River's End (River's End Series, #1)(40)

“So you don’t think I am? Like him, I mean?”

Why did her big-eyed look seem so hopeful? For what? His approval? Did his opinion matter so much to her? He shook his head. “No, you don’t appear to be a lying, stealing, shiftless piece of shit like your brother is.”

She laughed.

“That doesn’t offend you?”

“About Chance? No. I understand exactly how you feel about him.”

“Then, I ask again, why did you come to him?”

She looked away and crossed her arms to hug her middle. “My mom died. I lost my job. My stepfather wanted me out; and I guess I hoped to find something better than what I had.”

“When did your mom die?”

“A few months back.”

“I’m sorry. I know how hard it is.”

She glanced at him. “I guess you do. Anyway, I should go. Let you guys get back to… well, whatever it is men do together.”

He stepped forward. “Why don’t you come inside?”

She eyed him skeptically, but finally, nodded. “Okay. If it’s okay with you.”

****

Jack watched his brothers’ eyes following her. There was no way they couldn’t. How often did anything small and feminine appear in their midst? And she smelled good. And had pretty skin and big eyes.

Ian didn’t say much to her, but he didn’t say much to anyone. However, his gaze followed her as much as Shane’s unconcealed interest. Shane had no problems engaging Erin in small talk. He flirted with her outrageously. If Joey hadn’t gotten to her first, Shane would have most definitely been the bedroom Erin was coming in and out of. At least, Shane wouldn’t send her out in the middle of the night alone. Ben, too, had a raging crush on her. Each time she talked to him, he blushed and stammered. He followed her around like a puppy, and seemed just as eager to please her.

She appeared overwhelmed with all of them in one room. Jack noticed it now, when he hadn’t before. She was shy, almost timid. And nice. Way nicer than he expected her to be. He could tell she was nervous by the way she waited before speaking or acting, as if to see how those around her did first. She tried to follow what everyone else did.

What most distracted him about her was her top. It never quit dipping down to her breasts, where she constantly tried to reset it. He wasn’t the only one who noticed. Dinner was usually a quick meal. They ate, cleared the dishes, cleaned up, and they were done. Tonight, however, was different. They lingered because Erin ate such small, polite bites. She chewed with her mouth closed and her napkin in her lap; and cut her meat and potatoes into small mouthfuls. So they all slowed down, cut their food smaller, and half-closed their mouths while chewing too. After dinner, she jumped up to help, but Jack waved her off. It would have been too easy to let her. It would have seemed too nice. How long had it been since there was a woman around the house? Kailynn was there most days, but usually not when any of them were in the house. It must have been years since they had a woman there. So many years, Jack temporarily forgot how it felt.

When he looked up at the sound of soft murmurs, he paused with a dripping plate in his hand. Drops of water slid off his hand to the floor. Erin sat at the table with Charlie next to her and their heads were bent over a notebook. They were talking quietly. Finally, she took the spiral notebook and pencil and started sketching. How long since he last saw a woman sitting so closely with his son? Over five years. Longer than five years since Lily sat at that very table with Ben. For Lily never sat at the table and helped Charlie with his homework. She was dead long before he entered school.

Jack shook himself and turned away, jamming the plate into the dishwasher. He stared out at the now darkened yard.

“Dad, come look at his.”

Taking a breath, he turned around. His déjà vu feelings were quickly stowed back inside his heart, which was where they mostly resided now.

“Yeah, Charlie?”

“Look at what Erin did.”

He walked closer to the table and she looked uncomfortable at his approach. Charlie slid the spiral notebook towards him. On it was a drawing, which he found kind of offensive: it depicted him, Ian, Shane, and Joey. All of them were drawn in full caricature, with exaggerated representations of their more apparent personality traits. Jack towered, big and tall, over the entire drawing. His cheeks were puffed, and his arms crossed. Ian was smaller and looked solemn; Shane’s grin dominated his face with flirtation, and Joey was so pretty, she drew a sparkle at the top of his head. Jack stared at it, totally surprised. It was amazing. It looked like something professional. Yet, she managed to draw it in the few minutes he spent washing dishes. He glanced at her. Her face was close, and just to the left of him. She looked back and her eyes got big, while her pink tongue darted out and licked her lips. His gaze narrowed in on that. She quickly dropped her head.

Grabbing the tablet, she explained, “I was fooling around. Charlie has to draw his family for school, and we were just kidding around.”

Now they had attracted the others’ attention, who all walked over. They started laughing. The depiction was right on.

“Jesus, can you draw. You take classes to do that?”

She laughed. “Classes? To scribble a cartoon? No. Of course not. It’s just a joke. For Charlie.”

Ben laughed. “Dad, she’s got you down perfect. Instead of lord of the dance, it’s lord of the ranch.”