Chapter Five
Presley smiled as she followed Jaxon into the stall.
She told herself this morning she wasn’t going on this ride but seeing him smile when she asked about joining had been worth it.
Last night she’d told herself over and over not to be near him.
Go with Devin on trips or just stay around the cabin or pool.
But this morning when she woke up and saw how beautiful it was after the rain from yesterday, she wanted to go and spend the day with Jaxon. Well, at least be around him.
“You’re sure it’s all right to add me?”
Jaxon spun around. “Of course. We never tell a guest they can’t go.”
“Oh.”
She’d been hoping he’d been happy to have her go, but it seems he’d be just as satisfied with anyone going.
She was startled when he walked to her and stopped in front of her. He put his finger under her chin and raised it up, so she had to look into his beautiful silver eyes.
“Oh?”
he murmured.
“I was hoping you were happy I was going. Not just any guest,”
she said softly.
“Of course, I’m happy you’re going. I just don’t want to be,”
he muttered .
“Then, maybe I shouldn’t go.”
Jaxon stared into her eyes. “Up to you.”
“You’re a hard man to read, Jaxon Callahan. One minute you’re kissing me, and the next, you’re pushing me away.”
Clenching her fists, she narrowed her eyes as she glared at him.
Jaxon removed his hat, raked his fingers through his hair, and then resettled the hat. “Look, Presley, I shouldn’t have kissed you, I admit that, but I’m also telling you I am not interested in any type of relationship…for several reasons.”
“Because of your wife?”
At his nod, she continued. “She’s gone, Jaxon. She’s been gone. Don’t you think she’d want you to go on?”
“What she wanted and what I want are two different things. Now, either get on the horse or leave the barn. I have a trail ride to lead.”
He led the horse from the barn and raised an eyebrow at her when she followed him then stared at him.
She took a deep breath and mounted the horse. “I’ll remember that.”
“Make sure you do.”
He moved away from her and vaulted into the saddle of his horse. “Let’s go. Single file.”
Presley held back to stay at the end of the line.
She noticed Bett was up front.
The woman was not particularly good at being subtle.
She definitely had no problem letting Jaxon know she was interested in him.
Some women loved letting a man know she wanted him.
Presley knew she was fighting an uphill climb.
He didn’t want her or any woman in his life.
His wife was all he cared about, and it didn’t matter that she was gone.
He showed no interest in being with Presley.
Except when he’d kissed her and last night when she asked him if he wanted to come into her cabin.
She could swear he’d stepped forward, and she’d been hoping he’d kiss her again, but he stopped himself and left.
Men.
Who knew how their minds worked?
Jaxon led them down a trail that led to a creek.
Presley reined her horse to a stop and watched as Bett told him she needed help getting down.
Presley saw him frown and she couldn’t stop the laughter from erupting.
When he leaned back from Bett’s horse and narrowed his eyes at her, she raised her eyebrows then dismounted and walked to the creek.
Looking up, she saw a blue, cloudless sky.
It was a beautiful day.
The sun was high, and it was getting hotter.
Today was going to be the day she would hit the pool.
She looked toward the front to see Bett standing close to Jaxon and smiling up at him.
Presley watched as Bett ran her hand up Jaxon’s forearm.
Presley wanted to do that.
The thick hair on a man’s forearms was sexy to her.
As she stood by the creek to let her horse drink, she couldn’t keep her eye off Bett and Jaxon.
Presley saw Bett’s fingers walking through the hair on his arm again, and she wanted to cut them off.
Painfully .
She liked a man with hair and wasn’t into the manscaping that a lot of men did nowadays.
She preferred a natural man.
Jaxon didn’t have hair on his chest though, but that was fine since he did have that fantastic happy trail and he had a great chest.
His pecs were so solid, and she wanted to touch him.
Everywhere.
Every single inch of him.
She really needed to stop this.
When she heard Bett laugh, she gritted her teeth so hard she could feel a muscle twitch in her jaw.
“Are you doing all right?”
Jaxon said from beside her.
Presley looked past him to see who Bett was laughing with if it wasn’t him and she saw her flirting with Rodney now. She glanced up at Jaxon.
“Yes, I’m fine. I see you’ve been replaced by Rodney.”
“She doesn’t seem to take no for an answer very well. I told her I wasn’t interested, and she told me I would be.”
Presley stared up at him. “Maybe, you should just tell her like you told me. ”
“Maybe, I should.”
Jaxon inhaled and spun on his heel. “We need to head back now.”
“What are you doing when we get back?”
“I have some work to do in the office. You?”
“I think I’ll go for a swim.”
How they could snap at each other one minute and have a civil conversation in the next was beyond her. The man was a puzzle. A puzzle she’d like to solve, but he wouldn’t let her close enough. Taking a deep breath, she stared after him.
Jaxon faced the group. “Mount up.”
****
Jaxon led the riders back to the barn. Since the trail ride had only been an hour, it gave everyone the rest of the day to do other things. See the town, walk around the ranch, hike, play tennis, or swim. He mentally groaned thinking of Presley in a swimsuit. His damn dick was straining against his fly like some horny kid seeing a naked woman for the first time. Fuck! He was a grown ass man, and he should be able to control his thoughts. He snorted. Not when it came to Presley, and it pissed him off to no end. A woman was the last thing he wanted in his life. Unless it was for sex. Well, maybe you should have sex with Presley and get her out of your damn head. She wasn’t sticking around, so why not just go for it. He watched as everyone dismounted, and the ranch hands came forward to begin removing the tack from their horses. Glancing at Bett, he saw her looking at him. Wait for it.
“Jaxon, could you help me?”
she asked him.
Blowing out a breath, he walked toward her knowing he had to help her since she was a guest after all. After he lifted the saddle from the horse, he gave her a nod.
“Grab the blanket, please.”
“Sure.”
Smiling at him, she lifted the blanket off, then stood staring at him.
“Just set it on the hay over there,”
he said. When she frowned, he knew she was expecting him to have her follow him into the tack room and he bit back a grin.
“Jaxon, can you help me?”
Whipping his head around, he narrowed his eyes at Presley, as she stood beside her horse, acting helpless. He glanced away from her then back. She rolled her lips in and he was sure it was to fight a smile.
“Sure,”
he said and walked toward her and turned back to the group. “You’re all free to go.”
They laughed and left the barn. He saw Bett throw Presley a look as he strode to her.
“You need help, huh? ”
“Nah,”
she said, laughing. “I saved you. You owe me, Jaxon Callahan.”
“What do I owe you?”
Presley laughed. “I’ll think of something.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,”
he muttered and started to lead her horse to the stall.
“Chicken?”
Stopping, he looked back at her. “Hell, yes.”
“I wouldn’t think a man who rode bulls for a living would be afraid of anything.”
“Maybe since I quit riding, I’ve turned chicken. Especially with women.”
Presley nodded then turned to walk away from him. Glancing over her shoulder, she sent him a smile.
“You could come and see me at the pool later.”
“Oh, hell, no.”
Laughing, she walked from the barn. Jaxon shook his head as he watched her go then turned to go into the stall when he spotted Devin leaning against the wall, with his arms folded, staring at him. Shit! He watched as Devin pushed away from the wall and walked toward him.
“So…”
“Don’t even say it, Dev.”
“Say what?”
Jaxon glared at him. “What did you see? ”
Devin chuckled. “You were fraternizing with a guest.”
“I wasn’t fraternizing,”
Jaxon muttered.
“Hey, if you think I’m going to raise hell with you, think again. I did the same thing with Willa.”
Jaxon leaned against the wall and folded his arms. “Yeah, but I’m not interested in a relationship.”
Devin grinned at him. “Could have fooled me. Looked like a lot of flirting going on. So, who is she?”
“Her name is Presley Reynolds. She’s from Idaho Falls. A nurse.”
“Really?”
“She was in the ER when I was there two years ago.”
Devin’s eyebrows shot up. “Did she come here looking for you?”
“I don’t think so. She looked surprised when she first saw me. I knew she looked familiar but couldn’t place her.”
“So, she knows about Bethany?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
“You see what?”
Jaxon growled.
Devin shrugged. “You’re interested even if you don’t want to admit it.”
“Devin, I am too damn scared to take a chance with another woman. I don’t want to go through that again. Losing someone I love. It about killed me losing Bethany.”
“I know that, but you can’t live your life being afraid to love again. You have to take what time you have with anyone.”
“Fuck off, Dev,”
Jaxon muttered as he walked away. He could hear Devin laughing behind him, so he threw his middle finger up for emphasis.
Walking toward the other barn, he knew he needed to help clean the stalls. It would help the day pass quicker, and he wouldn’t be thinking about Presley lying by the pool. Yeah, right!
****
At the end of her first week, Presley stretched out on the lounge chair beside the pool. The sun was shining down brightly, so she picked up the suntan lotion and applied it.
“Do you need some on your back?”
Presley looked up at Bett standing over her. “I’m good for now. Thank you.”
“Do you mind if I sit here beside you? Trixie is taking a nap, and I hate being here alone.”
Presley almost laughed. She hated being alone? Hell, she was a woman on the prowl. Presley was sure Bett did hate being alone. Presley put her sunglasses on. After a week of trail rides, cattle drives, and hayrides, she needed time to relax. She’d only been able to look at Jaxon, not touch him like she so wanted to do. It seemed he was staying away from her as much as possible. Couldn’t he just let her close? One kiss had not been enough.
“It’s fine,”
she said and closed her eyes. She could hear Bett getting on the lounge chair and putting on suntan lotion.
“Oh, there’s Jaxon. Damn, that man is fine,”
Bett said.
Wonderful! Presley sighed. “He’s handsome.”
“Handsome? Honey, that man is tall, dark, and gorgeous.”
Bett sighed. “I’d love to get him between the sheets.”
“So, why don’t you?”
“He doesn’t seem interested. Maybe he’s gay.”
Presley burst out laughing. “I don’t think so.”
“Really?”
Bett murmured. “I’d love to find out. He has such a great body. I’ve seen him without a shirt, and his jeans leave little to the imagination.”
She laughed.
Presley clenched her jaw. “I haven’t noticed.”
“Are you dead?”
Bett chuckled.
No, but you might be if you don’t shut up about Jaxon!
“I’m not here to look for a man. ”
“More for me, then.”
Presley stood. “I think I’ll take a swim.”
It was that or toss Bett in then drown her. Shading her eyes, she looked around and spotted Jaxon walking across the yard toward the lodge. She knew the minute he spotted her because he seemed to hesitate in his step and he turned her way but stopped, spun on his heel, and walked away.
“Damn man,”
she muttered as she watched him striding away as if the hounds of hell were chasing him. Forgetting about her swim, she walked back to her chair, took a seat, and noticed Bett staring at her.
“Never noticed, huh? Hell woman. Go for it.”
Bett laughed, making Presley laugh with her.
It was a perfect day to lounge around the pool. Presley and Bett lay side by side, with occasional dips in the pool, for hours. Presley was beginning to like the curvaceous blonde. She didn’t hold back about anything. Presley listened as Bett told her about going through a terrible divorce and the bravado everyone saw was a false one. She was actually terrified of being alone. Trixie was her best friend had convinced her to come to Bur Oak.
“I’m glad I did. You know, I flirt like crazy, but I seriously have no idea what I would have done if Jaxon had taken me up on it. I think I knew he wouldn’t, so it was safe.”
“You’re beautiful, Bett. You’ll find another man one day,”
Presley said, hoping she would, too.
“I do like Rodney. I know he’s not much in the looks department, but he’s a really nice man. My ex wasn’t.”
“Rodney is very nice. You could do a lot worse.”
Bett laughed. “I have. So, tell me about you. Why are you here alone?”
“I have a decision to make about moving to another department at work. I’m an ER nurse, and I have the chance to go to work in the Recovery Unit. Better hours, more money…”
“But?”
Presley shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“If something is holding you back, then maybe you shouldn’t do it.”
“I know. It’s just that I thought I really wanted the job.”
She exhaled. “I should be happy. I was offered the job, but something is holding me back.”
“Always trust your gut, Presley. I wish I had when I first met my now ex-husband, but I was young and in love.”
“How long were you married? ”
“Only two years but it felt like a lot more. He used to hit me, and I finally got the balls to talk to the police about him.”
“I’m so sorry, Bett. I’ve seen a lot of battered women.”
“At least you aren’t judging me for not getting out.”
“No. A friend of mine was battered too. I know how scared she was of him. Too scared to stay and too scared to leave.”
“Exactly. If it hadn’t been for Trixie, I’d probably still be with him. She came to see me one day, and I had a black eye. She packed my bags and made me leave the apartment. She dialed the police then handed me the phone.”
Bett laughed.
“Good for her. But you’re not afraid of all men, right?”
“I’m not. I know not all men are bad. I’ve met some really nice ones since my divorce. I’m just more cautious. I’ll flirt, but I don’t jump into anything quickly anymore.”
“I’m so happy to hear that. Let’s go get some lunch. I’m starving.”
The women stood, wrapped their towels around themselves, and entered the lodge for lunch.
****
Did she have any idea how good she looked in that swimsuit? Her cleavage had him salivating, and her hourglass figure had his dick wanting to burst the zipper out of his jeans. His damn cock was always at attention when she was around, and he didn’t want her. Liar! You do want her, you just don’t want to want her.
“Jax?”
Turning, he saw Reid striding into the barn so he smiled at his cousin and his cousin’s stepson, Zeke. He stacked the bale of hay he was holding, pulled his leather gloves off, and smiled, as they got closer.
“Hey, Reid. What’s up, Z-man?”
Jaxon squatted down as Zeke ran toward him. Jaxon caught him and tossed him in the air making the little boy squeal with laughter. He looked at Reid. “What are you two doing out this way?”
“We’re heading back from town. Tomorrow is Lucy’s birthday, so we had to do some shopping,”
Reid told him.
“What did you get your mama for her birthday, Z-man?”
“I got her a pretty blouse. Daddy says it looks like her eyes.”
Zeke shrugged.
Jaxon chuckled. “It looks like her eyes?”
“It’s blue.”
Zeke shrugged again.
Reid laughed and winked. “I said it matches her eyes.”
Zeke frowned up at him. “I don’t get it.”
Jaxon grinned. “You will when you get older. ”
“Anyway, Zeke wanted to stop in and say hi to his uncles. Where’s Dev?”
“Working with some of the guests around the ranch.”
“We’ll have to see him some other time, Zeke. Let’s get going before your mama wonders where we are.”
“Okie dokie. Bye, Uncle Jax.”
Zeke waved and ran off.
“Bye, Z-man,”
Jaxon called out to him then looked at Reid. “I don’t know how you keep up with him.”
Reid chuckled as he watched Zeke running. “I sleep well at night. I’ll see you soon. Tell Dev, we dropped by.”
“Will do. He’ll be disappointed he missed you.”
“We’ll see him at the wedding. See ya,”
Reid said as he ran to catch up with Zeke.
Jaxon laughed. He envied his cousin. Reid had a great wife and son, and he adored them. He knew he’d never have that. It had been snatched away from him in an instant. Presley’s image rose in his mind. No! Shaking his head, he strode from the barn to head home. A cold beer on the front porch sounded good about now .