and laughed. Before Peyton knew what he intended he swiped the corner of her mouth with his thumb. “You’ve got chocolate on your mouth, little girl.”
Peyton’s heart picked up speed. Had this been a quick glimpse of the real Jake? The only reason she offered to help him was because of the promise she had made to Annie. She hadn’t expected his warm touch to move her, but she’d be lying if she said it didn’t. To keep things light, she smacked at his arm and licked her ice cream until it was gone.
She stared out the window as the miles rolled by. “How long have you owned Rest Thy Head?”
“Our parents bought it ten years ago.”
“It looks old.”
Jake put on his signal and turned off the main road. “It is old. It was built in 1870.”
“Hey! Did any famous people ever stay here?”
Jake laughed, a deep, rich sound that pleased Peyton because it made her feel good all over. “No, I don’t think so.”
“No Buffalo Bill? No Annie Oakley? Maybe she’s your ghost. Maybe she’s mad that nobody invited her to Rest Thy Head. The ghost is female, right?” Peyton teased.
Jake shot her a look. He seemed concerned about her. “Did you see anything last night?”
“Nope. No ghosts.” She paused. “You don’t really believe that nonsense do you?”
“Well…”
Peyton rolled her eyes. “Honestly.”
“Is the room okay?”
“Yes, it is.” She chuckled. “In fact I’m almost afraid to tell you how much I like it because you might try to rent it, and then where would I be?”
“No, it’s yours for as long as you like. Nobody else will stay in it.”
“Thanks, buddy,” she answered, making her tone as tart as possible. “It’s nice to know that’s the only reason I get it.”
Jake backtracked so fast it tickled Peyton. “I didn’t mean …”
“Oh, hush. I’m only teasing you.”
They had reached the inn by now, so Peyton helped him unload the truck. They had almost finished when Patrick came up from the barn. “Good grief, Jake! Why are you making Peyton lift those heavy boxes? Why didn’t you call Jason?” He grabbed a box of lettuce from Peyton and shooed her away from the truck.
“Sorry. I didn’t think,” Jake apologized. Peyton forgave him when she saw the chagrined expression on his face, although there was really nothing to forgive. The boxes hadn’t been that heavy.
She gave him a wink and a smile and went inside to assemble salads. “Did you and Jake have a good time?” Sandra asked. The way she rolled her eyes, Peyton knew she was still angry about Jake’s curt manner during breakfast.
“Actually, we did. We saw a bear on the edge of the woods, and he bought me an ice cream sandwich.”
Sandra dropped the cucumber she was peeling. “Wow. You must have impressed him. He won’t even speak civilly to me.”
Peyton giggled. “If you can sweeten an old bear with honey, maybe you can sweeten Jake with an ice cream sandwich.”
“Then let’s keep plenty of them on hand,” Sandra retorted. “He had no business acting up the way he did this morning. Everybody in the kitchen is mad at him.” She pursed her lips. “If I were a man, I’d kick his butt for him.”
Peyton tossed her a head of lettuce from across the room. “It might do him good. Teach him some manners.”
Jake entered the kitchen about the time another head of lettuce flew through the air. The angry look on his face almost scared Peyton. Almost. “Catch, Jake.” She fired another head of lettuce his way, and he caught it with one hand.
“I didn’t hire you to play football with the lettuce,” he growled, but it was too late to scold them. Everyone had already seen him grin. To Peyton, the atmosphere in the kitchen felt lots better now. Sandra and the others were smiling instead of sending hateful looks Jake’s way.
She went to her room to call Ashley as soon as they finished with lunch. Her sister would love the bear story. Taking a seat in the pretty club chair, she dialed
Peyton’s heart picked up speed. Had this been a quick glimpse of the real Jake? The only reason she offered to help him was because of the promise she had made to Annie. She hadn’t expected his warm touch to move her, but she’d be lying if she said it didn’t. To keep things light, she smacked at his arm and licked her ice cream until it was gone.
She stared out the window as the miles rolled by. “How long have you owned Rest Thy Head?”
“Our parents bought it ten years ago.”
“It looks old.”
Jake put on his signal and turned off the main road. “It is old. It was built in 1870.”
“Hey! Did any famous people ever stay here?”
Jake laughed, a deep, rich sound that pleased Peyton because it made her feel good all over. “No, I don’t think so.”
“No Buffalo Bill? No Annie Oakley? Maybe she’s your ghost. Maybe she’s mad that nobody invited her to Rest Thy Head. The ghost is female, right?” Peyton teased.
Jake shot her a look. He seemed concerned about her. “Did you see anything last night?”
“Nope. No ghosts.” She paused. “You don’t really believe that nonsense do you?”
“Well…”
Peyton rolled her eyes. “Honestly.”
“Is the room okay?”
“Yes, it is.” She chuckled. “In fact I’m almost afraid to tell you how much I like it because you might try to rent it, and then where would I be?”
“No, it’s yours for as long as you like. Nobody else will stay in it.”
“Thanks, buddy,” she answered, making her tone as tart as possible. “It’s nice to know that’s the only reason I get it.”
Jake backtracked so fast it tickled Peyton. “I didn’t mean …”
“Oh, hush. I’m only teasing you.”
They had reached the inn by now, so Peyton helped him unload the truck. They had almost finished when Patrick came up from the barn. “Good grief, Jake! Why are you making Peyton lift those heavy boxes? Why didn’t you call Jason?” He grabbed a box of lettuce from Peyton and shooed her away from the truck.
“Sorry. I didn’t think,” Jake apologized. Peyton forgave him when she saw the chagrined expression on his face, although there was really nothing to forgive. The boxes hadn’t been that heavy.
She gave him a wink and a smile and went inside to assemble salads. “Did you and Jake have a good time?” Sandra asked. The way she rolled her eyes, Peyton knew she was still angry about Jake’s curt manner during breakfast.
“Actually, we did. We saw a bear on the edge of the woods, and he bought me an ice cream sandwich.”
Sandra dropped the cucumber she was peeling. “Wow. You must have impressed him. He won’t even speak civilly to me.”
Peyton giggled. “If you can sweeten an old bear with honey, maybe you can sweeten Jake with an ice cream sandwich.”
“Then let’s keep plenty of them on hand,” Sandra retorted. “He had no business acting up the way he did this morning. Everybody in the kitchen is mad at him.” She pursed her lips. “If I were a man, I’d kick his butt for him.”
Peyton tossed her a head of lettuce from across the room. “It might do him good. Teach him some manners.”
Jake entered the kitchen about the time another head of lettuce flew through the air. The angry look on his face almost scared Peyton. Almost. “Catch, Jake.” She fired another head of lettuce his way, and he caught it with one hand.
“I didn’t hire you to play football with the lettuce,” he growled, but it was too late to scold them. Everyone had already seen him grin. To Peyton, the atmosphere in the kitchen felt lots better now. Sandra and the others were smiling instead of sending hateful looks Jake’s way.
She went to her room to call Ashley as soon as they finished with lunch. Her sister would love the bear story. Taking a seat in the pretty club chair, she dialed
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