Rest Thy Head (9 page)

Taking a key from his pocket, he locked the pool area. “I’m glad. You need family around you at a time like this.”

Peyton frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

Jake looked almost guilty. “Patrick told me about your fiancé. I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, but it is a little embarrassing to lose your man to the town bad girl.”

Jake snickered. “Bad girl. I haven’t heard that one in a long time.”

“Well, I can think of other names to call her, but I don’t use such language.” Peyton flinched when she remembered how the town bad girl had looked in Drew’s arms.

“Good. You might hurt my tender young ears.”

“Oh, please.” Peyton snapped her towel at his leg. “When you were in the marines, I’ll bet you heard words I don’t know even exist.”

He shrugged. “Guilty as charged. How did you know I was in the marines?”

“Patrick told me.”

Jake groaned. “He’s a fountain of knowledge, isn’t he?”

Peyton reached for his arm as they slowly meandered back toward the inn. She took a deep breath. “Smell that honeysuckle. It’s heavenly. Your brother must be like my friend Angela. If you want the whole world to know something just tell her, and it’s a done deal.”

“My brother’s a great guy. He…helped me a lot after I came home.”

Peyton came to a stop. “Oh, that reminds me. I met a friend of yours the other day. Andy Russell. He said to tell you hello.”

“That’s nice.”

Peyton cocked her head and studied him. “You don’t have to sound so enthusiastic about it.”

Jake walked on much as if he wanted to escape this conversation. “I didn’t mean anything bad by what I said.”

It was time to stop beating around the bush. Jake needed confrontation, not coddling. “He said you don’t want to be his friend anymore.”

Surprise was written all over his face. “That’s nutty. He ought to know better than that.”

“Really?” Peyton’s eyebrows rose. “He said you won’t have anything to do with him.”

Jake’s head dropped as his face turned red. “You don’t understand. I make people uncomfortable, and that makes me uncomfortable. It’s better if I stick close to home.”

Peyton scowled at him. “Do you think you look like Frankenstein’s monster or something? You look fine.”

“Oh, right.” His voice roughened. “Think about how you reacted the first time you saw me. You didn’t think I looked so fine that day.”

Peyton remembered. “You aren’t being fair. Of course people notice your scars. Unless they’re blind they’d have to, but they’d get used to your appearance. I don’t even think about the scars now. Mostly, if you want the truth, you’re still pretty hot.”

Jake came to a stop and swung around to face her. “Look at me. Don’t tell me people can get used to this face.”

Peyton did look and found that he was wrong. Without stopping to think, she pressed a kiss against his lips. For one brief moment he held her against him and kissed her back, but he jerked away before she could deepen the kiss. And she would have. All she’d meant to do was reassure him, but that kiss had sizzled with passion and heat. She reached for his hand. “I told you, Jake; I don’t see your scars anymore. All I see is you.”

Jake stiffened. He spared a moment to stare at her before sprinting down the walkway to the inn. Had she upset him that much? Peyton sighed and decided to go to bed. Evidently, she’d caused enough damage tonight.

***

Jake stepped under the stinging cold shower and gasped as the water made contact with his overheated body. Didn’t she know what that kiss did to him? Didn’t she know he had a hard time not kissing her back? He’d give almost anything to have held her in his arms. Right now it was all he could do to keep from tearing up to the third floor and showing her how much he liked that kiss.

But Patrick had seen her first. No matter how much he wanted her to be his, it didn’t matter. It didn’t even matter if she would be willing to go out with him. Patrick was his brother; he’d rather be shot than betray him.

He stepped out of the shower and toweled off, even now patting gently on the burned areas. Peyton had no idea of the treatments he’d had to take. He had third degree burns so all the layers of his skin had been burned, not just the top. The burns had been so severe the doctors had removed the dead tissue surgically.

Everything had looked good, and they were ready to do skin grafts, but then he got an infection. Sweat broke out on him when he thought of the pain brought on by the infection. They’d given him IV antibiotics for a week before they’d got it under control. He’d lost more tissue due to that setback.

His hands tightened on the sink. He swallowed hard and hoped he wasn’t going to throw up. The doctor had filmed his second surgery, and he’d been foolish enough to ask to see it. That day he had thrown up, and it still made him sick to think of it. He tried to forget about it, but sometimes he wasn’t strong enough to keep the memories at bay.

Then came the skin graphs, and afterward, the plastic surgeries. Most people wouldn’t believe how much better he looked now.

He left the bathroom and went into his bedroom where he pulled on a tee shirt and briefs. It wasn’t just his appearance that had changed. His soul had been scarred along with his body. Nothing about him was the same anymore.

His stomach gave another spasm. Why would he even think of subjecting Peyton to a damaged guy like him? She deserved better than a man whose body and soul were sick and ruined.

***

By the time Peyton arrived at the stables the next morning Jake had finished grooming his mare. “Why did you do that?” Peyton scolded. “You won our bet fair and square.”

Jake pushed back his hat and refused to meet her eyes. “Like I said, she’s ticklish. I thought she might hurt you.”

“No, you didn’t.” She grabbed his arm and shook it. “You just didn’t want me to bother you.”

“You don’t…” He bit his lip. “Nothing.”

He turned away and headed for the small room where they kept tact and grooming equipment, but he wasn’t getting off that easy. She went with him. “Don’t bother you? Is that what you started to say?”

“Let it drop,” Jake ordered, his voice gruff.

Peyton stepped in front of him and blocked his way. “Why? Why do you push everyone away?”

“I don’t.” He stepped around her and returned to his horse.

“Yeah, okay.”

Jake ran his hand through his hair, his scarred hand. “Be careful, Jake. I just saw the scars on your hand.”

Jake brought the conversation to a close by turning his mare into the pasture and walking away. Peyton took two steps after him, but pride kicked in, and she took herself back inside the inn instead. She had never begged a man to talk to her and didn’t intend to start now. Annie met her outside her door as she went upstairs. “Hey, Annie. Come in.”

Peyton gestured to the club chair. “Have a seat.” She had found a small stool in the attic and brought it into her room so both she and Annie would have a place to sit. She drew the stool close to the window and sat down.

Annie settled herself into the club chair with the air of one who was ready for a good long talk. “How did it go last night when you played volleyball?”

Peyton shook her head. “I’m not sure. Let me tell you about it.”

Annie clapped her hands together when Peyton told how she had kissed Jake. “Just what he needs.”

Peyton scowled. “Yeah, well, this morning was another story. He made me so mad.” She told that story to Annie too.

Annie looked downright indignant as she bounced to the front of her chair. “Don’t let him get away with giving you the cold shoulder. He must like you, or he wouldn’t be trying to brush you off.” She giggled. “That doesn’t make a bit of sense unless you know Jake.”

Peyton stared out the window and saw Reggie grazing in the pasture. “I’m not ready to give up on him just yet. I like him, and I’d like to see him rejoin the human race, but he has to want to. As my mother used to say, it takes two to tango. I can’t be his friend if he doesn’t want me to be.”

“You can do it; I know you can,” Annie encouraged. “Where’s Jake now?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, but…”

“But what?”

“He made me mad.” Peyton could feel hot blood rushing to her face. “Everyone’s doing all they can for him, and he’s like an old grouchy bear.” She jumped off her stool. “I’ll see you later.”

“Where are you going?”

“To find Jake.”

Peyton dashed down the stairs and hurried to the kitchen where she saw Sandra stirring a sauce. “Have you seen Jake?”

“Yeah, he’s in the office.”

Peyton strode out of the kitchen and burst into the office without knocking. She startled Jake, who spilled coffee on some papers on his desk. “Peyton, …”

Peyton slammed both hands down on his desk. “I don’t care if you want to be friends with me or not, Jake Douglas. I refuse to take no for an answer, and you’d better not forget it!”

She stalked out of the office with her nose in the air, so she never saw the broad grin that spread across Jake’s face before he mopped up his spilled coffee.

Chapter Seven

Ashley and Griffin arrived right before dinner, delighting Peyton, who had been watching for them all afternoon. When she saw Ashley’s old Camry coming down the driveway, she ran downstairs to meet them. Griffin saw her coming and waved his arms, jabbering who knew what.

“It’s beautiful!” Ashley cried. She jumped out of the car and gave Peyton an exuberant hug. “I’ve never seen anything so perfect!”

“Told you.”

Ashley laughed, her face filling with happiness. “Yes, you did, but I didn’t imagine it would be like this.”

“You’ll like your room, too.” Peyton held out her arms, and Griffin dived into them. “Patrick and I moved some furniture in right after lunch.”

“I can’t wait to meet this Patrick.” A wicked twinkle made Ashley’s eyes sparkle. “I think you like him.”

Peyton nodded. “Yes, I do, and so will you, but I don’t like him the way you mean. He’s just a friend. I’m not ready for a relationship with anyone until I get over Drew.”

Peyton carried Griffin, and Ashley hauled an old, battered suitcase out of the trunk. When was that thing made anyway? Nineteen seventy? Several boxes and a bunch of toys were crammed in the back of the trunk. Ashley saw what she was looking at and blushed. “I can’t pay my rent this month so everything I own is in the trunk.”

“Lucky you rented a furnished apartment. I don’t think you could fit a sofa in the trunk.”

Ashley laughed as the red started to fade from her face.

As they approached the porch, Patrick came running down the steps to greet them. “Hello, you must be Ashley.” He held out his hand. “I’m Patrick Douglas. Welcome to Rest Thy Head.”

A faint flush colored Ashley’s cheeks and accented her sparkling eyes. “Thanks. It’s great to be here. I want to thank you for hiring me. I promise I’ll do a good job for you.”

“I don’t doubt it for a minute.” Patrick took the suitcase from her. “Let me show you to your room.”

He had to wait for Ashley to admire the inn, but eventually they made it to the attic. Ashley’s voice cracked when she spoke. “It’s perfect. It even has room for Griffin to play.”

Patrick beamed as if Ashley’s pleasure had made his day. “Ladies, it’s about dinner time. Why don’t you eat before you unpack? Jake has something special tonight.”

Peyton tucked a lock of mahogany hair behind her ear. “What did he make? I gave him my mother’s chicken pot pie recipe, and he promised to try it.”

“He says it’s great.”

“He tried it tonight?”

Patrick nodded. “Yes, he did.”

The sisters took Griffin and went downstairs to have their meal. Everyone seemed happy to meet Ashley, especially the head housekeeper, Martha. She and her husband usually had their dinner at Rest Thy Head, so she got to meet Ashley before most of the other housekeepers.

“I’m sure glad you’ve come,” Martha confessed. “That Dorrie, she’s the one who quit, was lazy, which put more work on the rest of us.”

Ashley spooned a bite of pot pie into Griffin’s mouth. “Don’t worry about me, Martha. I’m not afraid of hard work.”

Martha nodded. “Jake told me Peyton isn’t either. I think Rest Thy Head got lucky when the two of you showed up.” She turned to Griffin and started making his acquaintance.

After their meal, Peyton showed them where the third floor bathrooms were located and helped Ashley unpack. “I’m going to like it here,” Ashley enthused. “I don’t imagine you want to stay here forever, not with your college degree, but for me this is just about a dream job.”

Peyton bit her lip hard. If she had married Drew, Ashley would have had an opportunity to go to school, and her mother would still speak to her.

Ashley yawned so widely it was a wonder she didn’t split her jaws.

“I can take a hint,” Peyton said with a laugh. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to wake me. You remember where my room is, right?”

“Yes, I do. Don’t worry about us. We’re fine.” She threw her arms around Peyton. “Thank you so much for everything. I really didn’t know what would become of us after I lost my job.”

Peyton went back to her own room, but she felt too restless to watch TV or read. Since coming to Rest Thy Head, she had seldom done either. She had had too much interest in getting to know the people at Rest Thy Head to watch TV or read. If only Annie would show up. Wouldn’t it be fun to introduce her friend to Ashley and Griffin?

Annie’s presence would also keep her from thinking about Drew and her aborted marriage. As she well knew, Drew had his faults, but he had agreed to help Ashley. Had she acted selfishly when she ran away from him? After all, she and Drew had gotten along well, and… and nothing. Drew would never have been faithful to her.

Annie hadn’t come, so maybe she’d take a swim. Jake probably wouldn’t be there, but she could tire herself out swimming. She’d have to hurry, though. It would be too chilly to swim soon. Changing in record time, she dashed downstairs and almost collided with Patrick, who had stepped out of the living room right into her path. He was wearing swimming trunks and had a red towel draped across his arm.