3-JACOB

“So that's what Jeff meant when he said George was attending an emergency,” Vivienne agreed, walking beside me.

“Yes, part of your job will be to help the farmers and Red Falls residents with their animals. The shelter reached an agreement with the town residents and so far, it has worked for all of us. And although emergencies are not that often, you will have a car assigned to attend them, so do not worry about your car.”

“I wasn't worried,” She said, smiling like it was nothing.

As if I hadn't insulted her minutes before or as if having to work harder than she thought wasn't a handicap in accepting this job.

I cleared my throat a bit uncomfortable at finding myself walking so close to her.

“I'm sorry George didn't explain this part of the job to you.”

“Really, Jacob, don't worry. It doesn’t bother me at all.”

“And I'm sorry for your daughter too, I'm sorry I disappointed her,” I added quickly.

I looked up to find the girl walking several feet ahead of us with her little pig.

Lily.

God, the pig had the same name as...

“It's okay. At some point Taylor will have to accept we won't be living with you. She just wanted to have a room with a balcony.”

Shit, did the woman never stop smiling?

“I hope the cabin you were assigned to is to your liking.”

After the girl's great disappointment when she discovered they wouldn’t be living in the main house but in one of the cabins assigned for employees with families that were several feet from my house, Vivienne had asked me to show her the clinic facilities where she’d primarily be working.

That’s where we were heading at that very moment.

“If everything I've seen so far is any indication, I'm sure our new home will be beautiful, Jacob.” She said, looking toward the area of the lake that could be seen a few hundred feet from us and where a group of sheep and goats were. “So… Is this place yours or does it belong to someone else and you just run it?”

“It's mine. Well, from my family,” I explained, leaning down to scratch Rocky's ear. My hands felt damp thanks to the sweat accumulated on them. “This used to be a dairy farm when my grandfather was alive, but after he died, my father wanted nothing to do with the place and it was practically abandoned except for a few workers who kept everything in decent shape.”

“Doesn't look like it needed much fixing.” She looked at me in surprise when I laughed at her innocence.

“None of what you're seeing existed before,” I said, unable to believe that sound had come from my mouth. “Hmm, the main house used to be in what now is the stables. And where my house is now it used to be the milking parlor. It took about a year for this to look decent enough to become a shelter, but we made it. Although at first it was just the stables, the chicken coop, the artificial lake that my grandfather made when he was still alive, and the barracks where I slept for a while with my workers while the houses were built.”

“You slept with your workers?” She asked amused. “Did you guys hug each other when it was cold? Did you have sleepovers at night and tell each other their most intimate secrets?”

“Ha ha. Very funny,” I replied, trying to sound serious, but I was actually trying to hide my smile. “Each farmhand had their own room and by the end of the day, we'd end up so tired we'd just drop dead in our beds.”

“I love how proud you sound when you talk about this place,” She sighed happily. “It makes me feel good with my decision of moving here.”

“What made you look for a job in a place like this? I mean, Red Falls can hardly be called a civilization.”

Vivienne hesitated a bit before answering.

“Part of it was because of me. I always wanted to work with farm animals. In Portland I had a very little opportunity to treat cows or horses. More than anything it was dogs, cats and birds.” She shuddered a little before looking at me with wide eyes. “And the occasional reptile. Please tell me I'm not supposed to treat reptiles here. I mean, I do, I can treat them. But I have never felt comfortable touching snakes and alligators, turtles are easier, though.”

That amused me greatly.

“We don't have reptiles at the moment, though I didn't know you'd have any qualms about treating some patients,” I muttered, before pointing out the building that served as the clinic, her new place of work. “That's the clinic.”

“I have a colleague who can't be near birds. Do you have any idea of the number of birds that come to the clinic every day? You can use all the fingers of your hands and they would still be missing.”

“Well, that would definitely make your job harder,” I said amused. “What's the other reason to drop everything and come here?”

“Taylor.”

Her smile widened as a couple of goats approached the girl in question and started jumping around her.

“Taylor asked you to quit?” I asked curious.

I was just acting like a boss wanting to know more about his employee and her interests towards her work… right?

“Nope. She would never do something like that,” She murmured, and for the first time, her lips weren't curved in a smile.

And for some strange reason, I didn't like that.

“Tay-Tay started getting bullied and things got really bad in the last month she attended school,” She explained, not taking her eyes off her daughter. “Her classmates’ teases started to affect her and neither the teachers nor Principal did anything to stop it.”

“I can't imagine how traumatic it could be to go through something like that at such a young age...”

“She used to wake up at night screaming because of the nightmares.”

Her words made me stop instantly.

“She cried every morning because she had to go to that place,” She continued saying, not noticing my altered state.

“And you forced her to go?” I growled annoyed. “You force her to go to that place where she was mistreated? Where…?”

“No!” She exclaimed outraged. “Of course not! When I saw things escalated that way, I talked to her psychologist and she advised me to get her out of there. And that I did. Since then, Taylor has been homeschooled. She has tutors who treat her great. I would never force my daughter to live through hell.”

“I'm sorry,” I mumbled. “I thought that… maybe you forced her to have to attend that disgusting place.”

“Do you always assume the worst in people…or is it just me?”

I stopped once more when her piercing eyes settled on me. I didn’t see reproach or censure in them, simply curiosity.

We were in front of the stable and we had to cross the gravel path to reach the clinic in front of us. We were only a few feet from our destination, but in a way, the path felt endless.

I considered to drive them in my truck to save time, but the mere thought of being cooped up with this woman, her daughter and her pig made me uneasy.

“I apologize for the treatment you have received from me thus far, Mrs. Sweet. I understand I haven’t been the politest in the few minutes that we’ve known each other. Please don't quit because of me.”

“Are you crazy?” She said, before starting to laugh.

Taylor, who was peering into the stables through a door, turned curiously at her mother's laugh before turning her attention back inside.

“I just want to know if I should get used to the way you are or if you just didn't sleep well last night and you're having a rough day.”

“This is me, Vivienne,” I said, staring straight ahead of me, even as I felt her eyes on me. “I have to tell you that I’ll be apologizing to you in more than one occasion in the future.”

“Ah, you're a premature old man, I get it. I had a dog like that when I was little. The only thing he did was complain and look superior to others… Until I scratched his belly or behind his ears. Do you need me to scratch you somewhere, Jacob?”

Her tone, low and suggestive, made my heart race.

“I…I don't…” I swallowed as I felt my face heat up, “I don't need you to…”

A new laugh cut off whatever I was trying to say.

“It's too easy to tease you, pal,” She said, before reaching down to pet Rocky. “Your Dad is very serious, little one. He should stop taking everything so literally, don't you think?”

My dog just leaned into her hand so she wouldn't stop petting.

And I couldn't help but feel jealous for my own dog.

“Now can you explain me who you confused me with when I arrived?” She asked me, causing my discomfort to intensify, “I have to admit I’m very curious and I need to know what caused that attitude in you.”

I couldn't help the groan that escaped from me as I remembered once again the embarrassment I went through when I found out who Vivienne really was.

“There's a guy in Salem,” I started to say awkwardly.

“Okay…” Vivienne looked at me intrigued when I didn't say anything else.

“He…makes movies.”

“He wants to make a movie here?” She asked confused. “He's offering you fifty grands to make a movie here, and you don't want to? How is that bad, Jacob?”

“Because it's not the kind of movie for all audiences,” I grunted back.

“What…? Oh.”

Understanding took possession of her features before her face filled with indignation.

“Are you telling me they want to use The Eden as a film set for a porn movie?” Her eyes widened in horror. “Timothy? They want to use Timothy to…?”

“Exactly!” I exclaimed abruptly. “What kind of sick people do that kind of thing?”

“Wait a minute!” she stopped abruptly, “You thought I was a porn actress?”

Shit.

“No! I mean, it's just…hmm, well…Look at you.”

Vivienne looked down for a few seconds and then looked up again more confused than before.

“You're beautiful,” I mumbled, feeling uncomfortable when she didn't take her eyes off me.

“So, all porn actresses are beautiful,” She said seconds later, licking her lips.

My eyes followed the movement of her tongue, and I could almost feel it on my own skin.

“No,” I said with barely voice, still entranced by those lush pink lips. “You are beautiful, Vivienne, but it wouldn’t be the first time Ricardo sent women to change my mind. So, I apologize once again for the horrible mistake I made with you.”

“Well, if you put it that way, I guess it's not that bad, right?” Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “I think there are worse things than being compared to a porn actress, don’t you think? Also, according to you, I'm beautiful, so I'm flattered. Therefore, you are forgiven, Jacob.”

“Mom!” We both turned to Taylor, who was running towards us with a huge rabbit in her arms. “Dr. George is here. And look, he gave me the mommy of the bunnies to keep her entertained while you guys check on the babies.”

And sure enough, behind her was my chief vet with a pet carrier and a huge smile directed at Vivienne.

“Vivienne! How are you? How was the trip? I see you met the boss,” The doctor said, setting the carrier down so he could hug his new partner. “Please don't listen to what he says. Jacob barks, but doesn’t bite.”

“Oh, I noticed,” She answered, giving me a wink before focusing her attention on George. “What do you have in there?”

“The Morgan asked me to spay and neuter their new bunnies, what do you say? Do you want to start today?”

“Of course. Jacob was going to show me around the clinic, but that can wait, right?”

“Right,” I cleared my throat when I noticed George's mouth drop open in surprise. “I'll come later when you're free to take you to your new house.”

“Does my new house have a balcony?”

I focused on the girl who had stopped next to me and was looking at me with wide, hopeful eyes.

Eyes identical to her mother's.

“I'm sorry, Taylor, but no. The cabin is one story, but maybe later I can show you and your mom my house so you can see the room with the balcony,” I said quickly, when the girl's face filled with sadness. “Of course, if your mom agrees...”

“I agree,” Vivienne said, before placing her hand on Taylor's shoulder and leading her toward the clinic. “Now, leave Jacob alone and let's help George with the bunnies. It's time to work, little one.”

“Hmm, did I miss something?” George stammered, as mother and daughter walked away talking excitedly to each other, “I don't remember the last time you didn't grunt when you spoke. Nor do I remember when you started offering tours of your home. You barely let Silvia and I in...”

“It's a little girl,” I interrupted him, trying to sound nonchalant. “It is not a lot what she’s asking for, just to see the ranch from the balcony.”

“Jacob,” The doctor looked at me wryly, “You yelled at Aguirre's grandchildren when they covered you in mud with their motorcycles. You're not very warm with children, boy. With no one, really...”

“Think whatever you want,” I growled, heading to the stable door. “I have work to do. I'll be at the clinic in a few hours. And George, make sure Vivienne is trained for this job.”

“And if she isn't?”

I clasped the door hard before letting it go.

“Then we'll have to fire her and find someone else.”

The door closed behind me and that's when I was finally able to breathe normally.

I don't know what the hell was going on with me when I was close to that woman, but George was right. That man from minutes ago wasn’t me. I had to remember who Jacob Coleman really was, because I couldn't afford to lower my defenses over a woman.

As beautiful and charismatic as this one was, I had to remember that I wasn't the least bit interested in finding out what her lips would taste like, or how that curvy body would feel against mine, or how good her long, blonde braid wrapped in my hand would feel while I was behind her thrusting...

No. I couldn't allow myself to fantasize about things that wouldn't happen, because I knew how painful and embarrassing it could be once people found out what I so hard tried to hide.

Vivienne Sweet was beautiful and I hadn't been with a woman in too long, that was all. I knew this attraction I felt for her would wear off with time.

It always did.