Page 42 of Secret Baby for the Triplets

“What brings you out in the trenches with us little folk?” I tease, jumping the fence to join her on the other side of the corral.

Smoke emanates in the distance as someone in the bunkhouse fires up the grill and maybe even a bonfire. Maybe I’ll swing by later and have a look. Maybe I’ll even take Emerson with me if she doesn’t have plans.

“Are you busy?” she asks.

My eyebrows raise with interest. “Now? Depends on what you have in mind.”

“I thought we could go for a drive and put out some flyers for the upcoming council meeting together. We really need to start rallying some awareness for those horses.”

I nod enthusiastically. “Hell, yes!” I agree. “Let me change my shirt. Come back to the house with me…”

I trail off, remembering my pact with my brothers. We’re not supposed to overwork Emerson. “Actually, it’s getting late. We can do that tomorrow,” I tell her. “Why don’t we swing by the bunkhouse instead? I bet the boys have a barbecue going on tonight.”

She gives me a look. “It’s just a drive through Pine Sky, Toby,” she groans. “It’s not exactly manual labor. Come on, for an hour. Don’t you want the support for your project? We put so much effort into it.”

Hesitatingly, I agree, glancing at my phone for the time. “Okay, one hour, but then we go eat.”

“Deal!”

Together, we make our way toward the house, and I realize that Melissa is still gawking at me from where I’d left her.

Oh well. She’ll be around later.

Or not.

“Why didn’t you come around earlier?” I chide Emerson. “Did Brock keep you busy in the office all day?”

“No,” Emerson answers, ducking under my arm as I open the front door to let her inside. “But…”

She eyes me haltingly, and I return her look curiously as I kick off my dirty boots at the door. “What?”

“I didn’t come around earlier, because I know you’re not a morning person. I’d rather work with you when you feel like working. It’s not fair to drag you all over town when you’re not in the mood, is it?”

Her honest and astute answer takes me completely aback, and I find myself staring at her, speechless for a long minute. “But the whole world functions during the day,” I remind her.

“That’s not true,” she corrects me. “There are day people and night people. You just happen to fall in the latter category.”

I shake my head, and a small laugh escapes me. “You’re something else, you know that?”

“Something good, I hope.”

“Something great, Emmy.” I wave for her to follow me into the bedroom.

She hesitates. “Maybe I should just?—”

“I’m not gonna bite you, unless you ask real nicely.”

She blushes furiously, and I snicker, leading the way down the hall, exhaling quietly when she follows. God, she is hot. I do want her, but I won’t cross a line with her, especially now, knowing how vulnerable she is.

I barely enter the bedroom before I’m stripping off my stained white t-shirt. No one else is home yet, but they will be soon.

“Take a seat,” I tell her, nodding toward the bed.

She eyes me dubiously, her eyes raking over my naked chest. She can’t help but take in my washboard stomach, and I face her for a better view. Just because I won’t touch her doesn’t mean she can’t look.

“Toby…” she scolds, her voice catching.

“What?” I ask innocently. “I’m just trying to make you comfortable.”

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