Wild Fire (The Fairy Tale Match Series) (17 page)

Only it was him that had got the
surprise. Betrayal sizzled through his body, turning him to ice. Rage cemented
itself in his very heartbeat. Nothing remained in his heart but a searing white
hot anger. With unseeing eyes, he turned and stalked back to his truck. He
wasn’t ready to face her just yet.

*****

       Laura’s heart beat increased
as she looked at the clock. It wasn’t long now before Jake would come home. She
straightened the silver wear on the table, running her fingers over the cream
coloured cloth to smooth out imaginary creases, trying to still her nerves. She
fussed with the flowers she’d placed in a vase in the middle of the table and
refolded the napkins. She wanted everything to be perfect.

She’d managed to talk Bill into
having an early dinner, so she could have the house for just her and Jake.
She’d cooked a very special meal and chilled a bottle of wine. The table was
set; all that was left was the two candles that she would light when he
arrived.

Her heart fluttered again. She hoped
he would be okay with this. She was slightly worried he might think she was
pushing too fast. Still, he hadn’t seemed to freak out at her declaration of
love, so she hoped dinner wouldn’t inspire a meltdown.

She smoothed her hands over her
little black dress as she quickly checked her appearance. She’d left her hair
loose, knowing how Jake always liked to run his hands through it when they were
intimate. She felt her breath catch in her throat at the memory of their
encounter in the stable. She very much wanted to repeat that and more.

The kitchen door flew open. Laura
turned with a happy smile on her face as she reached for the candle lighter to
light the candles.

“Surprise!” Her smile died at the look
on Jake’s face, her fingers dropping the lighter from suddenly nerveless
fingers. His eyes were so dark with rage, they looked almost black in the dim
light. He took in her dress, her hair and the table. If possible, he looked
even more deadly. “What’s wrong?” she whispered, suddenly afraid. “Did I go too
far? It’s only dinner…...no pressure.” She broke off at his deathly quiet.

He moved towards her. “Who is this
for?” he asked, his tone like brittle ice. “Me? Or Dan?”

“Dan?” she repeated bewildered. “Jake,
what are you talking about?”

“I saw you today. All cosy and
friendly at the diner with your intimate lunch for two. He looked so happy at
something that you said. What was it? Did you tell him you loved him too?” Jake
seized her by the shoulders and shook her.

Laura pushed him away, hurt tears
filling her eyes. “Why do you always have to think the worst? I haven’t done
anything wrong. Dan was having lunch with someone else. I only stopped to talk
to him for a few moments when she went into the ladies room.”

“You expect me to believe that? I saw
him taking your hand. You didn’t exactly push away.” He stalked her, like an
angry panther getting ready to strike.

Laura felt her own anger boil to the
surface. “What is this really about Jake? You can’t honestly think I would tell
you I love you one day and run into the arms of another man the next. Is this
really because we got so close yesterday? Is it easier for you to accuse me of
something so you can back away again?”

“How dare you try and turn this around
on me!” Jake stormed at her. “I’m not the one having secret meetings with
someone else. Especially someone you know I never want anything to do with
again.”

“He is only a friend.” She insisted,
wishing he’d listen to her, believe in her. “It wasn’t a secret and it
certainly wasn’t a romantic meeting between me and him. Why would I sit in the
window for heaven’s sake, if I was trying to hide something? And seriously, I
was working Jake! Think about it! How can I possibly take time for a romantic
interlude when I was meant to be cooking for customers? You are being
ridiculous!”

“Really?” he sneered. “You didn’t
expect me to come into town today. Stupid foolish me, I was coming to be with
you. To spend time with you. And what do I find instead? You with HIM!”

His shout of rage terrified Laura.
She screamed and backed away as Jake got hold of the table and flipped the
contents onto the floor. Plates and glasses smashed, her flowers scattered into
all corners of the room and the wine ran like a river, spreading rapidly across
the floor. Laura stood frozen, her heart beating so fast she thought she might
faint.

“You are a very cruel woman,” he
rasped at her. “To give hope to a man, only to pull it away. What is it with
women like you? Do you get some perverse kick out of leading someone on?
Drawing someone into your web?”

“I am not Victoria!” Laura said
quietly her hand at her throat. “I have never led you on. I told you yesterday
that I love you and I meant it!” Tears poured from her eyes, falling onto her
dress and soaking though the material. “I am not interested in Dan. Nor will I
ever be. I only want you.”

“Liar!” he shouted breathing deeply,
his body ridged with rage. “Don’t you lie to me!”

“I am not!” she shouted back.

“Then why, why were you with him
today? Is it the only time you’ve spent with him? Tell me?”

“No. I spoke with him the day after
we got trapped in the barn. I wanted to know his side of things.” She shook at
the rage she saw barely controlled in him.

“Why? What is so important about him
that you have to get involved with him? If it isn’t that you’re interested in
him, why? Explain it to me?”

Laura felt torn. More than anything
she wanted to explain but she was afraid of dropping Kerry in it. In his
current mood she wasn’t sure how he’d take the news of his sisters feelings for
the man he’d come to hate.

“It’s complicated,” she finally said.
“It has nothing to do with me having feelings for him. I just wanted to help
you fix a friendship that I feel is sad that you both lost.”

He snorted. “You’ll have to come up
with a much better story than that if you wanted me to believe you.” He moved
towards her, backing her against the wall, his face inches from hers. “Any hope
you had of snaring me in your trap is gone. I feel nothing for you!”

He turned and slammed out the back
door.

       Laura stood frozen to the
spot. Her heart shattered in her chest. She couldn’t understand how he could
think such terrible things of her. She knew Victoria had damaged him, she’d
just refused to realise how much. She finally saw that she may never reach the
man underneath the enormous wall of hurt that surrounded him. She wasn’t sure
he ever wanted to come out and it killed her to know that her love might never
be returned.

She sank down onto the floor, her
mind reeling with what had happened. She drew her knees up to her chest and
sobbed her heart out, the pain so bad she wasn’t sure she could stand it.

*****

Walter observed Jake stomping from
the house, a small smile of satisfaction spreading across his face. His
patience had been rewarded and fortune was certainly smiling on him. He’d known
something was seriously wrong when Jake had returned from town. He’d left
laughing and smiling in the most sickening way that morning but when he returned
from town he was like a demon possessed. Walter had decided to keep a watch on
things. Now he had his chance. He’d heard most of the argument, as Jake hadn’t
bothered to lower his voice.

Making his way rapidly to the kitchen
door, he knocked on it briefly before letting himself in. Laura glanced up from
her position on the floor. She saw Walter heading her way and wished he’d just
disappear. She didn’t feel like talking to anyone.

“Laura are you okay?” he asked, his
face full of concern. “I heard shouting. Jake left here in such a rage, I was
worried.” He glanced around at the mess all over the floor. “I see I was right
to be. Did he hurt you? If he did, I’ll kill him.”

“No, I’m fine.” Laura felt exhausted.
All she wanted to do was go to bed and nurse her wounds.

Walter knelt on the floor at her
side. He took her hand in his, putting his other arm around her shoulders.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t look it.” He gave her a charming
smile, taking the sting from his words.

She laughed shakily. “I must look
quite a fright.”

“No Laura. You look beautiful as
always,” Walter breathed. He dipped his head to kiss her, but Laura pulled away
from him.

“Walter please don’t start that again.
I need a friend right now. Nothing else.” Tears slid down her face like an
unending river. “I couldn’t get involved with anyone else right now. I already
told you and you promised we’d just be friends.”

“I’m here for you Laura. When you’re
ready, I’ll be waiting,” Walter promised.

“Please don’t say things like that. I
don’t know that I’ll ever want to be more than friends.” She wished he would
give up his useless pursuit of her. Even though things hadn’t worked out with
Jake, it didn’t mean she now wanted to start something with Walter. Why
couldn’t he understand that?

Something flashed behind his eyes so
fast Laura couldn’t make out what it was. For a moment he’d had a strange
intensity about him and it made her uneasy. Then his smile flashed out and she
felt silly at her discomfort. “Then we’ll simply be the best of friends.
Whatever you want dear Laura.”

She sniffed. “Thank you. And thanks
too for not saying I told you so.”

“I could never do that to you when
you’re hurting this much. I am so sorry that I turned out to be right.”

Laura eased her way out of his hold.
“I’m sorry Walter, but I really need to go to bed right now. Can we talk
another time?”

“Of course. Do you want me to clean
up in here?”

“No, leave it. I’ll do it in the
morning.” She got wearily to her feet, heading out of the kitchen.

“Laura!” Walter called. She turned
back towards him. “Let me take you to the barn raising. Show Jake what he’s
missing out on eh. What do you think?” He threw her a wink. She hesitated, not
wanting to lead him on. “I mean as friends,” he clarified.

“I’ll think about it. Thanks again
Walter.”

“No problem.”

Laura headed up to her room and
Walter let himself out of the house. He whistled as he went down the steps. He
thought that went rather well, even if he did say so himself!

*****

Bill followed the loud banging sound,
wondering who on earth was out at this time making such a racket. He rounded
the bend to see Jake pounding away at the fences. Bill knew they were in bad
need of fixing, but he didn’t think Jake was really fixing them the way he was
acting. They would be lucky if any fences were still standing by morning.

Bill couldn’t imagine what had Jake
in such a mood. He’d seen the effort Laura was making for dinner for the two of
them before he’d left the house. She’d looked beautiful too. Jake should be
holed up with her right now, enjoying a romantic meal. Instead he was
committing murder to their ranch. The last time he’d acted like this was after
Victoria, on the day that was supposed to be their wedding. Something was
seriously wrong.

“What the hell are you doing boy?” he
shouted to be heard over Jake’s incessant noise.

Jake stopped, turning his violent
stare on Bill, who unfortunately for him, wasn’t intimidated. “I am not
talking, so don’t even bother with the singing threat. I am not in the mood!”

“Fine. Then I’ll call your mother.”

Jake swore. He should have seen that
one coming. The last thing he wanted was to have to talk to his mother. He
could always put the phone down, but then she’d be on the next plane home and
she’d make him feel like hell for her having to leave his grandmother. Somehow
no matter how old he got, she could still reduce him to a small boy.

“I mean it Jake. You talk or I’ll
call her. I can’t understand what has you so worked up. Didn’t you like the
dinner Laura prepared? She worked so hard this afternoon.”

“That’s not all she worked this
afternoon,” Jake said bitterly.

“What the hell does that mean?” Bill
asked confused.

“I caught her out. She was with Dan
this lunchtime, having a cosy romantic meal for two. Sat right in the window
for all to see what a damn fool I’ve been for the second time.” Jake turned to
start pounding on the fences again.

Bill grabbed the hammer from Jake’s
hand. “What is wrong with you boy? You got rocks in your head instead of
brains? That girl in there loves you, although right now I can’t figure out why.
Anyone can see it. She would never betray you the way Victoria did.”

“Didn’t you hear me? I. Saw. Her!”
Jake went to grab the hammer back, but Bill pulled it away.

“Then you saw wrong. Did you ask her
about it?” he demanded. Jake nodded. “Well, what did she say?”

“Some stupid story about Dan having
dinner with another woman and she just happened to sit down for a few moments
with him when the woman went to the bathroom.” Jake snorted his disbelief. “Can
you believe that?”