And have him watch me walk around naked? “No.” Maybe.
Her heart fluttering again, she met him at the table and sat down across from him. In addition to the French toast, he’d brought out a bottle of pure maple syrup and a platter of bacon. He was a man after her heart.
The meal was prepared perfectly. The bread had exactly the right amount of batter, and it was golden brown. A hint of the filling peeked out around the edges. “Looks amazing.” She filled her plate, then took a bite and sighed. “Do you treat all your captives this well?”
“I prefer the term client. Or protectee.” He snapped his fingers. “Wait. As I said before, guest is even better. It makes a difference to your experience. Therefore, service matters, which you know all about since your family is in the hospitality industry. We’re hoping you’ll leave Hawkeye a good review online and recommend us to your friends and family.”
At his absurdity, she couldn’t help but grin.
“I’m hoping you’ll give us five stars for the Morning Star Suite here at the Starlight Mountain Ranch. I trust the bed is comfortable enough?”
Seduced by the meal, his smile, the surroundings, and his banter, she played along. “Definitely. Exceeded my expectations.” Which was true. “The fluffy robe is a nice touch. If I take it home, can you add the cost to my bill?”
“It’s complimentary with every five-day stay.”
How different would the experience be if she really were his guest here? Everything about the place was spectacular. Over the years, she’d paid a lot of money to relax and recharge at nearby lodges and spas, but she’d never had any of them to herself.
As they ate, he informed her the distant peak was named Saddle Mountain. Then he gave her the history of the ranch, including the struggles each generation had gone through to hold on to it.
“Ranching isn’t easy. And the world isn’t either. My great-grandparents lost their only son in a war. There are challenges with fluctuating beef prices, drought, fights over water rights. Weather. Always the weather. One thing my grandfather was interested in was cross-breeding. Our cattle can survive the harshest winters and terrain. Because of that, we sell them all over the country, including Montana and Wyoming.”
“I didn’t even know that was a thing.”
“It took us years to get it where it is now. Still a long way to go. But his foresight has been the thing that has helped us hold on to the property.”
She sipped from her now cool tea. “You love it here.”
Before answering, he looked into the distance. “I didn’t always.” He pushed his empty plate aside. “It took being gone to appreciate my roots.”
“Did you leave to work with Hawkeye?”
A red-tailed hawk screeched in the sky, then soared on a thermal.
“No. Much earlier than that. I joined the military right after college.”
“So that’s where the two of you met?”
“Yeah.” He faced her again. “In another lifetime.”
“Sometimes I think he never came back.”
Jacob inclined his head to one side, watching her carefully. “You’ve known him a long time.”
“No. I mean… As the calendar goes, yes. Years. But I don’t know him at all.” She shook her head. “For a little while, I thought maybe I did. Then one day he was gone. And I mean that literally. I saw him almost every day, and then…nothing.”
Jacob fixed her with his intense gaze. “You were hurt?”
“Of course.” A little lost. Bereft, but more than anything, confused. She’d become accustomed to Hawkeye coming into the pub late every afternoon. He’d spend hours there, staying until well after dark. They enjoyed deep conversation, and he’d taken her out for dinner on a couple of occasions. One moonless evening, after he’d walked her home, they shared a meaningful kiss on her front porch. She’d gone to bed wondering if their relationship would develop into something more substantial.
She never expected he’d leave without saying goodbye. Less than a week later, he called to say he was no longer in the state and had no plans to return. “I thought we were friends, but the truth was, he’d never let me in. He never mentioned his family or his life before the military. I know something happened in…” She paused, wondering if he’d fill in the details. “Peru or Ecuador, if I recall.”
“Close enough.”
So Jacob knew. Or he’d been there as well. “It was as if he’d been at the pub physically, but somewhere else mentally.”
“Yeah.”
Jacob was slightly different. Just as strong. Rugged. Dangerous. But last night there’d been heat in his eyes. There’d been emotion in his voice when he commanded her to leave. It made him more complex, a little more human.
“He’s worried about you.” He steepled his index fingers. “Clearly you mean something to him.”
She hesitated before replying. “Are you fishing for information, Jacob?”
“And if I am? Wondering what you mean to each other?”
Elissa sucked in a shallow breath. Asking about her entanglements indicated either a natural curiosity or something more. Since they’d kissed, she was willing to bet he wanted to be sure her relationship with his friend wouldn’t come between them. Finally she exhaled. “To be honest, nothing other than friendship. When we met, I wondered if there might be something more.” She shook her head. “There wasn’t.”
Because he allowed the silence to engulf them, she was compelled to continue. “That’s why I’m frustrated by this whole thing. You know, the way you abducted me and—”
He winced, and she stopped talking.
“You’ve mentioned that once or twice.”
“All I’m trying to say is that Hawkeye shouldn’t be concerned for my well-being at all. No one really knew about us—not that there ever was an us.” She shrugged. “You have to admit I have a point, though. Right? He’s overreacting.” She expected to garner sympathy or at least understanding. Instead, Jacob’s features hardened, and shards of jade shot through his eyes.
“Hawkeye doesn’t take chances with people who matter to him.”
“God, Jacob. Have you listened to a single word I’ve said? I don’t matter to him, and I never did.”
“Someone may believe differently. And that’s the only thing that matters.”
With a clatter, she put her cup down. The conversation was going nowhere. Jacob was loyal to his friend rather than to her.
“I have my orders.”
Like a good military man, he would follow them. Why had she hoped for anything different?
After a long pause, he finally spoke. “How much do you know about what’s going on?”
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” She exhaled her frustration. “I’m struggling with all this drama. In my place, would you take it seriously?”
“He has a right-hand woman.” His tone was measured, as if deciding how much information to divulge.
“Are you talking about Ms. Inamorata?”
“So you do know her?”
Elissa desperately wanted to yank back her words. “You miss nothing.”