Chapter Eight

A week later, Bridget was still buzzing from her date with Jack. They’d texted back and forth, but she hadn’t seen him again despite living next door to each other. The massive festival she had this weekend had been keeping her busier than ever. She spent her days at the store while her evenings and nights were filled with making and packaging a stockpile of products to sell there. This event usually drew more than double the number of attendees than the typical festivals she attended and Bridget was determined to maximize her profits.

Thankfully she had plenty of extra energy to burn off. She alternated between being mortified that she’d almost begged him to have sex with her right then and there—in his truck! At the drive-in!—and floating on air because holy mother forking shirt balls, Jack kissed like a damn fantasy come true. Their make-out session had left heat simmering in her veins and her nights pulsing with all sorts of vivid dreams that left her aching. Bridget desperately wanted to see him again, but she couldn’t afford to get distracted this week. God only knew if she threw absolute caution to the wind and jumped into bed with Jack, she would be utterly useless right now. And this event tomorrow was too important for their cash flow this month for her to not be one-hundred-percent focused.

She should probably give it at least another date or two before hitting the sheets with him. With all of her previous partners, she had tended to be careful about that sort of thing. So what if that had caused a guy or two to call her a prude and dump her? That just proved she’d been right not to go too fast with them.

Still, she couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like with Jack. She’d never had such instant physical chemistry with anyone else. With how well he kissed, she was laser-beam focused on what his mouth would feel like between her thighs. How his soft beard would stimulate her most sensitive places. Not to mention, based on the bulge she’d so clearly felt, there was very little chance he’d disappoint down below either.

Ding-ding!

The chiming of the bell rattled her thoughts and yanked her back to reality. A woman and a set of adorable identical twin girls entered.

Bridget smiled and waved. “Hello! Welcome to Three Sisters Apothecary. Feel free to look around or if there’s anything you’re looking for in particular or you have questions, please let me know.”

“Thanks,” said the woman as one of the girls tugged her toward the colorful soap display. The three of them shopped for twenty minutes and every so often the mother would glance back at Bridget.

A sense of self-consciousness began to creep over her skin. Did she have something on her face? Her sweater? As discreetly as she could, she glanced at her clothes and found nothing amiss. Another check of her reflection in the side window didn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary.

Sneaking a peek back at the trio, a sensation of familiarity washed over Bridget. Maybe she had met this woman at a festival before?

“Do you make all of this or do you have a source?” The woman sidled closer while keeping an eye on her twins who were now sniffing the scented candles.

“We make almost everything we sell. We locally grow or produce most of the ingredients needed for the products. My cousin has a farm just outside of town and I have a substantial garden and workshop behind my house.”

She stared with wide, round eyes. “That’s impressive. I can’t imagine taking on all of this on your own. It must be so time-consuming.”

“It is and it isn’t. I have my cousin and my gran who help, and my family has been doing this for over two hundred years.” Bridget shrugged and smiled. “We’ve got it down to an art at this point. Was there anything you wanted to know more about?”

“Oh, no, that’s all right. I’m super impressed, is all. I’m going to wrangle my girls and pick out a few things.”

“Sounds good. If you want any suggestions, just ask.”

“Well, one of my girls gets these dry, itchy spots on her skin from time to time. Do you have anything for that?”

Bridget stepped from around the counter. “I sure do.” They crossed to the left wall of shelves and she bent to pick up two items. “This is a bath soak that has oatmeal and lavender, which will soothe the skin and could help reduce the overall occurrence of the itchy patches. This second one is a lotion that’s also heavy in oatmeal with honey to help clear up those kinds of areas.”

The woman took both from her. “Perfect, thank you.” She turned to the twins. “Lily, Luna, time to go.” The girls ran over with their long, black hair flying behind them and big grins across their faces. One was missing her front left tooth while the other had lost her front right.

Something inside Bridget ached. These girls were so darling and her maternal instincts pricked against her organs. Twenty-seven. She was only twenty-seven, for crying out loud. She didn’t need kids right now. There were years to go before that wouldn’t be an option any longer. Calm down, she told her uterus.

As she rang up the items, the door opened again. Bridget looked up and grinned as Jack walked in. She opened her mouth to call out a hello but was interrupted.

“Uncle Jack! Uncle Jack!” The girls screamed and plowed into him.

Wait. Uncle Jack? Then that made… She cut her eyes over to where the other woman stood. This was his sister. No wonder she looked familiar. It was subtle, but the resemblance was there.

“Hey there, girls.” Jack hugged them then shot a look at this sister. “I didn’t expect to find you all here. I thought you would be at the B&B?”

His gaze caught Bridget’s for a moment and a burst of warmth filled her chest. Then he narrowed his eyes at his sister. Oh my God, did his sister know about her? Bridget turned her head back to her.

His sister smiled at Bridget and shrugged. “We thought we’d explore the town a bit. Check out the local shops.”

His sister totally knew about her. Bridget swallowed hard, shyness taking hold. That was why the woman had been staring at her.

Jack moved closer. “Hey, Bridget.”

“Hi,” she squeaked.

He reached out and squeezed her hand. “This is my sister, Allison Thompson-Takahashi, and my nieces Lily and Luna. This is Bridget. She owns the store and lives in the house next door to me.”

Lily, the one missing her right front tooth, eyed their joined hands. “Is she your girlfriend?”

Bridget wouldn’t be surprised if her cheeks burst into flames. They’d gone on one date and had a hot and heavy make-out session, but that didn’t define anything. She wanted to say something, but the words got stuck in her throat.

“What would you think if she was?” he asked.

Luna piped up this time. “Oooh!” She clasped her hands together. “That would be so fun! She makes all of this stuff and she’s really pretty.”

Jack shot a look at Bridget and lifted one brow. She blinked and gave the tiniest shrug. There was no way she was going to be the one putting a label on whatever this was between them.

He shifted so his fingers interlaced with hers. “Well, that’s a relief, because Bridget is my girlfriend.”

The girls cheered, making all of them laugh.

Allison said, “I hope you don’t mind that we’ve been poking around. Jack mentioned you had a store and it sounded so great I couldn’t resist.”

“That’s fine,” she responded in a soft voice. Damn, she hated being shy. Why couldn’t she think of anything better to say? Or at least say it in a more confident manner. “Which B&B are you staying at?”

“The Wild Rose. The pictures online looked gorgeous and Jack told me it seemed nice.”

She nodded. “So I hear. I’m sure it’s a great choice.”

“We should get over there for check-in, but will you be joining us for dinner?”

Her stomach flipped. “Oh, I wish I could, but I can’t. I have a huge festival I’m showcasing at tomorrow. I need to pack up my car and get to bed early.”

Allison’s face fell. “That’s too bad. Are you sure?”

She nodded. “It’s one of the biggest in the area, aside from the one hosted here in Fallbank at the end of the month. I’m not even sure I’ll be able to fit everything in my car, I have so much.”

“Why don’t you use my truck? I could drive you over and help out tomorrow,” Jack offered.

She looked at him with raised brows. “Your sister and nieces are visiting. I couldn’t take you away from your family! They came all this way to see you.”

Allison shook her head. “It’s fine! A festival sounds like a great time anyway. We’ll have a lazy morning and meet you guys over there. The girls will love it.”

“Really,” Jack added, “I want to help. I have something for you anyway.” He shot her a grin that made her heart stutter.

“If you’re sure? I don’t want to derail all of your weekend plans.”

“Of course,” Allison said. “We didn’t have anything set in stone and this will keep the girls entertained.” With that, she grabbed up her bag from the counter. “All settled then. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jack leaned in as his sister grabbed her bag from the counter. “I hope this is all okay?” he whispered.

She met his eyes and felt herself melt a little. “Yeah, it is.”

He flashed that lopsided grin that did funny things to her insides. “Great. I’ll meet you back at your place to load my truck. My sister can pick me up for dinner. See you soon.” He pressed a lingering kiss on her cheek. “Girlfriend.”

Her blush was uncontrollable and he chuckled as their group headed out. Fanning her face, she vowed to get back at him somehow.

 

* * * *

The next morning, Jack was up bright and early and grinning as he drove the thirty minutes to the festival with Bridget’s hand in his as she rode next to him. His girlfriend. He had a girlfriend, and the thought made him as giddy as the very first time he’d had one back in sixth grade. Except Bridget was a thousand times better than Sophia de Loughrey. Not a snobby bone in her body and Jack adored that about Bridget. He was tired of fake, self-absorbed women who wanted money and status out of life and nothing more. It was refreshing to find someone down to earth.

“Your sister and nieces seem lovely.”

“They are pretty great. I have a lot of friends who aren’t close to their siblings. I’m lucky, I guess.”

“Yeah, my sister and I used to be super tight, but then she moved to Seattle and it’s not the same. We still talk on the phone and text a lot, but the distance makes it challenging.”

He squeezed her hand and she leaned her side into his. The road meandered for a few more miles before their turnoff. They parked and Bridget morphed into business mode. He opened the tailgate of the truck and she went straight for the wagon she used to haul things back and forth. He helped fill it to the brim then grabbed the folding table, following her to her designated area.

“You stay here to start setting up and I’ll go back to grab the tent and more products.” Between the two of them, they had her displays completed within an hour. “I’ll go put away the wagon,” he said, and took off. He wanted to grab the surprise he had for her that he’d tried so hard to keep hidden. When Jack returned, he cleared his throat to get Bridget to turn around.

She gasped when she did. “Oh my God! Where did that sign come from?”

Grinning, he said, “I made it.” Her smile was worth all the work he’d put in to create the replica Three Sisters Apothecary sign she could take to festivals.

“What? You made this? For me?”

For once, Jack was the one blushing. “Yeah. One of the guys from the crew has woodworking tools and he let me borrow them. I did this kind of thing with my grandpa when I was growing up.”

“This is amazing. It looks just like the one above the store. Jack! I can’t believe this.”

“I thought we could stand it up by the front to help draw attention this way.” He set up the easel he’d bought and placed the large wooden tablet there. “What do you think?”

She answered by throwing her arms around his neck and kissing the hell out of him. After a startled second, he kissed her back, reveling in the sweet softness of her mouth and the warmth of her body pressed against his. Threading one hand into her hair, he delved his tongue deeper and was rewarded with a humming sigh from her. Before he forgot where he was and how many people were around them, Jack pulled back and brushed his lips against hers once more. “That may have been the best thank you I’ve ever gotten in my life.”

She laughed and stepped back from his arms. “I’m glad I expressed myself well, then. I have no words for this.” She turned her gaze on him with such appreciation and happiness, the breath in his lungs froze for a moment. “This is beautiful. I can’t thank you enough, Jack.”

He shrugged. “You’re welcome. I’m glad it made you happy.”

She kissed him again, for the space of three heartbeats. “You make me happy.” She stepped back. “And now I’m going to go find coffee before my admission of feelings gets me all in my head.”

He laughed and watched her go. Man, he was so in over his head. They’d technically had a single date, but his heart was already sprinting for a home run. He needed to slow down, but didn’t want to. He wanted to go all in and see where this went. He just needed to figure out how this would work with Bridget’s entire life here and his in Seattle. But that was doable, right?

 

* * * *

 

Late morning found Jack greeting Allison and the girls, who were dancing with excitement.

“Uncle Jack, did you know there’s a petting zoo?”

“There’s a whole place with bounce houses!”

“We can get our faces painted! Uncle Jack, are you going to get your face painted?”

“Mommy promised we could each buy one thing!”

Allison smiled indulgently. “All right, girls. Give Uncle Jack a little room to breathe. He isn’t used to our high energy, remember?”

A middle-aged couple came in and began examining the displays and Bridget smiled at them. So far sales had gone quite well. Almost a third of the stock was already sold. He watched as she fielded questions from the couple and grinned with pride. She was amazing at this. She knew what to recommend and how to talk about the properties of the ingredients and how they would help with different personal needs.

Allison bumped his shoulder. “She’s great, but stop staring so much. You’re practically drooling.”

The man conversing with Bridget suddenly got in her face. “Are you some kind of witch?”

The unseasonably warm air around them turned icy cold. Every muscle in Jack’s body tensed and not in a good way.

“No, sir. I’m not.” Her voice was small, but steady. “My family has passed down knowledge of plants and herbs for many generations, that’s all.”

“So you’re all a bunch of witches.” The man sneered and his wife glared at Bridget.

“You’ll burn in hell for this.” The woman crossed her arms and turned on her heel. “We wouldn’t dare patronize this kind of evil place.”

Lily and Luna cowered by Allison’s legs and his sister’s face had gone pale. Bridget held her ground, but her eyes shone with unshed tears.

Jack’s temper snapped. “You judgmental bastards. How dare you treat her like this. She is brilliant and kind-hearted and wouldn’t hurt a fly. I don’t know who you think you are, but you can take your self-righteous bigotry and get the hell out of this tent. Don’t ever come back.”

The couple stormed out and Jack turned to Bridget. “I’m so sorry.” He hugged her tight. “Those people were assholes. You are incredible and have a gift to share with the world.”

She sniffled and stepped away, wiping at her eyes. “I, ah, just need a second. I’ll be fine.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders again. “I can take over for a bit if you want to take a walk or get some air.”

She glanced to where his sister and the girls watched the two of them with sad expressions. “I’m sorry they had to see that. The girls will probably be terrified of me now.”

“No, they won’t,” he said. “I’ll talk to them and make sure they understand. No one hates you.”

She inhaled a shuddering breath. “Maybe I will go for a quick walk.” Bridget stepped around the table. “I’m sorry you saw that. Unfortunately, it happens sometimes.”

“Are you really a witch?” Luna asked.

Jack winced as he saw the horror flash across Bridget’s face.

“No! I’m not. I just know a lot about plants.”

“Oh.” Luna frowned. “It would be way cooler if you were a real witch. Then you could zap those mean people!”

Bridget laughed and the sound allowed Jack to exhale. Thank goodness for children’s innocence. He couldn’t have come up with a better way to break the tension and help them get back to normal.

“I think I’m going to get a hot chocolate. Would you two like to come?”

“Yes!”

“Mommy, please?”

Allison smiled at the girls then at Bridget. “Sure, let’s go. Hot chocolate sounds perfect.”

Jack watched as Lily grabbed Allison’s hand, Luna reached for Bridget’s then the two girls linked arms. A sensation of rightness settled over his shoulders as he observed the foursome head out. Yeah, he was a goner for Bridget, but surprisingly, he welcomed these feelings swirling inside him. He just had to hold them back long enough to not scare Bridget off and figure out how to meld their two worlds together.

 

* * * *

Despite the horrible moment during the morning, the day ended up being pretty darn great in Bridget’s option. She had sold out of products by the close of the festival. Jack’s nieces were adorably helpful and brought the happiness back to the festival, while Jack made for the best eye candy. If he kept up with all of the helping at the table and hauling things back and forth, she was going to get spoiled. A small part of her was on alert and anxious. She didn’t need to get used to this, because what happened when they broke up?

Wait, why was she assuming they would break up? She was getting way ahead of herself. She yoga-inhaled and pushed the thoughts from her mind. Right now, she needed to enjoy the moment and get to know Jack. And kiss him again. Kissing ranked high on her to-do list. Her hormones were screaming at her for not checking this off the list thirty-seven-thousand times by now.

As they wrapped up breakdown of the booth, Allison wrangled the girls and asked, “So we’re having dinner together, right? I’ll get the girls cleaned up and meet you two in town?”

“Oh, I don’t want to impose on your family time,” Bridget said, but Jack interrupted her.

“We’ll meet you at the Mexican place on Main Street. They have great tacos that the girls will love.” He threaded his hand through hers and squeezed. “Can’t wait to spend time with all of the ladies in my life.”

Allison laughed. “I’ll be sure to leave that out when I talk to Mom next.”

Jack grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, maybe I should amend that to almost all the ladies in my life. You all keep me running in circles so I can’t keep up.”

“Go easy on him,” Allison told Bridget then waved. The three of them headed off to her car while Bridget climbed into Jack’s red truck.

Instead of sitting on the passenger side, she slid over to the middle and was rewarded with a huge smile from Jack. Those eyes of his met hers and her breath stuttered again at how handsome he was. And he was her boyfriend! As in she could kiss him any time she wanted because that was what people did with boyfriends. Wasn’t it? Her body lit with heat and she leaned in. Time to test out that theory.

Reaching up, she brushed her hand along the edge of his jaw. His beard was silky and soft as she slid her fingers up and curled them around to delve into the soft hair at the nape of his neck. Her lids dropped closed as she pressed her mouth to his. A sigh escaped her as Jack kissed her back, his lips hungry across hers. Her whole body responded, going from zero to sixty in the span of a few strokes of his tongue. God, she wished they were someplace private. She ached for him in the worst way and needed a release.

After a few more minutes of kissing to the point where she was ready to climb onto his lap, she pulled back.

Jack grunted in protest and cupped her cheek. Resting his forehead against hers, he said, “Damn, honeybee. You kiss better than any other girl I’ve ever kissed.”

She lifted her eyes to his and laughed. “How many girls are on that list?”

He pressed his lips to her once more before settling back. “Doesn’t matter, none of them are important anymore.” He started up the truck and pulled out of the parking lot. With a sly glance back at her, he said, “But now I’m wishing I’d declined dinner with my sister and was spending my evening alone with you.”

The desire in his expression made her shiver. Her heart pounded as she thought of the two of them spending time alone and not in a public place. Heat pooled low in her belly and she swallowed hard. “Maybe after dinner you could come back to my place. We could have a drink or something.”

“Yeah,” he rasped and flicked his eyes back and forth from the road to her. “That sounds good.”

An hour after getting home and changing clothes, she walked over to Cornelius and Jack’s place. “Hey, Cornelius,” she said as he opened the door. “How’s it going?”

“Eh, not great. I heard a rumor today about Timber Lumber Company.” He waved her in and she looked around for Jack.

“Where’s Jack? What rumor?”

He shoved a hand through the mop of blond hair falling in a wild mess over his forehead. “Jack’s on the phone in his room. Word is that some big company is interested in buying us out. I know Paul wants to retire and he’s looking for someone to take over TLC.”

Shock rocked through her. The logging business wouldn’t be a local company anymore? It was one reason people loved Fallbank—they had one of the few locally owned logging businesses left in the state. Logging was the lifeblood of Fallbank and if the company suddenly wasn’t around, it could be disastrous for the town. “What does that mean? How will that affect things here?”

The blue of his eyes pierced her down to the marrow and her skin broke out in goosebumps. “It likely means they’ll get rid of all of us locals and just bring in crews they already have for the jobs they get. They’d be buying the name and business contacts, but I doubt any of us are keeping our jobs.”

“But that would be crushing to all of us!” Her stomach knotted with anxiety. “Logging is how we stay relevant. Fallbank would cease to exist within ten years. Maybe less. How…how are we all going to survive?”

Cornelius shook his head. “I don’t know, little B. I really don’t.”

Footsteps sounded from down the hall and Jack appeared, grinning when he saw her. “Hey, sorry I’m running late. I was talking to my dad.”

“That’s okay, I understand. Cor and I were just catching up.” She glanced at Cornelius with one arched brow to ask if this news had been shared yet. He gave a slight shake of his head. “Anyway. Should we go?”

“Sure.” He walked over and kissed her cheek. “You look beautiful, by the way,” he murmured in her ear.

A small smile lifted the corners of her lips. She couldn’t pretend to have put that much effort into her appearance because today had gone well but was also exhausting. It was nice to know her minimal makeup and cozy sweater dress looked good. “Thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself.” He wore a simple button-down shirt and jeans, but the way he filled out the shirt with his broad shoulders and chest made her mouth water. And that was before she let her gaze drift down over his thighs and that gorgeously rounded derrière of his. Jack was the epitome of anyone’s fantasy lumberjack come to life.

Dinner with Jack, his sister and nieces was entertaining to say the least, but the rumor Cornelius had shared kept swirling around in her head. What would happen to Maria and Manuel who owned this restaurant if the mill closed? What if Three Sisters went bankrupt? How would she ever be able to look Gran in the eyes again if she was the one who let the family business die?

“Bridget?” Jack’s voice shook her from her thoughts. “What’s wrong? You seem a little distracted tonight.”

She hesitated for a second. Cornelius hadn’t told her she shouldn’t mention this rumor to anyone else, but he also indicated that Jack didn’t know yet. A cold pit opened in her stomach. What if Jack found out and left town because of the job insecurity? Would this relationship be over so quickly she never even got to experience the fun honeymoon phase?

His large, warm hand closed over hers. She looked up at him and her tension eased. The depth of feeling she found in his eyes reassured her this wasn’t a fleeting thing for him. At least, she hoped.

“I’m sorry. Cornelius told me about a rumor and it’s not a good thing.” She sucked in a deep breath. “There’s a big conglomerate interested in buying out the logging company. It would be devastating for Fallbank and all the people working for the Timber Logging Company. Cornelius said they’d probably let everyone here go and bring in their own workers for jobs when needed. Logging is the only reason this town stays alive. It employs over half the town and the other half thrives because of those jobs. They sponsor the lumberjack competition which helps pull more attendees for the fall festival than any other in the state. We lose TLC and the economy here would shrivel up and die.”

Jack and Allison exchanged a look, but it was so fast, Bridget couldn’t read too much into it. There was alarm, but also something else. She just couldn’t put her finger on it.

“I’m sure it wouldn’t be that extreme if someone did buy TLC. A lot of times most people keep their jobs and end up with new management and a new company logo.”

“Really?” She wanted so much to believe him, and Jack did have a deep knowledge of businesses. His suggestions for Three Sisters had revolutionized her operations and profits. She couldn’t argue that he didn’t know his stuff. Which begged the question, why was he working out here as a logger?

He nodded. “I’ve seen it before. Plus, you never know. Deals like this can be complicated and could fall through at the last minute.” He smiled and squeezed her fingers. “It’ll be okay.”

Relief flowed strong through her limbs. His confidence was infectious and she was choosing to hope he was right. “Thanks, Jack.” She kissed his cheek and his nieces squealed with delight.

“Are you going to marry Uncle Jack and be our new aunt?” Luna asked.

Bridget laugh-choked at her audacity. Lune was clearly the bold twin while Lily appeared more contemplative. She knew better than to take that for granted. The quiet ones were always the most surprising.

Jack piped up and saved her. “Bridget and I are pretty new to being girlfriend and boyfriend. Marriage isn’t something you rush into, got that?”

The girls nodded solemnly.

Allison jumped in. “I’ll take that as my cue to get these girls back to the B&B and into bed. When they’re tired, they get punchy and start asking inappropriate questions.”

“It wasn’t inappropriate,” Lily protested and turned her sweet brown eyes on her mother. “They are boyfriend and girlfriend, she kissed him and Uncle Jack made her feel better when she was upset earlier today. Just like you and Daddy. The question was very logical.”

Yep, Luna set them on their toes, but Lily was the one who knocked them over.

Allison gave Bridget and Jack a flat stare. “I rest my case. We’ll see you before we head out tomorrow? For breakfast or lunch, maybe?”

“Of course,” Jack answered. “But not too early, it was a long day.”

After they left, Jack scooted closer to her in the booth. “Still up for that drink?”

Even though she’d been bone tired, the thrill from the desire burning his eyes jolted her wide awake. Her whole body tingled with expectation. “Absolutely.” She lifted her face up and kissed him. Not wild and frantic, but slow and sensual. She wanted to blow a little life into the embers burning between them so by the time they made it back to her house, they would both go up in flames.

His eyes were glazed when she pulled back. “We should go. Now.”

“Mmhmm,” she agreed and slid out of the booth. She might have given an extra wiggle of her hips as she stood since she knew they’d be at just about eye level for him.

A low growling noise reached her ears and suddenly his body was pressed chest to thigh up against her back. His big hands gripped her hips as she felt an even bigger bulge press into her bottom.

Teeth nipped her earlobe and she fought not to moan aloud.

“I think there might be some truth to what they say about you. You’ve bewitched me and damn if I’m not enjoying the hell out of it.”

This time a soft, shaky groan passed her lips. She was wet and aching between her thighs. Bridget needed Jack in her bed and she needed him there now. “Let’s go, lumberjack.” She grabbed his hand and led him out to the truck.

She’d just gotten settled in the cab when her phone rang. A frustrated sigh left her, but she answered anyway.

“Hey, Becca.”