Chapter 9
Jason
He could so not handle her schedule.
Jason groaned as his three o’clock alarm buzzed.
Mark muttered something incoherent across the room before rolling over and putting his pillow over his head as Jason turned the alarm off.
It had been about a week of going for runs with Isabelle. He didn’t regret a single moment of the time he spent with her, but these early wake-up times were starting to wear on him. The only thing that got him out of bed was the thought of a good cup of coffee and seeing Isabelle’s beautiful face.
She was warming up to him. He could see it in the way her expression brightened every morning as if she wasn’t sure he’d show up. Today was no different, and when she handed him a coffee, he could have kissed her.
But that was the pre-caffeinated version of him.
Their fingers brushed. A tingle of awareness skittered up his arm.
This was the game that they continued to play with each other.
Tension continued to crackle between them, but neither one of them chose to act on it.
Of course, he knew why Isabelle wasn’t going to do such a thing. And he didn’t expect her to.
Jason couldn’t help but wonder if Isabelle expected anything from him.
No. He wouldn’t go there. Isabelle needed to heal before he would allow anything between them to grow. He knew better than to start something with someone who wasn’t completely whole. It never ended well.
Isabelle glanced up at him from beneath her lashes before she sipped her own beverage. “Any requests?”
“Any requests…” he repeated, his head cocking to the side.
“We’ve gone on all the trails I’m familiar with. Did you like any of the ones we’ve done so far? Or do we just start over from the beginning?” Her eyes practically sparkled in the moonlight. They entranced him.
Wait, what did she ask him?
Argh. He shouldn’t be thinking about her this way.
Jason rubbed the back of his neck, then cleared his throat. “Yeah. Okay.”
Isabelle snickered, and that soft sound was absolute heaven. Any time he could get her to give him a genuine smile or a laugh made his day. He’d go to bed replaying that sound over and over.
It was official. He was completely gone for this woman.
Well, shoot.
“I asked if you wanted to go on a specific trail?” she attempted again.
This time Jason shook his head. “Nah. Just go with what feels right to you.”
She grinned at him again. “Fair enough.”
They ended up approaching a small hunting cabin on the far side of the property.
He couldn’t recall going out this far, and by the time they arrived and turned to head back, Jason had a stitch in his side.
He all but limped along, bracing his hand where the ache refused to abate.
“Maybe we could walk part of the way back?”
Isabelle bounced on the balls of her feet. “Have I worn you out already?” she teased.
He wasn’t at the point where he could admit that he was in terrible shape, so he blew out a breath and went with an explanation that might make sense. “I just want a chance to chat.”
It was like his words stole the energy right from her body. She stopped to study him. “Chat about what?”
Jason’s hand dropped and he shrugged. “Stuff.”
She grinned at him again. “Stuff.”
“Sure. Stuff. You know, like what else you like to do with your time.”
Her lips rolled between her teeth, and she fell into step beside him as they trudged back the way they’d come. “I like working with the dogs. That’s fun.”
“That’s work,” he said pointedly.
“But you like to cook and that’s work.”
Jason rolled his eyes. “My job is more than cooking. I have other responsibilities, too.”
She snorted at that. “So do I.”
He wasn’t getting anywhere with her. Blowing out a breath, he racked his mind for a way to get her to really open up to him. “Okay, how about this? I used to drive a motorcycle.”
Her eyes widened, and her head whipped around so fast her ponytail swung around and almost got her in the face. “Really?”
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “What? Don’t see me as some biker guy?”
That dragged another laugh from her, and he beamed. Isabelle shook her head. “Definitely not. Do you still have one?”
“My brother has it at his place.”
“Why don’t you have it here?”
Another shrug. “I guess I didn’t want to bring more than I needed to.
Besides, I don’t have much use for it out here.
When I was in the city, it was easier to get around that way.
But out here?” He lifted his arms and gestured to the open spaces surrounding them.
“Out here, it’s better to have a bit more peace and quiet. ”
Isabelle hummed at his statement. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”
“Now you go.”
She cut him a look. “I already—”
“Something no one else knows about.”
“Now, that would be impossible—”
“Something no one who works for your brother knows about,” he clarified.
This time she sighed, but there was amusement in the sound. “Okay, fine.” She pinched her lips together in thought for a moment, then nodded. “I like to play the piano.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” The smile that touched her lips was serene.
He’d never seen this one before. The more she talked, the more at peace she seemed to become.
“There’s something about getting lost in the music that makes you feel like anything is possible, you know?
It’s not only the happy music, either. It’s the dark notes, the melancholy ones that tear you away from the present, maybe more so than those upbeat ones. ”
He could understand where she was coming from.
She’d been through so much. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder if that melancholy music made it harder for her to find her happiness again.
There was a reason people who were miserable like to listen to those sad songs.
They spoke to the broken part of their souls in a way that made them feel understood.
Were those songs capable of dragging a person from the depths of despair?
Jason wasn’t sure.
“Would you consider playing for me?”
A bark of laughter startled birds in a nearby tree and they tore into the sky. When she glanced at him, she sobered. “Oh. You’re serious.”
“Of course I’m serious.” He frowned. “I like music.”
“I didn’t say that. I just…” Isabelle shook her head. “It would be weird.”
“Weird? How?”
She sighed. “I don’t play for people.”
“Not even your family?”
Her sharp look reminded him they weren’t exactly as close as he had hoped. “Of course I played for them.”
Played. As in past tense. Was she still playing?
Isabelle cleared her throat, her hand coming to rest at her collarbone as she rubbed her fingers against the skin. “It’d be embarrassing,” she whispered almost too quietly.
He wanted to tell her that it wouldn’t. Jason wasn’t the kind of guy to judge her for sharing a piece of her with him. Even if she was a novice, he wouldn’t make it weird. But he kept his mouth shut. Isabelle had made her decision on the matter, and she wasn’t going to change her mind.
They made it back to the ranch in one piece, but his lungs were screaming—probably louder than the muscles in his legs. He was still alive. And he was still smiling, because so was she.
When Isabelle didn’t head straight for her house, he turned to her. “You’re not going home?”
She shook her head. “Checking on the dogs. Want to come?”
His heart might have just stopped. Isabelle Palmer was actually asking him to tag along? It was still too early in the morning for him to start on breakfast, and he didn’t know what she was going to do with the dogs, but he nodded anyway.
He couldn’t get enough of the way her eyes brightened when he did. Was it his imagination that she was sneaking glances in his direction?
Okay, yeah, probably.
He was the only one stealing as many of those smiles as he could. As they walked, the back of her hand brushed against his. She didn’t dart away, go stiff, or react like he expected her to. Yep, she was definitely warming up to him, and he was so here for it.
“What made your brother interested in raising cattle dogs?”
Isabelle shrugged as she pushed open the door to the building where they kept the puppies. “I don’t know. Probably because he likes animals.”
“But he could have chosen to work with horses.”
She eyed him with a smirk. “We do work with horses.”
He could have smacked his hand to his forehead. “I know. But… you know what I mean.”
She giggled. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
The space was wide open with different areas marked off by thigh-high walls.
They resembled the gates that parents put in front of the stairs with bars that were too close together for any of the dogs to get hurt, even the puppies.
Inside different sections were pups of varying ages. He stopped suddenly and blinked.
Isabelle came up beside him, her body brushing his. “They were born about three days ago,” she whispered.
Jason continued to stare. The puppies looked like nothing more than rodents. He must have been wearing a look of shock because Isabelle laughed quietly before nudging him along.
“I know, they’re not that cute. Not yet. Give them a few more weeks.”
He shuffled along until she took him to a crated area where another very pregnant Australian Shepherd was resting. Isabelle high-stepped it over a fenced area, then knelt down and scratched at the dog’s ear. “Hello, sweetheart. How are you doing?” she crooned.
Jason hung back, watching her work. There were about four groups of dogs. He didn’t know how many they bred at a given time, but by the looks of it, this was max capacity. “How often…” he found himself asking.
She glanced up at him. “How often do we breed them?”
He nodded.
“Every other year. And after they have three or four litters, we retire them. We love each and every mama who comes through here, and we want them healthy and well-rested between each litter.”
“Is that the norm?”
She considered his question for a moment, then shook her head.
“Unfortunately, there are some places that will breed a dog every chance they get. They can get pregnant every six to seven months, and even though it’s not recommended to breed them more than once a year, people will take advantage. For them, it’s about the money.”
He glanced around the space. It was cozy and warm. He couldn’t see any strain on the animals whatsoever. Between food, space, and anything else the dogs needed, Isabelle had it covered. “This is amazing.”
She grinned at him but then ducked her head before he could look into her eyes for too long.
“This is Sue, and she’ll be retiring after this litter.
There’s already a lovely older couple who want to have her when she’s done weaning her puppies.
” Isabelle patted Sue’s head one last time.
“I want to get as much time with her as I can. She’s one of the sweetest ones we’ve had. ”
Jason stepped back as Isabelle rose and climbed over the fenced area. They exited out the way they came, and as they headed toward the wranglers’ cabin, he slowed his steps. She turned to him, curiosity in her eyes.
He could tell she was wondering what was wrong. He didn’t know himself. All he knew was that he didn’t want this morning to end. Not yet.
“Jason?” she whispered.
Without realizing what he was doing, he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“You have no idea how amazing you are.” It wasn’t until he registered that his fingers were still grazing the soft, warm skin at her temple that he jerked his hand away.
Shoot! “I’m sorry,” he stammered. “I promised you I wouldn’t—”
Isabelle reached for his wrist, preventing him from pulling back a few paces. Heat licked up the back of his neck, and he focused on the way her touch felt against his skin. It was soft and warm. Perfection, just like Isabelle.
“It’s okay,” she whispered.
His eyes lifted, locking with hers. For an intense moment he considered stepping closer to her, itching to reach out and trace her cheekbone with his thumb.
He wanted to slip his hand behind her neck and hold her still while he told her everything.
She needed to know that everything that had happened in her past didn’t define her—that all the turmoil she was clearly holding onto could be released like balloons into the sky.
Heaven knew he wanted to tell her all of this.
“Isabelle,” he rasped.
“Good morning,” Mark mumbled, his voice tinged with sleep.
The woman before Jason flinched, then stepped back, her eyes not meeting his.
Jason itched to reach for her, to pull her back into the bubble they’d only moments ago been living in, but it was too late.
Mark glanced from Jason to Isabelle and back. He jutted his chin toward the kitchen where they worked. “I’m gonna get started on breakfast.”
“And I’m going to get a shower,” Isabelle said quietly.
Jason didn’t have a chance to say another word to her before she took off. Then he scowled at Mark.
His friend shrugged, then chuckled. “Looks like the winds are changing. Congrats, man.” He clapped Jason on the shoulder, then headed off.