Honey Kisses

Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Cozy Cottage

Sarah sat on the edge of her bed and pulled her boots off. After spending a rare "date night" at Boot Bustin' Barn with her husband while Julie and Jacob watched the twins, all she wanted to do was soak in a bubble bath in the beautiful bathroom Sage had remodeled for her. She massaged her foot. "Do you think we're doing the right thing encouraging Ann to work for Jackson?"

Sage unbuttoned his double-breasted western shirt and pulled it from his Levis revealing washboard abs.

Sarah looked from his abs to his face and grinned. "Now what was I saying? Oh, yeah, do you think we should encourage Ann to work for Jackson?"

Sage sat on the opposite side of the bed and also pulled his boots off. "Honey, you know they both have a thing for each other. Hell, they can hardly be in the same room without having a coronary. But if we don't give them a push, I think they'll see too many obstacles standing between them. Ann is what, in her early forties, and Jackson is in his early thirties. She'll definitely see a negative in that, although I can assure them from experience that marrying an older woman has made me the happiest man in the world." He winked. "Anyway, she has a grown son and Jackson doesn't have children. She was married, and, as far as I know, Jackson never has been. She may be so disillusioned with men she never gives another one a chance."

"I know. I know. I just don't want either of them to get hurt."

Sage shrugged. "They're both carrying emotional baggage. Maybe they can help each other."

"You're right. They'd be perfect together. So, tomorrow, we help Ann move to the cottage and play matchmaker whenever we can. Right?"

"Right."

Sarah walked to the bathroom door. "Hey Sage?"

He tossed first one boot and then the other into the closet. "Yeah, honey?"

"I need help washing my back in that big ol' bathtub."

"Do you need help washing anything else?"

"Hmm. Why don't you follow me, cowboy, and we'll talk about it?"

* * *

Sage and Jackson unloaded the last of Ann's belongings into the cottage. She'd only stayed at the Lazy M for a week and left most of her things packed. Ann found Sarah checking out the kitchen. Sarah said, "This is lovely. You're the first person to live here after the remodel."

Ann looked around the cheery, light-filled room and felt her heart expand. It was perfect. The window over the sink faced the river, which was about a hundred feet away down an embankment, and the small adjoining dining room had a large window with the same view. She returned to the living room with its windows facing the pasture separating the cottage from the main house. When she'd met Jackson a week earlier to talk about the housekeeping position, she'd been right about this house being the cottage. How she hoped she could perform her job to his expectation and stay.

"What do you think, Annie?"

She hadn't heard Jackson enter the room and twirled, catching her foot in the carpet. A strong hand shot out to keep her upright.

"Goodness, clumsy me." She walked a few paces from him. He smelled like hay and sunshine. "It's even prettier than I remembered when you showed me last week."

"Well, you just do whatever you want to gussy it up."

Ann felt so tongue-tied she didn't know how to respond. Sarah saved the day when she entered the room. "Do you want me to help you unpack your clothes?"

"Yes, yes. Let's do it now. Excuse us, Jackson."

In the larger of the two bedrooms, Ann opened her suitcases. Sarah asked a few questions to find out where she wanted clothing stored, and then went to work. After a few minutes, her friend said, "Do you start work tomorrow?"

"Yes. Jackson said I should come to the house at nine and he'll give me a tour."

"I think it's wonderful that he was able to buy the Triple T. Sage told me he worked for Tommy Travis Tritt for a couple of years as his foreman." She looked at Ann conspiratorially, "You know he's rich, don't you?"

"Who?"

"Jackson."

"Oh, no, I didn't."

"Sage said he made his money playing the stock market. I guess he has a business or marketing degree or something like that. From what I gather, he lived in New York for about three years and worked for a brokerage firm. He told Sage it didn't take him long to figure out New York wasn't the place for him. When he moved back here, he took an entry level job working for Tommy and worked his way up to foreman."

"Goodness, I didn't know all that."

Sarah winked. "Jackson is going to be a great catch for some lucky woman. I think Pritzy Purvis has her eye on him."

"Oh, I met her at the wedding. She's really pretty. They looked striking together."

"Striking or not, I don't think she's right for him."

"Really, why not?"

"She doesn't come off as being, well, authentic. I think she wants him for his money. Everyone in the County knows he's rich as Croesus. Jackson needs to find..." Sarah tilted her head. "He needs to find a woman like Dixie St. John. She's sweet like you."

Ann folded some underwear and stacked it in the beautiful antique redwood chest. She had her back to Sarah. "I don't think I've met Dixie. Does she live on one of the ranches?"

"No, she owns the coffee shop and bakery, Dixie's Cuppa Joe, in town. The few times we've been there, I haven't seen her to introduce you. I've seen Jackson in there several times. Maybe he's already got his eye on her. Do you want these sweaters hung up or folded?"

Ann turned. "Just fold them. I'll store them in the trunk at the foot of the bed."

"Next time we go to town, we'll make a point to stop by the coffee shop. After you meet Dixie, you can give me your impression. I've been thinking about inviting her and Jackson to supper at the house."

"Uh, sure."