An Unexpected Arrangement Page 6

  Chapter Five

  “How long are you planning on scrubbing that pot?” Jack cradled his coffee mug with both hands and leaned against his kitchen counter. Laramie ignored him and kept working at the oatmeal he was pretty sure had long since disappeared. If she didn’t stop, there wouldn’t be any enamel left on the inside.

  She rinsed the pot off, then set it in the drying rack. Before she reached for more of his dirty dishes, he put his coffee down and turned off the water spigot.

  “Hey.” He dipped his head and forced her to meet his gaze. “Thank you for helping me, but you don’t need to wash my dishes.”

  “Okay.” She lifted a shoulder in a dismissive shrug and turned away, drying her hands on a towel hanging from the handle of the dishwasher.

  Ouch. Talk about frigid. Laramie hadn’t smiled since she arrived an hour ago. What had he done? Jack mentally rehashed the last twenty-four hours. He’d taken the twins to meet his mother, like Laramie thought he should. Then he’d given her the rest of the day off and hadn’t called or texted her at all last night. Even though he’d wanted to. Charlotte and Macey took forever to fall asleep and he’d been super frustrated, but he’d handled it all by himself.

  Despite her evening away from him, this morning she was moody. Sullen. And currently extracting revenge on his kitchen counter. She scraped at a mysterious substance with her fingernail, then doused it with the spray bottle of vinegar and water, then attacked again with a fierce swipe of a paper towel.

  Jack leaned against the opposite counter and reached for his coffee, unable to stop the laughter that bubbled up.

  Laramie glared at him over her shoulder. “What’s so funny?”

  “You, trying to annihilate every speck of dirt from my kitchen. Breaking news—twins live here now. You’ll never get ahead.”

  Boy, that was the wrong thing to say. Her eyes narrowed. She looked mad enough to spit fire.

  She turned around and finished wiping the counter. A second later, he recognized the unmistakable sounds of a woman crying.

  Oh no. No, no, no. Adrenaline hummed in his veins, but he couldn’t move. He really, really hated it when Laramie cried. Her pain paralyzed him. She leaned both hands against the counter, her shoulders quaking as her crying grew louder.

  Don’t just stand here. Do something, dummy!

  Jack abandoned his coffee again and crossed the small space in two long strides. “I’m sorry I laughed.” He gently cupped her shoulder with his hand. “Please tell me what’s wrong.”

  She buried her face in her hands and the tears kept coming.

  His aversion to her pain was overcome by his desperate need to comfort her. He pulled her into his arms. “Whatever it is, I’m sure we can figure something out.”

  Jack pressed his cheek against the top of Laramie’s head and gently stroked her long hair. She sobbed into his T-shirt, her body trembling, while her hands found their way to the small of his back. As she twisted her fists in the fabric of his shirt, Jack’s pulse sped.

  The fragrance of her shampoo and the warmth of her body against his sent his mind careening down a dangerous path.

  You’re friends, remember? She’s helping care for your children.

  He mentally squashed the notion of tipping her chin up and kissing those full, pink lips.

  “M-my grandfather d-d-didn’t recognize me yesterday.”

  Jack closed his eyes. She’d stuttered and her words were muffled, but he understood, and worse, recognized what Laramie had left unspoken. Grandpa Lyons was fighting a losing battle with dementia.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said. “That’s awful.”

  “My brother was competing on TV and Grandpa knew exactly who he was.”

  Ouch. Landon had always been a big deal around Merritt’s Crossing, even more so since he’d started winning all those bull-riding competitions. Jack knew a thing or two about living in the shadow of a sibling who could do no wrong. Skye had always been a conscientious overachiever.

  “Your grandparents love you,” he reminded her. “They’re so proud of you and everything you’ve done for your students and the volleyball program.”

  She pulled away, swiping at her tears with her fingertips. “I have to do more to help my grandfather.”

  “Staying with him last night was probably a huge help.”

  The words had barely left his mouth and she was already shaking her head.

  “No, I mean something big. Something significant. Jack, you should’ve seen my grandmother—she tried to cover it up with lip gloss and a new blouse, but she’s exhausted. Caring for him is putting her own health at risk.”

  His chest ached. Laramie’s grandmother was one of the sweetest women he’d ever known. The thought of her falling or getting sick and not being able to care for her husband was scary. No wonder Laramie was so upset.

  “Have you considered calling your brother and asking him to help?” Jack almost put up his hands to block whatever she was probably going to throw at him for mentioning her brother.

  “Ha.” She barked out a laugh. “He has zero interest in helping figure this out. Besides, he invests all his earnings in a cattle ranch in Oklahoma.”

  Jack had heard Landon had reinvested some of his earnings but couldn’t imagine he wouldn’t be able to help with his grandfather’s care, too. The guy had done well on the professional bull-riding circuit. Still, this wasn’t the time to push Laramie. She was already shooting down all his suggestions.

  “Breeding dogs was supposed to make more money.” She huffed out a breath and snatched a tissue from the box on the counter. “Obviously that was a stupid plan.”

  “You can charge me double for mine.”

  Laramie flashed a wobbly smile. “That’s sweet of you to say. I’m not charging you double, though.”

  “Then I can pay you more for taking care of the girls.” He didn’t even bother to mentally calculate what a raise might cost. “You’ve definitely earned a raise.”

  “No, stop.” Her brow furrowed. “This isn’t your problem to solve.”

  Oh, but he wanted to solve her problems. The thought blindsided him, just like his longing to kiss her a few minutes before. He wasn’t going to be able to keep his feelings for her bottled up much longer.

  Maybe pursuing that new job in Utah was the right decision after all. Time and distance would make him come to his senses. Once he moved and started over, he’d finally stop wanting Laramie.

  * * *

  She was a wreck. A soggy, emotional wreck. How embarrassing. Laramie tossed her crumpled tissue in the trash and avoided Jack’s gaze. Why had she fallen into his arms? One minute she was cleaning up the kitchen, trying to ignore the spicy scent of his aftershave, and the next she was blubbering like an idiot and leaving a trail of tears on his blue T-shirt.

  She didn’t want to need him. She refused to need him. Because needing and wanting were dangerously intertwined. And he’d already decided he was moving. While his offer to pay her more money came from a good place, his so-called solutions just made her more upset.

  “You and your family mean so much to this whole community.” Jack’s gentle tone and kind words did little to soothe her. The people of Merritt’s Crossing had conquered a lot of obstacles over the years. Dementia was proving to be a formidable beast, though. A church committee, a cake walk at the county fair, a special offering at Sunday’s service—none of the usual weapons in their arsenal would help this time. More tears pricked behind her eyes.

  She would not fall apart again in front of Jack. Because he’d pull her against that broad, firm chest of his and whisper in her ear while he stroked her hair, and frankly, she didn’t have the strength to push him away a second time.

  She had to get away from his empathetic gaze and those strong arms. Oh, those arms. Laramie cast a pleading glance toward the baby monitor, wishing the twins wo
uld wake early from their morning nap. Sure, that would make for a miserable day, but at least she’d have something to distract her from thinking about how good it felt when Jack held her.

  “If people know your grandparents are struggling, then they can help.”

  Jack followed her toward the washing machine in the hallway. She ignored him and tugged the clean clothes from the dryer and dropped them in the empty basket waiting on the floor.

  “Why don’t you call some of the ladies at church and ask them to arrange a team of volunteers? Then your grandmother can—”

  “No.” Laramie slammed the dryer closed. “My grandmother would be mortified, especially since wheat harvest starts soon. She knows how busy everyone gets. She doesn’t want to be a burden.”

  Laramie grabbed the laundry and tried to carry it toward the living room.

  Jack gently grasped both sides of the basket, blocking her from moving past him.

  What was he doing? Didn’t he have enough problems of his own to worry about?

  “Laramie.” His tender gaze searched her face. “Please let me help you. That’s what friends are for.”

  Ah, friends. The dreaded label that meant their relationship was a dead end. The tears pressed in, threatening to spill over. See? This was exactly why she’d vowed not to need him. Because he’d never see her as anything more than what they were right now. Why did every single situation in her life have to circle back to her stupid feelings for Jack?

  “Don’t you get it?” she whispered. “There’s nothing you can do. This disease is going to take my grandfather down. My parents will never sell the farm. And unless they can find someone to lease some of our land, or I figure out how to breed a dozen litters of puppies, none of us have enough money to get him into a care facility that will keep him safe.”

  Jack’s eyes widened.

  Anger, sadness and frustration churned into a nasty concoction and she couldn’t stop the snide words from tumbling out.

  “I’m afraid this is one of those times where you can’t charm or sweet-talk your way to an easy solution. Now please move so I can fold this laundry.”

  Hurt flickered across his face. Silence filled the tiny laundry nook. Blood pounded behind her ears as her words echoed in her head. Okay, that was probably a little harsh. She refused to apologize, though. This time Jack couldn’t tease away her troubles with a joke, or pelt her with snowballs, or give her the slice of birthday cake with the most frosting. All those remedies had worked when they were kids. When he was Skye’s brother and she was his older sister’s best friend and a steady constant at the Tomlinsons’ house.

  His phone chimed in his pocket. “I have to take this call.”

  Jack finally broke eye contact and turned away.

  She watched him walk into his office at the end of the hall, then quietly close the door without looking back. That man was so confusing. He made her want to scream. If he cared about her, why was she still just his nanny and friend? Worse, why did he want to move away?

  * * *

  Jack ended the call and set his phone on his desk, then slumped back in his chair. He’d scheduled his first phone interview next week for the position in Utah. A hollow ache lodged in his chest, followed quickly by a mental image of Laramie swiping at her tear-stained face.

  His chair squeaked as he dragged his palm down his cheek. Change was what he wanted.

  Right?

  The appeal of a new start and distance from the same old small-town life that was slowly suffocating him had motivated him to apply for the job. And how could he pass up excellent benefits and no more traveling? Especially since he was a father of two now.

  Because Utah didn’t include Laramie.

  Macey and Charlotte were getting attached to her. He didn’t know much about babies, but he could see the way they looked for Laramie when he carried them into a room. Jack empathized with their disappointment when they didn’t see her. After she went home in the evenings, he counted the hours until she came back the next day.

  Dude. You’re pathetic. Tell her how you feel.

  “It’s not that simple,” he growled, lacing his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. Now that he knew how much her grandparents struggled with health issues he couldn’t ask her to leave her family. She was so stubborn. She’d never agree to go with him, anyway.

  Unless he found a solution to her grandparents’ needs.

  Jack leaned forward and grabbed his phone. Why hadn’t he thought of this before? Adrenaline pulsed through his veins as he scrolled to Landon Chambers’s number. He and Landon had grown up together, although Landon was a year behind Jack in school. They weren’t best buddies or anything, but he and Landon had spent countless hours working on the farm, playing tag and hide-and-seek and finding new ways to aggravate Skye and Laramie. It wouldn’t hurt to reach out to Landon and see when he was planning to come home for a visit.

  This is one of those times you can’t charm or sweet-talk your way into a solution.

  Laramie’s words replayed in his mind. Man, he didn’t like that one bit. Since when had he charmed or sweet-talked his way out of anything? He stopped scrolling and glanced out the window. A cloudless blue sky and his neighbors’ wheat fields dancing in the midday sunshine framed the woodshop hugging his property line. The same building Jack refused to enter. His stomach clenched. He’d learned a lot living in a farming community—working hard to achieve a goal, battling unknown obstacles like drought and hailstorms, celebrating an abundant harvest.

  Building furniture was a lot like farming, and Jack’s father and uncle had tried to teach him to turn pieces of wood into furniture, but Jack had lost interest. Especially when that same craft had led to his uncle’s suicide, created a festering rift in their family and derailed his cousin McKenna’s life. Not to mention the gossip that still circulated about his family and the curious looks that followed him whenever he went to Angie’s Diner or Pizza, Etc. While a small part of Jack itched to build furniture again, he’d squelched the desire every single time. Just like he’d squelched his desire to stay in Merritt’s Crossing.

  Macey and Charlotte needed him to put aside his juvenile hobbies and focus on the future. Their future. He shifted his attention back to his phone and started his message to Landon.

  The hum of a vehicle approaching outside interrupted him. Jack sighed and looked out the window again. His sister, Skye, and her husband, Gage, eased their blue SUV to a stop in front of his house. Skye had offered to bring lunch over so Connor could meet his new cousins. Except he’d forgotten to mention this to Laramie. Oh, well. She and Skye talked all the time. They’d probably traded plenty of texts already.

  He quickly finished the message to Landon.

  Hey, man. Congrats on another win. That last ride was epic. Sorry to hear about your grandfather. Let me know how I can help. FYI, Skye is throwing me a birthday party. July 3 at 3pm. Stop by if you’re in town.

  Jack hesitated, his finger hovering over the send icon. What would Laramie say if she knew he was texting her brother? He was probably crossing a line here, and she’d have a few choice words for him when she found out. If she found out. She was too stubborn to ask Landon for help, though. Jack had to do something. Ignoring the doubts battling inside, he sent the message, then pocketed his phone as Connor ran across the gravel and bounded up Jack’s stairs. Laramie might be aggravated at first, but she’d thank him once Landon offered to help.

  Chapter Six

  “I still can’t believe my brother has twins and my best friend is his nanny.” Skye flashed a mischievous smile and reached for her strawberry-banana smoothie. “What else did I miss while I was on vacation?”

  I’m officially falling in love with your brother. And his babies, too. Laramie tried for a casual shrug, then sucked another generous sip of her frozen mocha through her straw. The first part was hardly news. Laramie had
told Skye about her feelings for Jack a long time ago. But her affection for Charlotte and Macey grew by leaps and bounds the longer she cared for them. How in the world would she ever be able to say goodbye to Jack and the babies?

  “Did you know he wants to move to Utah?”

  Skye’s expression grew serious. “I heard.”

  “He already applied for a job.” Even saying the words out loud sent Laramie’s thoughts careening into panic mode. She squirmed in her chair next to a window at Common Grounds, the only coffee shop in Merritt’s Crossing and one of her favorite places to hang out. Today the cozy seating, upbeat music streaming through the overhead speakers and conversation with her best friend did little to soothe her tangled emotions.

  “How do you feel about his plans?” Skye prodded gently.

  “He’s making a huge mistake.”

  “Agreed,” Skye said. “I’m still adjusting to the fact that he’s a father of two. It’s hard to fathom why he wants to move away from everything he’s ever known. Then again, Uncle Kenny and Dad’s deaths hit Jack hard. I don’t think any of us realized how much he has struggled with the loss.”

  Laramie took another sip of her drink and casually glanced at the group of women hanging out on the couches near the fireplace. They all went to church with the Tomlinsons and her family. The girl wiping down a table nearby and the barista working behind the counter were both her students. While Skye knew how Laramie felt about Jack, she didn’t need all of Merritt’s Crossing knowing she was in love with someone who couldn’t wait to leave town.