Page 10 of Handling Skylar (Hope Parish #5)

I still didn’t have a clue when I pulled up in front of the Blue Coyote.

Parking, I walked in the door. I didn’t expect my heart would jump like that.

Skylar Bransom was standing at the counter, the light slanted across her jet black hair.

She had an ivory lace dressand a short-multi-colored western skirt.

Her changeable hazel eyes were outlined with dark liner.

I wasn’t used to a girl like that. I dated debutantes and ran with the country club crowd.

Even the Colonel’s shame couldn’t ruin our influence in this town.

I realized that now. We were the Suttons and always would be.

So my heart had no business jumping like that. No business at all.

But it did.

“Jake,” she breathed and I went toward the counter. “What can we do for you?”

Our eyes met and both of us were remembering. “I need a trim,” I said.

“I can take him,” one of the girl’s called out.”

“I got him,” Sky said and was she ever right. She so had me. I didn’t know what I was expecting from her, but not this warmth, the light in her eyes.

“This way,” she said as she led me over to the shampoo area. “Have a seat.”

I complied and she reached up for a small towel and draped it around my neck, her hands on my skin complete torture.

“How have you been?” I asked, the silence charged with the memory of how we’d been the last time we were together.

“Keeping busy. I tried a new soap recipe yesterday and I think it came out great. You should come by and sample my products sometime.” She smiled, but it didn’t go as far as her eyes, and she stared at me with an odd kind of hesitancy, realizing the double entendre, I’m sure she hadn’t meant.

It tortured me anyway. The silence stretched between us, and just for an instant I thought she was going to make a reference to what had happened a few days ago.

But the moment passed, and I could feel her withdrawal.

She said, “Lean back.” With her hand on my shoulder as warm as a brand, she used the lever to slowly recline the chair until my neck was against the cutout porcelain.

I didn’t really want to talk about soap.

I wanted to talk about how things could change in my life.

How I could actually take something for myself instead of always worrying about how it looked, who would be watching, who would be judging.

I had thought the fastest route to restoring our reputation was giving in…

again to what I had always given into: tradition.

The anger surged again at my brother for leaving me holding the bag—a big bag of expectations.

I felt trapped between my desires and my needs, trapped in…duty. I’d held on so long to what I should do, I wasn’t sure I could do what I wanted to do.

She got the water ready, and when it was hot enough, she sluiced it over my head, her hands were far from impersonal as she caressed my scalp.

I was well aware this was my backdoor way of getting close to Sky when I’d told her we had to forget about that kiss.

I couldn’t seem to manage that. I closed my eyes and took advantage of the situation, breathing in her scent, enjoying her ministrations.

She washed my hair, her hands strong and brisk as she lathered, brushing the tops of my ears and swiping around to the back of my neck.

I sunk deeper into the feel of her which was dangerous, given my planned course of action and the way she turned me on, an impulse I seemed helpless to curb.

When she was done, she rubbed my hair with a towel, and the whole damn thing seemed too intimate. I followed her over to the chair and settled in as she draped the cape over me. I watched her in the mirror struggling to remain professional. She grabbed her scissors and started cutting the top.

“I remembered when you had all that hair. I’m sure keeping it short in the heat is a good goal, but it was sexy.” She switched to the electric clippers.

“It is cooler and easier this way,” I said.

She glanced at me in the mirror, and I remembered how close we’d been.

I remembered those lips. For the first time, I saw past her bravado, her tough demeanor and knew what drove her from the inside.

It was barely a glimpse and only the beginning.

But I couldn’t have been more intrigued, wanting to uncover more. If I was free…

“You still look pretty handsome, Jake,” she said, her voice softening.

“You’re so damn beautiful,” I said, my voice hoarse, unable to keep the words inside.

Then I saw movement at the front window, and my heart dropped.

Anna Kate stood there as effective as a bucket of cold water.

She arched a brow, her anger at having called me so many times quite apparent. I hadn’t returned one.

She looked at Sky, narrowed her eyes and I was sure of one thing. I didn’t want this woman to get caught up in my crap and deal with the fallout from Anna Kate’s formidable influence in this town. I smiled at her and nodded. Her features evened out. She headed for the door.

Sky had followed my suddenly intent gaze and, aware of the moment she shifted gears, returning to the woman I knew, my heart compressed.

The impersonal look was back, the confident attitude.

Her whole posture had shifted back into tough cowgirl mode.

It made me want to protect her, shelter her and keep her completely safe.

As I hurried to pay, slipping her a Benjamin for a tip while Anna Kate proceeded to criticize my simple haircut, that, to me, looked completely professional. Sky had a way of getting my unruly hair to behave.

I exchanged one last look with her before I opened the door for Anna Kate.

Her vulnerability was there, hidden. I watched her as she instinctively pulled back and buried it.

That alone made me twitch, drowning out Anna Kate’s chatter.

It took enormous willpower to be polite to her, promise I would call, and then make a quick beeline for my car with the excuse I had plenty to do before the upcoming afternoon town meeting.

Ten minutes later, I knocked on my brother’s door, the renovated slaves’ quarters he shared with Samantha.

Do not punch him out. I told myself, my twisted desire for Sky jacking me up.

My growing dislike or rather surfacing dislike for Anna Kate causing havoc with my plans.

Taking my frustration out on Chase would only make matters worse.

He was back in the family, back into our lives, but I couldn’t seem to let him in.

When there was no answer, I headed around the back and heard voices.

I stopped when I saw Samantha sitting on my brother’s lap and she was laughing, genuine laughter.

He murmured something, and she cupped his jaw.

I got a pang of jealousy and a shot of reality.

The way she looked at him, there was no mistaking that she loved him deeply.

This. This is what true love looked like.

I wanted that, not the cold, barely tolerant relationship I currently had with a woman who found her phone more interesting than she found me.

After our blowout. It was clear who turned me on, who I wanted to pursue. Why was I fighting it so much? Why was I throwing my happiness away? Happiness. When was the last time I felt happy?

Dancing with Sky. Kissing Sky.

I cleared my throat and Samantha rose. “Jake,” she said, the warmth of welcome in her tone, and I felt ashamed of all the times I made her feel unwelcome. All the times Anna Kate had denigrated her in front of me, and I let her when I knew it was wrong.

“I knocked,” I said.

“I’m sorry. We didn’t hear you. Would you like some lunch? We have plenty.”

I wasn’t quite ready to sit down to a leisurely meal with my brother and his soon to be wife. Especially when Chase looked so wary and guarded.

I thought back to the speech and got angry all over again. “Your cooking is always an experience, but I’ve already eaten,” I said, the flush of my compliment staining her cheeks. She really was quite a lovely woman. Yank or not.

“I’ll get you something cool to drink,” she murmured as I came into the yard.

Chase leaned back, his eyes watching Samantha disappear into the house, lingering on her and the longing in my gut intensified. He turned his attention to me, his blue eyes, stormy. “I was wondering when you’d show up to…what…tell me there’s nothing I can say that will mend our differences?”

“That speech in public directed at me wasn’t your best idea. I don’t need a lecture,” I growled.

“It was about family, Jake.” He shook his head and huffed out an exasperated breath. “Never mind. Is that all?”

I held my tongue. My first inclination was to point out that I knew all about family. I was the one who stayed . “No, Daddy wanted me to run an idea by you. I guess I need your blessing.” The bitter words slipped out.

Chase stiffened and said, “What is it?” His reaction to my comment and tone was one of sadness.

“I’ve got a plan to expand the store into a more general type establishment.

He straightened and a spark of interest came into his eyes. “I think that’s a great idea. Diversifying is good for business, worked well for me. Do you have the particulars?”

“Not on me. I am meeting with the general contractor next week, on Monday at ten, if you want to be there.”

“I do. I’ll be there. You’re okay with that?”

There was a part of me that wanted him involved, the part that remembered what our relationship used to be before he left and shattered it.

But I couldn’t seem to let go of my anger or resentment.

Forgive him , Brax had said, and I wasn’t sure I knew how.

“I guess I’ll have to be,” I said, walking away.