Winnie had the feeling that the seating plan was being scrambled, as Olive directed everyone in the family to a chair.
“No, Corb. Why don’t you sit here instead?” Olive pointed to a place setting across the table from where her blond, green-eyed son was standing.
“But I thought— Oh, never mind.” Good-natured as always, Corb shrugged and moved.
“Now, Jackson, you can have that chair.” Olive pointed to the place that Corb had just vacated.
Winnie was given the seat to Corb’s right. Which meant that, if Olive hadn’t interfered, she’d have been sitting next to Jackson. Was she paranoid for suspecting that Olive had deliberately separated them?
The harvest feast on the table was bountiful and aromatic. Each dish—from the golden roast turkey to the pecan-studded yams—was beautifully presented on Olive’s cream-colored platters and casserole dishes.
There were mashed turnips and carrots, cornmeal dressing with hazelnuts, whipped garlic-rosemary potatoes, lightly buttered brussels sprouts and beets with a ginger-orange glaze.
Olive was supervising her grandchildren, so for a change Winnie could enjoy her meal without worrying about how much Bobby was eating.
Winnie tasted a little of everything.
Conversation waned as everyone savored the amazing dishes Bonny had prepared for them. Only Olive wasn’t focused on the food. She was enjoying her grandchildren much too much for that.
As she speared a piece of tender turkey from the platter, Winnie noticed Corb raise his wineglass in private tribute to Laurel who was across the table from him. Laurel gave her husband a cheeky wink before sipping from her own glass in response.
A few minutes later Winnie spotted B.J. feeding his new wife a piece of a brussels sprout. “Bonny has a special way of cooking them.”
Savannah took the brussels sprout into her mouth.
“Delicious, right?”
“Mmm-hmm.” But Savannah was looking at B.J., not the vegetable.
A moment after that, Cassidy said something so quietly only Farley could hear.
“Stop it, Cass. You are unbelievably bad.” But he was fighting a grin as he said this. And then he kissed the tip of Cassidy’s nose.
These quiet, loving moments between the couples at the table made Winnie smile.
They also made her heart ache.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You have Brock’s son. You have your business...
But her gaze went to Jackson, who was eating his meal like it was a job that needed to be done. Was he impervious to all the romantic vibes around them?
Winnie sighed.
Half an hour later, so much food had been eaten, it seemed her pies would go to waste. But everyone had saved just enough room for one slice of pumpkin pie and a cup of coffee.
“Absolutely delicious, Win,” Laurel gave her a thumbs-up from across the table. “What’s the secret?”
“I blend a cup of ricotta cheese in with the pumpkin.”
Several people asked for her recipe, including Laurel and Savannah’s sister, Regan.
Then it was time to clear the table and do dishes. Winnie was happy to help, especially since Olive was still anxious to spend time with Bobby and Stephanie. She’d bought them a few presents, and once they were unwrapped, she took the toddlers and their new toys into the bedroom she’d transformed into a play area for her grandchildren.
“I don’t think Corb and I will ever need to buy Stephanie a single gift,” Laurel said softly, so only Winnie could hear.
“Olive’s generosity is...overwhelming.”
“That’s one way of putting it.” Laurel rolled her eyes.
Corb had turned on the television after dinner, and now most everyone was settling in to watch some football. He grabbed his wife around the waist, then pulled her down beside him on the sofa.
Next to them were B.J. and Savannah.
Farley and Cassidy were sharing the loveseat.
And Regan was on the floor, texting her boyfriend.
Jeez. Winnie hung back in the kitchen. She’d never felt like such a third wheel. Where had Jackson slipped off to?
She checked Bob Lambert’s office. He wasn’t there.
On an impulse she slipped on her jacket. Snow had helpfully dusted the yard and she could see a set of fresh cowboy-boot tracks leading to the barn the Lamberts called the home barn. It was the oldest barn on the property and was used to house the horses the family used for riding and moving cattle.
Winnie went through a gate, then headed for the sliding doors. As she grew close, she could hear Keith Urban singing “Raining on Sunday.” Must be the radio.
But the song, about spending a stolen day under the covers with a special someone, made her heart feel heavy again. A moment later she realized Jackson was singing along and a thick, sweet yearning came over her.
Jackson had a good voice.
The barn door was open a crack, and she slid it along the track to make a space big enough for her to slip through. Jackson was in one of the stalls, going over a beautiful red bay with a currycomb. He had his back to her, but he must have heard her coming because he stopped singing.
“This is Red Rover. She was my horse when I lived here and worked for the ranch.”
“She’s beautiful.” They both were. The cowboy and his horse. Winnie put a hand on Red Rover’s back as she slipped into the stall next to Jackson.
“Yeah. She has great cattle sense, too. Corb said I could take her with me when I left, but I didn’t feel right about that. I miss her, though.”
The sadness in his voice was almost more than she could stand. She knew it was more than missing his horse.
It was missing the father who had never been part of his life, and the mother who had died far too young. It was the guilt surrounding Brock’s death and the feeling that no matter how hard he tried, he would never really belong on Coffee Creek Ranch.
It was a strong man with a tender heart trying not to let anyone see the pain within....
“Jackson...” She put her hand on his shoulder and felt the solid muscle underneath. Her heart surged with the need to show him how much she cared.
“Stop,” he said. “You should go back in the house.”
“Why?” Because he was feeling vulnerable? But that was exactly why the timing was right. “I know we agreed to forget about our kiss. But I can’t.”
“Winnie...” He said her name like a warning.
“Please, Jackson. I need to talk about what happened.”
He didn’t ask what she meant, but she could feel him take a really big gulp of air. Then he set down the currycomb and led her out of the stall.
“I haven’t been able to forget, either,” he admitted.
Suddenly her nerve faltered and she almost ran from the barn. But then she nodded. “Everything changed after that night. At least for me. I can’t look at you without wanting...” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “Without wanting you to kiss me again.”
His eyes widened when she said that. Then he shook his head. “You’re just feeling lonely. I saw you looking around the Thanksgiving table. All those happy couples. It’s hard to be alone, Winnie. I get that. But it doesn’t mean you and I should...do anything rash.”
“I’m not just trying to fill a void.”
“Are you sure?”
She put her hands on her hips. “Single guys come into my café every day. And two weeks ago, Corb and Laurel set me up with one of their friends.”
“They did? With who?”
“It doesn’t matter who. Because I didn’t feel anything. I even went out for dinner with him.”
“You did?”
Jackson’s two-word sentences were becoming almost comical. But Winnie could tell he was genuinely bothered.
Which was good.
It proved that he was feeling the same way that she was.
“The dinner was a flop. There was a man on my mind the entire time and it wasn’t my date.”
Jackson’s eyes traveled from her eyes to her mouth, then back to her eyes. She felt as though he was looking for something. Something she wanted to give.
“You can’t deny we have a connection.” She took a risk and moved a step closer to him. “Jackson?”
He made a sound, almost like a desperate groan. “You’re making this so hard, Win.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
He swore, a blunt word that had her eyes flying wide open.
And the next second he was kissing her. Almost sweeping her off her feet. She needed his arms to steady her, because she was lost now. Nothing mattered but him. Jackson Stone. Who wanted her as desperately as she wanted him.
“I don’t believe this.”
The voice didn’t seem like it could be real. But it sliced through the heated moment like a cold knife through warm butter. With Jackson’s arms still holding her close, Winnie turned to see Olive framed in the opening by the barn door.
“I wondered why you two kept sneaking off together. Now I know.”
* * *
FOR SEVENTEEN YEARS Jackson had lived at Coffee Creek Ranch knowing Olive barely tolerated him and had only agreed to be his foster parent because her husband had insisted. Jackson had done his best to stay out of her way, to work hard and earn his keep and to avoid trouble at all costs.
But she’d never stopped treating him like an outsider. Even when he was in charge of the quarter-horse operation, she’d never granted him signing authority over the ranch account, the way she had with Corb, B.J., Brock and Cassidy.
If a job went wrong, if money was missing, hell, if an animal got sick—she found a way to blame him.
And he’d endured it all while he was under her roof.
But he was his own man now.
And he had reached his limit with her interfering ways.
Especially since she was targeting Winnie now, too.
“We were hardly sneaking, Olive. I came out to say hello to my horse. And Winnie needed some fresh air.” He squared off against Olive, his stance solid and confident, one hand still on the small of Winnie’s back.
“Don’t you lie to me, young man. I saw what you two were up to.”
“You mean the fact that we were kissing? We’re both single. We have nothing to apologize for.” He kept his voice calm yet firm, hiding his own feelings of doubt and guilt about the situation.
Winnie looked at him, as if amazed that he was remaining so composed.
“This is disgusting.” Olive’s tone was blistering. “We treated you like a member of our family. Now I find you sneaking off to the barn to kiss Brock’s fiancée.”
God, the woman knew how to press his buttons. He waited a second for the heat of his anger to taper. “We didn’t sneak out. We came openly. And the kiss—not that it’s any of your business—just happened.” Jackson glanced at Red Rover, then back to Olive. “I understand that this is your property. I should have asked your permission before coming out here.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
He inclined his head, acknowledging this. “Then let me ask the same of you. I accept you have the right to restrict where I go on your property. But no right at all to tell me who I can kiss.”
He could tell his efforts to stay calm and rational were having the opposite reaction on Olive. Her eyes were brilliant green, her face red, her lips tight. Pressure was building up in her like steam from a kettle under the heat.
“I’d like to know what Brock would say about this.” Her voice was full of indignation. “If he only knew...”
In a flash of anger—that she would bring this up, that she would stoop so low—Jackson spoke without thinking. “But Brock doesn’t know. And he can’t. Because he’s gone.”
Olive gasped at his blunt words and Winnie touched his sleeve as if to restrain him. She looked shocked and confused.
And why wouldn’t she? He’d told her that he considered a relationship between the two of them inappropriate. Now here he was, defending their kiss to Brock’s mother.
Olive planted her hands on her hips. “I guess you’re right, Jackson. I can’t tell you what to do. But let’s just say I’m extremely disappointed.” She narrowed her eyes at Winnie. “With both of you.”
* * *
NO SOONER HAD Olive left the barn than Red Rover’s tail went up and a patty of poop plopped out.
Jackson patted his horse. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Winnie laughed, a nervous, forced sound. “That was awful. I shouldn’t have followed you out here.” She covered her face with her hands. “I can just imagine what she’s going to tell all the others when she gets back in the house.”
“I bet she says nothing.” Jackson suspected Olive would stay silent, hoping her condemnation would stop their budding relationship from going any further. “But either way, it isn’t her business. This is between you and me.”
“Maybe. But as Bobby’s grandmother and an important citizen of this community, Olive has the power to make both of our lives miserable.”
“That’s true. But I’m sick of being pushed around and manipulated by that woman.” He took a deep breath. “We should go out tomorrow night, Win. Just the two of us.”
She looked at him dubiously. “I’d like that. But are you sure it’s a good idea?”
He wasn’t. But damn it. A man could only take so much. “These past couple of weeks, trying to avoid you and not think about you... They’ve been hell.”
“For me, too,” she said softly. “But it’s the Thanksgiving weekend. Might be hard to find a sitter.”
He’d never dated a single mom before. This was going to be complicated. But before he could come up with a plan B, she had one.
“How about you come over to my place for dinner?”
He was about to say yes when he realized that wasn’t fair to Maddie. She’d hired him to be more than a ranch foreman. He was supposed to be providing her with care and companionship, as well. If he went out tomorrow, that would make two meals she’d spent on her own over the Thanksgiving weekend.
So he made a counter offer. “Why don’t you let me cook for you? Would you and Bobby like to come out to Silver Creek?”
“Seriously? You’ll cook?”
“Sure. If you bring another one of those pies. I’m thinking of Maddie, of course.”
She laughed.
It was a real laugh this time, and the tight ball of tension in his gut finally loosened. He felt a smile break out on his face.
“It’s a deal.” She glanced toward the house. “Should we head in now?”
“You go ahead. I’ll finish up with Red Rover. It would be diplomatic if we didn’t enter the house together.”
She nodded her agreement. “So Bobby and I will see you tomorrow?”
“Yup. Around five good?”
She agreed, then slipped out the door. He resisted the urge to watch as she walked away. Instead he focused on his horse, finishing the rubdown that Winnie had interrupted earlier.
In the wake of Winnie’s departure it seemed as if a warm glow lingered in the barn. But slowly the warmth faded and he was left realizing that he’d been so determined to defy Olive, he’d gone against his own better judgment.
Could he really date Winnie without feeling guilty about Brock?
He didn’t know.
But it seemed he was going to give it a try.
* * *
“WHAT GIVES WITH you and Jackson?”
Laurel was in the passenger seat of Winnie’s SUV. It was Black Friday and they were on their way to Lewistown to do some shopping. They’d left Bobby and Stephanie napping at Laurel’s place, with Corb in charge. He’d been sitting on the sofa with a bag of chips and a soda watching football when they’d left.
Winnie suspected he’d be a lot less relaxed when they returned.
In years gone by, Black Friday had meant a chance to shop for fashions and early Christmas gifts. Today, she and Laurel were on the hunt for bargains on diapers and baby clothes.
“Sorry to be blunt,” Laurel added. “But I’ve been dying to ask you.”
“I give you credit for waiting this long.”
“I was hoping you’d bring it up first.”
Laurel’s voice was slightly reproachful, and for good reason. They didn’t normally keep secrets from one another.
“Let me ask you something first. What did Olive say yesterday when she came in from the barn?”
“She said she had a headache. Then she went into her room and slammed the door shut.”
“That’s it? She didn’t say anything about...”
Laurel sighed. “She didn’t need to. The chemistry between you and Jackson yesterday was pretty obvious. The way you hung out together in the study before dinner. Then stared at one another all during the meal.”
“We didn’t stare.” She glanced at her friend and noted the raised eyebrows. “We didn’t.”
“Watch out for the cow.”
“What?”
“Watch out for the cow!”
Winnie was already on the brakes at that point. Fortunately the road was dry and the car stopped without skidding. The black Angus cow standing in the dead center of the road gave her a bored look.
“Go!” Winnie waved her hand. “Shoo.” She tried honking her horn, and the cow, after some thoughtful deliberation, finally moved a few feet over so she could pass.
“Stupid cow.” Winnie focused on the road as she brought the car back up to speed.
“So?” Laurel asked. “You were saying...”
She could see she had no choice. “I know you told me it would be weird if Jackson and I had a thing. But I’ve tried not to feel that way about him, and Lord knows he’s tried not to feel that way about me, but—”
“You can’t fight it anymore?” Laurel suggested.
“That’s right. We can’t.” She took a deep breath, then risked a quick look at her friend. “Is this going to be a problem?”
“Not for Corb and me.” Laurel was quick to reassure her. “I didn’t realize your feelings were already so strong or I never would have tried to talk you out of it.”
“Really? Oh, Laurel, I’m so relieved to hear that. We’re having our first official date tonight. What do you think B.J. and Cassidy will say?”
“I’m pretty sure they’ll be cool with it, too. But Olive is another matter.”
“I know,” Winnie said glumly. Any other woman and she wouldn’t be too worried. But this was Olive. And for better or worse, she was still Bobby’s grandmother.