Ch. 4

My cell phone alarm woke me up at the crack of dawn the next morning, screaming at me that it was time to get up. Without hesitation, I jumped out of bed and primped and preened to the sound of roosters, determined to look perfect for when Jake arrived at work that day. I made the walk over to my grandparents' house in record time and greeted Mags as she was making breakfast in their large, country kitchen. As soon as I stepped through the door, I was immediately bombarded with an assortment of delicious aromas, and my stomach gurgled eagerly in response.

Mags greeted me with a surprised grin. "Well good morning there, Sunshine. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"What?" I responded innocently. "I was just in the mood for your famous pancakes."

Mags eyed me suspiciously over her angular glasses. "This early morning visit doesn't have anything to do with the fact the boys will be joining us for breakfast here in a few minutes, does it?"

I attempted to pull off an angelic expression but suspected she saw through my facade. Every morning Mags made a smorgasbord of dishes to feed the hungry farmhands before they went to work in the fields. She was a firm believer in the whole "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" bit and she made sure she treated her hard-working men right.

I looked at the long, clothed table in front of me and my mouth began to water. It held an array of choices, from fluffy pancakes and sausage gravy casserole to tomato cheddar strata and everything in between. Mags was a genius in the kitchen and everyone always looked forward to her illustrious, made-from-scratch recipes. It was a real treat to be invited to my grandparents' table, and I had plenty of happy memories sitting there, surrounded by family, friends and the most delectable meals in all of Georgia.

As if on cue, the back door swung open and the men started pouring in. I smiled at the usual familiar faces. There was Frank, a boisterous, middle-aged man who'd been working for my grandparents since he was in high school; Kevin, an on-again off-again farmhand with a colorful past but sweet demeanor; Miles, a cranky old timer who'd had a penchant for pessimism that Mags found oddly endearing; and newcomer Jake, looking especially fine in a tight white t-shirt and some comfortable looking Wranglers, his unruly dark waves falling casually around his too-good-to-be-true face.

"Mornin' there Maggie," Frank bellowed as he planted a kiss on my grandmother's cheek. "And Addy! What're you doin' here this early? Shouldn't you still be countin' sheep?"

I felt a slow burn take over my cheeks and I looked at the floor, struggling to come up with a believable excuse.

"Oh, you let her be now, Frank," Mags answered for me with a scolding shake of her finger. "I asked Addy to come and help me with breakfast this morning. Do you know how much work it is feeding you men all the time?" She slipped me a discreet wink and I smiled in relief.

"Nonsense, Maggie!" Frank laughed. "You could make breakfast, run the farm and keep all of us in line with one arm tied behind your back."

I glanced over at Jake and noticed he was already looking at me, the corner of his mouth tipping up into a slight smile. Our eyes locked and my heart skipped a beat. Good gravy, was he gorgeous!

The boys sat down just as my dad and Gramps walked in. They each went over and kissed Mags on the cheek, then joined the rest of the men at the table. I busied myself, setting out the food for my grandmother; it was the least I could do after she saved my butt.

Dad gave me a surprised smile. "I'm surprised to see you up at this hour, Addy."

"Mags asked me to help with breakfast today," I explained, keeping in line with the story. I gave him a quick good morning hug before returning to my task.

He looked over at my grandmother and she confirmed with a nod.

"Well, it's good to see you up and at 'em so early," he said, helping himself to a giant portion of cheesy hash-browns.

"I may have her help me out here a little more this summer," Mags mentioned as she handed out servings of crispy bacon. "I'm not getting any younger, and these boys sure do know how to eat."

Frank started to whoop again. "What's gotten into you today? You could run circles around us, Maggie! Everyone knows that."

"Well, either way, it'll be nice to have the extra help." She wiped her hands down the front of her apron and gave me a knowing smile. See, I told you she was the best.

Frank became distracted as he took a big bite of pancake. "I swear to you, Maggie... Someday I'm gonna figure out the secret to your pancakes," he gushed, shaking his head in delight. "I think you sprinkle a little bit of magic inside every bite!"

Mags let out a hearty laugh as we settled in at the table with our plates. "Oh, Frank! It's called 'love'," she teased back lightly.

After we finished up with breakfast the guys started to make their way out the door, heading toward the fields. Jake was still at the table talking to Gramps when I walked out onto the beautiful wrap around porch. The warm, morning air was already getting sticky and I lifted my hair off the back of my neck wishing I'd put it up in a ponytail. I sat down on the wooden swing and slowly began to sway, waiting for Jake to make his appearance. Moments later, the front door opened and Jake sauntered out, cowboy hat in hand. When he walked up to swing and sat down next to me, my breath caught in my throat and I vaguely wondered if I would lose my breakfast.

"I wanted to thank you again for showing me around yesterday." He gave me a lopsided smirk.

I found myself staring at his utter perfection and had to force to answer back. "You're welcome," I finally choked out. "How's your jaw?"

Gingerly, he lifted his hand to his chin and rubbed the spot where Brett had punched him. "Tender." He smiled ruefully. "For a drunken asshole, that guy sure can hit."

I let out an amused laugh and some of the tension lifted from my body. I still couldn't believe Jake had gotten into a fight for me.

"So...what are your plans later?" he asked, pushing his hand through his dark waves.

I gulped. God, would you get a grip? I mentally scolded myself. "I'll be around," I shrugged, pretending to be cooler than I actually felt.

"Good. Maybe I'll see you then." He dazzled me another brilliant smile, put on his cowboy hat and stood up from the swing. As he made his way down the front porch steps, he turned and looked back at me one last time before walking away. His blue-eyed gaze was intense and I felt completely seduced.

He wants to see me again!

I inhaled through my nose and swallowed hard. A slow smile took over my lips as I began to fantasize about our next meeting. I couldn't help but giggle at all the possibilities.

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