Chapter Three

J ax didn't even think of looking at his watch over the next two hours and six whiskeys they shared between them. Which was saying something considering the bomb she'd dropped on his newly planned exit strategy from MBE. Instead, all he hoped, from the moment they were seated at a back table in the dimly lit restaurant until dessert showed up, was that Steiner wouldn't show up and want to chat business, ruining what was turning into a pretty bang-up evening.

He did swing by briefly to see how their dinner—and his orders—were going, but in less time than it took to drink a glass of eighteen-year Macallan, Jill charmed Steiner into doubling his October order in advance of the winter when things would be tighter.

"She's a shark, this one," Steiner said, slapping Jax on the back. Didn't he know it. "Hold on to her."

Jax had laughed obligatorily, but something in his chest pulsed at the idea of holding onto any part of Jill.

Then they were alone again, and for a man who didn't date—thanks to his high school heartbreak for that part of his charming personality—he was having a good time on one. They chatted about what made ranches so great to Jax, why Jill loved the city, and the books both of them had read and recommended. It was pretty damn nice to just… talk to someone without any expectation of taking them home or thwarting something more serious.

The only downside was her adamant opinion that the rodeo was a great way to kill oneself fast or ruin what was left of life with a debilitating injury. So, how could he tell her where he was going to work?

Still, since they weren't dating, he reasoned he didn't have to tell her anything he didn't want to. He wouldn't lie to her, but nor did he have to offer up any unsolicited information that would damn their friendship right off the bat.

When she excused herself to use the restroom, Jax texted Bennett to let him know about the Steiner up sale.

Bennett sent a thumbs-up emoji and an equally infuriating reply. " See? You're good at this, like it or not. "

" Um, it was Jill, but thanks ," he typed out, then deleted it.

Jax had been getting a lot of those kinds of messages from his brother recently, as if Bennett could sense Jax's itchy feet. Tonight, instead of stewing about it, Jax put his phone away and rested his chin in his palms as Jill sauntered back.

"I'm so full I felt like one of your cows after a day in the field."

"Well, you'd better have some room left."

They were waiting on some brownie concoction Jill had ordered. He didn't usually care for dessert—give him more dinner any day over sweets—but how could he turn down her request to share when it had come with pleading eyes he felt he could drown in, and her hands clasped and resting on his chest? He'd eat a whole tray of brownies if she'd look at him like that. Like he alone was responsible for giving her what she wanted.

"Oh, I've got a separate stomach for desserts."

He chuckled. "You do know cows have four? Well, one, technically. But four compartments?"

"See? I'm just as awesome as them." She smiled wide. Whiskey-relaxed looked good on this woman.

"So, tell me how you ended up at Steel Born, Jill Henley. I seem to recall there being a family connection to the rodeo industry you could've exploited."

She giggled and tilted her head to the right. It left the nape of her neck exposed and good God why did he want to kiss that swath of skin to see what it tasted like.

The brownie was delivered, and Jill wasted no time diving in. He shook his head and focused on her answer.

"Yes, Henley Apparel was, shall we say, an option. But it wasn't—"

"A calling?"

She nodded, the corner of her lips quirked up along with her brows. Taking a forkful of brownie, she held it out to him. He took it, and yeah, it was a well-made dessert, but not as nice as being fed by an attractive woman.

"Exactly. If I stayed, I would've wondered what I was possible of on my own, doing something that I loved. I had to cut them off if I was gonna find out, or I never would have been brave enough to try and make a go of it with Maggie."

He took a play from her book and fed her a bite, which she took like a hungry toddler being offered a chicken nugget.

"When did you quit?"

She grinned, and he opted not to tell her there was a bit of gooey chocolate goodness stuck between her teeth. He also opted not to help her remove it by kissing it free.

Christ, he was in top form tonight, wasn't he?

"Yesterday."

He let out a bark of a laugh, then mouthed, sorry when people turned to stare.

"Wow. And I thought mine was bad. I just got the job last week, and here I am about to lose it so I can help Bennett. Again. How'd your folks react when you quit? I can't imagine they were too pleased to lose the heir to the empire."

"About how you'd expect. Told me I was wasting my talents with Maggie, that I had a sure thing with them, I'd regret it for all eternity, blah, blah, blah."

Like Bennett would feel when Jax gave his notice.

"Sounds about right. So, how do you feel now? I mean, since it's going to be harder than you thought to get to your goal?"

Jill scraped her spoon across the ice cream that had begun to melt and licked it off. Jax adjusted in his seat to account for the swelling behind his zipper.

"I never cared whether it was difficult or not, just that it was within reach. I'll keep working at it until the day I find out it isn't anymore."

Hmm. He liked that answer. He also liked Jill a whole lot more than he'd expected to.

"And you won't mind doing that here? In Deer Creek?"

She bit her bottom lip and dropped her gaze. "I'll do it whether or not I mind it. It's what the job dictates for now."

"What about making the most of it while you're here?"

"I don't see any reason to get involved with Deer Creek to get the most out of my time. I'm here to work and so that's what I'll do. Making friends and hanging out in the community isn't on my to-do list."

"Isn't that counterintuitive to what you're going to need to succeed with your plan, though?"

"How's that?" She put her spoon down and met his gaze. Even in the dim light he could see a rim of sky blue around her irises. Had anyone else looked long enough into her eyes to notice that? Had Liam?

"You're a salesperson." He held up a hand for her to wait before she jumped down his throat like she looked ready to do. "You sell a product. And yeah, I know you design them, work with manufacturers locally to produce and ship them and all that, too. But at the end of the day, none of the other stuff matters if you don't sell them to customers, right?"

Jill nodded. "So?"

"So wouldn't it be prudent of you to immerse yourself here, get to know people and what makes them tick so you can do what you did with Steiner a minute ago?"

"I—" She swallowed and cleared her throat. He could see her working through something in her head. "I know food and I know restaurants. It's one of my favorite things about the city. That's all that was."

He sat back in the booth. "Exactly. You're proving my point for me."

Her scowl said she didn't appreciate that very much.

She picked up the spoon again and took a giant bite of brownie, leaving a crumb at the corner of her mouth. Jax slid the pad of his thumb along her lip, removing it. She inhaled sharply at his touch, then, in a move that surprised him, leaned into his hand so that her cheek rested in his palm.

He froze, unsure of what to do next. Things were so hot and cold between them, his whole body tingled with the changes in temperature.

And then his thumb acted of its own accord and stroked her cheek. Her eyes went wide and the air around them shifted. He couldn't be sure the whole universe as he knew it hadn't tilted off its axis as she closed the gap between them, her hand firmly resting on his thigh.

When her gaze dipped to his lips and she wet her own, he pulled back. And not a moment too soon. She'd closed her eyes and was a breath away from kissing him.

Jax sent up a prayer of thanks that the night hadn't gone the way it was headed in the first five minutes of Jill showing up at the restaurant.

That didn't mean he was comfortable taking advantage of the woman with a few drinks in her, though.

"I—" he started, the flush of color on her cheeks a temptation almost stronger than his morals. "I can't. Not like this, when we've had about half a cask of whiskey apiece."

He chuckled, trying to add some levity.

Now, if she came up to him sober as a church mouse and planted one on him? Yeah, he'd see where that kiss led. It was better than hating a woman he was forced to hang out with.

She frowned, the pink deepening to a crimson and spreading down her neck. His fingers itched to feel if her skin had a heat to it. Hell, his fingers and other parts of his anatomy wanted more than that. They wanted to roam and dive into her unexplored territory, eliciting more of those little sighs of delight she'd expressed over her steak and lobster mac, or the giggles she let loose when he teased her.

A swirling in his stomach made him lightheaded. "But can I—can I take you out again? Maybe on a ride through the properties this week—"

"No, um, thanks. Like I said, I've got work to do. But thanks for a lovely evening. I'll, um, I'll see you around."

She stood up and he put a hand on her forearm, gentle but enough so she paused and glanced back at him.

"Oh, sorry, I'll—" She grabbed her wallet.

"No. I've got dinner. I just wanted to say I want to. But I want to when it won't be the first regret you have in Deer Creek."

"Sure. Yeah, and no biggie. But thanks for dinner."

"Can we plan a time to meet up and chat strategy?"

She wouldn't meet his gaze. Dammit. A second ago, he'd been close enough to smell the cinnamon and vanilla soap she must use on her skin and now she felt a continent away.

"I'll text you after I get my bearings."

He stood. "Want to at least share a cab back to the ranches? I don't think either of us is taking our own car home after those last few drinks."

"No, thanks. I ordered a ride from my phone and they're outside."

He waited for her to offer to take him back, but when she didn't do anything but stare at her feet in front of her, he nodded.

"Okay. Well, I'll wait for your text. It was nice… this dinner, I mean. Thanks."

She smiled, but the tension he'd felt between them—not the physical temptation pulsing between their bodies, but the antipathy—was back.

Jill walked out of the restaurant leaving him with the bill and a thousand questions. The most pressing of them was how the hell he was supposed to work with her now that he'd gone and almost kissed the one woman with the power to give—or take away—everything he'd ever wanted in life?

Jesus. Now, on top of everything else, he had to find a way to fix this, and fast. They only had four weeks till the Cattleman's Association fair, and he'd need every minute to perform a joint miracle of getting back on Jill's good side and saving his brother's company so he could leave the ranch, once and for all.

*

Jill sipped her second cup of coffee, determined not to think about the almost-kiss from the night before. Like, put it in the recesses of her memory, locked away forever, her shame tucked away behind a sealed door kind of determination.

"What do you think, Lily?" she asked the snoozing puppy at her feet. "You think he'll let me forget it?" Lily only purred out a sigh like she was a cat rather than a Cavalier King Charles spaniel. She reached down and pet her sweet girl's ears.

If Jill could put Jax out of her head, then her arrival in Deer Creek could be counted as a win for two reasons. First, she'd delivered the Steel Born equipment to Steiner's son, a deal that would do more than put Maggie's company on the map—it would rewrite the borders of the industry entirely. They'd never ventured into farming equipment before, but with some of the hay balers and feed troughs they already sold, there wasn't a reason they couldn't start. She might not love the farm or ranching worlds, but she knew those lines between them were blurred. Which meant that aspect of the Steiner deal was done. Bennett had also called and thanked her for her role in the MBE up sale at dinner the other night.

The deal had come about from the first MBE and Steel Born partnership. Before they'd been married, Bennett had bought exclusive rights to Maggie's top-of-the-line ranching equipment and in exchange had subsidized over half a million dollars of the next tier of equipment for the local ranchers who needed an upgrade. Steiner didn't have a ranch, but his son had a farm and the Steel Born equipment would work perfectly for his gap in needs. In return, the Steiner patriarch had gone exclusive with MBE beef. It was all a delicate web of partnerships that could topple with even the slightest breeze. Which meant no stiff winds better be on the horizon.

So far, so good.

Steel Born Inc. became a household name and multimillion dollar business both almost overnight. All Jill had to do was maintain that while Maggie rested up.

Easier said than done. Something Jax said to her the night before—

Before you tried to kiss him? Her subconscious was a snarky little thing this morning.

A ball of anxiety built in Jill's throat, but she swallowed it back. Her second win was seeing the warehouse she'd designed and built in Deer Creek to house equipment stores for local ranchers' more immediate needs in person. It was proving a worthy investment, as was her integration of the farming equipment line on a whim, but until they made it through the trade show at the end of the month her success wasn't a done deal yet.

Which meant neither was her partnership with Maggie. She couldn't coast through the next month and keep things status quo. She needed to grow the company sustainably and with Maggie's original vision in mind.

But how?

What about that idea Jax gave you? Find out what the community needs and give it to them? Jill sighed and gazed out Maggie's farmhouse window, her empty coffee mug teasing her into thinking she might need a third cup of the stuff. The garden wasn't in bloom anymore, but she knew beneath the fading green vines and drying leaves were fall and winter vegetables that would sustain Maggie and Bennett through the winter. The rest of the yard beyond the garden was darling. Bennett had installed a gazebo as well as an outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven and grill. But who was appreciating all the changes and improvements since Maggie had moved in with Bennett?

She would, but only for a month. Maggie and Bennett had done good work to fix up her dad's old place, but no matter how cozy or chic it was, this kind of living—slow and meandering through a small town with its gossip and life-under-a-microscope—wasn't for her.

She needed to find a way to do her job that didn't mean integrating herself into a place she wasn't going to stay. Because that wasn't fair, either.

Well, then you should stop trying to kiss your partner in all this. Okay, it was time to take her overactive subconscious for a walk. Or jump online to check the order status for the remining ranches in the area that had ordered replacements for their equipment thanks to Bennett's subsidy. Anything but think about the other Marshall brother and how she'd somehow gone from annoyed with to attracted to in the span of a night.

Not true. You were attracted to him right away.

Ugh. Why couldn't her brain shut off where Jax Marshall was concerned? She slipped into a pair of running shoes and donned a hat. Maybe she should check in on Maggie before she headed back to San Antonio to pick up her things?

The thing was, her brain wasn't entirely wrong in its recollection. She had been attracted to Jax right away at the wedding. But his past with the rodeo and the fact that he still went to shows and supported the lifestyle was a bigger turnoff than the rest of him was a turn on.

"Wanna go for a walk?" she asked Lily. All she got in response was a deep snore unbefitting the princess she'd been before she got unceremoniously knocked up. Jill laughed. "Got it. Well, I'll be right back."

Jill grabbed her cell phone and strolled through the garden. She'd swing by Maggie's since she wasn't leaving to collect her things till that afternoon. But before she knew it, she was walking down the cypress-lined drive, marveling at the reds and yellows that were sneaking into the foliage, making their own mark on the passing of time. She'd seen some lovely color changing in the manicured green spaces in San Antonio, but even her rural-jaded heart had to admit this was better.

It wasn't that she was avoiding her best friend, but two things kept her feet from heading that direction. First was her lack of a plan. Jax had agreed to help Jill with Steel Born while Maggie was out sick, but that was as far as they'd gotten. She needed something concrete to bring her friend who was putting her whole career and dream into Jill's capable but unsure hands. This needed to work for more than just Jill's sake.

The other reason she hesitated heading to the Marshall compound was in case a certain younger Marshall brother was lurking around. Until she'd drummed up an appropriate apology for trying to kiss him the first night of their new partnership, she should probably avoid him.

Another half hour passed quickly as she walked the dirt path alongside the main drag from the highways. She did her best to process the change in plans she'd encountered two days ago, but that might take the whole month. She was temporarily moving to a small ranching town and her best friend was at the beginning of a high-risk pregnancy. Was it really just forty-eight hours ago that both their lives had shifted so severely?

It wasn't all bad, but it wasn't celebratory news, either.

Then another memory from last night shot through Jill's core, chilling her. She'd tried to kiss him after he'd overserved her at Steiner Ranch Steakhouse No, not tried. She'd actually leaned in and planted her lips on his before he'd all but shoved her off.

Which was horrifying in itself, but worse was how he'd rebuffed her. Oh, this was bad.

Goddammit, whiskey. Why did she think it was a good idea to have that second two-finger pour? Or worse, the third? That was as good a reason as any to stick to white wine, which she didn't like as much as whiskey, but it also didn't inspire her to do idiotic things…

The liquor, combined with the confusing—and surprising—show of humanity from the man, it'd been enough to override her good sense.

Note to self: don't drink anything around a man who holds the door for sweet old ladies and dances with six-year-old flower girls.

Because those things might make him a good guy, but not for her. He was still way too much of a wild card for her to put her trust in him. Heck, he'd even admitted that he didn't want to stay with MBE past this year. When she'd asked what his plan was then, he'd shrugged and answered something vague.

What kind of man walked away from his brother and a multimillion-dollar company and didn't know what came next? Not a man she wanted anything to do with.

Liar , her heart whispered. It sent a shot of heat straight to her core along with a memory of how soft his lips had been, how sweet they tasted…

She shook out her arms and head, trying to reset her thoughts, yet again. Which was about as successful as trying to give herself a haircut in the pitch dark.

Working with Jax the next four weeks sure wasn't high on her list of things to look forward to. And not because he was stupid handsome, the kind that made her want to stare awkwardly at him when he wasn't looking. Because that was usually followed by him opening his mouth and speaking, which inevitably made her furious she could find a man like that attractive.

And he'd turned her down. Which meant not only did she have to reconcile finding a rodeo cowboy hot as hell, but she had to deal with the emotions of being turned down by a man she didn't even really want.

Even now, with the whiskey nothing more than a dull headache, the shame still rose on her skin, making it hot.

Try as she had to stop thinking about Jax, it didn't work until she crested a hill and realized she'd arrived in the small-town center of Deer Creek.

"Well, aren't you adorable?" She hadn't visited this part of the area during the wedding, but now she sort of wished she had. It was like a small-town romance movie come to life.

Boutique clothing shops and niche art galleries lined the sidewalks, as did black lampposts with hanging baskets of fall foliage dripping from them.

Jill inhaled and was treated to the earthy, damp scent she'd enjoyed from Maggie's porch—the scent of fall in the canyon—but with a hint of something sugary sweet.

Her stomach grumbled loud enough she was glad she was alone. Okay, new plan. Find the source of that food and bring something back for Maggie. Using her nose as her guide, she ended up in front of a bakery with a logo out front of the letter M wearing a baking hat. She knew that logo from paper cups and pastry bags at Maggie's. Mae's Bakery, the second half of the duo who'd catered Maggie and Bennett's wedding, along with Bennett and Jax's mom, Grace.

Look at her, putting her finely tuned city-garnered ability to literally sniff out good food to use.

This place was supposed to be a local legend. Her stomach grumbled again but she took out her phone to snap a photo of the outside of the store, charmed by the way the sunlight hit the glass and outlined the painted logo with bright yellow.

Pushing open the doors, she wasn't disappointed. Gone was the sweet aroma wafting through the townscape. It was replaced with specific scents matching delectable-looking treats in the glass display case. Butter from the croissants, both chocolate-filled and original. Rosemary from the rosemary and sea salt loaves she already knew she'd be bringing back for her folks. And then she picked out the source of the sugar scent. Brownies, tarts, and individual cakes lined two of the three shelves of the case.

Jill's mouth watered. How was she supposed to choose?

She gave a small squeal of delight when she saw homemade dog biscuits atop the case. Lily would love them. She snapped a photo of them, too, making sure to include the image of an adorable dog featured next to the biscuits.

"Well, hello, dear. I've been waiting for you to stop by," the woman behind the counter said by way of a greeting.

Jill vaguely recognized her from the wedding as Mae herself.

"Me?" Jill smiled, pointing at herself.

"Well, of course. You're Maggie's best friend, Jill, right?" Jill nodded. "We've been hearing about your visit from the bride herself and were looking forward to getting to know you better."

"Yeah, it turns out I'll be here a month or so, so you'll probably be seeing me quite a bit." Especially since Jill didn't see many restaurants on the main drag.

"Perfect. You'll have to join our little Friday-evening gathering. We play cards and chitchat about the goings on in town."

Jill offered up a smile.

Here was the small-town charm she'd been expecting. Only she knew that with it came the darker side to everyone knowing who you were—they tended to butt into your life with unsolicited advice. No, this was cute, but give her the anonymity of a city any day.

"What can I get you?" Mae asked.

"I'd love a loaf of the sea salt bread, half a dozen of these doggie biscuits, and then how about—" Her gaze sped over the menu outlined in chalk above the display case. "I'll take a Waldorf salad, sweet tea, and two vanilla tarts to go." Mae rang her up, praising her choices. "Um, make that three tarts," she added at the last minute. Better to have something on hand if she ran into Jax by way of an apology.

Did a vanilla tart say, "Sorry I tried to kiss you after I cajoled you into helping me save my career?" She hoped so or she was out of ideas.

She paid and then sat down, the tarts wrapped in a cute blue bag.

Jill gazed out the window, her lips painted in a frown as she wondered how she was going to pull off the miracle that was building their company while working with a man who drove her to distraction. What had she gotten herself into?

"What's troubling you, doll?" Mae asked her, dropping off her salad with a heavenly and enormous slice of rosemary bread.

"Oh, nothing." Jill pasted on a smile big enough to hide her shame. "Just having a moment. That salad is making me forget about my problems, though."

Mae sat across from Jill. She put her chin in her palms, her eyes wide. Gossip was as much on the menu as the best crunchy loaf of rosemary sea salt bread Jill had ever tasted, so she was wary of the attention.

"I'm guessing it's boy trouble?" she asked Jill.

Maggie'd once said that Mae was a finely tuned radio, her frequency always dialed into Deer Creek's drama. Jill, an outsider, didn't appear to be an exception, unfortunately.

"Um, why do you figure?"

"Because you and Maggie have been doing well with the business, right? I heard what you did for the Steiner boy, and it was quite the save. You should be celebrating."

She was proud of her spectacular work with Steel Born but wasn't sure it warranted celebrating just yet.

"Maybe. Yes. I mean, it's good news, but nothing worth until the ink is dry on the contract. I don't want to jinx Maggie or Bennett."

"You know, there's a whole slew of girls at the high school here who're so proud of you and Maggie. You're changing the game, showing that women are just as capable as a man in this business."

"Thanks, Mae. It's pretty cool that we've managed to stay female-owned and operated in today's climate." And all the more reason she had to fight to keep it that way. The last story she wanted to add to the narrative was that women could have a family or a career, but not both.

Mae was quiet for a moment, and Jill was half-convinced she'd shifted the conversation from men to work.

Until Mae sat back in her chair. "Okay. Enough shop talk. Tell me about the boy," she said.

Damn. The thing was, Jill could use some insight into the youngest Marshall brother. But it was a risk talking to Mae. She knew everything about everyone. But she also shared everything she knew with anyone who asked.

Curiosity eventually won out.

"Okay, well, it's actually an interesting story. I'm helping Maggie out while she's taking time off to rest and am supposed to be working with—"

Before Jill could continue, the door chimed. Jill felt the hairs on her arm stand on end.

"Well, if it isn't the prettiest woman on this side of the Mississippi."

The playful baritone wormed its way under Jill's skin, making it itch. She knew that voice. Her stomach flipped—the power that voice had over her, despite her efforts to the contrary.

She turned to see who Jax meant. He kissed Mae on the cheek, and embarrassment flooded any other emotion Jill felt. Why would he have been talking about her?

"Oh, Jackson. You silly flirt," Mae said. "Jill, honey, I've got to get back to the kitchen, but you come by later and tell me about that boy who's giving you those frown lines. Jackson Marshall, you be nice to our guest, you hear?"

"How can I say no to you, love?"

"Jackson, you—" Mae wagged her finger as she headed behind the counter, but her flushed cheeks said she didn't mind the attention from the attractive rancher.

Jax set his gaze on Jill, and she didn't agree. His attention was like standing on the surface of the sun in plastic flip-flops. A distinct layer of sweat formed on her brow.

"Jill Henley. Fancy seeing you here. I was under the impression you were avoiding town."

"Jackson." She nodded a greeting, ignoring his cheek-to-cheek grin. "Why would you think that?"

"You told me country living wasn't for you. Thought you were set on avoiding getting to know the locals, but"—he knelt beside her, his voice low—"that local there is the one who'll get you into trouble. She'll make you join all kinds of clubs and committees and stuff, so you secretly fall in love with Deer Creek."

"Not likely," she said. Was the blush on her cheeks visible? "But thanks for the warning."

"My pleasure." He dipped his ball cap, even though it was on backwards. Gosh, was this man fourteen or closer to forty?

Shut it. He can pull it off.

He could, sure, but that didn't mean he should.

He rubbed his chin, then leaned in close. Jill's body betrayed her by inhaling deeply. Of course, he'd come in smelling like the desert after a good rain. She tucked the scent away where it couldn't be responsible for letting her give in to more bad ideas where Jax was concerned.

"You know," he whispered when Mae went to the kitchen. She shuddered at the liquid heat from his breath on her bare neck. "A man might get a bit of a complex if you kiss him and then don't call."

She leaned back, desperate to get away from this man's hold on her body. Her mind saw through the trickery.

"We just went out last night. I was going to get in touch when I'm back from San Antonio."

"San Antonio? You're taking off already? Man, now I'm really gonna develop a complex."

Was that a hint of regret in his question?

"No, I'm just picking up my stuff. And it wasn't a kiss. It was just my way of saying thank you for a nice business dinner."

"Well, in that case, can I take you for dinner again? I could use some more thanks in my life."

She gasped. "Jackson Marshall, you—"

"Now, I'm going to stop you before you say something not so nice. I'm being friendly, and I'm excited to work with you on whatever we need to keep these companies afloat, but you can't go from kissing me to throwing insults. Especially not if we're gonna be spending the next month together."

A deep sigh escaped. He was right. "Okay. I won't. But that doesn't mean I want to be teased for my little slipup last night."

"That's all it was?" he asked.

The thing that got her, that snuck past the indignation he induced in her, was the brief flash of hurt that crossed like a shadow across his face. And just like that, it was gone.

"Wasn't it? Jax, you're… you. And I'm me, which—"

"Um, thanks?"

He chuckled, but the embarrassment flashed on her own cheeks. That was rude of her, no matter how aggravating Jax was.

"Sorry. That's not what I meant. It's just—I'm trying to help Maggie and her company, and you're trying your hardest to get out of helping Bennett save his. Our goals aren't exactly mutually inclusive."

"Sure, I get it. I'm the footloose guy and you're the company girl. We're pretty damn different."

"Yeah, right. Something like that." Was that true, though? Was she the stick-in-the mud he made her out to be? Most days, yes—that was the price of chasing a dream, wasn't it? But that wasn't all she was, or all she wanted. "Anyway, my point is, if I'm being honest, I find you attractive, in the physical sense, anyway."

"Again, your praise is overwhelming. I hope you're nicer to Maggie or I'll have to reevaluate how much I like her based on her taste in friends."

Jill was usually pretty eloquent. With her upbringing and debate team championship, it was part of her genetics. So why did every word out of her mouth make her wish the earth would swallow her whole when she was around Jax?

"I'm just saying. No matter what, our differences can only lead to one conclusion. We can work together, and that's it." A pause filled the space between them. "But I did have a good time with you the other night."

"Even though I'm me , as you put it?"

"Even though." She smiled and offered him a piece of bread which he popped in his mouth. She took one for herself, too.

"Hey, Henley, multiple choice."

"Huh?" Confusion mixed with the salty dough in her mouth.

"What would a dream day off look like for you? A bubble bath and glass of wine, an all-expenses-paid shopping excursion in the big city, or a camping trip with some pretty stellar views of the Mississippi?"

"Frankly, I don't see why, as a woman in charge of her own life, I'd have to choose just one. There's plenty of room in my life for all three."

"Nope, you gotta pick one."

"Like I said, all three. They all sound delightful, but I already enjoy my days off as I have them."

"So, you're saying you take breaks, make time for self-care and all that hippy stuff social media's always on about?"

No, I don't. She tended to work seven days a week, but she'd never let him in on that.

"I'm fine, thanks. And if I had to choose, I guess I'd say the bubble bath after a long day at work."

That actually sounded good at that moment.

"Good answer. Because I don't want my partner the next four weeks to burn out before we get going. Make that time for yourself, okay?"

She searched his face for a hint of sarcasm or mirth, but there was only a genuine smile.

She nodded. "Yeah. Sure."

"Anyway," he said, sliding into the seat Mae had just abdicated. "I've been thinking about the job you gave up at Henley."

"And?" Frustration scratched across her skin like a rough wool blanket.

Why was her heritage always in play with everyone but her? She'd thought quitting meant she could finally be free of it. But maybe she never would.

"And they're in the rodeo world. They run the rodeo world in Texas, actually."

"I still fail to see the point you're making," she said.

That wasn't entirely true. It was the same point her parents made every week around this time. Hopefully not anymore, though.

"I'm just saying, for me that would be a no-brainer. A company handed down to me doing something I valued, where I could presumably travel and be a part of the world I loved… But for you that must have been crazy pressure to walk away from a sure thing and pursue what you want."

Sheer force of will kept her jaw from dropping to the shiny tile floor in the bakery. She didn't—couldn't—reply.

"It's brave, Jill. Walking away from others' dreams for you and making your own way is the best thing anyone can do for themselves. I'm a little jealous." She opened her mouth to reply, but he shook his head. "I don't mean about the Henley name and job thing, though I wouldn't turn it down. I mean that you're strong enough to walk away from it. I don't…" His grin faded to a sad smile. "I don't know that I'll be able to when the time comes."

He stood and snatched the last piece of her crust, popping it in his mouth. "Well, good to see you, Henley. I'll be seeing you around."

"You will." Confusion sat where Jax and her bread used to be. "Oh, wait!"

He turned around.

"I got you this. To say sorry." She handed him the vanilla tart and he frowned. "Sorry. If you don't like them, I could get you something else—"

"No. They're a family favorite, actually. I'm just bummed you think there's something you need to apologize for. I was teasing you earlier, but Jill—" He leaned against her table, his knee brushing hers. "I liked when you tried to kiss me. I just want it to be something you don't blame the whiskey on the next morning when we finally get around to it, okay?"

All she could do was nod like a hinge in her neck was loose. That was what she'd done—blamed the whiskey. Would she have blamed him if he let her go through with it?

Probably.

"That's all my turning you away was about. I'll see you when you get back, Jill. And make no mistake, I'm very much looking forward to it."

He got his coffee to go and walked out of the bakery. Jill couldn't help but think everything she knew of the man—which admittedly wasn't much—had been wrong.

Only when he was halfway down the street did her brain catch up to her heart. He'd said when they kissed again, not if .

Uh oh , her heart whispered. We're in trouble, aren't we?

Yep , her brain replied. We sure are.