wouldn't fool a kindergartener. “Though I should warn you - Ryder said the man's got more walls up than a maximum-security prison.”

I turn to face her, arms crossed. “I'm not interested in Jake's walls or anything else about him.”

“Mmhmm. That's why you couldn't take your eyes off him during the entire drive here.” She examines her nails. “Can't say I blame you. Those shoulders alone...”

“That’s it! I'm going for a walk,” I announce with all the dignity I can muster, grabbing my coat before heading out the back door.

“The barn's that way!” Rachel calls after me, laughing.

I continue to head in the opposite direction out of spite, but somehow find myself circling back toward the barn anyway. The morning air bites at my cheeks, the snow pristine except for a single set of boot prints leading to...

Oh.

Jake stands at the barn door, tool belt slung low on his hips, completely focused on whatever he's fixing. He looks up at my approach, and for a moment neither of us speaks.

“Morning.” His voice is gruff, matching the short beard along his jaw. He turns back to the door hinge, but I notice his shoulders tense slightly.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt.” I pull Rachel's borrowed hat lower against the cold. “Just exploring.”

“Bit early for exploring.” There's something almost like amusement in his tone.

“Says the man fixing a door at sunrise.” I move closer, watching his hands work the wrench with practiced ease. “Though I guess that's standard for a ranch hand?”

He pauses, and I catch the slight quirk of his mouth. “Not exactly a ranch hand.”

“No?”

“I help Ryder out on occasion, but I don’t work for him. We go way back.”

That pulls me up short. I know Rachel's brother had been in the military, I should have realized that’s his connection to Jake. “You and Ryder stayed close?”

“Since we got back.” He tests the door's swing. The unspoken 'from deployment' hangs in the air between us.

I lean against the weathered wood, noting how his eyes track the movement. “Must be quite a change from military life.”

“Sometimes a man needs a change.” Something in his voice suggests there's more to that story, but his expression makes it clear he won't be sharing it.

The morning light catches in his dark hair, and I find myself wondering how it would feel to-

“Elena!” Rachel's voice carries across the yard. “Phone call!”

I straighten quickly, nearly stumbling in the snow. Jake's hand shoots out to steady me, warm and solid through my coat. For a moment, we stay frozen like that.

“Thanks,” I manage, stepping back.

He nods once, already turning back to his work.

Later, nursing coffee in Rachel's kitchen after fixing an “emergency” at the gallery over the phone, I try not to seem too interested when she mentions Jake.

“He and Ryder were inseparable in their unit,” she says, stirring her tea. “Convinced him to buy this place, and Jake bought property nearby. Helped him build something real.”

“Are they a lot alike?”

Rachel smiles. “Ryder's all quick decisions and forward motion. Jake's...” she considers her words. “Ryder says he’s steadier. Deeper waters, you know?”

I think about the way his hand had felt on my arm, the quiet intensity in his eyes.

Deep waters indeed.

“Don't worry,” Rachel adds with a knowing smirk. “He'll be back tomorrow. That door's going to need a lot more attention, I’m sure.”

I throw my napkin at her. But I can't quite hide my smile.