2-JACOB

“I hate when this happens,” I growled, finishing buttoning my clean shirt.

Rocky, my four-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever, whined in response, lightening mood automatically.

I took one last look at the image the mirror gave me and left my room, Rocky walking beside me.

“Is that foal still giving you headaches?”

I stopped in my tracks when the tone of my housekeeper's voice let me know she knew why I was home.

I turned to the kitchen from where Silvia was looking at me with amused eyes and rolling pin in hand.

“I'm not talking about it,” I growled again, heading toward the exit. “See you in a few hours. Tell George I need him in the stables.”

“George went out to the Morgan farm,” Silvia explained without being intimidated by my tone of voice.

I supposed that having changed my diapers as a baby made it difficult to intimidate her.

“When is he supposed to come back?” I asked, patting Rocky's head as he rested his head against my knee.

“I don't know, honey. He left an hour ago. He said it was a prolapsed cow, so I guess it'll take a while… But the new vet is coming today, so the load will be split between the two of them.”

“Why did The Eden have to offer its veterinary services to the rest of the town?” I complained exasperated. “We have two hundred animals in this place, I need my people always alert.”

“Because there isn't a veterinary clinic in Red Falls and the services offered in the next town are expensive and most farmers and ranchers can't afford them,” She reminded me, smiling warmly at me. “And since the animals aren’t guilty of anything, you kindly offered them the service in exchange for monthly donations.”

“I hate that you have such a good memory,” I muttered, frowning when through one of the windows I saw a red Jeep pick-up stopping at the entrance. “I don't recognize the car, do you?”

“Whoever it is,” My housekeeper began to say, still marveling at the shiny new car before us, “They must have money, so don't hesitate to ask them for a donation before they leave.”

I nodded in agreement before heading towards the exit.

Silvia was right, whoever the person was, they had money if they had a car like that.

I opened the door and stepped out onto the porch just as the driver's door opened and a pair of winter boots came into view followed by legs clad in skintight jeans.

My mouth went dry as a thick braid of bright blonde hair fell to the middle of its owner's back and then she turned to me.

The breath escaped my lungs as the woman fixed on me the bluest pair of eyes I had ever seen and grinned.

“Hello!” She said enthusiastically when she saw me. “I'm looking for Silvia. Jeff, the nice boy from the pens, told me to ask for her.”

Rocky's insistent pounding against my thigh snapped me out of my trance, reminding me that I knew how to talk, but before I could open my mouth, my housekeeper brushed past me and headed toward the woman who was now looking at me curious.

“I'm Silvia, who do I have the pleasure of talking to?”

I couldn't hear what the woman was saying, I just saw her arms move excitedly as she pointed towards my house and then around her, her smile never leaving her lips.

I approached the women, because I needed to know what they were talking about, and I stopped a few steps behind Silvia.

“This place is beautiful,” Said the woman, fixing her crystalline eyes on me for a few seconds before focusing on Silvia again, “And gigantic! I can't believe the size of the stables and the chicken coop, and the bull! I've never seen such a big bull in person, it's like...”

Ah, now I understood what was happening. I already knew what this woman had been sent for.

“The answer is still no,” I interrupted the woman as I walked to stand next to Silvia.

“No?” She repeated, looking confused.

“No.” I said bluntly, crossing my arms to let her know that I wouldn't change my position. “Tell your filthy boss we won't change our minds. I don't need your disgusting fifty thousand dollars for abusing my animals. I can't believe you lend yourself to that, change your profession.”

“Jacob!” Silvia exclaimed horrified, but I was already sick of the guy and his women.

“Tell him that no matter how many women he sends here, my answer will always be the same,” I kept saying, disgusted at imagining the woman in front of me under different circumstances. “You may be beautiful, but I wouldn't touch you even if you were the last woman in the world.”

“Jacob Simon Coleman,” Silvia hissed furiously. “I can't believe you said that.”

“And I can't believe you're talking to this kind of woman,” I snapped, crossing my arms. “Are you serious Sylvia? You said these crooked and libertine people wouldn’t be accepted in this place. And instead of kicking the woman out, you're talking to her!”

“Hmm, what am I not supposed to do with the bull?”

I opened my mouth to respond in the crudest way possible to the woman who was watching us with open fascination, when the rear window of the Jeep lowered and a miniature version of the blonde in front of me made an appearance.

“Mommy? Did you ask the man if I can keep the room with the balcony? Can I get off? I just saw a duck with her eight ducklings.”

“Just one more second, honey. I’m talking some things with the gentleman.”

“But insist on my room, Mom,” Said the girl, before raising the glass again.

“You brought your daughter to…? To…?” I choked on the words and forced myself to shut up when my voice came out louder than I wanted it to, knowing now that there was a minor nearby.

“I must admit that I am surprised by such a pleasant reception, Mr...”

“Coleman. Jacob Coleman,” Silvia said quickly.

But I was still taken aback by the amusement that shone in the woman's eyes.

“Mr. Coleman,” The woman repeated, without taking Bher eyes off me, “but I think there is a misunderstanding. I don't know who my filthy boss is because I haven't met him in person yet, nor am I aware of the other women sent before me, or the fifty thousand dollars you apparently don't need. I'll take it as a compliment that you called me beautiful and ignore what you said afterward. And about being crooked and libertine…I don't do much of that anymore. I have a daughter to raise, after all. Did I remember everything or I forgot something?”

“Oh, you said it all, honey,” Silvia said, chuckling. “Jacob, this is Vivienne Sweet, the new vet George hired.”

“The only thing I want with that bull,” The woman started to say, widening her smile at my embarrassment, “Is to make sure he's healthy. It's not normal for it to be so big.”

“Timothy has gigantism,” I stammered, feeling my face heat up as I realized my mistake. “They were going to put him down last year because of his genetic disorder as they couldn't use him as a stud.”

“Jacob flew to Alabama for him and then traveled for almost a week by road to bring him here,” Silvia explained, stroking my back when I didn't say more.

“I guess he's lucky to have someone this passionate wanting to protect him,” Vivienne murmured, still smiling.

“Mommy!” The girl's shriek made us all turn back to the Jeep. “She woke up!”

“Oh no,” Vivienne moaned, before hurrying over to the door where the girl was leaning to open it.

My mouth fell open with surprise as I saw what the woman―Vivienne―picked up before setting it on the ground.

“But what…?”

“Hello! My name is Taylor Sweet and that's my pet, Lily.”

Silvia and I stopped seeing the white with black dots pig who was now roaming freely on the porch of my house and we looked at the smiling face of the little blonde who had stopped before us.

“Mom says we'll live here now to help with the animals at the shelter. Don't worry about Lily, she's perfectly trained and she won't make a mess.” The girl's gaze dropped to rest on Rocky, who hadn't moved from my side not even for a second, and her blue eyes shone with barely contained enthusiasm thanks to her mother’s hands perched on her shoulders. “A chocolate Labrador retriever! It’s beautiful. Did you know their color is due to a recessive gene? Both parents must carry it for their puppies to be born like this...”

A muffled laugh escaped from Silvia as the girl kept talking nonstop about my pet, but I couldn't take my eyes off Vivienne.

“The pig's name is Lily,” My housekeeper whispered, fighting her laughter. “I know of someone who shares her name with a Juliana pig...”

My life was already perfect thanks to the insolence of my housekeeper.

But now, something told me that I would have to deal with a couple of blondes who would turn my world upside down.