Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger (10 page)

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Authors: Lori Copeland

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Westerns, #test

BOOK: Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger
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Page 74
She could never recall having to make so many stops while she was driving. Jason seemed to be determined to make as many as possible. She caught him once watching her from the corner of his eye, carefully concealing a devilish twinkle.
At last they turned into the winding drive leading to the farmhouse, which was lined on both sides with towering sycamore trees that made a shady canopy over the road. They traveled on for another mile or so before coming to the house itselfa lovely, homey, one-story brick house nestled in a stand of majestic old oak trees. The carpet of early-summer grass sparkled emerald green, and flowers bloomed riotously around the yard. A large red barn with a tractor and several pieces of farm machinery sat just to the right of the house, with several gleaming white outbuildings in the distance. The white fences surrounding the farm all looked newly painted and lovingly cared for.
Jason stopped the old truck, turned off the key, and said, ''I thought you said you were having trouble with the gas pedal sticking on this?"
"It does!" She practically took his head off, but she had noticed, too, that the traitorous thing had purred along like a Cadillac with Jason at the wheel.
"Well," he said skeptically, "remind me to take a look at it before you drive it again. I'd hate to turn you loose on the townspeople again before it's fixed."
Jessica was getting out of her side of the truck, and with a slam of the door she retorted, "Ha, ha," in her most sarcastic voice. "How many times do I have to say, I'm sorry, Jason?" she continued. "What do you wantblood?"
Jason laughed and affectionately took a swat at her rounded derriere as they walked to the wide screened-in porch sitting off the back entrance to the house.
"What's the matter, hellcat losing your sense of humor?" he taunted.
 
Page 75
Jessica refused even to dignify his question with an answer.
A large golden retriever came bounding toward them, making a friendly lunge at Jessica and nearly knocking her off her feet in his exuberance.
''Get down, Alfie," scolded Jason. "You better start showing some manners around this ill-tempered lady. She's going to be the new hand that feeds your face," he teased the affectionate dog, who was licking Jessica's hands, his tail wagging so hard it was nearly throwing him off balance.
Jessica was returning pat for lick. "Don't believe a word this nasty man tells you, Alfie. I'll feed you manners or not," she assured the retriever. Looking at Jason, she added sweetly, "I'll have to feed your master, and he doesn't have any!" Satisfied he still had a meal ticket, Alfie wandered back toward the barn happily.
Jessica and Jason had started toward the house when they heard a shrill whistle down by the barn. Jessica saw a nice-looking man, around her own age, stride swiftly toward them from the barnyard.
"Hey, Jason, wait up!"
"What is it, Rick?" Jason paused beside Jessica, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Eyeing Jessica appreciatively, Rick approached the couple. "Who's the pretty lady, boss?"
"Jessica Cole, meet Rick Warner. Jessica is my . . . new housekeeper," Jason said lightly.
"Housekeeper! Damn, what agency did you get her from? I'm going to call and have them send me four right over for the bunkhouse." Rick grinned broadly.
Jessica smiled and shifted uncomfortably beside Jason.
"Cool it, Rick," Jason said sternly. "Don't let me catch you hanging around the house any more than necessary."
"Me?" Rick asked in mock innocence. "Do I look like the type that would hang around a gorgeous lady like this
 
Page 76
one when there's work to be done?'' Rick's brown eyes twinkled merrily.
Jason's green eyes flashed him a silent warning. "Did you want something?" he asked briskly.
"Yow. The garage called and said it would be a couple of weeks on your car and truck. Man! How did you manage to tear both of them up all in the same day?" he asked in astonishment.
Jessica blushed as Jason's eyes caught hers briefly. "Just lucky, I guess," he answered flippantly, turning back toward the door.
"See you around, pretty lady," Rick promised optimistically.
"Glad to have met you," Jessica told him politely.
"Don't be taking up the men's time with a lot of idle chatter," Jason warned her as they entered the house.
"Oh, I won't, master! If you'll just throw me some stale bread and water in the door occasionally, I promise no one will ever know I'm around," she said brightly as she stepped into the kitchen.
It had been many years since she had been in this room, but everything was still as she remembered it. The rest of the house was much smaller, in general, than Uncle Fred and Aunt Rainey's, but Jessica had always loved this kitchen more than any other room in the whole house. It had a cozy, warm feeling with windows across one whole wall on the south letting in all the light and sunshine anyone could desire. The round glass kitchen table sat in front of the windows, with a large sliding glass door leading out to a covered patio. The windows had cheery yellow Cape Cod curtains, blending with the coppertone dishwasher, stove, and refrigerator. A long island bar ran almost the length of the kitchen, the butcher-block counter tops and sink providing enough space for any woman to "create" to her heart's content.
They walked on into the living room, and Jessica's heart fell as she saw the drab color scheme in here. She had
 
Page 77
always liked lots of color in her decorating, and although the furniture was of good quality, the tones were all drab browns and greens. Plainthat was the word she would use to describe itjust downright plain!
Jason noticed the expression on her face go from pleased to troubled after their entrance to the living room. ''Mom always loved her kitchen best, so she never spent much time on the rest of the house," he said defensively. He had been born and raised in this house with his brothers, Eric and Randall, and had stayed on here when his parents had passed away several years ago. Eric had married and was living in Dallas with his wife and their small child, and Randall was working in the oil fields in Texas, never having married. That much Jason had told her on the way over, but little else. Trying to get anything personal out of him was like trying to pull hen's teeth. He didn't waste time on idle chitchat.
Jessica's eyes ran over the massive red brick fireplace that covered one whole wall on the north side, while wide, airy windows like those in the kitchen stretched across the south wall. The rays of the late-evening sun were pouring through them, falling on a monstrous plant that looked very out of place sitting in the room. Jessica felt it would feel more at home in a jungle. The poor, sick plant looked as though it had been through the ravages of war. The few leaves remaining on its limbs were limp and turning yellow. Just her eyes resting on it made it give up another leaf to the' floor, and a most peculiarly unpleasant odor surrounded it.
Jessica approached it hesitantly. Peering into its large clay pot, she saw a huge glob of coffee grounds lying on the soil.
"What's this?" she asked Jason suspiciously.
He walked over to peer into the clay pot with her, deep concern written on his face. "My plant," he said. "It doesn't seem to be doing very well."
That
had
to be the understatement of the year!
 
Page 78
''I don't understand what I'm doing wrong," he complained. "I've tried everything people have suggested, but I can't seem to get it back on its feet."
"What is that rotten, nauseous smell?" she asked in a puzzled tone.
"Oh, that," he said, very unconcerned. "It's fish emulsion."
"Fish emulsion? What is that?"
"It's plant food. The girl at Wal-Mart said it was a good one, but I'll tell you," he confessed, "the smell gets pretty rank in the heat of the day."
Jessica laughed. "Maybe you should take it out on the patio and let the sun absorb the smell on the days you feed it the plant food," she suggested helpfully. Judging by the look that came over his face, you would have thought she had suggested they take a gun and shoot Alfie.
"Move that plant?" he asked incredulously. "Why, there wouldn't be a leaf left on it!"
Jessica straightened slowly from where she had been bending over the diseased plant and looked up into troubled green eyes.
"You certainly have a point there," she conceded.
"Well"he shrugged philosophically"it's looking better than it did."
Turning his attention back to the tour of the house, he started down the wide green-carpeted hall, calling over his shoulder, "Come on, I'll show you our bedroom. You may want to freshen up a bit before we eat. I've got a couple of steaks we can grill"
"
Our
bedroom?"
He stopped momentarily, a slightly cocky grin spreading across his tanned face. "I just got to thinking after I left you this morning, Jessie, as long as we're going to live in the same house for the next few months, and taking into consideration we
were
married at one time . . ." He paused, looking at her in amusement. "Granted, twelve hours isn't exactly a golden wedding anniversary, but since we both
 
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agree we can keep ourselves emotionally detached, why shouldn't we enjoy each other's company during your stay. I'm sure you have needs, just as I do, sowe could just look at it as the 'fringe benefits' of this business arrangement.''
Jessica stared at him aghast. "Are you serious?"
"Perfectly serious," he answered nonchalantly.
"And you think I'd go along with something so disgusting?" Jessica asked in disbelief.
"Why not? I'm a man, you're a woman. I'm willing to take full advantage of the situation if you are." He had a licentious smirk on his face.
Jessica stared at him, totally fed up. "That's really magnanimous of you! You have got the worst case of colossal gall I have ever encountered in all my life," she fumed heatedly.
His face fell. "What are you getting so hot under the collar for?" he argued back. "You think it's going to be easy living in the house with you like a damn eunuch for the next few months?"
"You're the one who thought up this stinking idea in the first place, Jason!" she pointed out bluntly.
"Well, of all . . ." Jason's temper was simmering now, his eyes shooting fire. "I suppose you won't even give it some thought?"
"When hell freezes over," she shouted, her temper matching his. Even though there was nothing Jessica would enjoy more than to partake of those "fringe benefits," as he so crudely put it, she still had her pride! She wasn't his love-sick little puppy anymore. She wasn't about to give herself to him under those revolting conditions.
"What's that supposed to mean, Jessica? Am I supposed to pray for a hard winter down there?" Jason stormed.
"Well, you sure had better if you expect me to sleep in that room with an arrogant oaf like you," she shrieked.
 
Page 80
His mouth dropped in astonishment and he shouted, ''Well, that tears it!" He threw open the door directly behind her and pointed into the room with swift jabbing motions. "You just plant your prudish little fanny right in there, and I'll stay in
my
room, and we'll just see who cries uncle first." With his sparkling green eyes flashing, he yelled, "
And it sure as hell won't be me!
"
Jessica drew herself up to her full five feet two inches, and with her lower lip jutted out she replied in a steely calm voice, "You don't have to shout."
Jason let out a snort of disbelief.
Picking up her cosmetic bag, she swept regally past him into her allotted cell. The last words she spat at Jason before slamming the door loudly in his face were: "Well, you can bet your sick plant it won't be me either!"

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