The Cowboy Lassos a Bride(9)

Still, she'd better do her best or she'd find herself out of the game,  off the table and over with the other losers playing pool.

All the way across the room from Jake.

As he placed his bet, Hannah finally admitted the truth to herself;  she'd give anything to get a whole lot closer to him. Two weeks in bed  with Jake?

She was there.

Jake placed his cards on the table and waited for the groans of the other players to subside before he raked in the pot. Again.

He was on fire tonight, and not just because he was lucky with cards.  When he'd spoken to Hannah earlier, he'd seen the interest flare in her  wide, blue eyes. He felt confident that given enough time he could win  her, just like he was winning this game. Too bad he didn't have much  time.

He let his thigh brush hers under the table and was rewarded when she  gave a little jump. When he looked her way a blush was creeping up her  cheeks. Poor Hannah. Didn't she know she'd never win a poker game with  that tell-tale face? What was she thinking about? Getting closer to him?  Touching more than his thigh under the table? He'd sure like to touch a  lot more of her. Hannah filled out her casual jeans and sweater in all  the right places, curvy as a movie star with a mouth made for kissing.  As he knew too well. He'd thought a lot about kissing Hannah again since  the Mortimers' wedding. Time to get this show on the road. As soon as  he managed to ask her out.                       
       
           



       

Ethan was just dealing out the cards for the next round of play when the  house phone rang and Autumn excused herself from the other table to  answer it.

Jake studied the new hand he'd been dealt. He could work with this, he  mused. The real question was whether he could work with the cards life  had dealt him. An interested woman. An ultimatum from his father. Could  he take the two and create a winning hand out of them? A lifetime with  the woman who'd tormented his dreams for weeks now?

The timing was short but you only got so many chances in life to hitch  your yoke to another person who not only attracted you physically but  also stimulated your mind. He felt confident he wouldn't regret marrying  Hannah, if he could get her.

Could he get her? That was the real question.

"I see," Autumn said into the phone. "Um …  yes, of course. Yes, we have  openings for that time period." She had moved to the small desk and  computer off her kitchen space where she took bookings for the guest  ranch and kept her accounts. She pulled up the booking software.

"Looks like someone's coming to stay," Jake said to Ethan.

"Good thing. It's been pretty thin this past month. Can't blame people  for not wanting to visit a ranch in November, but we need the income  from the guests or we'll have to tighten our belts."

"Yes. Yes, I think we can accommodate you. What time will you arrive?"  As Autumn went on speaking into the phone, asking questions and  answering them, they continued to play, but Jake could tell Ethan's mind  was on Autumn's conversation. He could believe that bookings were  important to him. They'd been able to have Thursday night get-togethers  here every week for the past month. That meant no paying guests, which  meant business wasn't as good as it needed to be. Everyone knew Ethan's  mother had spent much of the ranch's earnings on travel and, as it  turned out, funding programs to help women in Afghanistan. When Ethan  inherited the ranch it was deeply in debt. Over the last six months he'd  banded together with Autumn, Jamie, Claire, Rob, and Morgan to pay down  the mortgage and solidify its earnings. With all the businesses they  were starting together, they should soon have plenty of cash. Jake  envied them their togetherness and the variety of their income sources.  He and his brothers and parents worked the Double-Bar-K together, but it  was strictly a cattle ranch, and if Holt had his way, that's what it  would stay.

Autumn hung up and turned to Ethan. "You're not going to believe it!"

"Tell me." Ethan set his cards face down on the table and rose to go to her.

"A huge family get-together. They want to rent the entire house for four  weeks!" Her face alight with happiness, Autumn crossed the room and  hugged her husband.

"When are they coming?" He kissed her, but Jake could see he wanted to know the details.

"Next Saturday. We're going to have to work like crazy. They'll stay  through New Year's. Apparently they had another lodge booked but a pipe  broke there and flooded the place. They won't be back in business for  months. I feel awful being so happy when someone else is in such  trouble, but I can't help it. Twenty people here for a month! We'll be  able to pay our bills for the rest of the winter, easy!"

As people congratulated Ethan and Autumn on their good luck, Jake  glanced at Hannah and took in her still, worried expression. Mia was  frowning too, and Fila was just as tense.

"What's wrong?" he asked Hannah, bending closer to her. The fresh floral  scent of her shampoo teased his senses. He had to hold back from  touching her arm.

"Twenty people staying here? Hannah, Fila and I will have to move. I guess we could stay in the bunkhouse, but … "

"You could come stay with me. I have a spare room." He had surprised  himself as much as he surprised her. The words just popped out, but the  moment they did he wanted her to say yes. He braced himself for the  stinging answer he was sure she'd fling his way. The offer was obviously  self-serving.

Hannah swallowed, her gaze never leaving his face. "That would be great. Can I move in tonight?"





‡

Chapter Four





"You sure you don't want me to stick around and carry your things to the  car?" Jake asked. They were alone by the front door, the other guests  having already left, but with the open-floor plan of the Big House,  Hannah was all too aware of Autumn, Ethan, Mia and Fila all working to  clean up the dishes from the get-together.

"No. I want to help clean up first and then I'll need some time to pack. You go on home. I'll be there as soon as I can."                       
       
           



       

"I'm looking forward to it." For a moment she thought Jake would lean  down and kiss her, but then he glanced over her head toward the kitchen  area and pulled back. "Don't be too long."

"I won't," she promised him and hurried back to help the others, her  body alight with the knowledge that she'd sleep with him tonight.

Sleep with him, not make love to him. Just like Holt said.

Of course, she could be flexible on that point.

As Mia loaded the dishwasher and Fila fetched a broom, Hannah knew each  of them was worried about their living situations, but she wasn't sure  how to speak up and tell them she was moving out.

"You know we'll make room in the bunkhouse for all of you," Autumn said  to them, returning to the kitchen with a tray of glasses. "It'll be a  little tight, but it's just for one month."

More than a little tight. The bunkhouse only had two bedrooms. Ethan and  Autumn stayed in one. She suspected neither Fila nor Mia relished  sharing the other one, certainly not with two other women.

"Maybe I should find my own place," Fila began in her soft voice. Her  shoulders looked tight and Hannah could tell the entire evening had  placed a strain on the young woman. From what she gathered, it had never  been a good thing for Fila to be noticed during her years in  Afghanistan. She still seemed to want to escape attention as much as  possible. Trouble was, everyone here wanted to make her feel at home and  went out of their way to notice and talk to her. On most occasions,  Fila slipped off to her room before the poker nights were half over.

Autumn and Claire had helped Fila find a lawyer who could track down  information about her parents' estate. Since more than a decade had  passed since they died, it was unclear whether there would be anything  for Fila to inherit. Sooner or later she'd have to find a job, but  everyone agreed she wasn't ready for that yet. Her offer to move wasn't  practical.

"No." Autumn moved to her side. "Your place is here with us. Trust me,  Fila. We'll work this out and it will be no bother to anyone."

"That's right," Hannah said. Fila needed Autumn's caring presence right  now. As much as she'd adapted to life here, she had a long way to go.  While Fila had told them much of her story, Hannah knew there was more  she hadn't told. She could only imagine the abuse she'd witnessed and  maybe experienced herself during her years in captivity. Then, when  she'd stepped forward to tell the American authorities her story, she'd  been grilled by law enforcement and FBI agents to find out everything  she knew and to verify that she herself wasn't a terrorist. Sometimes  Hannah thought those interrogations did more to hurt Fila than her time  in Afghanistan. She'd expected to find safety in Chance Creek. Instead  she'd been treated like a potential criminal. She didn't know who to  trust anymore. Didn't know if anyone trusted her. Fila had folded in on  herself. She needed gentle company, warmth and safety. The last thing  she needed was to rent an apartment somewhere in town and live alone.  Not to mention she couldn't afford it. "I'm moving out anyway, so there  will be plenty of room in the bunkhouse for you, Fila."