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Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Friday was the calm before the storm. The cabins that needed fixing were fixed, cleaned inside and out, and the cleaning crews left with the schedule in place for their return each week at changeovers. The path from Branches had been created—a rustic collection of wood and stone—and the viewing area was very much in keeping with the rest of the ranch. The website went live, and Jay found himself shut in his office for three straight hours waiting for the site to work properly. By the time he realized the problem was due to a missing backslash in the URL, he was tense and irritable.

The door opened and he didn't look up. Ashley had brought him coffee, muffins, and sandwiches, and Jay guessed she was here offering some other nice thing to take the edge off his irritation.

"Dinner is ready," Nate said from the door. He closed it and crossed to stand behind Jay. "You look tense."

"Just technical shit," Jay summarized. He leaned back into Nate and nearly melted when Nate began to massage the tension from his shoulders. "The website is live and finally working."

"That's good. You stopping now?"

Jay tilted his head back to look up at Nate. The faint smell of horses and fresh air clung to his lover's skin and he wanted nothing more than to be held and kissed. "Are you?"

"I'm done for today. Nothing more I can do. Sam cooked, and when he cooks you don't turn it down."

"I haven't met him properly yet. Be good to meet the man with the reputation that precedes him. I need to talk menus with him, and maybe promote the restaurant on the website. He could get behind publishing menus on there as well. I can't wait to meet him."

"Hmmm," Nate made a noncommittal noise. "He's a very good-looking guy."

Jealousy spiked in Jay at the emphasis on the word "very," and he pushed himself up and out of his chair before turning to face Nate. "You think so?"

"Dark hair, slim, gorgeous face. Yeah, he's easy on the eyes. You'll like the look of him."

"Have you and him… y'know?"

"God, no. He's so the opposite of what I like. He's all fire and temper. I like life in a guy, but Sam is way too much."

"Is he a cowboy?"

"A chef, I told you that?—"

"Is he over six feet?"

"He's shorter than you."

"Then nope. I think I'll stick with you." Jay smirked.

Nate returned the smile with one of his own. "You'll be okay making do?"

"I'll try," Jay offered, tongue in cheek. "Now, before we go meet this short spitfire, I want a kiss."

They spent a long time exploring the taste of each other and only moved apart when the door to the office flew open and Josh was there.

"Mom says you gotta come now," he said importantly.

Jay scooped up his nephew and carried him over to Branches, holding him by the legs and dangling his head. He entered the restaurant that way and every eye turned to him, Josh, and Nate as they entered.

"You're late for my food again and I'll kick your skinny ass, Nate," a voice snapped from the left.

Jay looked that way and found the object of his and Nate's discussion. Samuel Walter, chef, was exactly as Nate had described him. Five eight or nine with a scowl on his face and temper flashing in his icy blue eyes. He narrowed said eyes at Nate, including Jay in the appraisal, and crossed his arms over his chest. He was obviously waiting for an apology, and Jay stifled the instinctive reaction to laugh. Instead he decided to go the way that smoothed the waters.

"My apologies," Jay said evenly. "I've heard a lot about your food."

"Sit," Sam added.

Jay did as he was told when Sam softened the order with a smile. Jay was opposite Nate and next to Ashley, and the conversation was easy. Gabe had taken the seat on the other side of Ashley and they were talking low and soft. Ashley had taken to her temporary role with enthusiasm, and Jay didn't need a brother's intuition to see that she was really interested in Gabe. Past interested, actually.

Jay could see the way they looked at each other. Tomorrow would be the litmus test. Lewis was arriving in less than twenty-four hours, and while Josh was visibly excited at seeing his dad, Ashley was beginning a retreat into her shell again, which would only reverse when the visit was over.

Dessert was a concoction of cake and chocolate and was nearly as good as something Ashley would make. He smiled to himself but should have known he'd be spotted.

"Something funny?" Nate asked.

"Nothing," Jay said immediately. "I'm enjoying dessert."

They grinned at each other, and Jay wondered if he could get any sappier. Next to him, Ashley's and Gabe's voices were getting a little louder. Jay's smile was replaced by a frown at the change in their conversation. More so when Ashley pushed her chair back.

"You think I don't know that?" she asked with tears in her voice. Everyone looked at her.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Kirsten asked quickly.

"I'm all right. I just need…." Her voice trailed off and she left the restaurant. Gabe followed her immediately, but Jay could see his sister was crying and he wasn't letting whatever had just happened undo the weeks of her looking happier and finding herself. He was out of the restaurant and over to the bridge as quickly as he could. Ashley and Gabe stood opposite each other and their body language spoke volumes. Gabe apparently wanted to touch Ashley, but she was having nothing to do with it. She stepped back until she was pressed against the bridge fencing. Gabe stepped forward just as Jay reached them.

"I didn't mean what I said," Gabe said. He raised his hands in defense, palms up.

Jay was between his sister and Gabe in an instant. "What's wrong?"

Gabe backed away.

"He didn't do anything," Ashley said in a monotone. "It's not his fault."

Ashley's tone, the one where she took the blame for things, was back. Jay could punch Gabe to the ground for whatever the idiot had said. Jay should have been watching this budding romance more carefully.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"I said…. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know what else…." He stopped miserably.

"A sentence might be a good place to start," Jay demanded.

It didn't matter how miserable Gabe looked, he had upset Ashley, and that needed dealing with.

"I said if Lewis touched a hair on her head, or one of the kids, that he would know what it was like to feel fear. But I didn't mean it for real. Not like that."

"Jesus," Jay snapped. "So you're following Ashley around like a lovesick puppy and you know what happened to her and yet you still think bringing violence into her life is the best option?"

Gabe blanched. "I didn't mean it." He contradicted himself. "God, I did mean it. I'm falling for Ashley. I want to…"

Jay ignored the declaration of love which, judging by the sharp inhalation of Ashley's breath, was news to her. "Want to what?" he snapped.

"…protect her. And the kids. Josh. I want to look after her."

Gabe looked utterly broken and confused. Jay counted to ten before he continued. He had experience with what had happened to Ashley. He'd seen it unfold and he'd made mistakes with how he talked to her. This was all new to Gabe and Jay needed to take a step back and remember that. Guilt niggled at him—he should have taken Gabe to one side and talked to him, but he'd been too involved with his own sex life to remember he always put his family first.

"She has people looking after her," Jay said patiently. "She has me, Kirsten, and Josh. We are her family. She needs something different from you. For her to love you, she has to be able to tell you what it is that she does need."

Jay waited for Ashley to say something from behind him. Three words… I want Gabe … I need Gabe … whatever. Some indication that she felt she was in the right place to return Gabe's affection.

"I did it wrong and I'm sorry." Gabe squared his shoulders and stepped to the side of Jay so that he could see Ashley. "I can stay out of your way tomorrow. I won't cause trouble by going all protective big-man on you."

Jay turned to his sister. "Ash?" he asked gently.

"I'm all right, Jay," she said firmly.

"Talk to Gabe, then." Don't lose everything that's changed in you over the past few weeks.

Ashley nodded. She looked around, probably to check if Josh was in earshot. It didn't matter what she thought of Lewis, he was still Josh's father. "I wish Lewis didn't have to come. I hate him."

Jay pulled his sister into a close hug. That was the first time he'd ever heard her use such defined emotion where Lewis was concerned. It had always been love before, suddenly there was hate. He was both pleased and terrified. Ashley didn't have the capacity to hate as he did, and how she had come to this point was hard to see.

"Are you going to be okay? I need to go back for Kirsten and Josh. Are you coming in with me?"

She shook her head, which was difficult given she was in a hug with him. "I need to talk to Gabe."

"So it's real, then?" he whispered into her ear. He felt her relax in his arms.

"Yes," she whispered back.

"You realize we're going to be dating brothers."

He heard the smile in her voice when she replied, "That'll be a first."

Jay went into the restaurant and didn't look back. He was convinced that Gabe was the first guy Ashley had been interested in who would treasure her and treat her right.

As long as he doesn't try to fix everything.

Josh and Kirsten looked up at him when he walked in.

"Are Mom and Gabe arguing?" Kirsten asked.

She apparently didn't care that she was sitting at the table with Gabe's brothers and friends. Only Jay would be able to pick up on the fear in his niece's voice.

"No," Jay said gently, and sat back down to finish his coffee. "They're good."

Enough said. He noticed that Sam had disappeared from the table. "Where's Sam? I need to talk to him about the menus."

Silence. Then a snigger from Josh. "Kirsten said Mom makes a better chocolate cake than him. He disappeared. Think he's sulkin'."

"Kirsten?"

She shrugged. "It's true," she said. "I want people to know what she can do. I'm proud of her."

"As you should be," Sam said from the doorway to the kitchen. He had a pad and a pen in his hand. "So tell me what she does differently."

The tension was broken. Apparently Kirsten hadn't pissed off the resident chef—merely stirred his interest. Everyone was back to chatting about the ranch and the last week before opening, the website, and all the other myriad bits and pieces that made this place what it was.

"Everything okay?" Nate asked Jay directly.

"It's good," Jay said.

And for the first time in a few years, he meant it.

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