Page 38 of Jake

“Nothing.” She shook her head. She didn’t want to get into it now. Maybe not ever. He wasn’t the kind to lie to her, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know if there had been others where she was now. Right now, it was too much. If there had been others, did that mean she would be just as short lived? Or if there hadn’t been, did that mean something else? She wasn’t sure which she wanted, or which she could handle at the moment, so better to put off the discussion she was sure was coming, but still wasn’t ready for.

“Come on, Lynnie. If you can’t talk to me, who can you talk to?”

She watched him for a moment then took a deep breath and let it out in a rush trying to push her worries out of her mind. “It’s nothing, really. Just me over thinking things. Give me a bit with it. If I can’t get past it on my own, I’ll talk to you, okay?”

“I can live with that.” He continued along the sidewalk beside her, swinging their joined hands between them. “How long?”

“How long what?” she asked with a frown.

“How long until you share it with me if you can’t figure it out?”

She blinked, not sure she’d heard him right, then playing it over again. He wasn’t asking just to make her feel better. He wanted to know what was on her mind. He cared. He cared enough to give her time and wanted to know when he could ask again.

“Can you give me until tomorrow?”

Aaron tugged her to a stop, turned to look at her before cupping her cheek with a free hand. She met his gaze and the world around them seemed to fade until the only things that mattered were the two of them.

“Lynnie, I’d wait until the end of time for you. Please try to be patient with me. I’m just a rough, crass biker, but if you let me, I’d set the world on fire to take care of you.”

Heather had to lock her knees to keep from falling as they wanted to go weak. When had anyone ever said something so freaking perfect to her? Never. That’s when.

Was she ready for this? Were her second thoughts, her doubts because she wasn’t ready to let go and trust someone? That’s what she’d have to figure out. Hopefully, before he asked again tomorrow. Because the last thing she wanted to do was lose the one person she’d been waiting on for most of her life.

29

Jakeshiftedinthesaddle, standing in the stirrups to lift himself a little higher as he tried to look over the small ridge between the field where he was checking on the cattle and the road. A plume of dust told him someone was headed up the road and he wanted to know who it was. A red pickup truck that looked older than he was, though it was in excellent shape. It didn’t look restored, just well cared for. Especially since Heather was back at the ranch house with out him.

She’d been asleep when he’d gotten up and had only woken briefly before he’d left. Jake smiled to himself as he remembered her sleepy voice when she’d rolled over and found him gone.

“Where’d you go?” she mumbled.

“I’ve got to go to work,” he said as he pulled up his jeans.

“I’ll get up and have coffee with you.”

“No need.”

“Then I’ll make you breakfast.” She fumbled with the blankets, trying to sit up.

“The prospects have breakfast all ready. Go back to sleep. Get up when you’re ready. There will be food then too.”

“You sure?” She blinked owlishly.

“I’m sure. Get some more rest. I’ll be around later.”

“Okay.” She gave in and lay back down, pulling the blanket up to her chin. Unable to resist, he leaned over and kissed her forehead.

“Rest well, Lynnie,” he whispered, then grabbed his boots and gone out into the living space of the trailer to put them on and retrieve his shirt before getting started on the day.

His phone buzzing in his pocket drew him back to the present. He pulled it out and saw Hex was calling.

“Yo, man, how you doing?” he said in way of a greeting.

“Something’s happened. You got trouble.” His old friend sounded worried, but not panicked, but from fifteen hundred miles away, why would he?

“What’s up? What did you find?”

“The Wandering Sons have stepped up the search for your girl.”

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