“Spider has found something to make Lorn happy,” Lexa said to Amy and Jake.
“Yeah,” Spider explained, “this lady, Tara, has a hot tub.”
“What’s a hot tub?” Amy asked.
“Well,” Spider pondered momentarily, “I guess it’s like a cross between the public bath we have back home and these guys’ private baths.”
“It’s about this big,” Jake explained, gesturing wide with his arms. “And it’s full of hot water, and there are jets to move the water around. I’ve been in it a few times. It’s fun.”
“Anyway, she offered that I could bring some people over. It’s big enough if you guys want to come along.”
“Sounds good to me,” Lexa replied. “What do you say Amy?”
Amy shrugged. “Sure, I’m game.” She turned to Jake.
“Count me in,” he said cheerfully.
They went their own separate ways for dinner. Tara wasn’t expecting them for a couple of hours. Her house was just a few blocks away, so they planned to meet up and walk down together.
As Lexa and Amy left their townhouse, they saw Luke heading for his. He stopped and hurried over smiling, his face bright. “I have great news,” he said.
“What’s that?” Amy asked.
“I think we have a recruit.”
“A recruit?”
“Jake,” Luke informed her. “I just got done talking to him, and he’s interested in coming up to see the ranch. I hadn’t thought about it until he asked, but we will be getting back just in the nick of time. Getting everything installed and working is going to be a big job. He can help with all that.”
“That sounds . . . nice,” was all Amy could get out. It was a startling thought, Jake at the ranch.
“You mean he wants to go live up there?” Lexa asked.
“I don’t know,” Luke replied. “I am not sure if that’s allowed. I don’t think he even knows if that’s what he wants. He said he had his own vehicle and he could come with us and help us get everything set up. Then he could decide if he would stay or go.”
“Why would he want to come all the way back with us?” Amy pondered. Lexa gave her a look she couldn’t read.
Luke just shrugged. “He’s curious about us. Also, he wants to get away from here for a while, so why not? I can’t wait until we see their faces back at the ranch. A second mechanic. Marlin can take some time off if he wants. Or he can keep working with an assistant. Imagine that.”
“An assistant,” Amy said dryly. “Imagine that, my dad with an assistant.”
Luke realized too late what he had just said. His face blanched, and he backtracked hastily. “I didn’t mean it like that. I know you’ve always helped out as best you can. But that’s not the same as having an actual mechanic.”
“Just stop while you can,” Lexa said condescendingly. She patted him on his head. He blushed fiercely but held his tongue.
Amy just stood there, not trusting her voice. Lexa wrapped her arm around Amy’s and led her away. As soon as they were out of earshot, Amy exploded. “Who does that moron think he is?”
“He’s not thinking,” Lexa answered with surprising vehemence. “Seems to be a common problem up there. Must be something in the water that addles the brain.”
“What on earth does that mean?” Amy asked, taken off balance.
“It means Amy, my dear, that you are about as dense as a brick.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Why does he want to go all the way back there?” Lexa mimicked.
“Well, why then?”
Lexa rolled her eyes. “Oh, have you really managed to miss how he stares at you? How he fawns on you? How he practically groped you last night?”
“We were dancing.” Amy protested. Lexa just shook her head.
“You think he likes me?” Amy asked.
“You really don’t know?” Lexa said in amazement. “The guy’s been hitting on you since we got here and you really missed it?”
Amy blushed. “Well, I thought, maybe, but I didn’t know . . .” She threw her hands up in despair. “How should I know? I am new to all this, remember? All I ever knew was that Luke and I would end up together because, well, he’s not horrible.”
Lexa shuddered. “That’s terrible.”
“What?”
“That you would marry him because he’s not horrible.”
“Well, if you put it like that,” Amy protested.
“I didn’t. You did.”
Amy paused. “Okay, but you know what I mean. You’ve seen the others.”
“Yes, and I would choose Luke, too,” Lexa agreed. “But you ought to have a real choice. Maybe find someone who likes you and who you like.”
“Like Jake?”
“Not necessarily. You could meet lots of people.”
“You don’t like Jake do you?”
“It’s not that,” Lexa griped. “I have known him for years. He’s fun, a good guy, and a good friend. But he’s goofy and, well, there might be someone else, you never know. You shouldn’t just take the first guy that comes along, you know.”
Spider and Lorn were coming down the street toward them, so they stopped their conversation for the time being. The four of them chatted idly about their day while waiting for Jake.
Once Jake arrived, they made their way to Tara’s. Spider did the introductions. The hot tub was out back, behind a privacy fence. Tara had several extra swimsuits and promised that she could find something to fit everyone.
Amy looked suspiciously in the mirror as she tried hers on. It left nothing to the imagination. Amy was just sure she couldn’t possibly have cleavage like what she was seeing.
“What’s wrong?” Lexa asked.
“This barely covers anything.”
“So?”
“It’s just weird. Why is it more embarrassing to wear this than to go nude like they do at your home?”
“That,” Lexa replied sagely, “is one of the great secrets of life.”
Lexa spun in front of the mirror. She was wearing a hot pink bikini that was nearly two sizes too small. Even her small breasts seemed to spill out. “I say, if you got it, you might as well flaunt it.” With that, she strode out of the room.
Feeling more than a little apprehensive, Amy followed. As they approached the tub, Jake caught sight of her, and his jaw dropped.
They all climbed into the tub. Amy sat next to Jake. He continued to stare. She found herself reveling in his attention, constantly distracted by the downy hair on his chest. She wondered what it would be like to run her fingers through it. They chatted, but Amy could only follow about half the conversation. Sitting this close to Jake made her mind scatter.
The hot tub was wonderful. Hot jets of water massaged Amy’s back. Tara provided cold drinks: beer and, thankfully, iced tea.
Tara bowed out first, telling them she had an early day tomorrow. She insisted they all stay as long as they wanted. They could let themselves out whenever.
Lorn and Spider went next, leaving it just the three of them again. The water was becoming uncomfortably hot, so they moved onto the porch. Jake sat almost painfully close to Amy on the bench, and for a long time, they talked about nothing in particular.
“I think I am going, too,” Lexa said, her voice flat.
“Are you okay?” Amy asked, concerned.
“I’m fine,” Lexa snapped, looking the other way.
“Do you want me to come?”
“I said I’m fine.” Lexa disappeared inside the house. Amy started to rise, but Jake put a hand on her shoulder.
“She said she was fine.”
Amy sat back down, her shoulder on fire. She looked up into those blue eyes and wanted to melt, but fear still held her back. He brushed her cheek with his hand, and she shivered.
“Cold?” he asked, moving even closer.
She shook her head no, not trusting herself to speak. Her heart was racing as she lifted her hand to his cheek. He rubbed his soft face into her palm, watching her the whole time.
She dropped her hand, and her eyes went to his chest. She needed to be able to think. “Jake,” she started, “I like you . . .”
“I like you too,” he said. With one hand, he raised her chin so their eyes met again. Looking into those blue eyes, her resistance melted. She met him halfway in a deep, passionate kiss.
The kiss sent shivers down her spine. Her whole body cried out for him. She threw both arms around him and fed at his lips like a woman half starved. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her easily onto his lap.
Amy had no idea how long the moment lasted. In her mind, it seemed an eternity. It was broken by the sound of the gate on the fence banging shut. She turned and looked straight into Luke’s stricken eyes.
He turned quickly and fumbled with the gate. “Luke,” she called, but he didn’t answer.
He managed to get the gate open at last and was gone without a backward glance. “Luke,” she called again. She stood and was going to race after him when she realized what she was wearing.
She ran back into the house and changed quickly, leaving the stunned Jake without an explanation. Still, she was not quick enough. She wandered back toward the guesthouses, straining her eyes to spot him. Luke was nowhere to be seen.
She knocked on the door of the townhouse that he shared with Daniel. Daniel, bleary-eyed and sleepy, answered. He said that he had not seen Luke since earlier that evening.
She wandered for what felt like a long time, hoping to run into him, but saw no sign of him. She did see Jake heading home with a look of puzzlement and pain on his face. He didn’t see her, and she kept quiet until he was inside. She couldn’t bear giving him an explanation, not tonight anyway.
She gave up and went home. Lexa was sitting on the couch. She looked startled when Amy came in. Her eyes were red, like she had been crying.
“I didn’t figure you’d be home until late,” Lexa said, trying to sound normal.
Amy sat down and began to cry.
“What’s wrong?” Lexa’s eyes narrowed. “If he hurt you, I’ll kill him.”
“No,” Amy wailed. “It wasn’t him. We didn’t even do anything. We were just kissing . . . then Luke walked in.”
Lexa whistled. “I’ll bet he’s pissed.”
“He took off, and I can’t find him to tell him it was not what he thought.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t what he thought?”
“No. Maybe. I don’t know,” Amy cried. Then she stopped, seeing a look of pain cross Lexa’s face. “Oh my god, you have feelings for Jake, don’t you?”
“No,” Lexa insisted.
“I swear I wouldn’t have done anything if I knew.”
“I don’t have feelings for Jake!” Lexa yelled, throwing her pillow. “Sometimes you can be so fucking dense.” She stomped out of the room, crying, and slammed the door.
Amy retrieved the pillow and lay on the couch, feeling miserable. Eventually, she fell asleep. Late that night, Lexa woke her. “I’m sorry,” Lexa cried. “You and Jake are good for each other. Just ignore me.”
Amy hugged her. “It’s okay,” she repeated over and over until they both stopped crying.
The next day, she spotted Luke on her way to Aikido class. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all. “We need to talk about last night,” she said.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” he mumbled, trying to turn away.
“Like hell there isn’t,” she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. “It wasn’t what you think.”
“And just how do you know what I think?”
She let her hands fall. “You’re right,” she said, “I don’t know.”
“You want to know?” he demanded. “I’ll tell you. I expected this of Mark, or Shawn, or Patrick, possibly even Kurt. I would have even accepted it from Daniel. But you? Never in a million years would I have thought—” he broke off, tears in his eyes. He shook his head to clear them.
“I guess I know now why Jake wants to come back with us. I should have guessed,” he spat out. “I am such a fool.”
“It’s not like that,” she insisted. “It was just a kiss.” Even as the words came out of her mouth, she knew it was a lie. If he hadn’t walked in, it would have been a lot more.
“Oh, just a kiss?” he replied coldly. “And how many other ‘just kisses’ have there been? At the village? At Tir-Na-Nog? Did that hussy let you ‘just kiss’ her husbands?”
Amy saw red. “Lexa is not a hussy. You take that back!”
“You haven’t answered the question.”
“Fine. No, there haven’t been any others, not that it is any of your business.”
“Not my business?” he retorted. “Not my business? You’re mine.”
“I am not anyone’s property!”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes I do, and I am not anyone’s.” She turned to go.
“If it was just a kiss, why were you half naked?” he shouted at her back.
She spun around, flabbergasted. “That’s what you are
supposed
to wear in a hot tub!” she yelled at his now retreating back.
When she got to the shop, Jake acted sheepishly. He pulled her aside. “Hey, I am sorry,” he said. “I didn’t know you and Luke were a thing. I mean, he treats you like his sister or something.”
“We are not a thing,” she declared. But that was a lie, and she knew it. “Well, we are, but it’s complicated.”
“How complicated?”
She fumbled for an explanation. “It’s like you and Lexa maybe. We’ve known each other for years, since we were kids. We pal around. He thinks that means there is more now that we are grown up.”
“But you don’t?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure. Until recently, there weren’t any other choices. I’m not even sure there is one now.”
Jake nodded sagely. “Yeah, Lexa and I had a fling once. It was just like you said; I assumed since we had been such good friends that, well, you know. It was weird though. We knew each other too well, I think. We’ve gone back to being just friends, and that’s cool.”
James called them over to the pickup, and they were off. They didn’t have much chance to talk the rest of the day. They had all the auto parts they needed. Some Cycler had several well pumps they’d salvaged, and Amy had to pick through and find two to take back.
“You and Jake had a fling?” Amy asked Lexa over supper that night.
“Who told you that?” Lexa asked sharply.
“He did.”
“Blabbermouth.” Lexa shrugged. “It’s ancient history, trust me. I really don’t have feelings for him.”
“I believe you,” Amy said, throwing up her hands in surrender. “I’m just glad you’re not mad at me anymore. It has been an awful day. I don’t think I have ever cried as much as I did last night. It’s not like me.”