Mr. February (7 page)

Once she fired the pieces for the second time, a process permanently fixing the glaze, the colors would be even more vivid. The tray and bowls could then be used for sushi or appetizers, or simply appreciated as art.

Jillian intended to sell it and a bunch of other pottery at the next month’s Art Festival. She would also bring scrapbooks of other work and take custom orders to fill later.

If all went as planned, she would net a hefty chunk of change. Money she needed. Mainly because, between the loss of income due to the closure of the Artist Cooperative school and the larger than usual grocery bills, courtesy of JR and Chelsea, her bank balance had dropped too low for comfort.

She carefully arranged the sushi pieces on a shelf to dry undisturbed, where they joined dozens of other recently glazed items. All of it ready for the kiln.

At the sink, Jillian washed up, humming loud enough to hear herself over the hiss of the water. Then she laughed at herself for sounding so off-key.

The pretty pottery contributed to her good mood. That and JR’s job. At this very minute, her brother was with Rafe, learning about his upcoming job. And icing on the cake—JR had accepted her timeline to move out. Rafe had been right. When done well, tough love wasn’t such a bad thing.

If that wasn’t wonderful enough, this very minute Chelsea had gone out to apply for a sales job at The Rogue Valley Cheesery, a shop that sold handmade cheese near the Guff’s Lake resort. This was the first job she’d applied for since she and JR had shown up. It seemed his temporary employment had jump-started her to look for work.

Wouldn’t it be great if they both got jobs? They could save up quickly for a place of their own and be out before mid-June.

Mentally Jillian crossed her fingers, but she knew she was getting ahead of herself. In order to pay rent on his own apartment, JR needed a permanent, full-time job and a paycheck he could depend on. Finding that would probably take the full three-month deadline she’d given them.

Baby steps first. For now, she was grateful Rafe had given her brother a chance to prove himself.

He didn’t have to do that. What a great guy. She liked him more all the time.

If only he wanted to settle down and start a family…

“Knock-knock,” Chelsea said, entering the studio.

“Hey.” Jillian smiled. “How was the interview?”

“Oh, you know.”

That didn’t sound so good. “Not great, huh?”

“It wasn’t terrible. I got along with the woman who interviewed me, and she liked my restaurant and retail experience. But I doubt she’ll hire me.”

“Why not?”

Chelsea gave her a
duh
look. “Because I’m pregnant.” She laid a hand over her belly, which seemed to grow by the day.

“She wouldn’t dare. It’s illegal to discriminate.”

“She’d never admit the reason.”

“All the same, I’m going to think positive and keep my fingers crossed,” Jillian said.

Chelsea shrugged. “I wish I could call JR. When will he be back?”

Yet another thing the couple desperately needed—cell phones. “We’ll see him when we see him.”

“I can’t wait for him to have money.” The girl hugged herself and spun around.

It was pretty exciting. Even temporary work had boosted his self-confidence. He wasn’t as ready to take offense at things Jillian said, and had even cracked a joke or two. His brighter attitude was bound to translate into good things, such as putting more effort into searching for a permanent job. And then… Jillian stopped herself right there. There she went, getting ahead of herself again.

“Are you ready for a coffee break?” Chelsea asked. “Except you don’t drink coffee, and my doctor won’t let me.”

Pleased Chelsea wanted her company, Jillian smiled. “Your timing is perfect. I just finished for the day. Who needs coffee when there’s tea for me and cocoa mix for you?”

As they exited the studio into the weak afternoon sun, Pooh barked excitedly. They collected her from the fenced area and brought her with them.

While water for the tea heated and Chelsea stirred cocoa into a steaming mug of milk, Jillian opened a package of chocolate cookies and set it on the table. Pooh sat down nearby with her ears cocked and her tail wagging hopefully. “Sorry, girl, these will make you sick.”

Chelsea grinned. “I got that covered,” she said, shoving a couple of doggie treats into her jeans pocket.

Soon they were seated at the table, sipping their drinks and munching on cookies.

From time to time, Chelsea fed Pooh a treat. “At the interview, I heard about the big ash tree near Guff’s Lake,” she said. “Do you believe what they say?”

Local folklore surrounded the centuries-old tree, which stood some six yards from Guff’s Lake. Supposedly, if a couple kissed under the tree, theirs would be a lasting love.

Jillian had never been kissed her under the tree, not even by Douglas. “Actually, I do.”

Chelsea was silent for a moment, and Jillian guessed she wanted JR to take her to the tree.

After hemming and hawing, the girl bit her lip. “Can I ask you something, Jillian?”

“If it’s about my brother, I have no idea what he’ll do.”

“Huh?” Chelsea said, with a blank look. “This is about work. If I don’t get the job at the Rogue Valley Cheesery… Do you think you could hire me as your assistant?”

She’d never shown any interest in making pottery, but, then, Jillian hadn’t exactly encouraged her. “I’m flattered, and I think you’d make a great assistant. The problem is, I’m barely making enough money to cover my own expenses, let alone pay you. Although you never know. If my classes take off… Maybe. First you’d need to learn pottery basics.”

“But I need a job right away.” Chelsea’s shoulders slumped. “I understand. I’ll keep looking.”

She didn’t seem interested in learning about pottery. Still, she did have retail sales experience… Jillian had an idea. “The Rogue Valley Arts Festival I’ve been working so hard to get ready for is a little more than three weeks away. I expect to be busy day and night, and I’d appreciate an extra pair of hands. Maybe you can help me out then?”

Chelsea’s somber expression lifted. “You mean it? Thanks, Jill.”

“The festival only lasts three days, with an extra day needed to set up the booth and a long night taking it apart again Sunday evening. I won’t be able to pay you much.”

“Anything is better than zero.”

Suddenly Pooh’s ears pricked up. With a joyous woof, she scrambled up and raced for the door. Jillian recognized the sound of the purring engine. Her heart bumped hard in her chest. “Isn’t that Rafe’s car? He must be bringing JR home.”

Chelsea stood. “I thought he would walk back.”

Jillian half hoped Rafe would drop off JR and leave. Given her growing feelings for him, that would be the safest route.

She let Chelsea go out alone and waited a few minutes, listening for the revving engine to tell her when Rafe drove away. But all she heard were Calvin’s woof and Pooh’s responding yip. Curious and unable to help herself, she slipped out the door.

Rafe had exited the car. Calvin wagged his tail at Pooh, who pranced with excitement. Despite the cool afternoon temperature, Rafe wore no jacket. In a navy T-shirt and jeans, he looked so good she wanted to drool. He sauntered toward her, while JR moved toward Chelsea with a swagger in his step.

He put his arm around Chelsea and grinned. “Zach and I start a week from today.”

They shared a quick kiss, followed by a meaningful look. Arms around each other, they headed into the house, leaving Pooh behind to frolic with Calvin. And Jillian alone with Rafe and the dogs.

She wanted the same things—a kiss, a meaningful look. and the promise of a lot more. Just now, her feelings for Rafe were so strong, she tucked her hands under her arms to keep from reaching for him.

“So it went okay?” she asked, impressed she sounded totally normal.

He nodded. “Even with Zach’s expertise and the two of them working, the job won’t be easy. But I think JR will manage.”

Jillian crossed her fingers—and decided to share her doubts. “My brother doesn’t have the best track record for sticking with things,” she warned. “Especially when the task is difficult.”

“I’m not worried.”

She released the breath she’d been holding. “Thanks for giving him this opportunity, Rafe. I…we all…appreciate this.”

“My pleasure.”

Pleasure. The word whispered across her suddenly feverish skin. Rafe’s eyes had gone as warm and as dark as melted chocolate. Jillian felt the heat radiating from him. A wave of longing rushed through her. She stepped back, away from his magnetic pull, but the heat stayed with her.

“Chelsea applied for a job at the Rogue Valley Cheesery,” she said, pretending to be unaffected. “She also asked to be my assistant.”

“Are you going to hire her?”

“I can’t afford to. Besides, she isn’t really interested in making pottery. But I did hire her to work in my booth at the Arts Festival.”

Rafe nodded. “I see you’ve been working today.”

The corner of his mouth lifted, and she groaned. “Let me guess. I have clay on my face again.”

“Right there.” He pointed at her cheek.

Good thing he didn’t touch her. Otherwise, she just might go up in flames. She wet her finger and then rubbed at the spot. “Gone?”

“Yeah.” Rafe had been watching closely, his expression impossible to read. “I’ve never been in a pottery studio before. Do you have time to show it to me?”

Jillian had no idea why he looked taken aback by his own question. He certainly surprised her. Aside from students and fellow potters, few guys had ever asked.

“You really want to see my studio?” she asked, pathetically excited to give him a tour. But also a little nervous. She really needed to get away from him and cool off. “I don’t allow pets in there. Animal hair tends to muck up my glazes.”

“As long as Calvin can hang out in the fenced area with Pooh, he’ll be fine.”

She would keep the tour short and professional, she assured herself while she and Rafe penned in the dogs. Then she’d send Rafe on his way. That should be harmless enough.

“Follow me,” said, beckoning him to join her.

Chapter Nine

‡

W
hat was he doing, heading into Jillian’s studio? Rafe silently chided. Sure, he wanted to see her work space, but with his desire for her barely in check, this probably wasn’t a smart idea.

She shut the door behind them and gestured around. “This is where all the magic happens.”

The studio was bigger it looked from the outside, spacious even. Yet, at the same time, surprisingly cozy. Despite blinds pulled against the afternoon sun, a skylight overhead provided plenty of natural light over the clean concrete floor, the big, scarred table, and the faded sofa well past its prime. A pottery wheel sat off to one side, not far from a wall of cabinets and two of open shelves filled with pottery.

Rafe nodded at the Guff’s Lake Fire Department calendar hanging near a bulletin board, and the photo of Gus grinning. “Good to see you actually use that thing.”

For the first time since he’d brought JR home, she cracked a smile. “Hey, I consider it my civic duty to support your benefit fund. You can see why I renewed my lease on the cottage.”

“This is some studio.” He noted the bulging shelves. “You sure have a lot of pottery over there.”

“Most is for the upcoming Arts Festival. There are lots more, packed and waiting, in the cabinets. Those you see need to be kiln-fired a second time. As soon as I have room, I’ll create more.”

“How many pieces are you planning to make?”

“According to my inventory spreadsheet, I need at least double what I have.”

Rafe had never figured her for the spreadsheet type. “You keep a tally of your inventory?”

She nodded. “I also track orders and sales. If I want to stay on top of my business, I have to.”

He’d had no idea she was so organized and practical, or that she worked this hard. She wasn’t nearly as flaky as he’d thought.

On another wall, blocks of clay wrapped in plastic bags sat on a smaller group of shelves. “What’s all that?”

“My students’ supplies. This week, they learned the basics of working with clay. Next Monday, they throw their first pots.”

“That should be interesting.”

“And messy, and frustrating for some. Crafting a piece of pottery is harder than it looks. My plan is to have fun and hope everyone signs up for more advanced classes. Of course, I’ll also ask them to post comments on my website and spread the word to their friends and acquaintances.”

“Cool idea to use your website that way.” Rafe wandered over to the shelves of Jillian’s pieces and whistled. “Some of this is amazing.”

She flushed with pleasure. “Thanks. So JR’s job will last between ten days and two weeks?”

“Probably. If things work out and Zach is satisfied with your brother’s work, he may decide to keep him on,” he said, wanting to keep the pleased look on her face. “But that’s up to Zach. Don’t say anything to JR.”

“I won’t.” She rewarded him with a brilliant smile, so beautiful he couldn’t look away. “Why are you doing this, Rafe?”

For her. He wasn’t about to dig any further than that. “Because your brother needs work, and I need someone to clear my land.”

“This means a lot to me. To us.” She bit her lip, drawing his attention to her sexy mouth, and then stepped closer. “Thank you so much.” Leaning in, she brushed his cheek with those lips.

Did she have any idea what that did to him? Not about to light a match to that particular fire, Rafe froze. Her hair smelled like spring, and, underneath, he caught a whiff of clay and sunshine and woman.

Revving up, straight into overdrive, growing harder by the second, he gritted his teeth. “What are you doing?”

“It’s a thank-you kiss.” Her flushed cheeks and darkened eyes belied the words.

Rafe meant to back away. Instead he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m not the marrying kind,” he warned, his vanishing hold on his self-control making his voice gruff.

“At the moment, I don’t care.”

“You should. I—”

“Stop talking and kiss me.”