Turning around to face the man, I plastered a smile on my face and braced myself. His brooding gaze leveled on me. A shudder rocked through my body that I could barely control. Every instinct inside of me was screaming that I should run as eyes the color of emeralds poured into me. He looked nothing like I’d expected. In southern Texas, the men were tanned, tall, and golden Gods.
Instead, tendrils of jet-black hair barely covered his eyes. While he had the same southern rancher’s tan that most had, his muscular frame seemed too big for the little kitchen. I couldn’t help the heat from washing across my body as his gaze lingered on me. He made no effort to hide his desire, a little smile dancing on his lips before it was carefully hidden again. My cheeks felt hot. I knew they were a bright red that was impossible for me to hide. Despite my attempts, I'd always worn my emotions on my face for the world to see.
“Who the hell are you?” He asked.
My mouth dropped open. “I…I’m Jennifer. Jennifer Martin…I was just washing the dishes.”
“Well, I can see that, but it doesn’t tell me why the hell you are at my house in the first place. Is that your car out there? Who let you in?” He yelled out.
“Mr. Smith!” Gwen said. “I didn’t see you pull up. I’m so sorry. We’ll be out of your hair in just a little bit.”
“Don’t worry,” he grumbled. “You are no bother. I just didn’t realize there were two of you now.”
“Yes,” Gwen quickly said. “I hope that’s okay. If you’d prefer the single rate, that’s fine as well. We do get more work done in less time, though.”
“I don’t care one way or the other. I just like to know who is coming into my house.”
“Of course, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think to ask. I assure you; Jennifer is a trustworthy person. I’ve known her my entire life.”
The man stormed away before Gwen could say anything else. Before I could react to either of them, she grabbed sheets from the washer and dragged me out back of the house to the clothesline. When we were a safe distance from the home, she started throwing the linens over the line. My mind was still reeling from the encounter. There had been an instant attraction between us, but he’d been so angry! Instantly my temper started to flare again.
“What the hell is that guys problem?” I snapped. “Good god, you’d think I was robbing the place the way he acted. I’ve got half a mind to go back in there –
“Don’t even think about it. He’s not normally like that. I don’t know why he seemed so irritated today. Try not to let it get to you. Sometimes we just have to deal with grumpy customers. I promise if you meet him on a good day, he’s a sweet man.”
“Sure,” I grumbled. “He seems like a real fun guy.”
“Come on,” Gwen said. “Let’s get this done, then we can hit the bar for a few drinks. It’s been a long week; I think we deserve that.”
“Dear God, that’s the best idea I’ve heard all day. Do you want to finish this up, and I’ll finish the kitchen?” I asked.
She grinned. “Are you sure you can go back in there and keep your mouth shut like a good kid? Don’t get me wrong, I bet he deserves a good tongue lashing, but maybe not on company time.”
I groaned and rolled my eyes. “Yes, mom. I promise I will be nice to the spoiled little rich man.”
“Good.” Gwen gave me a wink.
I laughed and headed back into the house. It was silent except for the washing machine and dryer that were running. As I moved through the kitchen and took care of little tasks, I listened for Mr. Smith to come back into the room, but nothing happened. Perhaps I’d been wrong about the fire between us. Turning my attention back to work, I chuckled and shook my head.
What the hell was I thinking? A man like him would never be attracted to a woman like me. My life was a mess. I was barely able to get my shit together enough to get a job as a housekeeper. Why would anyone want to be with me? I fought the voices of negativity as they struggled to gain footing in my mind. Depression wasn’t foreign to me. My father had suffered from it as well.
While his death certificate had cited a drug overdose, I knew the underlying issues had stemmed from his own tragic upbringing. I shuddered at the memory of finding his bloated body when I’d been sixteen. It was a cross I would bear for the rest of my life; it still haunted my dreams. Using the same tools I’d learned in college to counter my own anxiety, I fought to regain control of my mind. I made a conscious effort to improve my thoughts and think about everything I had going for me.
“So, you’re the new help?” he asked.
I jumped. The plate in my hand went soaring through the air and collided with the tile floors several feet away. It shattered into four large chunks while smaller bits of ceramic went spiraling all across the kitchen’s spotless floors. Instantly I cringed and wondered how well his temper would hold up after such a stupid mistake. I slowly looked in his direction. He looked slightly amused at my concern.
“Are you okay?” He asked. “I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”
“You mean when you blurted out that I must be your new help? Yeah, oddly enough, when you sneak up on someone, it surprises them.”
His mouth closed into a tight purse as his gaze leveled on me. My heart started to race. What had I done?
4
Henry
“Are you always this pleasant to the people who employ you?” I asked.
She glared at me. “Are you always this belittling to the people that work for you? Or is that reserved for the woman only?”
“I’ll have you know, every person on this ranch is happy and well-compensated.”
“For tolerating your temper? I’d imagine you have quite the payroll then.” She said.
“You’ve got a smart mouth; do you know that?” I asked. “You seemed to think you’ve already got me figured out.”
She shrugged. “I’ve known your type before.”
My mouth dropped open. I couldn’t believe the sassy little woman standing in front of me with one hand on her hip was real. The tight fit of her simple white tee left little to the imagination. I’d been stunned into silence the first time I’d caught a glimpse of her. There was a wildfire in her eyes that set my blood on fire. My hand twitched. I wanted to pull her into my arms and kiss her. She watched me like a hawk as I leaned against the fridge.
“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” I said. “I didn’t mean to snap at you earlier. It’s a product of my upbringing. I’m still not used to having a housekeeper.”
“No offense, but blaming your childhood for your actions is a copout. Why not just say ‘sorry I was an ass, it's just who I am’ at least that’s taking responsibility.”
“I’m sorry, how long have you been working with Gwen?”
She cringed. “A few weeks. I shouldn’t have said any of that. Please don’t tell her. I’m sorry, it was rude of me.”
For the first time, I caught a glimpse of the woman beneath the shield of a sharp tongue. Concern flooded her eyes as she looked around for Gwen. A quick glance out the window told me she was still outside hanging up the guest room sheets. I could never understand the point of a guest room or the need for bedding to regularly be laid out on it just to get washed after weeks of no use. Turning my attention back to Jennifer, I smiled.