Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

When Jay walked into the kitchen at seven the next morning only Josh and Kirsten were there. Kirsten was lounging at the breakfast bar, staring bleary-eyed into a bowl of Cheerios, but Josh was dressed and excited. Today was day one of school. A quick glance at the clock to make sure he hadn't misread the time had irritation sparking in him that Kirsten wasn't dressed.

"Gabe's picking you up in thirty," he said firmly. He waited. For the explosion, the "I'm not going," and the added qualification that Kirsten hated him. Nothing happened, and that was somehow worse. She said something under her breath as she walked back to her room but in twenty she was actually back out.

Josh was bristling with excitement and clutched his school bag close. Verwood High School and Verwood Elementary shared the same site, separated only by playing fields. Gabe and Jay had said they would share getting the kids there, which was a win for both of them. Gabe was used to driving Luke in and welcomed the company; Jay was used to the frantic rush for buses and welcomed the quieter pace—apart from the fact that Kirsten was cutting things to the limit.

"Couldn't you wear something less—" Jay stopped himself. She was a teenager who, it seemed, expressed herself through the use of black. He needed to let her do her own thing. Saying anything to her, despite it being to warn her she'd be the center of attention and for the wrong reasons, meant he was turning into his father, and he hated that.

"I didn't do my eyes," she defended snappily.

Jay peered close. She was right; she didn't look like a panda. Her beautiful eyes were highlighted with a soft pink eyeshadow and none of her usual obsidian lines. She still wore black pants, shirt, and jacket, and her hair remained ebony with mixed streaks, but the eyeliner was one win in the ongoing battle.

"They look very pretty," Ashley said from the counter.

She was making lunches and had clearly showered and made a concerted effort to be up early. Usually it was Jay who dealt with the early morning rush, simply because he was up for work and Ashley had trouble sleeping that meant she often missed the alarm. It was good to see her up and happy.

Ashley handed out lunch, and finally the Sullivan family stood en masse around Gabe's Jeep—a newer one than Nate's but just as battered and beat-up. Luke sat in the front in smart jeans and a shirt, and Josh and Kirsten took the backseat. Luke actually turned to face the two of them, and was that just Jay's imagination, or did Kirsten blush?

What was it with the Todd brothers and their magnetic appeal to his family?

"Be good," Ashley warned her children.

Josh grinned; Kirsten rolled her eyes. Stereotype perfected.

"They'll love it," Gabe said with a smile.

The smile was directed at Ashley, who didn't really notice, given her worry about her babies going to a new school.

"I should go as well," she said vaguely. "What if Josh?—"

"They'll be fine," Jay interrupted. He pulled her in for a sideways hug but couldn't fail to notice the disappointment in Gabe's face at the move. He probably would have jumped at the chance of having Ashley in the car with him for the journey.

The car left, but Jay kept cuddling her. He was anxious about the changes for the kids, but Ashley was the mom and he couldn't imagine what the depth of feeling was like for her. Then inspiration hit.

"I have a meeting with Marcus and the rest. Get some cookies together and maybe some of that cake. Let's go visiting."

He didn't give her time to argue, and within half an hour, they were knocking on Marcus's door. Sophie answered with a smile and ushered them in, offering them coffee. She took the proffered cookies and cake and opened the clear container to look closer.

"May I?" she indicated the contents.

"Please," Ashley said immediately. "They're just a small thank-you and probably not the kind of thing you're used to."

They settled at the table and Marcus joined them. Sophie arranged the cookies and cake on a plate along with forks and made coffee. It was only 8:00 a.m., but no one questioned cookies and chocolate cake as a staple breakfast alternative. Jay could have kissed them for their welcome and understanding.

"Oh my God!" Sophie exclaimed through a mouthful of cake. "This is sex." Then she placed a hand over her mouth to cover her grin. "Sorry, but I know cake. What do you use?"

"Use?" Ashley appeared confused.

"There's something in here… what is it?" She poked at the cake with her fork. "Orange?"

"I always add some zest—orange or lemon." Ashley smiled.

"Cake. Coffee. Want." Gabe announced from the kitchen entrance. He threw keys on the counter and crossed to the table.

"Gabe," Ashley said quickly, "were they okay?"

"Josh went straight in happy as a pig in slop. Luke took Kirsten in, and she appeared to be okay. They're fine."

"And they have my number—" Ashley realized what she had said and blushed. Just as Jay was about to remind her that yes, the school had every contact detail available: phone numbers, emails, even a barely used old Yahoo address Ashley still kept as a backup.

"Jeez, these are heaven," Gabe said around a mouthful. "Is this a new supplier to Branches?" he asked Sophie.

Sophie shook her head. "Ashley made them."

Gabe very deliberately took another bite and spent his time chewing before swallowing. "Ashley, not only are you gorgeous, but you make cookies from heaven."

Jay looked from Ashley to Gabe and back again. He was concerned that Ashley would do her usual and run. He waited, poised and ready to move quickly. Instead Ashley simply lowered her eyes, but not before Jay saw the laughter in them.

The front door slammed open and the last person to the meeting arrived in a flurry of cold air and muttered curses. Everyone stared as Nate rounded the corner. Something had gotten to him if the number of times he used the word "fuck" was anything to go by. He looked tired—as if he hadn't slept since he and Jay had separated last night.

"Damn alarm went off at three," he muttered in explanation. "Then at four and five. Threw it against the damn wall. I will kill Luke when he gets home."

"Who said it was Luke?" Gabe asked. Nate narrowed his eyes at him, but Gabe held up his hands in defense. "Wasn't me."

The meeting was short and sweet. Nate became less grumpy in direct proportion to the amount of unsweetened black coffee he drank. Gabe and Ashley spent the whole time pretending not to look at each other. Marcus listened to everything Jay had to say with a permanently pained expression, and Sophie held Marcus's hand.

"So. Initial thoughts on the website are we need more photos and testimonials as a starter. We drop online bookings because the system you use is clunky and difficult to understand and results, it would appear, in people leaving the site altogether. I suggest we have an availability calendar that I can keep up to date, as there isn't a particular person who deals with bookings. I also suggest that you actually get someone to do that for you, or one of you volunteers—bookings and paperwork, organizing deposits, helping the visitor from the very second they visit the site to the moment they set foot on Crooked Tree, and after, maybe—like a liaison for guests."

He looked up and mulled over which of the people around the table would balk at that idea. He didn't include Ashley in that; she was here to supply the cake and cookies. She looked directly at him and surprised the hell out of him.

"I'll do it for a while." Ashley glanced at Gabe and Nate, then back at Jay. "I'm good with people and organizing. I can cover it until you find someone permanent. I don't expect money for it either. I just want to do something, and I don't have any real qualifications like Jay has, because I was only fifteen when… y'know… Kirsten was born."

Unspoken was the "this will help me." Jay concentrated on flicking through his notes, unsure of what to say. He knew what Ashley was capable of—he'd always known—but it wasn't his place to say a thing.

"If we wouldn't be taking advantage, then that is a deal," Nate said firmly. "All in favor?"

Every single person raised their hand and it was a done deal. Ashley Sullivan was the new temporary guest liaison.

"I'll show Ashley the ropes," Gabe said immediately. "I have access to the guest bookings, emails, addresses."

Jay turned to Ashley. "Ash? Is that okay?"

"Fine," she said firmly.

That was bravery that no one besides Jay could understand. He squeezed her hand.

They talked a while longer about the ideas, and Jay lifted up one of the boards he'd created for the meeting. He propped it on a chair and stood back with a flourish.

Nate peered at it and pursed his lips in concentration. "What's that?" he asked finally.

"A theme—photos, inspiration, reviews, statistics, colors, everything that will make Crooked Tree sell. This is what I do." He pointed to the new logo in the middle. The stylized drawing of Juno was bold and simple. Behind it Luke had drawn a cowboy hat and melded the two into one perfect and pleasing shape. "Luke drew this, and I'm suggesting we okay it as a logo for all marketing materials. The website, menus in Branches, business cards, staff uniforms."

"I'm not wearing a uniform," Nate said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"A T-shirt with the logo under your normal shirt should suffice, so that if you leave your shirt unbuttoned some way you could see it," Jay said. He looked at Nate thoughtfully. "Green to go with your eyes."

Nate stiffened in his seat and Jay wished he could pull back the words. For a second an uneasy silence fell. Gabe, thank fuck, rescued them all.

"Luke's logo is brilliant," he said. "I vote yes." He raised his hand and looked around the table expectantly. One by one everyone voted yes.

"Good," Jay said. "Now, color schemes."

"Do I have to be here for that?" Nate asked.

He was clearly restless, and the blame for that fell squarely on Jay's shoulders for the eyes remark. Jay tilted his head in thought. "Unless you want the others to choose pink or lemon in your absence, then yes."

Nate muttered something under his breath, but he didn't leave, so that was a good thing, and he actually joined in the heated debate about the virtues of green and white versus blue and white. In the end they decided to go for the colors of the sky—brilliant blue, with white to highlight.

Jay passed around a sheet of paper. "The website will be live in a week. Marketing materials will take much longer. This is a schedule of where I'm at, and I also need to add in talking to Sophie and the chef guy, who I've been told arrives today at some point."

"Sam Walters," Sophie said. "I'm picking him up from the airport at three."

"So that's about it for now. Any questions?"

No one said anything but Jay saw a lot of nodding. Evidently he was going about this the right way if what he was doing was being understood and agreed on. This was the easiest meeting ever.

Until Nate opened his damn mouth.

"Not bad considering you're city to the core and have no real idea about Montana," he said with a smile.

Jay wasn't sure what made Nate say that, or what the smile was about, but the heated lust Jay had been harboring gave way to a flash of temper.

"Thank you," he bit out. Meeting over, he left immediately. If he had to sit one more minute opposite Nate and think about what was happening tonight then listen to the sarcasm, he would punch someone. He needed some air and to get his head on straight. He only got a few feet away from his office when Nate's voice called after him.

"Hang on," Nate shouted.

Jay stopped in his stride and carefully spun on his heel to face the man who was playing him like a fiddle. "What?"

Nate walked to catch up. "Still on for dinner tonight? Seven?"

Jay crossed his arms over his chest. "What if you can't get over the fact I'm city to the core and have no real idea about ranching in Montana ."

Nate frowned. "I didn't mean it like it sounded."

"You were damn well smiling when you said it. Anyway, how was it supposed to sound? Was it some veiled congratulation for a job well done?"

Nate looked baffled at Jay's huffing and puffing. "To be honest, you are from the city and you don't know much about ranching."

Jay opened his mouth to argue the point about what he was learning and how marketing was about understanding the product, and were Nate's employees not happy with what he was doing so far? Instead he shook his head in disbelief. Did this cowboy really not get it?

"City or not, you need me more than I need you," Jay lied.

"All I meant was that you were doing a good job. Considering?—"

"Considering what?" Jay's temper was dying down and he was angrier with himself than he was with Nate. He shouldn't let it get to him when a client qualified his experience with a passive-aggressive "well done." Not every client had a grasp of marketing. Not every client had social skills. And after all, Nate was a client . Not a friend or a lover—yet—and Jay should remember that. If only he hadn't connected so deeply with the man, then nothing Nate could have said would hurt as much as it did. Mentally Jay smacked himself upside the head. Who the hell had he turned into? Kirsten?

"Considering the mess we were in before you came here." Nate spoke softly and his expression was apologetic. "I was just teasing you about the Montana thing, and the… look… I don't know. I'm sorry… and I'm not good at explaining myself. Are we still on for dinner?"

Jay's resentment and anger subsided entirely along with his short stay at teenagerville. "You were teasing me?" he asked gently.

"Uh-huh."

"Then maybe I can give you some lessons about teasing," Jay whispered low enough that Nate had to lean in. "Over dinner."

With that, he turned and entered his office making sure he shut the door firmly behind him. What was it about Nate that had Jay annoyed then smiling in the same goddamn minute? Confusing freaking man.

He hadn't moved away from the door, however, before it pushed against his bag, and he groaned before throwing it open, ready to confront Nate.

Ashley squeaked in surprise and took a step back. "Jay!"

Jay gripped his sister's arm and guided her in. She looked pale and a little unfocused. "What's wrong, Ash?"

"What did I do, Jay? What the hell did I just volunteer for?"