This Crazy Love

2. Jackson

Chapter Two

Jackson

Shay had a mere two bags with her. “I can get one,” she said, her tone a little testy when I moved to take both bags. Shay had always liked to do things for herself, so I let it go and turned with the one I already had in hand.

Moments later, we were inside the house. I led her through the sprawling farmhouse kitchen, down the hall, and up the stairs, going straight to the bedroom Ash had determined would be Shay’s.

After our father passed away a few years ago, my sister and I inherited the family farm. Years back, it had been a working farm for generations of our family. In the last decade or so before our father passed away, he had wound down the farming part of it, and dedicated his time to his horses and creating an animal rescue sanctuary. Before our mother died, he promised her someday he’d make the farm into a rescue.

Our father’s death brought me home. In addition to the rescue program, we ran a small veterinary clinic, seeing as I had my license, but I hadn’t put it to much use while I’d been overseas in the military. We’d also renovated two of the massive old barns into a high-end adventure lodge. We hosted a variety of guests throughout the year.

Ash was only here occasionally of late and was out of town now. She was one hundred percent on board with having Shay come stay here, so she made all the decisions about which room and so on.

Stopping by the door to the guestroom in question, I glanced back to Shay. “Right in here,” I said, pausing once I stepped inside and set her bag on the floor in front of the dresser.

When I looked over at Shay again, my breath was nearly knocked out of me. The early morning sunlight hadn’t done her justice. If I thought she was beautiful before, she was arresting now. Her dark blonde hair fell loosely around her shoulders. Her green eyes held mine as she looked at me, a hint of defiance entering her gaze.

Shay was on the short side and all curves. She wore fitted jeans and cowboy boots paired with a blouse. Even with her loose blouse, her breasts filled it, curves rising above the rounded neckline. Her lips were full and plump. She arched a brow as I looked at her.

“What?” she demanded.

I gave my head a little shake. “Not a thing. Ash will be thrilled to know you’re here. You must’ve left early. Come on downstairs when you’re ready. I’ll take a quick shower and then I can show you around.”

I walked through the door, trying to ignore the sizzle of electricity in the air when I passed by her. It wasn’t until I caught her gaze out of the corner of my eye, and saw the vulnerability under the defiance, that I remembered all the reasons why she was here.

“I’ll be down in a little bit. I just want to unpack,” she said.

I’d been up for hours and on my back in the dirt, changing the oil on one of the trucks. I needed a shower to clear my head as much as to get clean. I wondered if Shay was too close to my bedroom as I stepped through the doorway at an angle across the hallway. That was a problem for another day.