for me and I have nothing but good things to say about what you've done for the farm, but I don't know if it's fair to ask you to stay, especially considering…"
"Especially considering how you feel about Jordan?" Jan finished Maggie's sentence.
Maggie dropped her chin to her chest. "Like I said, Jan, this isn't about Jordan. I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."
"Do you want me to leave, Maggie?"
"I'm not asking you to leave if you don't want to. You are right. You have worked hard to make this farm a success."
Jan stood and walked to the closet to retrieve a suitcase that she carried to the bed. "Okay. I will respect your wishes, Maggie. Like I said, I don't want to walk away from everything I have worked for over the past four years, so if it's all right with you, I'll just move into the bunkhouse with Jordan for now."
Maggie's eyes grew wide. "Do you really think that's a good idea, Jan?"
Jan paused on one of her several trips back and forth between the chest of drawers and suitcase. "Well, if this is not about Jordan, then that shouldn't be a problem, should it? And besides, if I want to stay, I don't see that I have any other choice."
"Okay," Maggie said softly before leaving the room.
* * *
Jordan felt a chill in the air as she made her way across the barnyard. Considering it was late November, she knew it was only a matter of time before early snow fell. She pushed the door open and stepped into the warmth and immediately turned her back to the room to take her jacket off and hang it on a hook beside the door. When she turned around, she met Jan face to face. Her eyes widened with surprise.
"Hey, roomie," Jan said.
Jordan frowned. "Roomie?" she asked.
"That's right. Thanks to you, Maggie has no use for me in her bed anymore."
Jordan walked to the refrigerator and took out a beer. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, taking a swig from the bottle.
Jan rose to her feet. "Well, no matter. Just know I have my eye on you. Don't make the mistake of getting in my way, understand? I don't take kindly to anyone who gets in my way."
Jordan walked directly up to Jan and leaned down toward the shorter woman. "Look, I don't know what's up with you and Maggie, but don't make the mistake of threatening me. Understand? I don't take kindly to anyone who threatens me." Jordan walked away and went to her room.
CHAPTER 5
Jordan reached forward, turned off the water and drew back the shower curtain. As she squeezed the water out of her hair, she heard a loud incessant pounding on the front door of the bunkhouse. Who the hell could that be? She grabbed her towel, wrapped it around herself, and cautiously made her way to the door. "Who is it?" she called out.
"Maggie. I've brought a few things that Jan forgot at the house. May I come in?"
Jordan opened the door and stood there, one hand holding the towel together above her breasts.
Maggie's eyes opened wide. "Oh. I see I caught you at a bad time. I'll come back later," she said, turning to go.
"No. No, it's all right. Come in." Jordan stepped aside and allowed Maggie to enter the bunkhouse.
Maggie held a bag of clothing in front of her. "Jan left these at the house last night. Is she here?"
"No, she's already gone to the barn. That was a nice little surprise you sent my way last night."
"Oh," Maggie exclaimed. "I'm sorry about that, but she offered to stay in the bunkhouse, and I wasn't going to pass on the opportunity to break things off with her without a fight."
"Maggie, you really put me in an awkward situation. What were you thinking?"
Maggie reached out to touch Jordan's arm. "I'm sorry, Jordan. I had to do it. It wasn't fair to continue the charade. Things haven't been good between us for a while now."
"So, why here? Why didn't she just leave?"
Maggie shoved her hands into her pockets. "She didn't want to go… and to tell you the truth, she's good at what she does and I really didn't want to lose her."
Jordan shivered.
"Jordan,
"Especially considering how you feel about Jordan?" Jan finished Maggie's sentence.
Maggie dropped her chin to her chest. "Like I said, Jan, this isn't about Jordan. I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."
"Do you want me to leave, Maggie?"
"I'm not asking you to leave if you don't want to. You are right. You have worked hard to make this farm a success."
Jan stood and walked to the closet to retrieve a suitcase that she carried to the bed. "Okay. I will respect your wishes, Maggie. Like I said, I don't want to walk away from everything I have worked for over the past four years, so if it's all right with you, I'll just move into the bunkhouse with Jordan for now."
Maggie's eyes grew wide. "Do you really think that's a good idea, Jan?"
Jan paused on one of her several trips back and forth between the chest of drawers and suitcase. "Well, if this is not about Jordan, then that shouldn't be a problem, should it? And besides, if I want to stay, I don't see that I have any other choice."
"Okay," Maggie said softly before leaving the room.
* * *
Jordan felt a chill in the air as she made her way across the barnyard. Considering it was late November, she knew it was only a matter of time before early snow fell. She pushed the door open and stepped into the warmth and immediately turned her back to the room to take her jacket off and hang it on a hook beside the door. When she turned around, she met Jan face to face. Her eyes widened with surprise.
"Hey, roomie," Jan said.
Jordan frowned. "Roomie?" she asked.
"That's right. Thanks to you, Maggie has no use for me in her bed anymore."
Jordan walked to the refrigerator and took out a beer. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, taking a swig from the bottle.
Jan rose to her feet. "Well, no matter. Just know I have my eye on you. Don't make the mistake of getting in my way, understand? I don't take kindly to anyone who gets in my way."
Jordan walked directly up to Jan and leaned down toward the shorter woman. "Look, I don't know what's up with you and Maggie, but don't make the mistake of threatening me. Understand? I don't take kindly to anyone who threatens me." Jordan walked away and went to her room.
CHAPTER 5
Jordan reached forward, turned off the water and drew back the shower curtain. As she squeezed the water out of her hair, she heard a loud incessant pounding on the front door of the bunkhouse. Who the hell could that be? She grabbed her towel, wrapped it around herself, and cautiously made her way to the door. "Who is it?" she called out.
"Maggie. I've brought a few things that Jan forgot at the house. May I come in?"
Jordan opened the door and stood there, one hand holding the towel together above her breasts.
Maggie's eyes opened wide. "Oh. I see I caught you at a bad time. I'll come back later," she said, turning to go.
"No. No, it's all right. Come in." Jordan stepped aside and allowed Maggie to enter the bunkhouse.
Maggie held a bag of clothing in front of her. "Jan left these at the house last night. Is she here?"
"No, she's already gone to the barn. That was a nice little surprise you sent my way last night."
"Oh," Maggie exclaimed. "I'm sorry about that, but she offered to stay in the bunkhouse, and I wasn't going to pass on the opportunity to break things off with her without a fight."
"Maggie, you really put me in an awkward situation. What were you thinking?"
Maggie reached out to touch Jordan's arm. "I'm sorry, Jordan. I had to do it. It wasn't fair to continue the charade. Things haven't been good between us for a while now."
"So, why here? Why didn't she just leave?"
Maggie shoved her hands into her pockets. "She didn't want to go… and to tell you the truth, she's good at what she does and I really didn't want to lose her."
Jordan shivered.
"Jordan,
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