River's End (River's End Series, #1)(11)

“What were you doing?”

Ben shrugged. “Nothing.”

Jack waited. Ben didn’t say anything further. Fine. Okay. Shrugs. That was the extent of his son’s interactions with him. Damn adolescence. Jack put a hand to his neck and pressed.

“She’s too old for you,” he finally said.

Ben’s face came up, his eyes furious, as a blush crept over his skin. “God, Dad, I was only helping her in with her duffel bag.”

“Look, I don’t like Chance. I don’t know about his sister; other than she has nothing to do with us.”

He shrugged. “She’s a nice lady, Dad. I gotta work.”

Ben turned and headed out to the barn.

Jack watched him leave with apprehension in his gut. First Joey, then Shane, now Ben? He glanced at the trailer, infested with Polettis. She was trouble. Nothing, but unending trouble. He was sure of it, right down to the pointed toes on his cowboy boots. This was a house full of men. There was no place in it for a single, sexy woman. There could be nothing but trouble in store with Erin Poletti.

He saw her last night, when she stopped before the house, eyeing it up. Doing what? Deciding how much it would be worth to her? What did she want? To rob them? Marry into them? What the hell did she intend to do?

And if he were distracted by the bra and legs, what was his poor, young, hormone-pumping son supposed to do? Or his trusting younger brother? Jack kneaded at the thick knot in his neck. Finishing his coffee, he set it on the porch and stepped off to head towards the pasture. He’d already been out there for three hours. Break time was over; he had to get back to working the young mare he was training for the local vet.

****

Erin carried the vacuum with her up the porch and knocked on the door. It wasn’t long before Kailynn opened it. She looked her up and down with a frown.

“I wanted to return the vacuum,” Erin said when Kailynn didn’t speak.

Kailynn opened the door wider, and Erin stepped through it. She had to nearly crane her neck back to meet Kailynn’s gaze. She was tall for a woman and slumped her shoulders too far forward, as if to lessen her height. If she stood straighter, with her shoulders back, she would have been a beautiful girl. She had long, brown hair, and a pretty, fresh, wholesome face, that was quite extraordinary with a wide mouth and spray of freckles over her nose and cheeks. They must have been about the same age. However, there seemed no hope of a friendly acquaintance if Kailynn’s frown of disapproval at her was any indication.

Erin stretched out her hand with the vacuum dangling off it and Kailynn took it.

Erin glanced about. They were alone in the house. The morning dishes sat around the table, along with a general air of chaos left in the wake of Rydell men.

“So do you live here?”

Kailynn looked hard at her. Would she refuse to answer on the general grounds that she found Erin so distasteful? Finally, she said, “I don’t live here. I work here. I’m a neighbor and I work here whenever I’m not working at the diner in River’s End. I do the housework, prepare the meals, and sometimes look after Charlie.”

“Oh. They didn’t mention that to me.”

“Why would they? You aren’t their guest, after all.”

“Right.” Erin nodded. Ouch. She had definitely pissed Kailynn off, but for no reason she knew. “Not a fan of my brother’s, huh?”

Kailynn’s eyes widened in surprise. She had an unusual grayish, almost violet-hued eye color. “Why would you say that?”

“Seemed the most likely reason for disliking me on sight. It seems to be Jack’s as well.”

Kailynn had the grace to hang her head. “I can’t speak for Jack. I don’t know you. I have no opinion.”

Erin grinned. “I’d respect you more if you were just honest about it. Like Jack. Then I at least know who to look out for. Is it Joey? Because I flirt with him?”

She stiffened. “Joey? No. I’m the housekeeper here, not a factor in any of the relationships.”

“So not Joey?”

Kailynn shook her head, her expression confused. Erin shrugged. “All right, Kailynn. I thought it might be nice to know another woman around here. Maybe not.”

She turned and walked out. She felt judged enough by Jack Rydell, and didn’t need it from the housekeeper too.

****

“He’s the horse whisperer.”

Erin turned when Joey came up beside her. It was three o’clock before she’d finally driven across the river and up the valley several miles. That was where she found a small, country store and spent fifty bucks on some boxed food and milk. She’d also eaten some mac‘n’cheese and felt like a new person. Happily fed, and finally not so bone-numbing cold, she stepped out of the trailer. She was leaning on a wood fence that separated her from the round pen where Jack was working with a small, white-speckled horse. She had no idea what Jack was doing, but observed that he’d been patiently at it for some time.

“What?”

“Jack. He’s like that movie Robert Redford made years back. It’s like he talks to them. I can train the horses, but not like him. He’s the best I’ve ever seen.”

She glanced up at Joey. He was staring out at his brother. The look in his eyes was almost sad or wistful. It contained both resentment and longing. Whatever their relationship, Joey and Jack had a complicated one.