Heartbreak's Reward (Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight Book 2) Read online

  “Was that your mom’s boyfriend or…?”

  He shrugged. “It’s her boyfriend, I guess.”

  She leaned over and took a bottle of hand sanitizer out of the glove box. “For your gasoline smelling hands. I’m always prepared.”

  “Yeah, real good that you’re always prepared. Thanks.” Holding out his hands, she squirted a big dab into his palms. He glanced around the area as he rubbed it in. “I’m still the same fearsome cowboy who stopped forty minutes ago.”

  She twisted around in the seat and sat sideways, her feet on the ground, and lifted her eyes way up. “Yes, but I have to start somewhere. I’m afraid I’ve made a bad impression with the first person I’ve met in Canyon Junction.” She stuck out her hand. “Maybe I need to start over.”

  Jase remained staring, his hands in his back pockets, hat low on his head.

  Brenna looked up at him when she got out of the car, her hand reaching out again. He took a step closer and grabbed hold of her hand. “Nice to meet you, again, Miss Brenna Page.” He held her gaze and gave a firm shake. “Now, if you’d like to follow me down the road, we’ll turn right on 60 and head into a town called A.J., well, Apache Junction. We’ll find you a hotel there. There’s also a place to get some food…and a coffee.”

  Brenna left her hand in his. “Thank you very much, Jase Carlson, aka, real cowboy.” A smile wanted to sneak out, but she held back as long as she could. She might have been able to longer, if he hadn’t first. Those cute dimples winning her over. Great!

  Chapter 3

  Getting back into his truck, Jase started the engine, sat there a moment, shaking the fog from his brain. “Dammit all to hell, that woman’s strikingly beautiful.” He pulled around her car and drove to the exit in the parking lot. He glanced into his rear view mirror. “Gorgeous.” He'd never met anyone the likes of her around this town.

  Her light color of blonde was something else, and looked natural. Cute, bouncy hair hanging over her shoulders the way he liked. She probably hadn’t realized he noticed her blue cat-eyes when they sparkled. They about knocked his boots off with those long lashes shading them when she looked down.

  Her feisty little attitude made those sizzling eyes devious. Coffee with her wouldn’t be a problem. I’ve been too long without a woman, and now she comes along. She was hotter than hell, and he bet she didn’t even know it. Yeah, too long. A twitch in his groin was more than a faint reminder.

  On the 60, he lost her and pulled over and waited. Then she drove past him in that nice looking hot rod, the red color fitting her red-hot personality. He pulled out and caught her, flashed his lights and passed, shaking his head when he pulled back in front of her.

  “No wonder she gets lost.” Jase clicked his blinker on, giving her plenty of time to pay attention to where they were turning. He drove into a parking spot at the hotel and she pulled up front by the entrance door.

  “Hey,” he called to her when she stepped out. He made his way over. “Need any help getting things inside?”

  “I need to make sure they have a room first.” She bent over and grabbed for her purse, closed the door, and clicked the lock. He blew out a big breath after watching her lean down. Almost more than his neglected body could take. He sauntered in with her, catching the door when she reached for it. Cute little ass on that one.

  Brenna stopped right inside. Tilting her head, she asked, “Why are you following me?” She took a look toward the desk.

  “Do you wanna eat? We can get to the hotel restaurant from here, otherwise we drive around to the other side.” He removed his hat and slid his fingers through his unruly hair, trying to smooth out the crease in the back from wearing his hat so long.

  “Well, if you direct me, I can meet you there after getting my things inside.” She took a quick glance around the lobby again.

  He made her nervous. “We’re right here,” he said, stuffing his hands into his front pockets. An untrusting woman for sure. It made him feel bad not to be trusted when all his life he strived to be trustworthy.

  “Well, okay, I’ll get on up there to the desk.”

  Jase followed but changed his mind. “I’ll wait right here.” He’d not make her any more uncomfortable than she already was. Looking at it from her point of view, it made sense. Watching her walk away in those snug fitting jeans didn’t hurt either. Looking good, sweetie pie. None of his teachers looked like her. He’d probably never see her again but decided he’d have to look into that. Maybe it was time to get a life.

  It took a while for her to get signed in, but Jase was right there in the lobby, sitting on one of the overstuffed sofas in plain view. When she walked toward him, he was glad because he wasn’t sure if she’d rather leave without him. It was kind of nice the way her breasts did that subtle bounce in that pretty green top.

  “Well, I was lucky to get a suite. It’ll be more comfortable while I search for a place to live. Shall we hit that restaurant?”

  Jase stood and slipped his hand to her shoulder as they headed toward the door, but he removed it as fast as he placed it there. “You want help unloading your things?” He pointed back toward the exit.

  “Um, I better…do it…okay, it’ll go faster with your help.”

  “Come on, I’ll grab a luggage cart.”

  She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “I don’t have much. Wish I could’ve fit more.” Brenna flipped open her trunk when they got outside.

  Jase pulled out her luggage while she got a laptop from her backseat. “At least you have some time to settle in before school starts.” He closed the trunk. “Would you like me to move your car?” Jase didn’t much like the scornful look on her face.

  Her hesitation about him moving her car told him all he needed to know. He removed keys from his pocket, grabbed her hand and dropped them into her palm. “Here. If I take off in your ‘stang, you got a jacked-up 4x4, souped-up engine, pickup truck—worth a hell of a lot more than yours.” He really hadn’t meant to sound so threatening.

  Brenna handed him her keys and he moved it to the parking spot beside his truck.

  Inside on the way to the elevators, she took his arm to stop him, but he didn’t miss it when her eyes followed her fingers to his bicep. She raised her eyes to his and he stood quiet. Proud.

  “I should get these to my room on my own. There won’t be a problem from here. But thank you for loading this for me.”

  He took a step back, raised both hands. “Sure, come down this same way and we’ll grab a coffee. You can eat.”

  She took hold of the cart. “Don’t you want something to eat, too?”

  Jase widened his stance. “I can always eat, ma’am.” He gave a nod toward the lobby sitting area. “I’ll be right over here where I was.” The way she held the key card upward, it wasn’t hard to see what room number she had. As worried as she was about strange men, she needed to concentrate more on her safety.

  “Don’t hurt your back, your one piece of luggage is heavy.” He noticed her checking out his arms again. Hell yeah, his arms were big. He worked hard to get them that way…on purpose. Removing his hat, he turned and plopped down on the sofa, an intended smirk across his lips. Looking back, she still stared after him. When she beckoned, he rose and pushed the button for the elevator. “Better for your back this way, Brenna.” When they got in, he pushed the floor number.

  She watched his finger and peeked at her card, a question in her eyes when he looked back at her.

  “Best you concentrate on watchin’ what you’re doing instead of worrying about a gentleman cowboy who might ravish you in your room.” He had turned himself on by saying that…the thought alone. Her provocative fragrance, and the warmth emanating from her body as she stood close, reminded him of how long he’d been alone. He was quite capable of ravishing if he had to. “Holding your key card out like that isn’t such a great idea.”

  Brenna stared down at the card in her hand and flipped it over. “Might as well start practicing, I guess. M
aybe every cowboy in this town isn’t as nice as you.”

  She kind of smirked and he liked it. “You can bet on that…better yet, I guarantee it.” Jase looked above the door at the number. He noticed her fingers tighten on the cart and she took a deep breath.

  She tapped a finger against the cart. “I can tell your mother raised you right. You and your wife live close to her?”

  He crossed his arms in front of him. “I don’t know where the hell my ex-wife is, but I live close. My family shares the same piece of property…the ranch. We have our own sections, but it’s all part of the Double Dutch.” Jase held the door when the elevator got to their floor.

  Brenna headed down the aisle. “It must be this way.” Jase followed, knowing it was the other way. Why not walk behind her a few extra steps? He kind of liked her little shake in those high heels. He didn’t expect her to look over her shoulder. He lifted his eyes when she stopped.

  “Maybe it’s the other way,” she said, checking out the room numbers.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He took the end of the cart and followed her down the other way. Sometimes a guy had to keep his mouth shut. “Get lost much?” he asked in a near whisper. Too bad he was never known as one who could keep his mouth shut. He couldn’t help himself.

  Brenna came to an abrupt stop and he bumped the cart into her. “Oops, sorry about that. I didn’t expect you to stop in the middle of the damn hall.”

  She folded her arms and cocked a hip. “What did you say a second ago?”

  “Thinking out loud.” He pointed ahead. “I believe your room is up there on the right.” This woman needed a GPS attached around her neck.

  She slid her key, and leaned against the door after opening it a crack. “Thank you. I can get this into my room from here.”

  “I’ll wait down by the elevator. Come out of your room and turn left.” He spun on his heel and walked off before she had a chance to say anything. No way was she letting him in her room. Best for him, too. Maybe she was a psycho.

  Ambling around in front of the elevator, he reflected back on an hour and a half ago. All he did was drive past the school. There she was, standing in front of a hot looking Mustang, as cute as they came. He’d decided if she was still there when he returned from the leather store, he’d stop to see if she needed help. Sure enough, her car still sat there—an obvious problem.

  And he waited. For a cup of coffee? He traced his heel over the black lines in the floral carpet in front of the elevators. What had his mother been up to anyway? Asking the woman to buy him a cup of coffee? Knowing her, she had her own agenda going on. Maybe she thought he’d been without a woman too long, too.

  He continued to wait. “What is taking her so long?” Jase mumbled under his breath, forgetting what it was like to wait on a woman. He headed that way but turned around. The door opened and he glanced over his shoulder. Fresh make-up and her hair had been smoothed back. Gorgeous plump lips the color of a summer sunrise. “Shit.” He waited where he was and she came to him.

  “Thanks for waiting. It took longer than I expected.” She used her thumb to point back. “It’s nice there. Shall we finally get that coffee?” She stayed by his side all the way to the elevator, but took a step’s distance away from him while waiting for the door to open.

  He inhaled her scent. She had refreshed her perfume. “Yeah, finally. It’s a little late for coffee. How about a beer?” Jase peered into her blue eyes. “Sound okay?” He held his hands up. “You can trust me. If any man ever meant it, I do.”

  “Somehow, I believe you’re telling the truth. I did want to sleep tonight and coffee would kick my ass to—wide awake.”

  “A teacher who swears?” He thought it was kind of cool.

  “Well, not in school. I’m on vacation.” She laughed. “Once I walk through those doors, I leave the swearing to the students, the bigger ones that is. Yes, I worked in middle school, too.”

  “Yeah, they have a mouth these days. I’d take my kids behind the barn and whip their backside.” Jase waited to see her reaction. He chuckled inwardly when it was exactly what he expected. “You believe that? I don’t touch my kids that way, ma’am, but I had to say it though. Sometimes I can’t control what I say to get a pretty girl’s attention. Right now I wish I could touch them anyway… Wait, that didn’t sound right either.”

  “I must warn you that isn’t the appropriate thing to tell a teacher. We have to turn in anything we suspect.”

  When the elevator opened, he held the door and motioned for her to go ahead. There was a couple on with them, and they all held their conversations.

  They stood outside the elevator door when they got off. “Guess I have to hope you knew I was joking.” Jase removed his hat and in an erratic move, shoved his fingers through his hair. “What I meant was, I’d like to have them near so I could hug them, kiss them good night like I used to.” He gazed into her eyes, not knowing where that all came from.

  She straightened the purse strap on her shoulder. “How many kids do you have?”

  He guessed she did only hear what she wanted. He had told her earlier he had two kids. Why did he start this? Dammit, he should be home checking the computer, searching for his kids, not standing here with some hottie he just met. “Hey, Brenna, I’ll…ah, head on home.” He pointed toward the left of the desk. “The restaurant’s down that way.”

  She opened her purse and removed her wallet. “Then I must pay you at least for the gas, but I’d like to give you something more for your help. Lord knows what might’ve happened if you hadn’t shown up.”

  “Another good-lookin’ cowboy would’ve come by, ma’am. We have a slew of them around here.” He removed his hat again and held it against his chest. “Well, not as good as me and my little brothers but still good enough.” He shook his head. “There I go again. I had hoped you’d crack a smile at least. I was only joking.”

  “Tell me, is this something you do often?”

  “Well, yeah. No.” He peered down the hallway. “Not something I’ve done in a long time.” He took his keys from his pocket. “You’ll be okay now. If you need to call that dealership tomorrow, you should find it in the phone book in your suite.”

  Jase sauntered over to the desk and wrote down his phone number. He went back to Brenna and handed it to her. “If you get stuck and need some help, or directions…give me a call.” He shifted his hat to the back of his head. “Glad I could help.” He turned to walk off.

  “No, Jase.”

  Stopping, he sighed before glancing over his shoulder. “No, what?”

  “No, I won’t ask you for help again.” She walked toward him. “You didn’t let me pay you for this offer of help. I’m grateful you stopped.”

  The woman looked so fantastic standing there like that. Dark denim jeans on long legs—her height must’ve been at least five-foot nine. Not to mention the sexy blouse, hugging her curves, and she had magnificent curves. Dammit. He headed back to her. “Let’s get that beer, maybe a burger. Buy if you insist.” Like I’ll let that happen.

  Jase took her hand and led her in the direction to go, but he released her hand almost immediately. Not that he wouldn’t have minded holding it longer. He took a big smell of her perfume…shuddered. The door from the hotel was blocked. He glanced her way and shook his head. “I don’t know what’s going on. Normally, you can walk through here.”

  Brenna folded her arms across her chest. “You make a habit out of coming here?”

  “What? No!” What was with her questions? “I’ve lived here for nine years and have reasons to come sometimes. Not for what you may be thinking.” He took a step until he stood inches away from her, narrowed his eyes, and peered into hers. “I have a house with a nice bedroom and comfortable bed. If I need what you’re referring to, that’s where I go, not a hotel where the whole damn city can see what I’m doin’. You understand that, Brenna?”

  Brenna cast her gaze to the floor but glanced right back at him and made serious eye contact. She
lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes. “I definitely understand. Now I need a cold beer.”

  He took her hand and led the way to the parking lot. Sonofabitch. I like her.

  “How about slowing it down? I’m wearing heels.”

  Jase stopped when they got to her car. “Get yourself a pair of cowboy boots. There’s a western store in Canyon Junction. They’ll look good on you.”

  She rolled her eyes and huffed out a sigh.

  “Look, all you have to do is follow me around the parking lot, and we’ll run right into the entrance.” He held the door when she unlocked it.

  Brenna sat behind the wheel and peered up at him. “Ride with me.”

  Ride with her? He took a step back. “How do I know you aren’t a serial killer?” There he went again. Blurting out something inappropriate.

  “You don’t,” she said, moving her head into a defiant tilt.

  He went to the other side and grabbed a hold of the door handle, but it was locked. He leaned over and peered through the window, taking a deep breath.

  She lowered the window an inch. “Oh, you’re going with me?”

  Jase stomped around the back of the car and to her side again. He raised his hands, agitated. “What the hell?”

  “I’m sorry, the door is unlocked now.”

  “Brenna, I detect a little mischief in those cat eyes. Am I going in your vehicle or not?”

  “If you trust me,” she said, followed by a snicker.

  “Well, that’s debatable, and I don’t know if can trust you yet. Keep in mind I have a .357 on my side.” He attempted to close her door.

  “Wait. You have a gun on your hip?”

  “It’s common here.” He crossed his arms. “Do you have an issue with this? I didn’t have to tell you.”

  “No issue here. Shooting is my hobby.” Brenna got out of her vehicle and clicked the lock. “Let’s ride in your big ass truck, cowboy.”

  “Sure, you come right along, little lady. I like being in control anyway.” He wrapped his fingers around her upper arm and pulled her closer.