Shifting Dreams (11 page)

A small groan left her mouth. “He’s not playing fair.” Ted and Allie laughed. “And you two are no help.”

“Give up and go for it, Jen,” Allie said. “I shudder to think how long it’s been.”

Ted added, “Think about your health.”

She cleared her throat as Caleb approached and tried to look disinterested. “Fine. I’ll think about it.”

“Hey there,” Allie called out, raising a hand to wave at Caleb. “So you’re the new neighbor?”

He leaned against the split rail fence and nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I don’t think we’ve officially met.”

Allie grinned. “Allie McCann. I’m Jena’s best friend. My dad owns the feed store here in town. That’s my husband Joe over there.” Allie pointed to Joe, who looked like he had cooled off and was playing with the kids in the grass. Joe gave a friendly wave. “And most of the short ones running around are mine, too.”

“Ah.” Caleb nodded and waved back at Joe. “You’re a busy girl. Nice to meet you, Allie. I think I met your husband the other day. Needed some rope, and he helped me out.”

“What did he need the rope for?” Ted muttered under her breath. Jena elbowed her. Hard.

Caleb must have caught it. “And you must be Dr. Vasquez.”

“You can call her Teodora,” Jena said. “She likes that.”

Ted scowled. “Or Ted. Please.”

“Or ‘pain-in-the-ass,’” Allie added, shooting Caleb a bright smile. “She does prostate exams.”

Caleb opened his mouth, but nothing came out. “I… have nothing to say to that. Dr. Ted, nice to meet you.”
 

Ted laughed and said, “Likewise, Chief Not-just-passing-through.”

“I see my reputation precedes me.”

Ted shot Jena an evil grin. “In so many ways…”

Caleb smiled back before giving Jena a scorching once-over. She cleared her throat and tried to ignore the flush in her cheeks. “Is there something I can help you with, Chief?”

“I can think of a few things.”

“With the trailer?” Jena tried not to smile. He knew he was pushing her buttons. If her face was as red as it felt, he had to.
 

Luckily, Caleb had mercy and asked, “I’m having trouble with the AC. Think you can take a look? I’m not real familiar with—”

“We’ll check it out.” Jena heard Alex interrupt as he and Ollie walked around the corner. “Alex McCann.” He held his hand out and Caleb shook it.

“Nice to meet you. But I don’t want to bother your dinner—”

“No bother.” Ollie said. “Ollie Campbell. And Jena’s family. Besides, I helped her mom fix up those things. I’m happy to help.”

“We both are.” Alex slapped Caleb on his shoulder and started toward the trailer. “Give us a chance to get acquainted with the new chief.”

Caleb paused, then gave the two men a nod. “Thanks for the help.” Then he turned back to Jena and the girls and tipped his hat. “Ladies, enjoy your dinner.”

“We will,” Ted said. “Enjoy your… air-conditioning.”

“I definitely will.” He took off his hat to wipe the sweat that had collected in the desert heat. “This town is way hotter than I expected.” Then he caught Jena’s eye again before he turned to walk away.

She tried not to laugh. What was she doing? He was smart, funny, not put off by her kids or her job. Despite her initial reservations, his swagger hadn’t turned into a run. Caleb Gilbert was turning into someone she looked forward to seeing every day. Even her own mind was rebelling against her; she kept flashing back to that amazing mouth.

“You know,” Jena mused as the three men walked away, “if Ollie gets the AC fixed, he might put a shirt on again.”

Ted took a sip of her beer, her eyes following her friend’s. “You can always break it if you have to.”

Allie said, “Think the boys will scare him off?”

Jena made herself a mental deal. If Alex and Ollie couldn’t make Caleb back off, then she’d give him a chance. Maybe. “If Caleb can’t handle Alex and Ollie getting alpha male protective over me, then he doesn’t need to ask me out in the first place, does he?”

“I guess not,” Ted said.

Jena watched the three men walk toward the silver trailer. “Definitely not.”

Chapter Eight

So, these were Jena’s bodyguards. Unlike his earlier concerns at the church service that morning, he wasn’t getting any romantic vibes between Jena and either of her two friends. Still, she hadn’t hesitated throwing him to the wolves instead of checking the air-conditioner herself. By the look in her eyes as she had examined his deliberately bare chest, he had a feeling she might have given him a replay of their first meeting if she had.

Caleb had a wry smile on his face as he crossed the scrub, leading the two men to his trailer. The AC was the only problem with the place, which had proven to be exactly what he was looking for. The proximity to his current distraction was only an added benefit. Jena’s house sat on a couple of acres that stretched back from Spring Street and butted up against the red cliffs of the canyon. Caleb’s trailer and one other sat at the back of the property, within shouting distance of Jena’s place, but with enough privacy not to be intrusive. From his front yard, he could see the fabled natural springs that gave the town their name, surrounded by a park with some trails and picnic areas. One of these days, he needed to go jogging again. Then maybe he’d sleep better.

“This place working out for you?” the big one, Ollie, asked. He was the owner of the bar and he looked like a cross between a farmer and one of the bikers that frequented his place.
 

“It’s working great. Perfect size.”

The other one, Alex, said, “Just you, then? No wife? Girlfriend? Kids?”

Caleb crossed his arms and grinned. “Sorry. Don’t swing your way, Alex. But I have a cousin you might be interested in. We look a lot alike.”

Ollie laughed and tried to cover it up behind a hand. Alex just looked pissed.

“You know why I’m asking, smartass.”

“I get it.” He nodded and reached down to right a chair that had tipped over in the dry breeze before he pulled on the T-shirt that had fallen to the ground. “You’re looking out for Jena. Nothing wrong with that. I know I’m new in town, but I also know that you did a very thorough background check on me, Mr. McCann, so how about you back off the personal questions you already know the answers to, huh?”

He dusted off his hands as he heard a low sound. Caleb turned and frowned. Did this city boy with the pressed pants and nice shoes actually just…
growl
at him? Who the hell did that?

Alex was curling his lip until Ollie grunted and nudged his shoulder. Caleb liked the big guy. He had the easy confidence of a man who would use violence, but preferred to be left alone. The city boy was a bit of a hothead, if he had to take a guess. Used to getting his way, that was for sure. He wondered if the man had ever set his sights on Jena. He doubted it.

Ollie broke the silence. “Chief, why don’t you let me take a look at the AC. Cathy—that’s Jena’s mom—is great at fixing these things up. She’s a hell of a carpenter, but she skimps sometimes on the electrical. I should be able to tell what’s going on with it.”

Caleb nodded and let the big man into the trailer while Alex paced outside.

The 34-foot Airstream would have been a pain to haul down the road, but it made the perfect apartment. Small and efficient, deep cabinets lined the curved walls, holding the books Caleb hadn’t been able to part with back in Albuquerque and the rest of his belongings. The low ceiling just skimmed Caleb’s six feet. Ollie had to duck.

“Let’s take a look. Is it turned on?”

“Yep.”

Ollie frowned. “And not even a hum.”

As he walked back to check the breaker box, Caleb tossed a few dishes in the sink. He didn’t eat here much, but it was enough. The fridge and freezer were new and the old sink had been replaced by a deeper, full-sized model. The whole trailer had a spare, desert style with a feminine touch, but not in a fussy way.

“I think it’s just the breaker. The rest of the electrical’s working?”

“Yep. And the plumbing’s fine. The AC’s the only problem.”

Ollie knelt down, fiddling with something in the bedroom. “This place working for you? It’s small for a permanent place.”

“Yeah, it’s good. Enough space for my stuff.”

“You travel light.”

“I left a lot of stuff back in New Mexico.”
 

“That’s good.” Ollie stood and brushed off his hands. “Opposite of me. I need to go through my house and get rid of shit.”

“Oh?”

He shrugged. “It’s a huge old family place, you know? Lots of stuff and just me.”

“Really?” Caleb frowned. Despite his rough appearance, Ollie seemed like the more settled type.

“Yep, just me,” he said. “I think the fuse is blown, so it’s probably no big deal. Go talk to Allie’s dad in the morning. He’ll have something.”

“The farm supply store?”

“He’s got a little of everything. Can you make it without AC till tomorrow?”

“I’ll have to.” It wasn’t ideal, but he had fans. Plus, the desert cooled off at night. “I’ll keep the windows open.”

Ollie’s mouth twitched under his beard. “Just keep the doors closed and your stuff pulled in. Full moon in a few nights, there’ll be lots of animals out.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah…” There was that smile again. “We get a bit of everything out here. It’s the springs.”

Water in the desert. Well, that made sense. “I was going to ask, there any good hunting around here?”

The sudden darkness in the man’s eyes actually had Caleb taking a step back. “We don’t hunt around here.”

He blinked. “What? Never?”

“Never. Anyone catches you… Just don’t, Chief. It’s not a good idea.”

And the weirdness was back. Caleb shrugged. “Not even birds, huh? I was on a dove hunt not far from here a while back, and… What?”

Ollie had started laughing under his breath. “Especially not birds. Take my word on this one. You do
not
want to be shooting at birds around here.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He opened the fridge, which was still nice and chilly. “Want a beer?”

“Wouldn’t turn one down.”

Caleb handed him a bottle, which he quickly twisted open.
 

“Your friend out there want one? He seemed like he could cool down a bit.”

“Eh, don’t mind Alex. He’s on edge right now. But he’ll never turn down a beer.”

Caleb grabbed another and the two men made their way outside. The sun had started to tilt toward the horizon and the sky had turned pink.

“Alex? Beer?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Alex reached out, took the cold bottle, and lifted it. “And sorry about prying. It’s a habit.”

“Understood. Privacy’s a habit for me.”

Alex grinned. “You’re in the Springs now. You can kiss privacy good-bye.”

He grunted and took a drink. “I hear you want to build a hotel out here.”

Alex looked at him from the corner of his eye as the three men stared off into the distance. “I
will
build a hotel out here. It’s just a matter of time. It’ll be the talk of the desert. Very high-end.”

“It true that Jena’s grandma is the one holding it up?” He drained half the bottle. Damn, it was hot outside. The sun couldn’t set fast enough.

“Alma’s got some concerns, but nothing I can’t work around. I expect the town council to approve it by next month.”

“That will certainly make things more exciting around here. More people, tourists coming in and out.”

Ollie said, “Better business.”

“Like you’re hurting for it,” Alex said.

The man shrugged. “People like to drink.”

Just then, Ollie’s attention was caught by movement on the edge of Jena’s house. It looked like Jena’s friend Allie and her husband were having an argument. Caleb glanced to see where the kids were, but they were all gathered at the large table on the edge of Jena’s yard, well out of the way of the arguing couple.
 

Damn domestic calls. At least the kids weren’t around, though he could tell by Jena and Ted’s body language that the tension was palpable.

Caleb was two seconds from starting toward them when Joe’s voice lifted, carried on the breeze that continued to blow.

“—don’t even know why I bother with you!”

An honest-to-goodness snarl erupted from Ollie’s throat and he started toward Jena’s place, but Joe had already hopped in the car and taken off, the dust spinning out behind him and covering his wife. Caleb could see Ted rushing to her friend as Jena corralled the kids into the house.

“Ollie!” Alex yelled at his friend. “Don’t.”

Caleb looked between the two men, conscious of some layers of history he wasn’t seeing between the group of friends. Ollie halted as he watched Joe’s car drive away from the house. Then his shoulders slumped a little. “I’m just going to check on Allie and the kids.”

“Ollie—”

“Not another word, Alex.” His voice was low, but it carried. Then Ollie continued walking, and Caleb heard Alex sigh.