Wild Fire (The Fairy Tale Match Series) (4 page)

“I am so glad you cooked. I never
imagined you could make something that tastes like this. Are you a chef?” Kerry
enthused, tucking into her own plate.

Taking a big cut of steak smothered
in the sauce, Jake lifted it to his mouth wondering what all the fuss was
about. Food was food as far as he was concerned. But even he couldn’t suppress
a small groan of delight at the flavours filling his mouth, his eyes widening
in surprise. Wow, this woman could cook! He’d never tasted anything this good.

“No, I’m not a chef,” Laura was
saying in response to Kerry’s question. “I currently work in an office, but I
always did want to work with food, I just never got the chance. My mother
always used to say that I had magic in my hands when it came to food. I always
thought she was exaggerating.”

“She wasn’t, I assure you!” Kerry
told her. “I can’t wait for dessert!”

“There’s dessert?” Bill asked with a
dreamy expression, already almost having wiped his plate clean.

Laura nodded. “Home-made apple pie
and cream.”

“I love this woman already!” Bill
announced. He turned to look at Jake. “What’s wrong with you boy? Women that
cook like this don’t come along every day. We should be tying her up and
keeping her, not sending her home.”

Jake swallowed his mouthful before
piercing Bill with an icy look. “There’s no point in her staying since there’s
no romance taking place, which is why she came here in case you forgot!”

Laura’s face flushed bright red at
the reminder and she squirmed uncomfortably in her chair, not looking anyone in
the eyes.

“Actually, that was something I
wanted to talk to you about,” Kerry piped up. Jake felt his heart plummet into
his stomach as he glanced up at her serene face. He looked at Bill. Their
innocent looking expressions didn’t fool him one bit. Something had been cooked
up behind his back; he could feel it!

“And what’s that exactly?” he asked
in a soft but deadly tone.

“Well, as it turns out, Laura came
here for more than just romance. She was actually born in the US and was
looking to maybe move here. This was her chance to see if she could make a new
life for herself in this country and I feel we should let her stay the agreed
three weeks to try it out. Also, if she stays, we would both get our fees back
from the agency when nothing comes of your meeting. What do you think?”

“No,” Jake answered shortly. The very
idea of having to see Laura on a daily basis for three whole weeks scared the
crap out of him.

“Why not?” Kerry pushed. “Give me one
good reason?”

“I don’t have to. The answer is no!”
Jake insisted.

“This is my house too and I want to
make up for what I did and let her stay.” Kerry’s voice began to rise with her
temper.

“Now, now Kerry,” Bill interjected
with a wicked gleam in his eyes. “We can’t make Jake agree to let Laura stay
here when her presence obviously bothers your brother.”

“She doesn’t bother me!” Jake gritted
out. Some days he could cheerfully throttle that man. “This isn’t some hotel or
guest house. This is our private home. You know I hate people invading our
home. Find her somewhere else to stay. Maybe in town if that’s where she’s
thinking of living.”

“But Laura isn’t just anyone and I
refuse to dump her just because it suits you,” Kerry persisted. “She’s become
my friend, the only real female friend I have around here…..”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Jake
interrupted, becoming more and more desperate to change his sister’s stubborn
mind. Why couldn’t she just let it go? “You’ve only just met her. You know
nothing about her!” He waved his hand in Laura’s general direction, keeping his
eyes on Kerry. “She could be a complete lunatic for all we know.”

“Now who’s being ridiculous?” Kerry
hit back, anger flowing through her hot and strong. She’d had enough of Jake
and this attitude of his to last a lifetime. She threw her fork on the table
with a satisfying thud. “You just don’t want her here because she was sent by a
dating agency for you. Her presence obviously bothers you because she might
actually get under that barrier you have up and make you feel again. Heaven
forbid you should actually turn back into a human being with feelings that
don’t revolve around large amounts of anger! I honestly think you like being
like this, the way you hold on to it…..”

“So that’s what you think of me? You
think I enjoy feeling like this?” Jake snapped at her, his lips thinned in his
fury. He refused to let her see how much she’d hurt him or how close to the
mark she’d hit. He didn’t enjoy what he felt but he did refuse to let go. He
never wanted to forget what he’d been through and he never wanted to give
another human that power over him ever again. He didn’t think he’d survive a
second betrayal.

“What else can I think?” Kerry
snapped back. “You have made no effort to change things in all this time. You
hang on and hang on to the past, making everyone else’s life a misery. Victoria
is still here, poisoning our lives and you keep her here. You still haven’t
spoken to Dan…”

“Don’t mention that man’s name to
me!” Jake thundered. “How dare you bring him up after everything he did!” He
slammed down his cutlery and stood up so fast, his chair fell back to the floor
with a thud.

“But he’s tried to talk to you, to
apologise and you just keep knocking him back. It’s not right, Jake. He was
like a brother to you until she got in the way…..” Kerry leapt to her feet,
leaning over the table to get her brother to hear her.

“Why are you pushing me on this?
First you bring some woman into our home and now it’s Dan you bring up? What
are you really up to here Kerry?” Jake hit back, his eyes narrowed in
suspicion. “It seems less and less about my wellbeing and more and more about
yours, since you obviously think I am making your life a misery. Is that what
this sudden need to fix me is really about? You?”

“Jake! Kerry!” Bill interjected his
voice cracking over the room like a whip. “That is enough!” They broke off,
each gasping in their fury. Kerry felt the fight suddenly drain out of her. She
couldn’t believe she’d let things get so out of hand and horribly, Jake was
right. Her actions were fuelled by her desire to have a chance with Dan, even
though Jake didn’t know that. She was just as guilty of a selfish motive as he
was. He was afraid of opening himself up to hurt again. She knew that, but she
was pushing him because she so desperately didn’t want to lose her chance with
Dan forever and time was marching on.

She looked at Jake. He barely glanced
at her. His body was so rigid, it looked like it was carved from stone. His
face was drawn and haunted. She felt her heart twist. She shouldn’t have said
the things she’d said. She’d well and truly stuck her foot in her big mouth.
She knew what he’d been through, but in her anger at his stubbornness, she’d
let her tongue run away with her instead of sticking to the plan she and Laura
had decided on. Laura!

Kerry felt her face heat with shame
at their behaviour. She glanced at Laura, embarrassed that they had had such a
raw open row in front of her, but Laura had fallen asleep at her seat, her jet
lag finally catching up with her. Not even their shouting had disturbed her.
She sat in her chair, her head resting on her hand, propped up by the wall.
Soft little puffs of breath escaped through her slightly parted lips, stirring
the strand of hair that had fallen out of her pony and across her face.

“Well, thank goodness that poor girl
fell asleep before witnessing your row,” Bill said to them both, disappointment
clear in his expression. “Though how she slept through your shouts I’ll never
know. Can you imagine how she would have felt listening to you both argue that
way over her staying here? She’s feeling bad enough about the whole thing,
without you both making her feel worse. I am truly ashamed of both your
behaviours here tonight.”

Bill rarely spoke this way to the
siblings and both felt uneasy under his stony gaze. “Jake, swallow that
stubborn pride of yours and realise that under the circumstances, it is the
right thing to do to let Laura stay here, as she was promised by your sister.
None of this sorry affair is her fault, not the dating agency and not the past.
If you can’t agree to this, I’ll be forced to phone your mother. I don’t want
to have to drag her into this, she has enough to deal with, but if you force my
hand, I’ll call her. Just see if I don’t!”

Jake nodded curtly, far from happy.
His mother would skin him alive if she heard about his conduct. Kerry would get
an ear bashing, but he’d come off worse, he was sure. His mother would probably
agree with Kerry about fixing him up with someone anyway. She’d been on at him
about moving on and finding someone new before she’d left to take care of their
grandmother after her fall. She probably put the idea for this little scheme in
her daughters head!

“Fine, she can stay, but don’t expect
me to have anything to do with her. And she’s only staying the three weeks, not
a moment more. Agreed?”

Kerry nodded. Jake stomped out of the
room, leaving Kerry and Bill to deal with the sleeping beauty at their table.

*****

Lotta slumped against the wall,
breathing a deep sigh of relief. She’d managed to avert disaster and Laura
would be staying. Flo stood next to her, looking slightly put out.

“How is it you can use the old
favourites and I can’t?” she grumbled.

“I only sent her to sleep,” Lotta
huffed. “She was half way there already and besides, they thought she dropped
off from jet lag. It all blended in rather nicely. Unlike your idea!”

“I could have handled it,” Flo
countered, her lip poking out in a childlike pout, her wand waving around
rather dangerously. “And my idea was a brilliant one. Really inspired until you
undid it.”

“There was no need to turn her into a
flower,” Lotta rebuked, annoyed.

“Well, flowers don’t have ears,” Flo
defended. “She still wouldn’t have heard any of the argument and wouldn’t have
felt the need to leave. It was a perfectly good idea.”

“Human beings don’t just suddenly
turn into a plant, Flo. Thank the stardust they were all too occupied to see
what you did. Laura shouldn’t remember anything and if she does, she’ll
probably think it was a dream. You really need to think things through before
you use that wand. You’re like a lethal weapon with that thing!” Lotta was
already tired out from working her assignment and keeping Flo out of trouble.

Flo ignored Lotta as she began to
think, tapping her wand against her plump arm, her eyes beginning to glow with
suppressed excitement. “What are you cooking up now?” asked Lotta worried.

“Well, we have to think of something
to throw them both together. You heard Jake. He wants nothing to do with her.
We have to find a way to change his mind and I think I have a few ideas!” Flo
announced bobbing up and down on her small feet in her enthusiasm.

“I think you should leave that to
me!” Lotta insisted. But she may as well have been talking to the wall, for Flo
was already planning and didn’t even hear her.

Laura tossed and turned in her
rumpled bed. She’d been awake for quite a while, her body being used to the
time in England. For her, she should be up and about her day, but it was only
4am by the clock on her bedside table. She still felt tired, her head was
slightly woozy and her eyes felt gritty, but her body refused to sleep and her
mind just kept ticking over the day before.

She felt her face heat up with the
thought that she’d actually fallen asleep during dinner last night. She’d been
listening to the conversation with Kerry and Jake one moment and the next she
dreamt she was a flower. It had been a very vivid dream. She’d actually been
able to feel petals round her face and her roots in the earth. She’d had an
overwhelming desire for water. She must have been really dehydrated without
realising it.

The next thing she knew, Bill had
gently been shaking her awake and telling her to go to bed. Kerry had been
standing behind him looking strained and she wondered what she’d missed. She’d
apologised profusely, but he’d waved it away, telling her she had nothing to be
sorry for. He also told her that Jake had agreed to let her stay. She was happy
not to have to find somewhere else to stay, but felt awkward not knowing how
things had gone when she’d fallen asleep. The last thing she remembered was
Jake saying no to her staying. She had no idea what changed his mind and that
bothered her.

Sighing deeply, she decided to get
up. Laying around wasn’t getting her to sleep so she may as well face the day.
It couldn’t be worse than yesterday! She stuck her arms through her robe and
headed for the bathroom. After taking care of her immediate needs, she washed
her hands and looked in the mirror over the sink. A small shriek escaped her
lips and she closed her eyes in horror. She opened them again slowly, praying
she hadn’t seen right. But no, it was still there!

She had flour all over her face and
in her hair! She looked a fright! Her face went flaming red when she realised
she must have been sitting at the dinner table in this state. Jake had sat
there seeing her like this! Why hadn’t Kerry told her? Deep humiliation flowed
through her. What must he have thought? She took a deep breath, trying to slow
her thundering heart. It didn’t matter what he thought, she assured herself. He
hadn’t asked her here and didn’t want to get to know her romantically. It was
fine!

But it wasn’t. For whatever reason
she’d ended up here, Laura was deeply attracted to Jake. She wished it wasn’t
the case. She could handle things so much better if the man didn’t send her
senses reeling whenever he was in the room, especially when she knew he didn’t
feel the same way about her. It was far too dangerous to let herself get
involved with her feelings. She needed to stick her attraction down deep and
not let it show.

Today would be a fresh start, where
hopefully she could build some fences with the very angry Jake. She couldn’t
entirely blame the man. She wouldn’t have been any happier if someone had
signed her up to the dating agency without her knowledge and then had someone
she didn’t know or want living in her home for three weeks. No wonder he was so
put out. She was determined to make amends with him and decided that cooking breakfast
would be a good start.

She tried to bury the small
traitorous thought that tried to surface, but didn’t quite hold it down.
Kerry’s face swam in front of her mind’s eye as she told Laura that the way to
a man’s heart was through his stomach. Laura squashed it down ruthlessly. She
wasn’t making breakfast to get Jake to fall in love with her, but to thank him
for letting her stay. And she’d stick to that story under torture!

Feeling a little happier, she
showered, washed her hair and dressed quickly in light blue trousers and a soft
pink summer top, with thin straps and a heart shaped neckline. Small white
flowers covered the material, giving it a very fresh feeling. She tied her hair
up into a loose bun at the back of her head, leaving a few shorter strands of
hair to frame her face, softening the look. Since she was staying inside, she
left her feet bare. Laura loved to walk around on bare feet and always did so
at home. Somehow she could never stand slippers or socks. Her mother had always
told her off for it, but she simply couldn’t and wouldn’t change.

Pattering quietly down the stairs, so
as not to disturb anyone else in the house, Laura made her way to the kitchen.
She nearly jumped out of her skin to find Jake already there, filling the
coffee maker with coffee grounds. Her breath caught and her heart did an
annoying little tumble in her chest. She gritted her teeth.

‘He’s not interested’, she reminded
herself sternly. ‘Get a grip or he’s going to think your some bunny boiler.
Remember, today is about putting him at ease. You can pretend you’re not
attracted like crazy to the guy. It can’t be that hard!’

Hesitating for a moment, she wondered
if she should just sneak off before he saw her then decided not to be such a
coward. Summoning up her courage, she said brightly “Good morning.”

Jake spun round, scattering coffee in
all directions, his face looking less than happy to see her. “Morning,” he
replied gruffly, after several minutes of glaring at her.

“I wasn’t expecting anyone up so
early. I thought I’d be the first one. I just couldn’t sleep past a certain
time. This would be daytime for me normally. I do want to apologise for falling
asleep on you all last night. I don’t usually do that, but I guess the jet lag
really got to me. I hope you all managed to eat the apple pie I left for you,”
Laura stopped herself from saying anymore, aware she was beginning to babble.

“Do you always talk this much?” Jake
asked in an exasperated voice.

Laura laughed softly. “Only when I’m
nervous,” she admitted twisting her hands together in front of her. “Would you
like some breakfast? I’d be happy to cook some for you. It’s why I came down,
to surprise everyone as a small thank you for letting me stay.”

“That’s fine. I can get my own food
thanks,” Jake muttered, turning his back on her.

Laura could feel the suspicion
rolling off him. She sighed softly. This would be three very awkward weeks if
she couldn’t get him to relax around her. Determined to break the tension,
Laura walked slowly over to Jake and tapped him gently on the shoulder. Anyone
would have thought she’d shot him the way he jumped and backed away from her,
hitting his hip on the worktop next to him. He winced, rubbing the afflicted
area.

“It’s just breakfast, Jake,” she told
him gently, trying not to laugh at his uneasy expression. “It’s not a marriage
proposal.”

He grimaced, looking uncomfortable.
“Look,” Laura said, deciding enough was enough. “I know the circumstances of my
being here are awkward. Believe me; it’s worse for me knowing I joined a dating
agency than for you. Talk about embarrassing when the person you are meant to
be meeting actually doesn’t know you exist,” she shook her head ruefully, her
face heating up with her discomfort. “But I can assure you that just because I
joined one in the hope of meeting someone special, it doesn’t make me
desperate. And it doesn’t mean that I will be following you around or jumping
on you trying to get you to marry me or something. Could we please start again
as if I am just a friend of Kerry’s staying here in the hopes of relocating and
starting a new life?” She held out her hand, holding her breath.

Jake looked at Laura and had to
admire her courage and her honesty. She looked stunning this morning, even
though she must still be feeling the effects of the time difference. Her fresh
clean scent teased him, washing over his awareness and making him feel short of
breath. Slowly, he took the hand she offered and shook it. It was small and
soft in his calloused palm, sending tiny shocks of awareness up his arm like
small bolts of lightning.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to start
again,” he agreed, wondering where that statement had come from. This woman was
turning his whole world upside down and she’d not even been there a full day.
He’d been so committed this morning when he’d got up to ignore her and pretend
she didn’t exist. How had she managed to turn that conviction on its head in
less time than it took to make it?

She smiled at him and it was like the
sun coming out, bathing him in its radiant warmth He felt its impact all
through him, almost making him shudder. Yep, he was in big trouble.

“So, what would you like for
breakfast?” she asked, letting go of his hand and heading for the fridge to
check for ingredients. Jake tried to ignore the bereft feeling that washed over
him at the loss of her hand in his. “Would you like a full English breakfast or
something more American, like pancakes?”

“You don’t have to cook for us, you
know,” he said, a little abruptly in his discomfort. He gathered hits scattered
wits and finished putting the coffee maker on.

“I love to cook. Really, it’s a
pleasure to have people to cook for, rather than just me.”

“Just do what you feel like cooking
then,” he shrugged.

“Full English it is then,” she
decided, grabbing up the things she needed and setting pans on the cooker. The
room soon filled up with the heavenly smell of bacon, eggs, fried potatoes,
tomatoes, mushrooms, beans and fried bread. Coffee added to the appetizing
aroma, making Jake’s stomach rumble. Once the coffee was ready, he poured
himself a cup and sat at the kitchen table watching Laura buzz around the
kitchen, completely absorbed in her cooking. He had to smile to himself. When
she cooked, it seemed the whole world disappeared to Laura. He was sure a herd
of elephants could come through, doing the Can Can and she wouldn’t have a
clue.

“Can I ask you something?” he finally
asked as she piled two plates with the breakfast items and brought them over,
pouring a cup of coffee for herself and topping up his.

“Sure,” she replied, sitting down
opposite him.

“What exactly did Kerry tell you in
her emails to you?” He dug into his food, marvelling again at her talent, while
he waited anxiously for her reply. He’d been up a good portion of the night
thinking about the strange turn his life had just taken and worrying about just
how much Kerry had blabbed.

“She didn’t say much,” Laura assured
him, seeing the anxiety on his face. “She told me that the ranch has been in
your family for generations. That you still have a horse breeding programme
here, but that you also run part of the ranch as a tourist attraction, complete
with a wagon train experience and you have a riding school. She told me about
losing your father when you were still quite young and that you’ve grown into
running the ranch as you got old enough to take the responsibility. She also
said your mother is currently with your grandmother, but she hoped I would meet
her before returning home. She didn’t reveal anything of a deeply personal
nature, I assure you. I didn’t even know about your scar until I got here.”
This last she said hesitantly, unsure how he would take her reference to it,
but he merely nodded and continued with his food.

Jake was deeply relived that Kerry hadn’t
totally betrayed him by telling someone else about his past. He didn’t like
revealing anything of himself and was certainly not ready for Laura to know the
sordid details of his scar. They finished their meal in silence. Bill came in
through the back door before they’d swallowed the last bite, looking shocked to
see them both at the table together. He raised an eyebrow at Jake, but he
refused to acknowledge the man’s obvious enquiry.

“Oh, good morning Bill,” Laura
smiled. “Have you had any breakfast yet?”

Bill smiled warmly at her. “I
haven’t, as a matter of fact. Was kind of hoping you might be cooking this
morning?” he waggled his eyebrows at her, making her laugh. “I nearly ate that
apple pie of yours completely on my own last night. Heaven on a plate!” He
sighed in memory, patting his stomach.

Laura got to her feet to get him
breakfast. Bill turned to Jake, but he escaped out the back door before the
older man could say anything to him.

*****

Laura spent a quiet morning sorting
out her unpacking and exploring the area close to the ranch house. Kerry had
left her after breakfast with a quick apology. She ran the guest side of their
business, as well as the riding school and had several jobs that she couldn’t
put off. Bill had also needed to leave to help Jake with several horses that
were due to foal soon. He’d promised to be free after lunch for a riding
lesson/tour of the ranch. Laura had shooed them both away with assurances that
she could take care of herself for a while.

The peace was really what she needed,
she decided as she walked outside to view the ranch. There was so much space
here, unlike at home in England. For the first time in years, Laura felt like
she could breathe. Her life had been too filled up with worry and stress. It
felt wonderful to just stop for a while, take stock and make new choices.
Smiling happily, she walked along a path that led to the rear of the ranch.

She found the riding school, where
Kerry told her they gave lessons to guests as well as providing classes for
serious riders wanting to learn various skills for horse shows. She was very
proud that many of their horses bred on the ranch were bought by Olympic riders
and they had also trained some of the States finest riders in various
competitions, including the Olympics. The riding school was big business for
them.