Loving Jake Read online

“My parents moved there shortly after I graduated from high school and I just naturally went along. So, how did you get into the car repair business?”

  “I’ve always had a knack for fixing things. I like being my own boss, setting my own hours. Getting my hands dirty.”

  After dinner, Jake drove Ginny back to Deb’s house.

  Pulling into the driveway, he switched off the ignition, then leaned back in the seat, one hand dangling over the top of the steering wheel.

  “Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee or some iced tea?” Ginny asked.

  “Sure.”

  Jake got out of the truck and opened her door, then followed her into the house. He whistled softly as he glanced around. “This is some place!”

  Ginny had to agree. The rooms were large and open and airy. There was a fireplace built in to one wall in the family room. The kitchen had oak cabinets and tile floors. The master bedroom was gorgeous, with dark blue carpeting and white walls. The bathroom had a large oval tub, a dressing area, and walk-in closets. There were three bedrooms upstairs, as well as a bath and a bonus room. Sliding glass doors led out into the backyard, which was huge. A small grassy section held a jungle gym for the kids. Beyond that, a chain link fence enclosed a large kidney-shaped pool. There was another narrow stretch of grass behind the pool, and beyond that there was another fenced off area that held a small barn, a large corral, the horses, Belle and Beau, the goats, Billy and Millie, and the German Shepherd, Spats.

  Ginny showed Jake around the house, then fixed two glasses of iced tea. Going outside, they sat out on the patio.

  “Do you live around here?” Ginny asked.

  He laughed. “Are you kidding? I couldn’t afford anything like this on what I make. I live on Western, over off Second Street. It’s an older part of the city, not near as fancy as this place.”

  “I guess you have horses and dogs, like everyone else?”

  He lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “And goats and sheep and chickens.”

  “Well, I’m not surprised.”

  “What’s the matter, don’t you like animals?”

  “Yes, but I’m partial to cats.”

  “Ordinarily that would put an end to our friendship,” Jake said with mock remorse, “but since you’re only going to be here for a couple of weeks, I don’t see that it will be a problem.” He glanced at his watch. “I’d better get going. I’ve got an early day tomorrow.”

  “All right.”

  He followed her into the house and put his glass in the sink.

  “Thanks for this evening,” she said, walking him to the door. “I had a nice time.”

  “Maybe we could do it again tomorrow night?”

  “I don’t think so. I mean, don’t take this the wrong way, you seem like a really nice guy but…”

  “But you’re only going to be here for two weeks.”

  “That’s part of it.”

  “You’re not married, are you?”

  “Heaven’s no. At least, not yet.”

  “Engaged?”

  “No,” she said, smiling. “Not yet.”

  “Well, then, there’s no harm in going out to dinner, is there?” he asked, and wondered why he was pushing.

  “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “Boyfriend wouldn’t like it, huh?”

  “Something like that.”

  “All right, have it your way.”

  She followed him to the front door, stood on the porch, watching, as he climbed into the cab of the truck and pulled out of the driveway.

  He was tall and good looking, she thought, and she liked him way too much to see him again. With those eyes and that smile, he was just a broken heart waiting to happen. Besides, she already had a boyfriend. Why complicate things?

  With a sigh, she went back inside and closed the door, only then realizing she had forgotten to ask him about her car.

  Chapter 2

  The following afternoon found Ginny standing in front of the corral, her arms folded on the top rail while she watched the horses nosing the last of the hay she had tossed them earlier. Deb had told her to go ahead and ride if she was of a mind to, assuring Ginny that both horses were trail wise and bomb proof, which was horse talk meaning that the horses weren’t likely to spook at barking dogs, backfiring trucks, or trash blowing across the trail. Deb had showed her how to saddle the horses and told her which saddle and bridle went with which horse. After another five minutes of contemplation, Ginny decided to take a chance. She was tired of watching TV, tired of sitting by the pool. Maybe riding would be a nice change, as long as she didn’t fall off and break a leg.

  Returning to the house, she changed into a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, borrowed a pair of Deb’s cowboy boots, and went out to saddle one of the horses. She decided to ride the one Deb called Belle simply because Belle was the shorter of the two, thinking that if she fell off, she wouldn’t have so far to fall.

  She frowned when she broke a fingernail lifting the heavy saddle into place, then shrugged it off. What did it matter? She didn’t have anyone to impress out here.

  She cinched the saddle up tight, the way Deb had showed her, then led the mare out of the corral and down the path that led to the trail that ran behind the house. Beau whinnied plaintively. Spats barked and ran back and forth along the fence. Only the goats seemed unfazed by her departure.

  Ginny climbed up on a rock, put her foot in the stirrup, and settled herself in the saddle.

  She would just ride around the block, she decided, then come home and relax in the hot tub.

  To her surprise, she enjoyed riding more than she had thought she would and instead of just riding around the block, she rode down River Road and turned onto one of the trails that ran alongside the riverbed. For the first time, she understood Deb’s love of riding, though it was a little scary riding through the thick bamboo that grew in abundance along the trails that lined both sides of the shallow, slow-moving river. She had to ride hunched over in some places. In others, she had to backtrack because the bamboo grew so thick it blocked the trail.

  She was rounding a bend when a couple of boys burst out onto the trail in front of her. In that moment, she was extremely glad that Belle was indeed bomb proof. Looking scared, the kids both apologized, then ran off.

  Releasing a sigh of relief that no one had been hurt, Ginny clucked to Belle and

  reined the mare around, not anxious to be riding in the bamboo after dark.

  It was only then that she realized she was totally and completely lost. Reining Belle to a halt, she glanced around, trying to find a landmark that looked familiar but as far as she could see, everything looked the same – bamboo, and more bamboo. Perhaps if she rode out into the water a ways, she would be able to tell which direction led toward home.

  Belle seemed reluctant to go into the river. Ginny drummed her heels into the mare’s flanks and Belle finally moved forward. The horse had only gone a few steps when she came to an abrupt halt.

  Ginny clucked to the mare. She lifted the reins. She kicked Belle in the sides, but the horse refused to move and it gradually dawned on Ginny that not only was the horse not moving, she was sinking. Looking down, Ginny saw that her boots were under water. It couldn’t be, Ginny thought frantically. Surely if there was quicksand in the river, there would be warning signs! Maybe the bottom was just soft. But even as the thought crossed her mind, Belle continued to sink.

  Ginny fought down the urge to panic. Think. She had to think. Maybe Belle’s feet would touch hard ground in a minute. She glanced at the shore. Should she leave Belle and try to make it to shore on her own, or would she just sink into the mire?

  Ginny was about to scream for help when a horse and rider appeared on the trail.

  She squinted into the gloom. Could it be? It was!

  “Jake! Jake, help me, please!”

  Jake took in the scene at a glance. Removing a rope from his saddle horn, he quickly formed a loop and let it fly. It
sailed through the air and landed around Belle’s neck.

  “Hang on.” Jake spoke to his horse and the animal began backing up. There was an ugly sucking sound as Belle pulled free of the quicksand. With a shake of her head, the mare struggled through the water until, at last, her feet hit solid ground and she scrambled onto the shore.

  “Are you all right?” Jake lifted his rope from Belle’s neck, coiled it, and dropped it over his saddle horn.

  “Yes,” Ginny said, “thanks to you.” Her jeans were wet from the knee down and Deb’s boots were probably ruined, but that was the least of her worries. She could buy new boots. Deb would never have forgiven her if anything had happened to Belle.

  “Good thing I came along when I did,” Jake remarked. “Didn’t anyone warn you there was quicksand hereabouts?”

  “No, and if there were any warning signs, I didn’t see them.”

  He grunted softly. “You probably shouldn’t ride down here alone until you know your way around.”

  “You’re right about that,” Ginny admitted ruefully. “In fact, I’m lost.”

  Jake tipped his cowboy hat back and smiled at her. In spite of the fact that she had been scared out of her mind only moments ago, that mega-watt smile sent frissons of heat racing through her.

  “I’ll be glad to show you the way home.” His smile widened, as if he knew just how devastating that smile could be.

  “Thank you.” How could she have so quickly forgotten how handsome he was? Maybe it was the hat, she thought. Some men just looked good in a cowboy hat, and he surely did. He wore a pair of faded blue jeans that fit like a second skin and a black t-shirt that complemented his hair and clearly defined his broad shoulders and muscular chest. He had nice arms, too. She had always had a thing for men with muscular arms.

  And long black hair. And dark blue eyes.

  She felt her cheeks grow hot when he lifted one brow, apparently amused by her scrutiny.

  He clucked to his horse and the big buckskin moved out.

  Belle followed without any urging.

  A short time later, the trail widened and Jake and Ginny rode side by side.

  “I sure never figured you for a horse woman,” Jake remarked.

  “Well, you sure figured right, I’m not. I was just bored.”

  “You’ve never ridden before, have you?”

  “Not really, just around the corral a couple of times before Deb left.” Ginny frowned. “How did you know?”

  “You’re too stiff. You need to relax a little. Put your heels down.”

  “That’s what Deb said. Did you find out what’s wrong with my car?”

  “Yeah. I tried to call you this morning.” He grinned. “I got your answering machine.”

  “My answering machine? Oh!” She shook her head in embarrassment. “I wrote down my home number instead of Deb’s, didn’t I?”

  “Yeah. And you were right. When you’re home, you do have a sexy southern accent.”

  “I didn’t say it was sexy.”

  He laughed. It was a deep rich sound that made her toes curl with pleasure.

  “Speaking of my car, shouldn’t you be working?”

  He shrugged. “Things were slow at the shop, so I decided to take Ranger out for an hour or two.”

  “Must be nice.”

  “Just one of the advantages of working in a small town and being your own boss.”

  Ginny followed Jake’s lead as they emerged from the bamboo, then rode along the edge of the street. Dogs barked at their passing. The setting sun splashed the sky with crimson and ochre. The horse’s hooves made a pleasant clip-clop sound as they crossed River Road to the bridle trail.

  They rode in silence for a while. As they turned up the street that led to Deb’s, Ginny thought how lucky her sister was to be able to ride whenever she wanted. It really was relaxing. The people they passed, whether mounted or on foot, smiled, or nodded, or murmured, ‘good evening’.

  One little girl ran to the edge of her property and asked if she could pet Jake’s horse. With a smile, he reined Ranger to a halt and waited patiently while the girl’s mother lifted her up so she could pat the horse’s neck.

  With a smile and a thank you, the girl and her mother waved them on their way.

  “So,” Ginny asked, “what’s wrong with my car?”

  “Oh. It wasn’t anything serious. Just the clutch cable. I'll bring it by later tonight.”

  “That would be great, thanks.”

  “So,” Jake said as they turned the corner onto her street, “any chance that you’ve changed your mind and decided to go out with me again?”

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  “You sure are a stubborn woman,” he said good-naturedly. “But I’ll keep hoping, so let me know if you change your mind.”

  “I’ll do that. Thanks for rescuing me and seeing me home.”

  “Any time, pretty lady.”

  She felt a faint twinge of regret as she watched him ride away. Would it have been so wrong to out with him again?

  With a shake of her head, she climbed out of the saddle and led Belle into the backyard. She tied the mare to the hitching post and removed the saddle and the blanket, both of which were wet along the bottom edge. She put the saddle over the top rail of the corral and spread the blanket out beside it.

  She spent the next half an hour brushing the mare, and trying to convince herself that refusing to go out with Jake again had been the right thing to do.

  * * * *

  Jake Running Horse was still very much in Ginny’s thoughts the next evening while she was shopping at Stater Bros. She had expected to see him last night when he dropped off her car, but he had apparently stopped by while she was walking around the block. She was amazed at how disappointed she had been to have missed him. She hardly knew the man, yet he had been in her thoughts practically every waking moment since they met. He had left the Volkswagen in the driveway. She had found her keys in an envelope, along with the bill. She had stared at the amount due in disbelief. Zero. He hadn’t charged her for the clutch cable or for his labor. He really was a sweet guy.

  She was giving herself a good talking to about how foolish it was to spend all her time thinking about a man she would never see again once she went back home when she turned down the next aisle and almost ran into him.

  “Whoa, pretty lady,” Jake said, grinning. Tonight he was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans, a navy blue tee shirt that made his eyes look even darker than they were, and a pair of black boots run down at the heels. And his cowboy hat, of course.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi, yourself. Hey, I’m sorry I missed you last night. I would have waited around but I had to run into L.A. to pick up some parts before the dealer closed.”

  She nodded. “About the car…”

  “Something wrong with it?” he asked, frowning.

  “No, no, it runs better than ever. But the bill, you didn’t even charge me for your labor.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” He looked at the items in her cart. “Salad, low-fat dressing, whole wheat bread, diet Coke, lots of fruit…and chocolate ice cream.” He looked up at her and smiled. “What is it with women and chocolate, anyway?”

  “You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Probably not.” He gestured at her basket. “I don’t see anything in there for dinner, you know, like a good steak.”

  “I don’t eat much red meat.”

  He grunted softly. “But you do eat dinner?”

  “Well, of course.”

  “I’m about done here,” he said.

  “Me, too.”

  He followed her to the check stand. She paid for her groceries, he paid for his, and then he loaded both their bags into one cart. “Which way?”

  “Over there.”

  He loaded her groceries into the back seat of the VW and closed the door. “Any point in my asking you out again?”

  Ginny laughed, amused and pleased by his persistence. “It looks like Fate�
��s going to keep throwing us together until I say yes.”

  “So, does that mean you’ll go out to dinner and a movie with me tonight?”

  “I don’t know. What’s playing?”

  “I don’t know,” he said with an easy-going grin. “I just want a chance to spend some time with you.”

  “You sweet talker, you. How could I possibly refuse?”

  “I was hoping you couldn’t.”

  “Well, I do owe you a favor since you won’t let me pay you for fixing the bug.”

  “Ah, a payback date,” he said with mock despair. “Well, at this point, I’ll take whatever I can get. What time should I pick you up?”

  “What time is it now?”

  He glanced up at the sky. “Seven.”

  She looked up at the sky, and then frowned at him. “How do you know that?”

  “Check when you get in the car,” he said with a wink. “I’ll pick you up at eight. Don’t be late.”

  He touched his forefinger to the brim of his cowboy hat, then plucked his groceries from the cart and headed for his truck, which was parked one row over.

  Bemused, Ginny stared after him for a moment before she slid behind the wheel.

  The first thing she did was look at the clock on the dashboard. It read 7:03.

  Back at home, while she put the groceries away, she found herself having second thoughts about going out with Jake. Why had she agreed to see him again? There was no point in it. Her life was in Georgia. She had a cute little house with a white picket fence, her own interior design business, and several good friends. Not to mention a boyfriend who was very cute and very nice and very easy to get along with.

  And about as exciting as white bread.

  So what if Jake was better looking? Looks weren’t everything.

  Carter had a better job. Next year he expected to be vice president of his company. Of course, money wasn’t everything, either. Her parents had money but they didn’t seem particularly happy.

  So what if Jake made her heart skip a beat every time he looked at her…She frowned. Maybe sex wasn’t everything, either, but if Carter was the right man for her, why didn’t he make her heart skip a beat? Just thinking about seeing Jake again made her toes curl with excitement and anticipation. Why didn’t the thought of going home and seeing Carter make her feel like that? She had hardly thought of him since she’d been here. Maybe her best friend, Mary Ethelyn, was right. Maybe Carter wasn’t the right man for her, even if her parents were convinced he was.