North Dakota Weddings (58 page)

Rayne grabbed a slice of bacon and crunched on it while her mother poured her a glass of orange juice. Jack and her father discussed weather. Good. Jack was fitting in.

Rayne focused on eating breakfast and pondered what this day would bring, snowed in with her family and a man she couldn’t stop thinking about.

Jack smiled for Rayne’s family, but he was suffocating inside, feeling like a first-class moron. He’d wanted—no, needed—to see her. He’d needed to show her his design, so he’d driven to her family’s farm. Who does something like that?

A moron, that’s who. A moron on the fast track to losing his focus and, worse, his job, if he kept this up.

And then what did he go and do? He’d kissed her. Listening to her father tell him an account in which he’d almost lost the farm that had been in the family for years, Jack nodded but was only half listening as he glanced over at Rayne. He looked down at his plate, shuffled his eggs around, and daydreamed about kissing her again.

Rayne possessed something that Jack found irresistible. He couldn’t have imagined something so powerful could emanate from her. She seemed like such a quiet, creative soul. But maybe that’s where the secret lay, and he was drawn to her in a way that he was never drawn to Kiera, Rayne’s exact opposite.

Jack took a bite of the eggs. This was all so…unexpected. It wasn’t part of his plan.

“Never, ever take your eyes of the mark, off the goal,” her father said, and continued with his farm tale.

The words seemed to stab at Jack’s heart, at his mistake this weekend. He’d prided himself in being a focused man, shooting for the goal. But now his focus was a jumbled mess.

Rayne’s father had a penchant for tossing out proverbial words of wisdom. Most were true and well placed, of course, but over time a person might think he sounded a bit condescending. Still, Jack liked him. He was a good man. And clearly, Rayne loved her father, her family, deeply.

He sensed she struggled with being away from them.

“Well, I’m going to rest. Thank you for breakfast, Mamma.” Rayne’s father scooted from the table and took his plate to the sink where Mrs. Flemming was already doing the dishes. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

Jack felt a little guilty for catching them in a personal moment. Rayne was lucky to have her parents, a family to go home to for a visit. Something Jack had lost long ago. Memories Jack had worked hard to shove from his mind began to seep back in. What was he going to do all day to keep his mind from them?

Rayne’s father shuffled from the kitchen, Rayne at his side. Jack stood and moved next to her mother at the sink.

“Is there something I can do?” he asked. “Since I’m here until the storm lets up a little, maybe I can help.”

She stuck a dish into the dishwasher and chuckled. “Well, when Paul finishes up at his own place, he’s heading over here. As soon as the weather lets up a bit”—she peered out the kitchen window at the clouds—“and it looks like that’ll be soon, maybe you can help break the ice on the ponds for the cattle.”

“Uh, sure, I can do that.” He didn’t have a clue how. “As long as you don’t think I would be more of a hindrance to Paul than a help.”

A warm hand slid over his shoulder. Rayne was at his side. “I’ll help. Jack isn’t accustomed to farm work, Mom.”

Jack bristled but then saw the teasing in Rayne’s eyes. What was he getting into? “I can work.”

“Are you sure about that?” Rayne squeezed his bicep and smiled, color creeping into her cheeks.

Good thing he worked out.

Rayne’s mother laughed. “I know what you’re thinking. The snow is too deep for the truck, even if it’s a four-wheel drive.”

“That’s what I’m thinking, all right.” Rayne smiled, a twinkle in her eyes.

Her mother thrust her hands into the steaming dishwater, apparently washing the dishes before sticking them in the dishwasher. “A few years ago, Rayne talked her daddy into using snowmobiles to feed the cattle during the winter. She could talk her daddy into just about anything.”

Rayne had turned a farm chore into something she considered fun. He smiled down at her. Right there, in the kitchen, with her mother standing next to them, Jack wanted to kiss her again. He looked at the smile on her soft lips, recalling how it had felt to kiss her, how his soul had stirred. His gaze traveled back up to her eyes.

Had she been thinking of that as well?

“Before you head out, can you stoke the fire for me?” her mother asked.

“I’ll show Jack what to do and then be back to help you finish up here.”

Jack followed Rayne out the kitchen door to the back porch where she loaded his arms with logs for the fire. In the distance, Jack spotted a familiar truck lumbering down the road.

Rayne carried a few logs as well, and Jack followed her into the living room where they stacked the wood against the wall a short distance from the large wood-burning stove.

“Mom and Dad use this to help heat the house.” She stood straight and gestured to the stove. “Just stick a few logs in while I go help Mom finish up in the kitchen. Then we’ll head out.”

Jack snickered. He had the feeling Rayne was enjoying bossing him around for a change. Peering inside the stove, he carefully placed a couple of logs inside. Boots stomped near the front door; then it swung open.

Jack turned to see Paul standing in the small foyer, tugging off his gloves and glancing around the house. “Anyone home? I came to help with the chores.”

His gaze landed on Jack, and Paul frowned.

S
itting on her snowmobile, Rayne looked up at the sky and saw a small break in the clouds as the heavier snow moved to the east of them. She watched Jack shove the last of the hay from the small trailer attached to the snowmobile. Fortunately, they didn’t keep many cattle, or using the snowmobiles would have taken them too long.

She smiled to herself, thinking about the day she’d talked her father into them. She’d wanted a snowmobile for fun, of course, but on a farm, pretty much every purchase has to be work-related. Of course, her father didn’t use them, preferring the truck, and Rayne had been gone the last few years at school and then to work.

For the first time, she considered that her father might have purchased the snowmobiles as a way to keep her on the farm, entice her to stay. Regret seeped into her thoughts.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jack stomped over to her.

Had she allowed her momentary doubts to show? She took stock of Jack, who wore her father’s too-big extra work boots, farm clothes, and coat. She liked the look on him. “You know, you make a better farmer than I thought you would.”

Jack fired off his big-dimpled grin again. It warmed her cold bones all the way to the marrow.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” He kept smiling as he waited for her answer.

She couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. “Yes.”

He closed the distance between them and snatched the cap from her head. Laughing, she didn’t have the strength to grab it back as they wrestled.

Rayne shoved Jack a little too hard, and he toppled, pulling her with him. The snow hit her face, sobering her, and she looked at Jack’s face, so near hers. “Are you up for a little fun?” She pushed to her feet and dusted off the remaining snow.

Still on the ground, Jack studied her, taking his time to answer. “Sure.”

“Let’s unhitch these trailers then. We can grab them on the way back.”

After freeing the snowmobiles from the trailers, she hopped on and sped away, listening for Jack to do the same. Quickly enough, she heard the whir of his snowmobile behind her.

The sky was beginning to clear, turning the day beautiful. Rayne enjoyed the freedom of speeding across the snow, and the wind, though cold, gusting against her cheeks, and best of all, Jack enjoying the day with her. Snowmobiling was one of her favorite things. What could be better than doing this with someone she… What exactly did she feel for Jack?

Rayne shoved the serious thoughts to the back of her mind so she could enjoy this moment. It might never come again. She sped up and glanced back. Jack wasn’t far behind, and his snowmobile jerked forward as he squeezed the throttle, giving it more gas.

His bright smile flashed, and Rayne turned her back to him, intending to race far ahead. Laughing, she whirred over a rift and felt the jar, even though she’d plummeted into soft snow. The family farm was a little over a thousand acres. Soon she’d reach the place she wanted to show Jack.

As she drew near the copse of trees, Rayne slowed the snowmobile to a stop. Jack joined her, grinning from ear to ear.

She tugged off her helmet. “So, what did you think?”

“I think there’s more to farming than meets the eye.”

Rayne laughed and slid from the recreational vehicle’s seat. “We won’t hear the end of this, just so you know. Work before play.”

“Are you saying we weren’t finished with the chores?” Jack hopped off his snowmobile.

“Are you kidding?” Rayne began trudging toward the trees and motioned for Jack to follow. “Come on.”

Rayne made her way through the trees, stepping in thick snow. Soon her breathing was becoming harder.

Jack sidled next to her. “Where are you taking me?”

“You’ll see. Say, why aren’t you breathing hard? You can’t be in that great of shape.”

“This isn’t exactly exerting to me. But I admit, the morning chores made me a little tired.” He grinned.

As Rayne neared the edge of the grove that opened up to a small bluff, she snuck another peek at Jack. This was her secret place, yet she’d brought him here.

When they broke through the trees, Rayne stopped. “This is it. It’s not much, but this bluff gives me a good view of the surrounding area.”

“It’s beautiful, Rayne.”

“I come here to think and pray.” Why was she sharing this with him? She angled her head at him to gauge his reaction.

“Is this where you came to watch the fields, where you were inspired to create your designs?”

Rayne huffed a laugh. He’d brought the fact that they work together back into the mix. Funny how she’d tried to forget that part of their relationship.

“Rayne, I’m sorry if I offended you last night… . I shouldn’t have—”

“Oh Jack. I wasn’t offended. I kissed you back. Couldn’t you tell?” Despite her willing them away, tears welled in her eyes.

She turned to face him, and suddenly he was there, sweeping her up in his arms yet again. His lips pressed hard against hers this time, and she slid her arms over his chest, her hands around his neck, drawing him downward, closer.

Rayne was in his arms. What more could he want? He savored the moment, feeling her small form against his, her tender lips responding to his… .

No, no, no, man. What are you doing?
Jack gently untangled himself from Rayne, and with both hands, held her at arm’s length. “Rayne…”

Rayne frowned, and tears flooded her eyes. “Jack?”

“What are we doing?” He released her and, shaking his head, turned his back on her to stare out over the snow-covered landscape. “I’m an idiot.”

“What are you trying to say, Jack?”

What happened to the guard he’d erected around his heart? He shoved a hand through his hair. “I should never have come to the farm to see you.”

Jack could hear the strain in Rayne’s responding sigh.

“I admit, I find you irresistible. That makes me vulnerable, and I can’t work like this. We can’t work like this.”

“What if…what if I work somewhere else?”

Incredulous, Jack chuckled and stared down at the ground. Suddenly the cold was beginning to creep through all the layers he wore. “Not a good idea either. You see, FountainTech won’t work without you. I can’t make it the premier water feature design company. You’re the key…”
To my heart
.

Jack shrugged off the errant thought. Getting romantically involved with Rayne hadn’t been part of his plan.

When she didn’t answer, Jack realized how that must have sounded. Like he was putting the company before any feelings he had for her. His shoulders tensed. Wasn’t that exactly what he was doing? But his reasons involved so much more than the company.

“Rayne, please accept my apology.”