Page 20 of The Runaway and the Rugged
Greta sure had a big mouth, so there was no tellin’ what she already knew about me. But gauging by her impassive expression, nothing too in depth.
“No, she didn’t talk too much about herself or your family. She just mentioned having two brothers, and I assumed… you were the other one.”
I cocked an eyebrow in her direction.
“You assumed I was Griff? Why?”
She shifted around like she was uncomfortable by my question. Even her creamy cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink.
“I… I just assumed when she said one of her brothers had grumpy tendencies and preferred animals over people…”
“You thought that was me,” I added.
She glanced at me, obvious unease in every movement and expression on her face.
“Can you blame me? You aren’t exactly being the sweet, caring Garth she made you out to be.”
Sweet? Caring?
I wouldn’t exactly say I was any of those things, but after having Grace, I discovered a whole other, softer side of me that I never knew I had.
“I almost had a dead bride on my ranch, forgive me for not bein’ the pleasant brother that Greta told you I was.”
Her eyes widened.
I may have exaggerated the dead bride part, but it was the only way I could make her see it from my perspective. For a citygirl like her who knew nothing about the possible dangers on a ranch, it was my job to tell her.
“Far from pleasant.” She nailed me with a scowl before turning her head to the side and crossing her arms around her waist.
Great, I’d pissed her off even more and now I had to find a way to get her on the back of Ella. I wasn’t normally this irritable, but there was somethin’ about her that was triggering my bad mood.
“You’re right.” I let out a heavy sigh, hoping she’d recognize the sincereness in my tone. “I’m not normally this…”
“Rude? Out of line? Unpleasant?” she finished for me, her glowering eyes now pinned directly at me.
My pulse quickened.
I couldn’t decide whether to be offended or amused.
With my jaw clenched tight, the muscles in my mouth struggled to prevent an involuntary grin from forming. In a quick attempt to hide it, I lifted my hand and used the pad of my fingers to rub along my mouth.
“Sounds about right,” I admitted, “but if you were to ask my twelve-year-old, she’d also add overbearing to the list.”
“Well, it’s nice to hear that I’m not the only one who has felt your intense approach to things,” she grumbled, but there was a lightness in her tone that settled some of the tension lingering in the air. “Though, I’m sure you’re much more… protective of her.”
“Being overprotective runs through my veins, Outlaw. Hence why I reacted the way I did when I found you.”
Her eyes shot over to mine.
“Are you protective of all the women you meet?” Her copper brow lifted high.
“Only the ones I find wandering our trails on their wedding day.”
She flinched at the mention of her wedding day. It was so subtle, I nearly missed it, but there was no mistaking the questionable reaction my statement gave her.
Was it persisting nerves that made her wince?
Whatever it was caused her to go quiet. It made my stomach twist and oddly enough, bothered the hell out of me. I wasn’t an expert by any means at consoling someone, but all I could think about doing was exactly that.
