Page 24 of Family Forever
As she followed him back to the table she couldn’t help notice the sly grin tugging at Cole’s lips. She took a seat across from him as Dylan carted Luke off to the bathroom.
“So, Jake will be disappointed,” Cole stated curiously.
“About what?”
His grin widened. “About what?” he repeated. “Oh, just the fact that Jake thought he stood a chance with you.”
He was on to her, but she didn’t want him to be. “Maybe he does.”
Leaning forward, Cole rested his long arms on the narrow table. His face was only inches from hers. “I can see that by how you look at my brother.”
His gaze bore into her. She knew he knew the truth. And unlike Dylan, he obviously had no issue talking about personal stuff like this.
Her gaze drifted to the tabletop. “You’re mistaken.”
He placed a finger under her chin and lifted it until her gaze met his. “Really? How about you look me in the eye and tell me I’m mistaken.”
She just stared at him, unable to speak, unable to lie to him.
“I knew it.” He smiled and leaned back. “Why the big secret though?”
How could he not know? But then again, as she thought about it, this was Cole’s first trip home since she’d moved into Dylan’s house. He probably didn’t really know much about anything that had gone on at the home front during the past couple months. Yeah, he knew the logistics of things, but probably didn’t have a clue about the inner workings.
Cole arched a brow. “Well?”
On one hand, his pushiness annoyed her, on the other she’d kept her secret inside for too long, and since he knew anyhow, perhaps spilling her guts would make her feel better.
“He looks at me like I’m his weak little sister, a bird with a broken wing. And lately, I feel like he’s avoiding me.”
“How so?”
“He works the farm a lot more than he did when I first moved in. He’s hardly ever in the house anymore.”
Cole chuckled.
She frowned at him. Why was he laughing at her?
“Sorry, I’m not laughing at you. This actually makes a lot of sense.”
“What do you mean?”
“First off, being a dairy farmer comes with consequences, some of those being the long work hours, which is why I want no part of it. But Dylan, he loves it. He loves the physical labor, the animals, working the fields, all of it. And now that he has you here, taking care of the home front, he can work the farm more. Plus, he’s paying you, right?”
She nodded.
“There are only so many dollars to go around. If he’s paying you to take care of the house, working the farm himself saves money on that side.”
She’d never thought about that before. In the beginning, he simply offered her a job and she took it. The air drained from her lungs, so it was her fault he was strapped into working such long hours. She felt terrible. “So it’s my fault—”
“No, that’s not what I meant,” Cole cut her off. “Either he’s doing the housework and paying someone to farm or he’s doing the farm work and paying someone to do the housework and help with my brothers. No one person can do it all, and I’m guessing the situation he has going on right now is the most pleasing to him.”
Marissa cocked her head to the side. “What exactly do you mean?”
Cole leaned toward her. “Like I said, I’m sure he prefers the farm work over the housework, and he probably needed a break from my brothers. You know how they can be.” He paused and grinned. “And, he’s got you in the equation now as well.”
“Yeah, good for him, another person to take care of. Bet he’s thrilled.”
He leaned closer to her, invading her personal space. “It may have started that way, but I can guarantee, it’s not that way now.”
