Picnic in Someday Valley (Honey Creek #2)(13)

He jumped out of the bed, grabbed his T-shirt and jeans, and dressed on his way down to the kitchen. Maybe he could help cook. That way he could eat sooner.

Jennifer turned as he stomped down the back stairs. Her bright blue eyes missed little and the smile she flashed assured him he was welcome.

“Thank goodness it’s you, Colby. For a moment I was preparing to finally meet one of my great-grandparents’ ghosts.”

He smiled. “Disappointed it was just me?” Colby raised his hands in surrender.

“No.” The owner of the café laughed. “Maybe you’ll cheer up Piper.” Jennifer raised an eyebrow. “You look like you’ve lost weight.”

Colby grabbed an apple and sat down on the other side of the prep table. “I have. No time to eat.” Jennifer’s words finally sank into his brain. “Piper’s been feeling down?”

The cook just nodded as she worked.

“I came back as soon as I could get free.”

Jennifer laughed as she whacked a cantaloupe in half. “Men!”

Colby stared at the fruit as he wondered what he’d said wrong. He might not be an expert on women, but this one was fairly easy to read. “What?” No need to fill in any more of the question. He had no doubt she’d tell him what she thought. Piper’s cousin had hated men since her divorce. If she hadn’t found her love in running the café, she’d probably be roaming the country decapitating every lying husband she could find.

Jennifer pointed her knife at him. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe you’re not what is bothering Piper? Maybe you’re not the center of her world. She doesn’t need you, Colby. She wants you, or at least she did. Who knows? Your expiration date may be up.”

Now he was more confused. He felt like he’d given all of him there was to give last night. Maybe it wasn’t enough for Piper and she’d asked her cousin to say goodbye.

Should he leave?

“Is there someone else?” That couldn’t be true. He talked to her almost every night. A tiny part of him thought that her finding someone else might be a way out. He wasn’t ready for a forever kind of relationship, and Piper would want that, he guessed. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her either. That thought seemed impossible.

But, he hadn’t expected the thought of her moving on to hurt so much. He felt like Jennifer had slugged him in the gut with one of her cast-iron skillets.

He glared at Piper’s cousin. She’d lifted her knife shoulder high, as if she planned to whack him next. “No, you idiot, she doesn’t have someone else, and having you isn’t having much. I like you, Trooper, but I swear every man I’ve ever known is a few bricks short of a load when it comes to understanding women.”

Colby was considering that starving to death might be an improvement over talking to Piper’s cousin Jennifer in a kitchen full of weapons. “What’s the problem with me?”

“I don’t know, really, but she’s not happy. You’re the obvious place to look.” Jennifer went back to her work decapitating carrot tops. “I thought it might be one of the widows at the big house, but they all looked healthy a week ago when I dropped in. As far as I know there is no problem at city hall. Maybe it’s this cloudy weather. You want breakfast? The grill’s hot.”

“No. I’ll wait until Piper gets back, but thanks. I think I’ll go take a shower.” If he hung around Jennifer any longer, Colby feared he’d be suicidal.

He was halfway up the steps when she added, “This may have nothing to do with you. It may be something not even a Texas Ranger can solve.”

Colby kept walking. When he reached the second floor, he closed his eyes in the stillness of the darkened hallway. He wanted to be Piper’s hero. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to be the one she turned to.

Then one last thought slammed into him. He didn’t want to lose Piper. She mattered too much. He couldn’t walk away.





Chapter 10


Jesse


Jesse thought of the baker as he watched the dawn sun spread over his land. The view of the day’s first light on wet earth was almost the color of Adalee’s sunshine-red hair. He liked the way her curly hair bounced when she wore it down, and how her body was nicely rounded. She had a sweet smile and a wicked come-closer wink.

He’d daydreamed about telling her just what he wanted when she’d say, “What will you have today, Jesse?” but his thoughts were just flashes from a lonely man, nothing more. Not plans, only silent wishing.

If he was brave he’d say, “Just you.” Or, maybe he’d say, “Can I hold you for a while?” Some nights he couldn’t sleep for missing a woman to hold. As if it was some kind of core need, buried deep inside him. But just any woman wouldn’t do.

He couldn’t help but wonder if she knew she was climbing into his thoughts from ten miles away. If she did, she’d probably be blushing about now.

The air was still and heavy, promising a good rain, but for once his mind wasn’t on the weather or the chores he had to finish before he quit and headed back into town.

By the time he got the kids home, fixed supper, got them all bathed and in their pajamas, he’d be too tired to do more than watch the news and go to sleep. If Danny didn’t get up for more water or Sunny Lyn didn’t start crying, Jesse would try to look at the stack of mail he was always behind on opening.