Nervously, Katherine rose to her feet. She hadn’t realized that she was lying on the bed supported by her elbows. Jim was leaning over her, cradling her head with one hand. His face was inches from hers.
“J-Jace,” she stammered and cursed herself for being self-conscious. “This is Jim Cooper, Happy’s son.”
“Mr. Manning,” Jim nodded and smiled tentatively. He swallowed hard when Jace didn’t respond to the introduction.
“Jim came over to get some things out of the attic. Some sand fell in my eye while I was looking up. He helped me get it out.” Katherine despised herself for explaining the incident to him. She hadn’t done anything unseemly and neither had poor Jim. The features of Jace’s face didn’t soften. He didn’t even blink to relieve that glacial stare.
“Mr. Manning, I wanted to see you about something else,” Jim said haltingly. Katherine commended him for his courage. Jace, in spite of his relaxed pose, presented a formidable mien.
“Yes?” he asked shortly.
“I was going to ask about a job with Sunglow. I… uh… I’ve been working for an independent drilling company in Louisiana, but my mom, being alone and all, well, I… uh… thought I might… ought to…”
Jace shifted his weight from one foot to the other and folded his arms across his chest in boredom. Katherine seethed in anger at his superior attitude over the young man.
When Jim saw Jace’s impatience, he hurried on. “Anyway, I need a job. I’m a good roughneck. I have letters of recommendation.” He licked his dry lips when he finished.
Jace flicked his eyes in Katherine’s direction then leveled them on Jim Cooper once again. She was gratified to see that Jim met Jace’s stare undauntedly.
“You’ve got the nerve to ask me about a job after I just caught you on a bed with my wife?” Jace sounded condescendingly amused.
“Jace, I—” Katherine’s words died in her throat when he shot her a quelling look.
“But I like your mother,” Jace went on, as if she hadn’t spoken. “See Billy Jenkins. Do you know where we’re drilling?”
“Yes, sir,” Jim answered.
“All right. Tell Billy I sent you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Manning.” Jim indicated the boxes on the floor. “I’ll take this one now,” he said lifting up the smallest of them, “and come back later for the rest. If that’s okay,” he added quickly.
“That’s fine, Jim.” Katherine smiled.
“Well, I’ll be going then. Bye, Kath… uh… Miz Manning,” he amended, looking nervously at Jace.
He tried to ease himself past Jace, who still blocked the doorway, but Jace gripped him on t
he shoulder and held him fast. “If you screw up out there, you’re out. No matter whose son you are.”
“Yes, sir. I understand,” Jim averred solemnly.
Jace released him and nodded in acknowledgment.
Katherine and Jace stared at each other until they heard the front door slam. Katherine was furious with her new husband. His attitude was inexcusable. The high and mighty Mannings.
Her eyes were flashing green fire when she flared, “How dare you treat someone—anyone—so abominably in my house.”
“He’s lucky I didn’t break his neck. I don’t particularly like the idea of coming home and finding my wife in a clinch with another man.”
“I just met him minutes before you walked in!” she defended. “He came here to see you and carry out his mother’s instructions. You intentionally humiliated him. He’s just a boy.”
Jace laughed bitterly. “Oh, sure. A twenty-two-year-old boy. Believe me, Katherine, Mr. Cooper was enjoying holding you in his arms no matter for what urgent reason. Any healthy, red-blooded man would.”
“Don’t judge everyone else by your own animalistic standards,” she snapped.
“Have you forgotten Mr. Welsh?” Jace asked with an eyebrow cocked in mockery.
“Oh!” she sputtered. “You’re nothing but a big bully.”