Jenny

Great. Just great. Now what am I going to do?

I'm not sure I want to try to jump out of this tree. This branch is just high enough for me to break an ankle on, something I am sure to do, Murphy's Law being what it is. I can't figure out how I get myself into these crazy situations.

One thing I do know is that Jinx's name suits him, what with all the trouble cat-sitting him this week is causing me.

By now Daisy, the Cunningham's dog who I am also watching this week, is running loose in the yard, barking at squirrels and giving the nearby birds something to chirp about. Hopefully she won't get too dirty or I'll have to give her a bath before returning her to the owners later today.

The things I go through as a pet service provider.

I wish someone was home to help me. I'm alone with one pissed off cat and another bounding dog to capture when I get down.

Maybe if I lay on my stomach and hold onto the branch with my hands I can dangle low enough to make the fall less dangerous. I start to do just that, grasping and grunting as I go, mumbling quiet obscenities along the way. With my rear in the sky, I'm just about to let myself hang when I hear a bellow below me.

"What on earth are you doing, Jenny?"

Surprised and taken off guard by his question, I lose my balance and find myself falling out of a tree like a 5-year-old. Instead of breaking my fall on an ankle, though, I break it right on top of Walker's head.

"Ow! Jenny! Crap. That hurt. Can you get up?" he asks, squirming underneath me.

Embarrassed, but unharmed, I scramble up and to my feet. I lend a hand down to Walker and help him to his feet. Rubbing his hand on his ear, he just looks at me.

"What're you doing up a tree? You do know you're not a kid anymore, right?" he asks with a smile that makes my heart trip over itself. Nervous now, I start to explain at about a mile a minute.

"It was Jinx. He escaped and ran up the tree. I was just trying to get him back down. He's going to be the death of me. He keeps getting out. I don't think he's gonna want to go back home at the end of the week. He likes these wooded lands too much." I reply quickly, finally finished and able to take a breath.

When I look up for Walker's reaction, I can see amusement dancing in his eyes. He's trying not to laugh at me, but he's doing a piss-poor job of it.

"Don't you laugh at me, Walker Logan! This is not funny!"

At the use of his middle name, he raises an eyebrow at me. Now he looks like it's all he can do not to burst out at me.

"It's not! This is NOT funny," I say, stomping my foot for emphasis. "Stop looking at me like that, Walker. It's not funny. I...Jinx..." And then we both lose it. The more we try to stop, the funnier the situation becomes.

Just then, I hear a car door slam and turn to look in the direction of my cabin. At the same time, the cabin door across the way at Walker's bangs open and Cian comes out onto their porch.

"Hey, Walker. Dad needs you on the phone. Something about a part in the breaker box in the basement."

"What? Cian, why can't you do it?" Walker hollers back at him.

Siofra rounds the corner of my cabin as the boys argue across the yard. Cian stops and looks at us. Then he cuts back to Walker and they start up the argument again. Walker grumbles under his breath and mouths off, "Yeah, yeah, Cian. I'll be right there."

Walker turns to me. "Sorry, Jenny. Gotta go."

"Hey, Siofra. See you later," he says upon her approach.

"And Jenny?" he whispers, looking back at me again.

"Yeah?" I ask, dusting myself off from the fall.

"Make sure you don't fall out of any more trees," he replies with a wink before running back towards his cabin.

"Only onto you, Walker. Only you." I call out flirtatiously, turning back to Siofra. Now, I have to try to catch the animals. Maybe Siofra can help me. As I turn to look at her, though, I take in her expression.

"What?" I ask, pausing at her righteous posture. Her hands are on her hips and she's looking me up and down. I can see her thoughts running across her forehead. They scream, "What was that?"

"Yeah right; what? As if!," she replies. "Jenny, just do it already. Stop leaving us in suspense."

"What're you talking about, Siofra?"

"Oh, you know very well what I'm talking about Ms. Thing; Walker. Dang, girl. He was all over you."

"He was not, Siofra!"

"Maybe not with his hands, but those eyes. Oh, baby, those eyes. He was drinking you in, big time."

"You're crazy." I stammer. "How do you know? We're just friends."

Laughing, Siofra shakes her head at me.

"What? Seriously, we are." I plead my case. "We're just really good friends."

"And I'm a faerie. Jenny, how can you not see the way he looks at you?"

"We grew up together, Siofra. That's all. We've hung out since we were kids. It's just us."

"Maybe before, but now? That man wants you, Genevieve Róisín. Take it from me, there's nothing friendship-like about it."

I know she's right. I have to make a move and soon because I'm just as much into Walker as I hope he is into me. It's all I can do not to drool all over him. Falling on top of him even felt good. Being so close to him, I could smell his cologne and his own scent underneath of it. That smell is all strength and steel and just, Walker. Picturing Walker holding anyone else in his arms turns my stomach sour. I want him. I do. And I want him to want me back. I am scared, though.

The rationale side of my brain knows that Siofra is speaking the truth, but that little voice inside my head, the one whispering doubts upon my mind, holds a firm grip. If I tell Walker how I feel and he doesn't feel the same way what will happen to our friendship? Will it become awkward and weird?

I don't want that. I can't risk losing Walker completely. But, man I wish I had the guts to try again. I mean, I did try once already; the other night at the Ceili. That was a pure case of crash and burn...though he is wearing the bracelet I gave him.

Hmmm.... That's got to be a good sign.

Argh!

I totally chickened out the other night. I should've finished what I started. Now, I have to work up the nerve to try all over again.

Pulling myself back out of my own head, I blow my hair out of my eyes and look at Siofra.

"Well, I'll tell you what Siofra Colleen," I say, planting a smirk of my own on my face. "You tell Cian how you really feel about him, and I'll tell Walker."

Siofra lets out a gasp and squints back at me.

"Oh, you fight dirty, girlfriend. Low blow," she says. "But, dead on! Crap, Jenny, what're we gonna to do with ourselves? Two hot men and both of us too afraid to go after them."

I laugh.

"I don't know, Siofra," I answer, shaking my head and putting an arm around her neck. We knock our heads and look off towards their cabin. "I don't know."

"Well, we better figure that out quick before some other girls get the wrong idea."

"Wrong idea?"

"Yeah, wrong idea; that they can take our boys off our hands."

"Hah! I'd like to see them try, Siofra. Somehow, some way, we'll figure something out," I reply. "Even if I have to fall out of ten trees, I'm going to make sure Walker is always the one to catch me."

Little did I know what the day would bring.

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Chapter 1-Photography Copyright 2018-By A. R. F. 

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