Page 3 of Unexpected Christmas with the SEAL

But he also didn’t want to upset her. The harsh set of her jaw told him she was a stubborn woman and probably didn’t like that her uncles had secured her a babysitter.

Standing up to his full height, which elicited a mild whimper of disappointment from Bruno, he gave her a curt nod, kept his head down and turned to go. “All right then. You take care. Call me if you need anything.”

“I won’t,” she said haughtily.

“Hope not.” The gravel crunched beneath his boots as he made his way to the truck. Bruno lumbered down the steps behind him and was hot on his heels.

“Bruno!” Hannah called. “Inside, boy.”

But Bruno wasn’t done with Cal and his tongue lolled out the side of his mouth as he smiled up at Cal and trotted beside him. “I know, boy, I want more time with you, too. But the lady has sent me on my way.”

Hannah snorted from the porch steps, her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at him.

He bent down and gave Bruno another ear scratch, which just made the dog’s tail go berserk, then he opened the door to his truck.

“Bruno, come on!” Hannah called again.

Bruno glanced back toward her, then up at Cal, then back to Hannah, then back to Cal.

Hannah made a frustrated noise in her throat, ducked back into the house, and came out with winter boots on. She made a point of stomping dramatically down the porch steps, then across the gravel driveway with the clumps of snow scattered around. “Come on, Bruno, in the house. I’ll give you a piece of cheese when we get inside.” She bent over and reached for his collar and hooked two fingers around it, giving the dog a gentle tug.

Cal opened his truck door. “It’s supposed to freeze hard tonight. Make sure you stoke the stove before you go to bed, hmm,” he said as he climbed in behind the steering wheel.

“I know,” she blurted. “I’ve been here plenty of times.”

“All right then. You take care.” He turned over the key, and she backed up with Bruno, her fingers still in his collar, so that Cal could close his door.

He gave the angry beauty another head nod, put the truck into drive and slowly headed back in the direction he came.

A quick glance in the rearview mirror showed Hannah standing there in the driveway, watching him.

And she was still watching him when he reached the end of the lane and paused under the arch for Harris Brothers Ranch.

Another smile curled the corners of his mouth. He couldn’t see her face from how far away he was now, but he could feel her ire.

She didn’t want help.

She didn’t like that her uncles sent Cal to check on her.

He hoped she succeeded and had an event-free time at the ranch where she didn’t need to call Cal for help. But he also kind of hoped she did, because he really wanted to see her again.

ThenextdaywasChristmas Eve and even though Cal knew Hannah probably had everything totally under control, he liked her and wanted to see her again. Asher also texted and asked Cal to check in on her again.

Cal thought Asher was being a little excessive, but he was also a soldier and did what was asked of him.

Besides, it gave him a legitimate excuse to see Hannah again.

Though she was not happy to see him.

“I have it under control,” she growled, work gloves on her hands, black gumboots on her feet and the smell of fresh hay and manure surrounding her as she stood in Macklin’s stall and mucked it. Macklin was outside with a few of the other horses, so that Hannah could clean out their stalls.

“I can see that,” Cal said, standing at the open door of the stall, his hands on his hips as he appreciated the way her dark-wash jeans hugged her ass just right. The woman had curves in all the right places. “Doesn’t mean you don’t have to take help when it’s offered.”

“I don’t need help.” She tossed a pile of horseshit into the wheelbarrow, huffed, stood up straight, and used the back of her wrist to swipe a stray tendril of hair out of her eyes. The glare she gave him had his dick twitching. “Least of all from thebabysittermy uncles hired.”

“They didn’t hire me. I’m just a friend and neighbor.”

“Who apparently has nowhere else to be on Christmas Eve than bugging me?”

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