Page 20 of Eye of Her Storm

She glanced over her shoulder at him. “I was bored. I’m used to working all day.” She shrugged. “And I like to run. Besides, you guys were working. My therapist recommended I get out and appreciate the things around me. So, I was.”

“Something could have happened,” he grumbled.

She turned in Seth’s embrace and leaned back against his chest while she regarded Tai. “Normal life. No coddling. Remember?”

“It’s not coddling to want you safe.”

River raised a brow, letting that be her reply. A tense silence followed. Shaking her head, she glanced back at the bird. It was gone now, along with her solitude. As Seth’s arms came around her and he kissed the top of her head, she couldn’t find it in herself to mind. She wanted every minute with her guys.

“Fine,” Tai reluctantly conceded, though she wasn’t sure if it was actual agreement or placating. “Can I have some of that?”

She grinned then took the few steps to his vehicle. He drew her into his arms, lifting her off her feet. He turned so she sat on the seat in front of him, still facing his body. Her legs wrapped around his hips. Tai looked behind them, and when he restarted his four-wheeler, she realized it was to make sure her feet were clear of the wheels.

“Shouldn’t I turn around?” she asked.

“I kind of like you there. You want to come with us to check fences? It’s deadly exciting.”

“As exciting as watching dust collect on your belt buckle collection?” There was no dust, and they both knew it. He kept it quite shiny.

“Don’t knock the collection,” he said and took off. Seth followed close behind.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare,” she hollered over the engine. “Who have guessed you were such a roper back in the day?”

His lips grazed her ear. “I can still rope with the best of them, baby. One of these days, I’ll try it out on you.”

She sucked in a breath. Oh my…

“It’s how I met Seth.”

“You roped him?”

He chuckled as he stopped in a clearing and turned off the vehicle again. “I had to get his attention somehow.”

“Whose attention?” Seth asked, not having heard the rest of the conversation. He jumped off his four-wheeler and came over to her. With no effort, he lifted her from Tai’s embrace and set her on her feet.

“Oh, Tai was just telling me about roping you to get your attention,” she explained.

Seth’s eyes darkened as he looked over her shoulder at Tai. “He never had to get my attention. He had it the second he came into my sight. One look and I knew he was mine. He was at a rodeo camp in Texas, and I was heartbroken when he went home at the end of summer.”

“Did he teach you to do rodeo stuff? Was it like a cowboy version of Dirty Dancing? Who was Baby?”

“You are such a smartass,” Tai said, smacking said ass. “I might just put you in a corner.”

Seth leaned in. “He didn’t teach me that stuff, but I sure taught him a whole lot.”

Tai cuffed the top of Seth’s head. “The hell you say.”

River giggled and Tai caught her hand, leading her toward the fence. “Okay, time for Fence Inspection 101.”

“Should I be taking notes?”

“Well…” He made a thinking face. “It is necessary knowledge if you’re going to be with a rancher.”

“Or two,” Seth added. He slung his arm around her waist. “Don’t worry, love. I’ll share all the…necessary knowledge with you tonight.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Oh definitely. And tonight at dinner, I’ll tell you all about the necessary knowledge I taught Tai that summer.”

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