Page 4 of Family Forever
He and Aric pulled up chairs and made their own lunches. Dylan looked at his baby brother who sat quietly on his chair. “What kind are you eating there, buddy.”
“Bologna. Marissa made it for me,” he said with a smile.
“Well, that was nice of her, wasn’t it?”
He nodded and took another bite.
After lunch, the boys tended to their business. Marissa offered to help Braden with finishing the laundry and making the beds. Maybe the kid made a good impression after all.
Dylan decided to hop in the shower to rid himself of the barn smell and then go to the den where he'd do some bookwork, likely for most of the afternoon. After a quick rinse, he stepped out of the master bathroom and into his bedroom wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.
Marissa looked up from the bed she was making with Braden, gasped, and turned whiter than the sheets she was tucking under his mattress. He hadn’t expected to find anyone in his room, and judging from the surprised look in her eyes, she hadn't expected him to walk out of the bathroom wearing just a towel.
Her gaze flew away from him. “Sorry,” she muttered before rushing out of the room so fast the breeze in her wake chilled him. He nearly laughed out loud.
* * * *
Marissa didn’t stop until she reached the half bath off the kitchen. She splashed her hot face with cool water. She’d never seen anything as glorious as Dylan Jacobs standing there nearly naked. Beads of water dripped off the ends of his thick, wavy dark hair onto his wide shoulders and broad chest. Her fingertips tingled at the thought of tracing those trickling paths as they skimmed down his torso. She closed her eyes and replayed the vision of scanning his lightly hair-dusted chest, following the thinning line of hair over his chiseled abs until it disappeared beneath the towel. The thought of what lie under that towel sent her mind into a tailspin. Sweat dampened her palms again, despite the cold water.
Good Lord, how am I ever going to face him again?She must have looked like a complete fool, the way she rushed out of the bedroom, nearly tripping over her own feet. It’s not like she’d never seen a man’s chest before, but holy cow, his was something. And his tantalizing scent was to die for. It was just soap, but that clean fresh scent on him was arousing to say the least. Needing to regroup, she sat on the toilet seat and took another minute to calm her tense nerves before exiting the bathroom. With any luck, she wouldn’t see him for the remainder of the day. For now, at least, she could hide upstairs and clean the boys’ bathroom.
After she finished with their bathroom, she was left with no choice but to go back downstairs. Dylan had told her earlier that the boys were responsible for cleaning their own rooms, though she did stray and help Braden make all the beds. When he looked at her with his big, sad puppy eyes she couldn't help but lend him a hand. He had her number already. She was a sucker. She had even helped him fold the clothes his brother told him to take care of earlier in the day.
A knock sounded on the front door. She paused from wiping down the mirror in the bathroom off the kitchen. The knock sounded again before she heard what she assumed to be Dylan’s footsteps leaving the den, and walking through the living room. More footsteps sounded, on the steps opening into the living room. Sure Aric was still busy with his video games, it was probably Braden or Nate coming to see who it was, maybe even Luke.
The jittery laugh of a woman carried into the kitchen where Marissa stood, peeking through the doorway to the living room, hoping to catch a glimpse of who was at the door. Luke stood at the bottom of the steps. His gaze fixed in the direction of the voices, a toy tractor gripped in his hands.
“I’ll just set these in the kitchen for you,” the woman said.
Marissa quickly scooted away from the doorway, around the table and busied herself by the sink, filling a bucket with water.
Both the voices and footsteps grew louder. She spun to face everyone when they entered the kitchen. A thin woman with jet-black hair set two pies on the table.
The woman’s curious, disapproving gaze raked over her before she swung her gaze to Dylan. “You hired a housekeeper?” Her tone was condescending.
Being the daughter of the town drunk, Marissa was used to that tone, but it still stung.
“I’ve told you before, I’d be happy to help you out,” the woman added.
Dylan’s sympathetic gaze met hers only for the briefest moment before returning to the woman. “She’s not the housekeeper.”
He looked like he was going to say more but stopped.
The woman’s lips drew into a thin line, and her gaze zoned in on her again. Marissa squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. Who was this woman to judge her?
Nate stepped forward and pointed at her as he looked at the lady. “Gayle, that’s Marissa. She lives on the next farm over.”
Ahh, Gayle is her name, and who exactly is she?
The unpleasant woman kept her piercing gaze on her as she reached over and touched Dylan’s arm as if marking her territory. Dylan pulled away so fast she would have sworn the woman’s touch was like a branding iron. Marissa nearly laughed.Serves her right.
Gayle leaned toward Luke who stood two brothers away from Dylan. “Would you like a piece of cherry pie, Luke?”
Before his name was fully out of her mouth the poor little boy dropped his toy tractor, darted away from her, and hid behind Marissa as he gripped her leg. Marissa reached down and placed her hand on his shoulder hoping to curb his fear. His grip loosened. The amused gazes on all the Jacobs brother's faces were unmistakable. She assumed their amusement came from their little brother sticking it to the supercilious woman, but then something changed in Dylan’s gaze as it shifted between his baby brother and her. It softened.
Dylan looked at Gayle. “The boys shouldn’t have pie now, it’s too close to dinner. But please be sure to thank your mother for us, we enjoy her desserts immensely.”
The woman lingered for a moment before heading to the door.
