won’t let me help her. I offered to give her some furniture,
and she about bit my head off.”
“ What does she need
furniture for? Isn’t she living with her folks?” Cade
asked.
“ Not for much longer.
She’s going to rent that house I bought a few streets over from
mine. She doesn’t have any furniture. She said she sold all of hers
before she moved back here. She almost didn’t take the house,
because she said she’d never qualify for credit. She wanted it so
bad she could taste it, but she’d rather do without it than accept
my help. Anyone’s help. She nearly throttled me when I suggested
that I’d cosign on a loan for her. I told her you guys had some old
stuff you were getting rid of, too. She’s going to offer to buy
it.”
Cade nodded and said, “Yeah, she’s
already talked to Callie. Well, at least she’s renting the house
from you. That’s got to be a good sign.”
Jake’s guilt surfaced as he said, “She
doesn’t know I own it. Hell, I’d let her live there rent free, but
I had to name a price, or she’d never have taken it. I have to find
some way to tell her it’s mine, but I’m waiting for a better
time.”
Josh looked at his brother. “Jake, if
she has trust issues, you’d better make it quick. The last thing
you need is to be caught up in something that Trish might consider
as any kind of deception.”
“ Yeah, I know it. Damn it
all to hell. I just want to help her.” Jake’s frustration rang out
clearly.
“ I get that, Jake, I
really do, but sometimes women who have been burned need to prove
they can do for themselves. I don’t mean prove it to you or someone
else, but so they’ll know it and believe in themselves again.
That’s how Eva was in the beginning. Not only didn’t she trust any
man, but she didn’t trust herself. She needed to know she could
handle herself, despite the mistakes she’d made in the past. Maybe
that’s how Trish is feeling.”
“ Maybe.” Jake continued to
process his thoughts.
“ So what’s the plan, bro?
You looking for something long term, or just a quick roll in the
hay?” Josh slapped his brother on the back.
Jake looked at his brother coldly. “Be
careful, Josh.”
“ That’s what I thought.”
Josh smiled. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”
Jake relaxed again. “It’s too soon to
tell. I sure do want to find out, though. She’s a hell of a
woman.”
Cade added, “She comes with strings,
Jake. Those little kids of hers own her heart.”
“ You don’t have to tell me
that. Hell, I’m as crazy about the kids as I am about her. Almost,
anyway. The whole idea of an instant family doesn’t put me off at
all. We’ll get along just fine. I accepted your ass into the
family, didn’t I, Cade? And you were two hundred pounds of mean,
shitty attitude when you first got here.”
Cade smiled at the memory. “I was
that, wasn’t I? You and Josh tolerated me, but Callie brought me
around. Your grandparents, too. You two were suspicious at
first.”
“ We got past that pretty
fast after our folks died and you mellowed out some. You were
always watching out for Callie, and we knew what a handful she was.
We knew she drove you crazy sometimes, but you never lost it with
her, so we figured you were alright. Hell, we all knew you’d end up
marrying her before you did.”
Cade smiled. “Well, I sure won the
prize, didn’t I? Hang in there with Trish, Jake. It’ll be worth it
in the end if you can get past her walls.”
“ I don’t really think I
have a choice. It’s either win her or die trying.”
****
The men all came back to the back
patio about fifteen minutes later. Trish stood up and gave John,
Callie’s grandfather, a big hug.
“ I sure am glad to see
you, honey. I kind of miss those two kids of yours, though. Callie
said they were on vacation with your folks, but you’ll have to
bring them by for a visit when they get back. I got another rabbit
to show Trevor. He’s spotted and real gentle with
and she about bit my head off.”
“ What does she need
furniture for? Isn’t she living with her folks?” Cade
asked.
“ Not for much longer.
She’s going to rent that house I bought a few streets over from
mine. She doesn’t have any furniture. She said she sold all of hers
before she moved back here. She almost didn’t take the house,
because she said she’d never qualify for credit. She wanted it so
bad she could taste it, but she’d rather do without it than accept
my help. Anyone’s help. She nearly throttled me when I suggested
that I’d cosign on a loan for her. I told her you guys had some old
stuff you were getting rid of, too. She’s going to offer to buy
it.”
Cade nodded and said, “Yeah, she’s
already talked to Callie. Well, at least she’s renting the house
from you. That’s got to be a good sign.”
Jake’s guilt surfaced as he said, “She
doesn’t know I own it. Hell, I’d let her live there rent free, but
I had to name a price, or she’d never have taken it. I have to find
some way to tell her it’s mine, but I’m waiting for a better
time.”
Josh looked at his brother. “Jake, if
she has trust issues, you’d better make it quick. The last thing
you need is to be caught up in something that Trish might consider
as any kind of deception.”
“ Yeah, I know it. Damn it
all to hell. I just want to help her.” Jake’s frustration rang out
clearly.
“ I get that, Jake, I
really do, but sometimes women who have been burned need to prove
they can do for themselves. I don’t mean prove it to you or someone
else, but so they’ll know it and believe in themselves again.
That’s how Eva was in the beginning. Not only didn’t she trust any
man, but she didn’t trust herself. She needed to know she could
handle herself, despite the mistakes she’d made in the past. Maybe
that’s how Trish is feeling.”
“ Maybe.” Jake continued to
process his thoughts.
“ So what’s the plan, bro?
You looking for something long term, or just a quick roll in the
hay?” Josh slapped his brother on the back.
Jake looked at his brother coldly. “Be
careful, Josh.”
“ That’s what I thought.”
Josh smiled. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”
Jake relaxed again. “It’s too soon to
tell. I sure do want to find out, though. She’s a hell of a
woman.”
Cade added, “She comes with strings,
Jake. Those little kids of hers own her heart.”
“ You don’t have to tell me
that. Hell, I’m as crazy about the kids as I am about her. Almost,
anyway. The whole idea of an instant family doesn’t put me off at
all. We’ll get along just fine. I accepted your ass into the
family, didn’t I, Cade? And you were two hundred pounds of mean,
shitty attitude when you first got here.”
Cade smiled at the memory. “I was
that, wasn’t I? You and Josh tolerated me, but Callie brought me
around. Your grandparents, too. You two were suspicious at
first.”
“ We got past that pretty
fast after our folks died and you mellowed out some. You were
always watching out for Callie, and we knew what a handful she was.
We knew she drove you crazy sometimes, but you never lost it with
her, so we figured you were alright. Hell, we all knew you’d end up
marrying her before you did.”
Cade smiled. “Well, I sure won the
prize, didn’t I? Hang in there with Trish, Jake. It’ll be worth it
in the end if you can get past her walls.”
“ I don’t really think I
have a choice. It’s either win her or die trying.”
****
The men all came back to the back
patio about fifteen minutes later. Trish stood up and gave John,
Callie’s grandfather, a big hug.
“ I sure am glad to see
you, honey. I kind of miss those two kids of yours, though. Callie
said they were on vacation with your folks, but you’ll have to
bring them by for a visit when they get back. I got another rabbit
to show Trevor. He’s spotted and real gentle with
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