Wild Fire (The Fairy Tale Match Series) (18 page)

Bill nodded his head. “Actually, I
can.” He knew all too well what was going on here. He’d seen Kerry leaving the
house earlier, all done up and walking on air. He’d known for years that she
held a torch for Dan. It seemed Laura did too and if he didn’t miss his guess,
Kerry had been the one having lunch at the diner with Dan, not Laura. He’d
thought something odd was going on that morning, when Laura purposely left
money for Martha on the table. She had obviously set Kerry up and was too loyal
to drop Kerry in it by telling Jake what had really happened. He had no such
scruples in pointing the thick headed Jake in the right direction.

Jake gave a disgusted look at Bill.
“Don’t you look at me like that, boy! I’m not the one with rocks in his head.
You’re an idiot and if you keep on going the way you are, you’re going to lose
the best thing that has ever happened to you.”

Jake turned to stalk away but Bill
followed him. “You may as well hear me out ‘cause I won’t leave you alone till
you do. I can walk all night right behind your dumb butt.”

Realising Bill wouldn’t be swayed
until he’d said his piece, Jake turned and glared at him. “Fine. Say what you
have to say.”

Bill leaned against a fence post,
looking Jake square in the eye. “I doubt you’ll like it, but I’m going to say
it anyway. You’ve been carrying this anger round for far too long. You ought to
be grateful what happened two years ago took place, you know that?”

Bill ignored Jake’s roar, holding up
his hands to stay the younger man when he looked like he was going to charge
off. “If it hadn’t happened Jake, you’d be married to that witch Victoria and
she’d be making your life a misery by now. You’d have never even met Laura.
Yes, you ought to be damn grateful you made a lucky escape.”

“Oh yeah! Real lucky. Did you forget
what I told you earlier? About Dan and Laura?” Jake snarled.

”Use your head boy! And your eyes! If
you weren’t so damn caught up in your anger and so sure Laura will hurt you
too, you’d have already worked out that it wasn’t Laura having lunch with Dan.”

“How can you be so sure?” Jake
snapped.

“Because I know who it was and if you
think really hard, you’ll work it out too.”

Bill wandered off, leaving Jake to
ponder his words. Was it possible that he’d got things wrong? If it wasn’t
Laura having lunch with Dan, then who? He slumped to the ground, leaning his
arms on his knees and running his hands through his hair, Jake began to think.
The argument he and Kerry had had that first night suddenly skipped through his
head like a movie and the answer hit him like a lightning bolt. Kerry!

How had he missed it? She’d set him
up with the dating agency in the first place. That first night he’d been so
sure she’d had a selfish reason for doing so, but in all that had happened
since, he’d forgotten about it. She must have told Laura. That was the reason
Laura hadn’t let things go. She knew that Kerry had a thing for Dan and she’d
been trying to help her. It made sense.

He began to laugh and cry at the same
time. Relief flooded through him as he suddenly saw what he’d previously
missed. One thing stood clear. Laura hadn’t betrayed him. He wasn’t sure how he
felt about Kerry and Dan, but he couldn’t work that out right now. He needed to
focus on Laura.

Shame filled him as he recalled the
terrible things he’d said that evening. He saw her again, standing there before
him looking so very beautiful. Her face had shone with a happy welcome, the
table so beautifully set. The incredible smell of dinner in the air. Then
later, she had looked so hurt, so crushed by his cruel words. Why couldn’t he
have seen that? Believed in what she’d told him? He’d let his anger rule his
head, but never again. He had a lot of making up to do. He got up and walked
back to the house. It was dark in the kitchen. He put on the light and began to
tidy up the mess he’d made. Tomorrow, he’d put things right. He just hoped
Laura would be able to forgive him and give him another chance.

*****

“Well, hopefully that will start to
fix things!” Lotta remarked as she slumped onto the kitchen counter and watched
Jake clean things up. “So much for being able to leave in a day or two.”

“Couldn’t we have done something a
bit more……..exciting?” Flo grumbled. “Getting Bill to talk to him and playing
back his and Kerry’s argument seems so tame. Bit of an anti-climax don’t you
think?”

“Nonsense!” Huffed Lotta. “It’s good
solid magic.”

“It’s boring magic you mean. We could
tidy up the kitchen for him.” She swiped her wand at the wine spill. With a
shower of sparkles it vanished.

“Don’t do that Flo!” shrieked Lotta,
promptly putting it back again. “Just how would that blend in may I ask? What
would Jake think if it suddenly just wasn’t there? Thank the stardust he was
looking the other way!”

Flo sniffed indignantly, folding her
plump arms across her ample bosom. “We’ll have to come up with a plan to get
them talking again. Laura might not want to forgive him. Have you thought of
that?”

“I’ll just whip up a little spell of
inspiration. I’m sure we can get them back on track in no time. I am very
pleased he hasn’t blown up with the realisation that Kerry loves Dan. That is a
very good sign, don’t you think?” Lotta glanced at Flo expectantly.

“Does it have to only be an
inspirational spell? Can’t we come up with something else a little more
creative?” she asked hopefully.

“No Flo. Do not mess with my plan!
This time I’m the one who has the perfect one!” Lotta insisted. “We’ll be
finished soon. You’ll see.”

Flo wasn’t so sure, thinking deeply.
Just in case.

Laura got up late; exhausted. She
hadn’t slept a wink through the whole night. She’d gone over and over the
argument she’d had with Jake, crying her way through an entire box of tissues.
Her eyes felt gritty and sore from all her tears.

She called and left a message for
Martha that she was running late. She knew she was being a coward, but she
refused to run the risk of bumping into Jake by getting up her normal time. She
just hoped Martha would understand. Padding into the bathroom, she groaned at
her reflection in the mirror. She looked a complete mess. Her face was swollen
and blotchy from her hours of crying. No amount of make-up was going to fix
this!

She had no idea how she would face
the diner. She didn’t feel like being with anyone right now. She wondered if
she could get away with hiding in her room, but no doubt Kerry or Bill would
come and find her if she tried. She was surprised they hadn’t already been
banging on her door. They must have seen the state of the kitchen by now. At
least Bill would have, she wasn’t sure Kerry had come home last night. She
hoped she hadn’t.

She felt bad that she hadn’t got up
to clean up, but she simply hadn’t wanted to see anyone. She really didn’t want
to talk to them about what had happened the night before. Especially Kerry. Her
friend was so happy right now, she didn’t want to spoil it with the events of
the previous night. Kerry would no doubt feel guilty and end up confessing to
Jake, which would probably result in all hell breaking loose. She just couldn’t
face it. She was emotionally wrung out.

Laura stepped into the shower,
letting the piping hot water pour over her sore head, soothing away the
terrible night she’d had and reviving her a little. She wasn’t sure where to go
from here. She’d decided at some point in the long hours before sunrise that
she needed to find somewhere else to live, temporarily. Staying on the ranch
was no longer an option. She would get a more permanent home when she sold her
mother’s house back in England. Her Estate Agent had been keeping her informed
and it looked like she might get a couple of offers soon.

In the short term, she could live off
the money her mother had left her. It wasn’t ideal and wouldn’t last forever,
but it would give her a start until Martha started paying her, which would
hopefully be after the barn raising. She’d still have to attend that, since she
was catering it for the diner, but other than that she should have no reason to
have to still see Jake at all.

Mind made up, Laura dried off and got
ready to face the day. She’d have to see about a place to live after working in
the diner. She wondered if Martha had any ideas. Deep in thought, she wondered
downstairs, certain the house would be empty since she was running so late. She
stepped in the kitchen and stopped short.

Jake sat at the table, his arm
leaning against the wooden top, one leg casually thrown over the other. No
evidence of the events of the previous night were in sight; the kitchen was in
its usual spotless condition. Jake gazed at her, looking extremely handsome in
a clean soft blue shirt, denim trousers and boots. It simply wasn’t fair that
he looked so good while she looked like hell. Had last night not bothered him
at all? Her back stiffened, anger flowing though her like a tsunami. It looked
like he’d been waiting for her. She refused to give him the chance to lay into
her again.

“If you’re waiting for round two,
don’t bother!” Her voice came out raspy, barely making a sound at all. She
tried to clear her throat, not wanting to give away how badly she felt. “I’ll
be leaving the ranch just as soon as I can. Until then, I think we should avoid
each other.”

Jake’s heart nearly stopped in his
chest. She couldn’t go, not now! He knew he’d hurt her badly. He’d never seen
her look so closed and he hated that he was the reason for it. He got up
slowly, shuffling from one foot to the other as he stood before her. “Laura,
can we please talk?”

“About what? I think you already made
it very clear last night exactly how you feel.” She looked away from him.
Looking at him hurt too much. The last thing she wanted to do was to cry in
front of him again. She did have some pride and her tears certainly hadn’t
moved him in the slightest the night before.

“No, I didn’t. Last night I was
talking from anger and hurt. You were right, I wasn’t seeing you; I was judging
you by Victoria. It wasn’t fair. I want to get the chance to make things up to
you and to apologise, if you’ll let me.”

“Why the sudden apology? Last night
you were ready to rip me apart. I was caught having a romantic interlude with
Dan, remember?” she glared at him, trembling with the force of her emotions.

“I was wrong. I realise that now.”

“Oh, how big of you!” she fumed.
“What changed your mind?”

He looked uncomfortable. “I talked
with Bill last night. He made me see things differently.”

“So, I tell you how wrong you are.
Ask you to believe in me and you don’t. Instead you tell me you feel nothing
for me and walk out on me. Then you talk to Bill and suddenly you believe me!
Am I supposed to be grateful?” She turned to leave. “I have to go to work.”

He dove round her, grasping her
shoulders in his hands. “Please Laura, don’t just walk out on me. I know I let
you down, but I want to fix this. Just give me a chance.”

“That’s all I’ve wanted from you from
the start, Jake. But you’ve kept this bitter anger that someone else caused you
so firmly in place, you wouldn’t give me a chance. I wasn’t even the one who
did it to you in the first place. How is that fair?” Tears gathered in her
eyes. Laura blinked rapidly to clear them. She really couldn’t take crying
anymore. She already felt sick.

Flinging his arms off her, she walked
into the living room, grabbed her bag and left the house. Jake stood frozen to
the spot, the sound of the front door banging shut sounded like a death toll to
his ears.

He ran his hand through his hair. He
had no idea where to go from here.

*****

“Looks like things may be working out
on all sides!” Kerry smiled at Martha after having been told Laura wasn’t yet
in work. She’d stopped by the diner to see Laura to fill her in on the amazing
night she and Dan had spent together. They’d talked into the early hours,
really sorting through the past. Kerry had got off her chest how she’d felt
about him and Victoria. It had felt good and cathartic. She’d really
appreciated him allowing her to unload the heavy burdens she’d still carried
from that time. She’d felt so much lighter and so free when she’d finished. It
had been hard for him to hear, but it had been an important part of letting go
and moving on.

They had finally fallen asleep in
each other’s arms after exhausting themselves with their emotional unburdening.
She had no idea how she was going to break the news to Jake when she finally
had to, but she and Dan had decided to wait a while until they’d had a chance
to cement their relationship first. There didn’t seem any point rousing the
beast just yet.

The last thing Kerry had expected was
to walk into the diner and find out Laura wasn’t there yet. Last night must
have gone really well between Jake and Laura. She couldn’t wait to hear the
details.

“I don’t know about that honey. She
called a little while ago to say she was running late and all I can say is she
didn’t sound good.” Martha looked worried. “Fact is I’ve never heard her sound
so bad. Her voice was so hoarse I hardly recognised it.”

Kerry sat on a stool at the counter,
puzzled. The last she’d seen, Laura had seemed so happy. She’d left her making
dinner for Jake when she’d gone to Dan’s. Laura had been singing and bustling
round the kitchen, so excited with her surprise. What could possibly have gone
wrong?

The door to the diner opened. Kerry
turned, trying to stifle the gasp of horror at Laura’s appearance. She looked
haggard, her eyes almost glowing red in her chalky white face. Dark circles
under her eyes gave testament to a bad night’s sleep. She spotted Kerry, her
face clearly displaying her dismay.

“I don’t want to talk about it, so
don’t ask!” She whizzed by them to put her things in her locker. Kerry and
Martha followed her.

“You can’t expect us to see you like
this and not want to know what’s wrong,” Kerry pushed. “You were making dinner
when I left you last night. What went wrong?”

Laura gave her a fierce glare. “I
don’t want to talk about it Kerry. Please just leave me to work.” She flung her
apron over her head, tied it with more force than necessary and proceeded to
chop her way through a pile of vegetables at a speed that had Kerry fearing for
her fingers.

“Is it Jake? What’s he done now?” she
persisted.

Laura slammed her knife into the
chopping board, pinning Kerry with her gaze. “I love you Kerry, but if you
continue with this line of questioning, we are going to have a serious falling
out. Do I make myself clear?”

Kerry glanced at Martha, who shook
her head slightly, indicating with her eyes that they should leave.

“I’ll just leave you to it, then,”
she said, swallowing the questions that threatened to spill out.

“Thank you.” Laura resumed her rapid
chopping.

Kerry stepped out into the diner with
Martha. “Whatever’s happened, she’s not ready to tell you. Best not to push her
right now.”

Kerry hated to leave her friend in
such a state. She desperately wanted to know what was wrong. It had to be Jake.
There was nothing else.

“If she won’t tell me, I’m going to
tackle my brother.” Kerry grabbed her bag, heading for the door.

“Are you sure that’s wise, honey?”
Martha asked doubtfully. “He may be even worse than her.”

“I don’t care. I have to find out
what went wrong and fix it.” Kerry slammed out, heading for her car. She slung
it into drive and shot out onto the road, heading back to the ranch.

*****

Kerry pounced on him as soon as Jake
arrived back at the stables from his wild ride, which normally helped him to
clear his head, but things didn’t look any better. His mood had darkened
considerably as his mind had flowed over all the events since Laura had
arrived. He’d been a jerk and he knew it. Trouble was he had no idea how to fix
it. His heart heavy, he jumped from his horses back, handing the reins over to
a stable hand. He tried to march past her, but Kerry wasn’t having it.

“What did you do to Laura?” she
demanded, her hands flying to her hips. “I’ve never seen her in such a state.
What happened?”

Jake turned a glare towards his
sister. She was the last person he wanted to see right now. “Maybe nothing would
have happened last night if you’d had the guts to tell me about Dan!” he
growled at her.

Her face went white. “What do you
mean?” she stammered out, her hand flying to her chest.

“I saw Laura sitting at the diner
with Dan, looking like she’d just had a romantic lunch with him. And all the
time, it was you!” He pointed his finger at her chest, his anger mounting. “I
accused her, ruined her dinner for us and threw my chances with her down the
drain and all because my sister couldn’t be honest with me.”

She looked like someone had just
punched her in the stomach. For a moment her mouth worked and nothing came out.
Then she gathered herself together. “Can you blame me Jake? You’ve been so dead
set against Dan, how could I tell you how I felt? You wouldn’t have
understood.”

“Damn right I don’t. You must be
crazy to give your heart to that low life cheating scum. You want to throw
yourself away on him, go right ahead. I won’t stop you. If you’ll excuse me, I
have to try and salvage what’s left of my relationship with Laura, thanks to
you and that jerk you insist on seeing.” He turned his back on her and walked
away.

Kerry stood in shock, tears forming
in her eyes. She blinked them back rapidly. She didn’t have time to give into
such things. She’d had no idea that Jake had got the wrong impression about Dan
and Laura. If she’d known she would have told him. No wonder Laura had looked
so angry at the diner. Did she hate Kerry too?

She raced after Jake. “Please, let me
help,” she begged, catching up to him. “I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble
Jake. You know I didn’t. Truly I never told you about Dan because I didn’t want
to hurt you and I was afraid you’d cut me out of your life. I couldn’t bear the
thought of losing you. I hoped I could tell you when you were happier. It
seemed you’d be able to perhaps give me and Dan a chance if you had someone you
loved in your life too. It’s the reason I joined the agency for you. That and
wanting you to be happy again. It worked too. You found Laura.”

Jake turned back to his sister. “Yep,
I found Laura and now I hope I haven’t just lost her. She was barely speaking
to me this morning.”

“I’m sorry Jake. It’s the last thing
I wanted. Please don’t hate me.” She begged, choking back her tears as they
threatened to erupt again. She took in a ragged breath. “I just wanted the
chance to be happy. Please understand.”

Jake gripped her gently and pulled
her into a hug. He held her close as she fought to get herself under control.
No matter how much he hated Dan, he couldn’t simply turn his back on her. He
pushed her gently away from him and looked into her eyes.