change her mind about who he was. He needed to reassure Heidi instead.
Chapter Eight
“Jake, what are you doing?” Cassie leaned her back against the corral’s railing. She had known Jake was behind her and Heidi before he had appeared. She caught a whiff of the faint hint of his soap and skin, mingled with the smell of the barn as it had drifted on the breeze. Her only concern had been his effect on the horse and Heidi if his sudden presence were to startle either of them. She had not predicted that artificial charm of his would drip from his lips, to bounce back and smack him in the face, though. Heidi was going to be fine, but now whatever Jake’s careful appearance had been arranged to accomplish, Heidi had distracted him from his purpose.
Cassie tossed her hair back from her neck, sticky in the burning afternoon sun, finally allowing herself a smile. She listened as Jake talked calmly and smoothly to his little sister. A pang of incredulity bit at her heart. His voice was different when he was sincere. She had heard the difference in the canyon that evening with Kirstie, and she heard it now as Jake talked with his sister as they approached the deeper recesses of the barn. It had been in every word he had said since his arrival. Though it may have backfired on him, he had been truly honest in his appraisal of Heidi’s newly developed skills with her horse.
Cassie mentally chastised herself for not intervening after Heidi’s misunderstanding. She could have at least encouraged his gentle and appropriate handling of the frantic young girl. With her mind racing, Cassie turned her face toward the sound of his car and grimaced darkly. Fear had never made for good decisions. Why did she have such a tenuous grip on her opinion of a guy who was about as deep as a puddle in the desert?
The depths of his voice poked in her thoughts as she listened to him calmly reassure Heidi. She could tell he was behind the barn and would not assume she could hear him, so she tuned her ears into his charismatic tones.
“Heidi, I’m going to put you in my car. I will tell Miriam we are going, and then we will drive back to the farm, together. I’m not leaving, I am going home too.”
Cassie smiled again as he carefully reassured Heidi. He did know how to be real; maybe he was just out of practice with other women.
Chapter Nine
Jake settled Heidi into the passenger side of his car, then strode quickly to the kitchen door of the house. Miriam frowned. “You okay?”
Jake smiled. “We’re fine, I just stuck my foot in my mouth with Heidi, and I need to take her home.”
Miriam nodded with sudden clarity in her brown eyes, turning back for the dishes. With a half-hearted wave she excused him, and Jake retreated the way he had come in, hoping to avoid any more entanglements. He jogged quickly to his car, slipping into the driver’s seat, persuading the ignition to life.
Backing out of the driveway, Jake saw a flash of auburn hair in the rearview mirror, and he watched it dance in the quavering wind. Grimacing as she turned toward the sound of his car, Jake took his eyes from the reflection of her icy glare in the glass. The look on her face was stern and disapproving, and he curled his upper lip in distaste as it prodded his guilt into irritation.
“I’m sorry about that, Heidi,” he said under his breath. “I think you and Cassie are doing great with Applesauce. I’m just sorry she had to be there to see me mess everything up.”
Heidi had been quiet now that her tears had subsided, and she suddenly turned to stare wide eyed at Jake’s unhappy expression.
“Yake,” she said, scowling. “You should not talk about the horses, but it doesn’t matter if you mess up with Cassie there, too.”
“I don’t think she likes me very much. I don’t like Cassie seeing me mess up. I want her to like me.”
Heidi wrinkled her brow, and Jake tried to think of what he had said that would have caused such confusion on her
Chapter Eight
“Jake, what are you doing?” Cassie leaned her back against the corral’s railing. She had known Jake was behind her and Heidi before he had appeared. She caught a whiff of the faint hint of his soap and skin, mingled with the smell of the barn as it had drifted on the breeze. Her only concern had been his effect on the horse and Heidi if his sudden presence were to startle either of them. She had not predicted that artificial charm of his would drip from his lips, to bounce back and smack him in the face, though. Heidi was going to be fine, but now whatever Jake’s careful appearance had been arranged to accomplish, Heidi had distracted him from his purpose.
Cassie tossed her hair back from her neck, sticky in the burning afternoon sun, finally allowing herself a smile. She listened as Jake talked calmly and smoothly to his little sister. A pang of incredulity bit at her heart. His voice was different when he was sincere. She had heard the difference in the canyon that evening with Kirstie, and she heard it now as Jake talked with his sister as they approached the deeper recesses of the barn. It had been in every word he had said since his arrival. Though it may have backfired on him, he had been truly honest in his appraisal of Heidi’s newly developed skills with her horse.
Cassie mentally chastised herself for not intervening after Heidi’s misunderstanding. She could have at least encouraged his gentle and appropriate handling of the frantic young girl. With her mind racing, Cassie turned her face toward the sound of his car and grimaced darkly. Fear had never made for good decisions. Why did she have such a tenuous grip on her opinion of a guy who was about as deep as a puddle in the desert?
The depths of his voice poked in her thoughts as she listened to him calmly reassure Heidi. She could tell he was behind the barn and would not assume she could hear him, so she tuned her ears into his charismatic tones.
“Heidi, I’m going to put you in my car. I will tell Miriam we are going, and then we will drive back to the farm, together. I’m not leaving, I am going home too.”
Cassie smiled again as he carefully reassured Heidi. He did know how to be real; maybe he was just out of practice with other women.
Chapter Nine
Jake settled Heidi into the passenger side of his car, then strode quickly to the kitchen door of the house. Miriam frowned. “You okay?”
Jake smiled. “We’re fine, I just stuck my foot in my mouth with Heidi, and I need to take her home.”
Miriam nodded with sudden clarity in her brown eyes, turning back for the dishes. With a half-hearted wave she excused him, and Jake retreated the way he had come in, hoping to avoid any more entanglements. He jogged quickly to his car, slipping into the driver’s seat, persuading the ignition to life.
Backing out of the driveway, Jake saw a flash of auburn hair in the rearview mirror, and he watched it dance in the quavering wind. Grimacing as she turned toward the sound of his car, Jake took his eyes from the reflection of her icy glare in the glass. The look on her face was stern and disapproving, and he curled his upper lip in distaste as it prodded his guilt into irritation.
“I’m sorry about that, Heidi,” he said under his breath. “I think you and Cassie are doing great with Applesauce. I’m just sorry she had to be there to see me mess everything up.”
Heidi had been quiet now that her tears had subsided, and she suddenly turned to stare wide eyed at Jake’s unhappy expression.
“Yake,” she said, scowling. “You should not talk about the horses, but it doesn’t matter if you mess up with Cassie there, too.”
“I don’t think she likes me very much. I don’t like Cassie seeing me mess up. I want her to like me.”
Heidi wrinkled her brow, and Jake tried to think of what he had said that would have caused such confusion on her
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