Page 25 of Pretend To Be My Cowboy
The urge to laugh died. JJ was wrong. Rumors were wrong. She was cute, yes, but she was so much more. She was gorgeous. A knockout in her own sweet, refreshing, wholesome, girl-next-door sort of way.
She noticed him then, her head snapping up and a smile instantly replacing her look of concentration.
“Morning,” she said in that soft tone of hers.
It was a voice that made him think of babbling brooks and whispering wind. It was soothing, and for the first time all morning he felt some of his foul mood lifting.
“Did you sleep all right?” he asked.
She lifted a shoulder. “Fine, I suppose, considering the circumstances.”
One corner of his mouth hitched up at that non-answer. “Which is another way of saying, you hardly slept a wink, am I right?”
Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink and she shrugged again. “The bed was comfortable, but I just couldn’t turn this off.” She tapped her temple.
“You had a lot to think about,” he said.
She nodded, her smile fading a bit. “How about you?” she asked. “How was your night?”
“Good,” he lied. But he couldn’t exactly tell her he’d spent the better part of the night worrying about her, now, could he?
She held up her mug. “I hope you don’t mind; I stole some of your coffee, but it was getting cold, so I put on a fresh pot for you. Oh, and I was making myself some breakfast, so I made extra in case you’re hungry.”
She pointed to a pan on the stove. He could smell the undeniable and mouthwatering smell of bacon and his stomach rumbled in response.
He was temporarily stunned. Making him coffee and some breakfast was hardly a big deal, but it still struck him in the solar plexus. He wasn’t used to anyone taking care of him.
Oh sure, his mother always sent him off with leftovers after Sunday dinner, and his guys here on the ranch always did their share to pitch in, but that was about it. He was the one who took care of others, and he wasn’t entirely sure how to react.
With a thank you, you dope.
“Er, thanks,” he said after an awkward pause.
Her smile widened. “My pleasure.”
And he could have sworn she meant it. His chest got all weird and warm, and he ducked his head to hide a smile as he headed over to the stove and helped himself.
He had a moment of trepidation when a silence fell. He wasn’t good with small talk at the best of times, but first thing in the morning? He headed back to the table and saw her bare feet which were crossed in front of her under the table. Pale blue toenail polish caught his eye. There was that urge to laugh again, that unexpected smile tugging at his lips.
He looked away quickly, trying not to notice the tanned, lean legs that were bare thanks to little pajama shorts.
How on earth was he supposed to make small talk with a strange woman who looked adorable as all heck in her pajamas?
This was going to get awkward.
“So, what’s on your plate for work today?” Emma asked.
He let out a sigh of relief. Work he could talk about. He gave her a quick rundown of what a typical day looked like at the ranch. When he was done, she was leaning forward, gripping her mug with two hands. She was the very picture of a captivated audience.
She ended up asking him a bunch of questions that loosened his tongue and had him talking more during one breakfast than he typically did in a full day.
“Do you think…” She hesitated, biting her lip.
“What is it?”
She tilted her head to the side with a shy smile he’d never seen from her before. “Do you think I could see the property?” Before he could answer, she added, “Later today, I mean. I know you’re busy this morning.” She nodded at the paper she’d been staring at when he’d arrived. “I have some work ahead of me too.”
“Of course.” He leaned forward, resting his arm on the table. “Emma, you do know that this isyourproperty now, right? You can explore wherever you like. This is your house, your land...your home.”
