Page 7 of Forever Enough

“A warning…?”

“Yes. I will stick this broom into parts of your body that will prohibit you from walking correctly for the rest of your life.”

I was pretty sure my mouth had dropped damn near to the barn floor.

She flashed me a smug grin. “That’s right,” she stated as she motioned in a circle with her finger. “So, if you value that pretty face of yours, and the tool between your legs, you’ll walk away right now.”

A bark of laughter slipped free. “The tool between my legs?”

She let out a small growl. “Do you have to keep repeating everything I say? If you don’t leave in the next thirty seconds, I’ll call the police to report someone trespassing on private property.”

“And until they get here, you’ll use the broom to injure me?” I asked, trying not to sound too amused, but knowing I was being a complete ass by not introducing myself.

“Yes! I will. Now get out of this barn and off this farm. You’re trespassing.”

I walked closer, and she held up the broom. The cat had taken interest once more. The goat had fallen asleep. Understandable, since he was wearing his pajamas. “I’m not leaving.”

A look of fear swept over her face, but it was gone as fast as it came. She took out her phone and said, “All I have to do is call one person, and a dozen ranch hands will show up and kick your ass.”

Stopping before I got too close, and still out of range of the broom, I motioned toward her phone. “Go ahead. Call. But I think you’ll find no one will be kicking my ass or asking me to leave.”

She lifted her chin. “And why is that?”

I folded my arms over my chest, and I watched as her gaze swept my body, then met my own directly.

“Green,” I said softly.

“Green? What does that mean? Is it your last name?”

I grinned. “Your eyes. They’re green.”

She frowned, but only for half a second. “And yours are…” She took a step back. “Wow. Dark.”

“Some people say they’re black. My mother calls them onyx, like my father’s.”

Mackenzie dropped the broom and took a few more steps back until she ran into the haybale. The goat woke up, the cat let out a plaintive meow and jumped down, and Mackenzie dropped to her ass on the bale and let out an oof.

“You okay?” I asked as I took a few steps toward her.

She quickly stood. “Who are you?”

Reaching my hand out to shake hers, I said, “Bradly Littlewood.”

She closed her eyes and appeared to curse under her breath. I was pretty sure she mumbled motherfucker.

“And you are Mackenzie, correct?”

The fierce look was back when she opened her eyes and stared at my outstretched hand without taking it. “Mackenzie Reeves.”

I dropped my hand and let out a soft laugh. “What brings you out here to the barn on Christmas night, during a snowstorm, to sing to the animals?”

She glanced around the barn. “I didn’t want them to feel alone tonight.”

“You didn’t want them to feel alone?”

Rolling her eyes, she said, “For goodness’ sake, stop repeating me! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be up at the house? It’s Christmas.”

“I saw the lights on in the barn from across the pasture and wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

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