Vivian Arend - Rocky Mountain Heat

Jaxi smiled as she dropped the diced potatoes into a pot and swirled cold water over them. She was finally grown up enough there would be less complaining among the gossipmongers. All she’d wanted her whole life was to be a rancher’s wife. Blake’s wife.

Staying here put her in a great position to let him know how things would go down from now on. He’d been looking ragged around the edges the past couple times she’d seen him in town. He needed a little caring for.

She was more than up for the calling.

“Jaxi? Wow, girl. Mike just told me you planned on lending us a hand for a bit but I never expected you’d…” Marion leaned on the doorframe to the kitchen, the clumsy bulk of her arm held cautiously in front of her. The older woman grinned and the expression took years off her face. “Well, actually, yes, I did expect you to jump in and make yourself at home. Your momma going to miss you if you bunk here with us?”

“No, ma’am. I’ve been living at the Yales’ place since the spring so she’s fine with the occasional visit. I’m all yours,” Jaxi said.

“Good. We’ll have to see about where to tuck you. The upstairs bedrooms are all full with the twins still here for another few weeks. We can put you in the guest cabin or in the den downstairs, or move one of the other boys from their room in the basement. The cabin is the most private.”

“It’s also a lot farther away if you need me quick. I really don’t mind the den.”

Marion sniffed. “I can get Daniel or Blake to move.”

Jaxi shook a hand at her. “Please don’t do that. I don’t need much space for my stuff.” Jaxi popped the potatoes on the stove and set the heat to boil. “For supper, there’s a green bean casserole from the Thiessens and a large pot of stew from the Laings. You got salad fixings in the garden?”

“Some. I’ll go—”

“You’ll do no such thing. How are you going to pick cucumbers and lettuce with one hand? I can get everything in the oven and warming in five minutes. You stay and watch the potatoes don’t boil over.” Jaxi pulled herself up sharp before turning a guilty smile on the other woman. “Not that I plan on bossing you around in your own kitchen or anything.”

Marion laughed out loud. “Oh, Jaxi, it’s good to have you here.” She tugged Jaxi in close for a hug, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “You go right ahead and boss all you want. I’ll warn you if you step over the line. I consider you a part of this family, you know that, don’t you?”

Jaxi glided around, prepping things for supper. She grabbed the garden pail and hurried through the back door. From Marion’s lips to God’s ears.

Blake finished up early in the shop. He’d seen the neighbours’ cars trickle away and figured he should head in to help with supper preparations. His dad was all right in the kitchen, but unless they wanted to live on pancakes for the next few weeks all of them would need to pull a little extra duty.

He marched around to the back of the house and the lower entrance. When his great-grandpa built the ranch house, he’d included enough room for all six of his boys and a few extra hired hands. They had worked the land by hand and with horses, time-consuming and backbreaking labour raising cattle and tending fields. In those days the bunkhouse attached to the house by an open walkway, but years ago the family had closed the path in and turned the extra space into a shower room and private entrance for the boys to access their downstairs bedrooms. Even though the ranch was now fully modernized, it was still dirty and exhausting work.

He unbuttoned his shirt, stripped the soiled fabric from his body and wiped the sweat from his neck. It was hot for late August, and he hadn’t even been in the tractor with the broken air conditioning. Daniel had drawn the short straw this morning.

Blake headed to the outdoor shower. It was safe, as all the visiting vehicles were gone, and he much preferred to wash up in the open air while it was this warm. He stripped off his jeans and boots, pitching the clothes into a pile. He threw his boots on the rack inside and grabbed a towel from the shelf over the door before returning to the bright afternoon sunshine and blasting the water on. Joel, the music addict in the family, had wired speakers on either side of the outdoor area. With a flick of a switch, a country station blared about hurtin’ and lovin’ and leavin’. Blake smiled as he lathered up and sang along with Randy Travis.

Daniel and Matt sauntered by, enormous grins splitting their faces.

“What’s your problem? Either of you want the shower? I’m just ’bout done.”

Matt ignored the question, but he snickered before entering the house. Daniel shook his head. “I’ll use the ones inside. You’re a brave man, Blake, braver than I thought.”

Blake turned off the water and toweled himself vigorously. “What the hell is the matter with you? Tractor heat-fry your brains?”

“Let’s say I like my privacy more than you. Is Mama all right?” Daniel asked.

“Cast the size of a lamb on her arm. We’re going to have to pick up the slack over the next while. It’ll be tough for her to get any work done.”

“Oh, she’ll be fine, Blake. I’m pretty sure she’ll have the help she needs. Now, you’ve got me curious. You plan on joining us at the supper table dressed that way or a little more formal?” Daniel grinned again as he turned to stare out into the yard.

Blake stepped next to him, towel held in a fist at his hip. He followed Daniel’s gaze. He looked past the walkway, the garden and the greenhouse, clear to the sheep and cattle barns without seeing anything unusual. Shaking his head he retreated toward the house. “I swear, you get harder and harder to understand. Of course I’m dressing. You think I plan on prancing around stark naked in front of everybody?”

Idiot.

He scooped up his dirty clothes, stopping to deposit them in the laundry room. The piles waiting on the floor only took a minute to deal with. Blake loaded the oversized washer and got it going. He ducked into his bedroom to pull on clean jeans and a T-shirt, wondering how long he’d be able to keep up with the washing before his ma found out and tried to take over.

Walking the familiar path through the sleeping area of the basement, striding past TV and recreation rooms toward the stairs to the main level—even after living elsewhere for years, the place felt like home.

Appetizing scents greeted him as he stepped onto the landing—rich beef stew, mashed potatoes and something that smelled like apple pie. The neighbours, it had to be. Damn it was good to live in an area where people took care of each other. Maybe his father’s dreaded pancakes could be avoided for a few days.

Blake rounded the corner to see his folks resting easy in the family room, talking together quietly. In the adjoining dining area, the massive table that could comfortably sit a dozen was already set for the meal with pickles and salads, butter and sliced bread.

“Wow, ladies help organize supper before they left?” Blake asked as he settled on the couch across from his father. “Looks great. We’ve got a wonderful bunch of friends, don’t we?”

Marion nodded. “Well, yes, we do, Blake, but actually it was—”

“You get that furniture order ready today, Blake?” Mike interrupted. His parents exchanged peculiar glances. “I know you had to take a break to help your ma. If you need a hand after supper, the boys and I can come and load the last of it.”

Blake sat back in his chair. “I’d appreciate that. There’s still a couple of items to haul together, but it won’t take long.” The strange looks continued. “Did they give you some happy gas while you were in the hospital today, Ma? Or is it a full moon tonight? Everyone is acting bewitched.”