22
Jessica
“What’s up with that?” Brock shook his head as he picked up his bag of apples and slung it over his shoulder. He headed toward the large bin at the end of the aisle.
Jessica adjusted her own bag and grabbed Ian’s from the ground. “You know him better than I do.” But at least now she knew she wasn’t just seeing things. Ianwasacting strange. She followed behind Brock. “Do you think something is wrong?”
Brock peeked at her, grunted and shrugged. “Ian’s always been quiet. I don’t think anyone would be able to answer that question. Then again…”
“What?” She hurried to come into step beside him. “Tell me what you think it is.”
He stopped, turned and faced her. “He’s never had a serious relationship that I can remember. I thought it was because he was shy. But the way he kissed you just now disproves that theory.”
Her cheeks warmed.
Brock continued. “Starting a relationship is hard enough as it is. You guys started one in the midst of a shootout. Emotions are high. Tension even more so. When life-changing events occur concurrently with high adrenaline situations—” He shrugged again. “Either they work out, or they don’t.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She placed Ian’s bag of apples in the bin then removed a few apples from her bag.
“That means you need to ask yourself one question. When all this madness is over, will the infatuation leave with it?”
“No. Of course not.”
Brock arched a brow. He didn’t believe her! She folded her arms. “Ian is one of the best men I have ever met. He’s honest and hardworking, and he lov—” She dropped her eyes to the ground. Brock had lost the love of his life not too long ago.
“You can say it. Even I can see it. He loves you. I think I saw evidence of that from the very first night when he brought you here.”
Jessica lifted her gaze to meet his.
“But do you feel the same?” His steel-blue eyes bore into hers. He’d been able to see Ian’s love, but not hers.
She shifted, shouldering the apple bag. “I don’t think that is any of your business.”
He poked her shoulder. “That’s where you’re wrong. Everyone else might not care how close the two of you get. But I do. Eventually someone is going to get hurt. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have anything against you. But I won’t allow you to break his heart. So you need to figure out real quick what you want to do about this budding relationship.”
Something ugly twisted and pulled at her insides. She knew she wanted to be with Ian—shedid. Though sometimes she didn’t feel like she deserved him. Like when he kept pushing her to go to college. She’d gotten this far without college. Why was that so important to him? What if she’d changed her mind? There were more important things than getting a degree.
Then there was the way he wassoattached. A relationship with Ian seemed so final. She didn’t know if she was ready for something that serious, either.
Jessica sighed. “I honestly don’t know.” She was being smart. In her gut she knew that. She wasn’t just jumping into a relationship as if the events of last week hadn’t happened. She met Brock’s gaze, fully expecting to find an angry expression. Her confessioncouldbe interpreted as stringing his brother along.
But anger was missing. He studied her, a lack of any emotion written on his face. “Well, figure it out before he gets hurt.”
That statement stung more than she wanted to admit. Brock wasn’t worried about her. Not even after all the effort she’d made while being on the ranch. He still held his brother as the higher priority. She shouldn’t expect any different. She lifted her chin. “I would never intentionally hurt him.”
Brock’s jaw flexed. “No one ever thinks they do.” His dog bounded out of the clearing, tail wagging.
Jessica dropped her gaze to the animal. “What’s its name?”
Brock followed her focus. “His name is Rusty.”
She smiled. “I like it.”
He rolled his eyes. “How much longer are we going to be here?”
Jessica frowned at him. “What’s your problem? You hate me, you tolerate me, you joke around with me, then you hate me again. Can you pick a side so I quit getting whiplash?”
His brows rose. “I don’t—”