Page 39 of Then You Happened
I need to stop watching and go to bed.
Succumbing to the exhaustion from exerting himself for the past however long it’s been, Jack puts his feet on the ground and braces his hands on his knees to what I can only assume is to catch his breath.
Way too many complications to add him to the mix.
I jump as my refrigerator icemaker kicks on and then close my eyes and laugh at my own nervousness. When I open them again, I find Jack standing, back straight and head angled just slightly to the side. It feels as if he’s looking straight at me.
A gasp sneaks past my lips before I freeze, quelling the urge to duck away from the window.
I know there is no way he can see me since the room behind me is so dark even my silhouette would be hard to make out. Yet, he still stares in my direction through the darkness, and I still stand where I am, staring back as chills climb over my skin and prick my scalp, pulling it tight.
I’m not sure why I stand here like this in the early morning hours with an invisible connection across the distance that I’m not even certain is real, but I do. And then, as if he doesn’t understand it either, Jack gives a subtle shake of his head before disappearing into his house and shutting the door.
I need to stay damn clear of him . . . at all costs.
10
TATE
I know he’s behind me.
Even if his shadow didn’t cut the bright sunlight the open stable doors welcomed in, I’d still know he was there.
&n
bsp; Because he’s been everywhere over the past few days.
If he’s not in the ring letting the horses get to know him, he’s in the stable organizing it to his liking while irritating me by putting things in places different than I’m used to. When he’s not hammering something somewhere, fixing whatever it was I obviously didn’t, he’s dropping schedules and ideas on my desk in the form of Post-It notes because I’m never around long enough for him to talk to me.
He’s even in my thoughts when I don’t want him to be simply because he has to be.
Jack freaking everywhere.
So much so that I’ve been feeling claustrophobic in my own house, on my own land, as I try to navigate to anywhere but where he is while also having to work with him in some capacity.
We’ve worked in silence when we were forced to be near each other, him asking what’s wrong in that confident yet playful way he has while I assert that everything is fine.
This is all because I decided to give him the job.
No. It’s happening because I decided to let him in and use the situation to figure out how to trust again.
Strictly for the ranch that is.
The anger I have derives from something else. I know it despite how vehemently I try to deny it.
It’s because every damn time I look at him, I’m reminded of his gentle way with Willow the other day, his spectacular voice, and the incredible way he kisses.
And then I feel ridiculous all over again because who gets embarrassed by a kiss that happened in a dream? Who tries to tell themselves it means nothing when they had the same damn dream again last night?
It’s ludicrous at best, asinine at worst, and frustrating all around.
Of course, the dream comes rushing back to me now as I feel the heat of his stare on my back. I pretend he isn’t there and continue to measure the supplements for each horse so I can mix it in with their grain.
“Are we ever going to talk about this?” Jack finally asks, the dirt beneath his feet crunching on the concrete floor as he shifts his weight.
“Talk about what?” Nonchalant. Unaffected. My attention still focused on what I’m doing.
“About why you keep avoiding me.”
