Page 56 of Samuel

“What do you need to get through?”

Daisy choked on her water. “Girl talk, Sam. Nothing Evie’s boss needs to worry about.”

“I’m not her boss,” he grumbled again, this time loud enough for them all to hear. “I don’t pay her salary.”

“Oh, true.” Daisy winked and Abby giggled.

“Why do I feel like I’m missing something here?” Sam asked.

“Girl talk, dear brother of mine. Girl talk.”

“I’m sorry, Sam. Did you need something?” Evie prayed her friends would see how badly she wanted them to drop the subject.

“Just for Daisy and Abby to stop distracting my office manager from her work.”

“Nice try, Sam.” Abby coughed. “I know you wouldn’t want Evie to be overworked. Besides, we’ve been helping! She tried to convince us to let her haul some of the boxes from the storage room to here all on her own.”

“Abby. I thought we were friends!” Evie feigned hurt, buta little tinge of nervousness settled in her stomach as she felt Sam’s gaze boring into her.

“Evie…”

“I know. I didn’t do anything crazy. Like they said, they carried the boxes that I wanted to sort through.”

He folded his arms across his chest. Evie tried to remember he was being grumpy and not focus on the way his biceps bulged in his shirt. She licked her lips, thinking about how his hands had felt running up her arms the other day when they stole a few kisses in the corner of the barn.

Daisy’s laugh broke her daydream.

“Alright, Abby. I think we need to get out of here. I can drop you off before I head home.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I promised Katy we’d walk and pick some wildflowers on the way back to press into ornaments for our window.”

“That sounds like so much fun.” Abby’s activity with Katy sounded like everything Evie was looking forward to doing with Jellybean one day.

“It should be. Let’s just hope John remembered to grab wax paper at the store. Otherwise we’ll have to press the flowers another day.”

“Bye, you two. Behave yourselves…” Daisy winked at Evie. “Or maybe don’t if you want some relief, Evie.”

The women left with a wave over their shoulders. She shook her head and tried to stare at her computer screen, hoping like hell her pregnancy hormones would simmer down.

“Are you sure everything is okay?” Sam asked as she shimmied off her light jacket. The office was air conditioned, which normally meant she needed a cover on her arms, but she found the electricity in the air, and the way Sam was currently studying her negated all effects of thecold air.

“Yes.”

“You can ask me for help, you know?”

“Is this about carrying those boxes? I already told you, the girls helped me. They were insistent. You would have been proud of them.” She rolled her eyes and hoped Sam heard the sarcastic tone in her voice. The last thing that man needed was anyone supporting his ridiculous ban on her carrying anything.

“No. I mean, yes, I want you to ask me for help with that too, but whatever you and the girls were talking about when I walked in. I can help you with whatever you need.”

Her face was on fire. The last thing she needed to think about was the filthy fantasies she’d been having of her hot as hell cowboy.

No. Not hers. Just a cowboy that she knew…. and was having crazy sexy hidden kisses with.

God, Evie, pull yourself together!

His eyes were still glued to her, studying her face. “Did you want Daisy to set you up with Jake?”

“What? No.”

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