Page 48 of SEAL by Fate

Did she see his jaw tighten some? She couldn’t be sure because he had a few days of growth of whiskers. She kind of liked the mountain man look.

“Excuse me? Who’s her?”

“Your ex. I believe you said her name is Hannah.” She felt the tension come over them like a dark cloud.

“What she and I had is history. Have you ever milked a cow?”

She eased back into the vinyl of the seat. “No. Will that be a requirement?”

“Everyone should milk a cow at least once. Especially if you’re staying on a working ranch.”

“Is it a rite of passage?”

“You bet. So is mucking stalls and slopping pigs. Something gives me the idea you’ve never done either of those things.”

“And you’d be right. I’m a city girl.” She plucked at a loose thread on her jeans. “I should have known by first glance that you’re a country boy.”

“Yeah?” He held the steering wheel with one hand and laid the other on his thigh and she wasn’t sure why she had the urge to reach over and take his hand, like lovers would. To keep herself from acting upon her desire, she clasped her hands tightly together in her lap. Being here in the close space, chatting about everything but nothing at all with Lola in the back snoozing brought of images of what it would be like if she and Gray were a couple. It was a dangerous road to travel, but a woman had the right to ponder what ifs. This would come to an end. She and Gray were from two different worlds. He was a hardcore lawman and she …what was she exactly? She’d hit bottom and would have to work her way back up. New job. New place to live. New life.

Which led her to think of her sister. Reaching for her phone, she frowned. It was dead. And she had no charger.

Thankfully, they were only a few miles from the storage unit.

---