also to check her work. Annie met him in the hall with a grin on her face. His scowl sent her ducking out of the way. He glanced into the kitchen and saw Pete seated at the table, a corner of his paper flipped down.
“You should try to control your wife, Pete.”
“That’ll be the day.” He chuckled. “The sooner you learn to succumb to their wiles, the better off you’ll be.”
Jace grunted in response, then stood in front of the mirror in the washroom. Moving his head from side to side, he slowly started to smile. Panicked at what he’d find, it was a relief to see that Bobbie had done a better job than Mooney, and she smelled better too. He ran his hand under his chin where the tingle of her fingers still lingered, never planning to use the town’s barber again.
He returned to the door, opened it, and leaned against the frame. Bobbie lifted the chair and carried it toward him, then stopped right in front of him with a knowing grin. His breath caught in his throat as an incredible urge to kiss her raged through him. He frowned.
“Is it okay?”
He took the chair from her. She stepped past him, and he followed her to the kitchen. “It is. In fact, I’m impressed.”
“
Are
you now?” She moved to stand next to Annie.
The entire family had taken their seats around the table and sat staring at him. Even Sara stopped sucking her thumb long enough to point her pudgy finger at him.
Jace returned the stares as he shifted from one foot to the other. “What?” He quit smiling. “What?” Comprehension dawned as he took in everyone’s expression. His gaze jumped back to Bobbie. “You knew how to cut hair all along, didn’t you?” His audience burst into laughter. “Why you little…”
He lunged for Bobbie. She gasped and ran to the opposite side of the table, still laughing.
She stopped long enough to point at Annie. “It was all her idea.”
“Really?” He picked up a glass from the table and swirled the water around. “So it was my
sister’s
idea to scare me half out of my mind.”
Annie stood and backed away from the table, her hands out toward Jace. “Now Jace, you know you needed a haircut.”
“Yes, I did.” He took another step toward Annie. “But you didn’t have to put a terrifying weapon into the hands of someone so good at acting that she had me thoroughly convinced she didn’t know what she was doing.”
He turned and prepared to empty the glass of water on Bobbie.
“Jace looks pretty.” Ben proceeded to clap his hands.
Jace dipped his fingers in the glass and flicked the moisture toward Bobbie before doing the same to Annie.
“You two enjoy your trickery now, but beware… I’ll get even.” He sat and reached over to ruffle the hair on top of Ben’s head. “Thank you for the compliment, Ben.”
He couldn’t stop his gaze from sliding back to Bobbie and found her grinning at him as she took a seat at the table. His focus remained on her lips until her head dipped. He gripped the napkin. Best to keep his thoughts and feelings under control.
The next day, Bobbie rode up to the chow hall for the noon meal. The other ranch hands surrounded her as she dismounted. She stared at them in uncertainty. “What’s up, boys?”
Coop removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “Well Bobbie, we all seen what a good job ya done on Jace’s hair, and we was hoping you’d do us the same favor.”
Several yards away, Jace leaned against the barn with a satisfied smile. He wiggled his eyebrows and hooked his thumbs through the loops of his trousers.
“Come on, Bobbie,” David Lundy said. “It’d sure save us the hassle of going inta town ta get it done.”
Sonny Marshall stepped up and pulled off his hat. “Not to mention the money we’d save.”
“Who said I’d do it for free?” She feigned exasperation.
Sonny’s eyes grew wide. “Jace said you didn’t charge him.”
She looked over at Jace again and noticed his shoulders shaking in quiet laughter.
“You should try to control your wife, Pete.”
“That’ll be the day.” He chuckled. “The sooner you learn to succumb to their wiles, the better off you’ll be.”
Jace grunted in response, then stood in front of the mirror in the washroom. Moving his head from side to side, he slowly started to smile. Panicked at what he’d find, it was a relief to see that Bobbie had done a better job than Mooney, and she smelled better too. He ran his hand under his chin where the tingle of her fingers still lingered, never planning to use the town’s barber again.
He returned to the door, opened it, and leaned against the frame. Bobbie lifted the chair and carried it toward him, then stopped right in front of him with a knowing grin. His breath caught in his throat as an incredible urge to kiss her raged through him. He frowned.
“Is it okay?”
He took the chair from her. She stepped past him, and he followed her to the kitchen. “It is. In fact, I’m impressed.”
“
Are
you now?” She moved to stand next to Annie.
The entire family had taken their seats around the table and sat staring at him. Even Sara stopped sucking her thumb long enough to point her pudgy finger at him.
Jace returned the stares as he shifted from one foot to the other. “What?” He quit smiling. “What?” Comprehension dawned as he took in everyone’s expression. His gaze jumped back to Bobbie. “You knew how to cut hair all along, didn’t you?” His audience burst into laughter. “Why you little…”
He lunged for Bobbie. She gasped and ran to the opposite side of the table, still laughing.
She stopped long enough to point at Annie. “It was all her idea.”
“Really?” He picked up a glass from the table and swirled the water around. “So it was my
sister’s
idea to scare me half out of my mind.”
Annie stood and backed away from the table, her hands out toward Jace. “Now Jace, you know you needed a haircut.”
“Yes, I did.” He took another step toward Annie. “But you didn’t have to put a terrifying weapon into the hands of someone so good at acting that she had me thoroughly convinced she didn’t know what she was doing.”
He turned and prepared to empty the glass of water on Bobbie.
“Jace looks pretty.” Ben proceeded to clap his hands.
Jace dipped his fingers in the glass and flicked the moisture toward Bobbie before doing the same to Annie.
“You two enjoy your trickery now, but beware… I’ll get even.” He sat and reached over to ruffle the hair on top of Ben’s head. “Thank you for the compliment, Ben.”
He couldn’t stop his gaze from sliding back to Bobbie and found her grinning at him as she took a seat at the table. His focus remained on her lips until her head dipped. He gripped the napkin. Best to keep his thoughts and feelings under control.
The next day, Bobbie rode up to the chow hall for the noon meal. The other ranch hands surrounded her as she dismounted. She stared at them in uncertainty. “What’s up, boys?”
Coop removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “Well Bobbie, we all seen what a good job ya done on Jace’s hair, and we was hoping you’d do us the same favor.”
Several yards away, Jace leaned against the barn with a satisfied smile. He wiggled his eyebrows and hooked his thumbs through the loops of his trousers.
“Come on, Bobbie,” David Lundy said. “It’d sure save us the hassle of going inta town ta get it done.”
Sonny Marshall stepped up and pulled off his hat. “Not to mention the money we’d save.”
“Who said I’d do it for free?” She feigned exasperation.
Sonny’s eyes grew wide. “Jace said you didn’t charge him.”
She looked over at Jace again and noticed his shoulders shaking in quiet laughter.
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