Page 18 of Forever After All

Kiwi blew out a thick breath and nodded, seeming to agree with Linc.

“Right. She likes us. She won’t leave us for a pretty boy.” Linc rubbed a hand over his jaw. “Unless she likes that. I’m not pretty, and, well… you’re not a boy.”

Kiwi hung her head. Linc had taken up with the roan for casual conversation because she seemed to be the most responsive. His own horse, Thunder, still had a wild heart and didn’t care for chitchat.

“Don’t worry, girl. She’ll be here.”

The rumble of a diesel engine outside had both Linc and Kiwi straightening.

Linc turned to Kiwi and put a hand on either side of her jaw. “Act cool.”

The barn door opened, and Paul’s wolf-dog, Thane, darted in. The older cowboy followed and gave Linc a small chin jerk in greeting.

Not the face Linc had been expecting, but at least it wasn’t Jess’s brother, Brett. He’d have too many things to shoot the breeze about, and Linc only had one thing on his mind right now.

Thane ran up beside Linc and brushed up against his legs. The massive, intimidating beast had been stoic like his owner, until the women on the ranch basically turned him into an attention hog.

Apparently, men had soft hearts for women in every species.

Paul stopped and narrowed his eyes at Linc. “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

Linc wasn’t acting cool enough, if Paul broke his silence to check on him.

“Mkay then.” Paul disappeared into the tack room, and Linc bumped his forehead against the wall.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

Thane whined at Linc’s feet.

“I’m fine. My stomach is just tied up in knots.”

Paul emerged from the tack room with a saddle blanket and whistled for Thane to come. A minute later, Linc was alone with the horses and his thoughts.

His heart pounded, and his hands were sweating. “She’s not coming.”

Kiwi turned, giving Linc her massive behind.

“Some friend you are.”

The barn door opened again, and Jess strolled in. She must have pulled up as Paul was leaving because he hadn’t heard her truck.

She’d dressed up for the date, which only served to fuel the riot in his stomach. The guy probably hadn’t even noticed. She wore a flannel shirt and jeans like she always did, but Linc knew the pattern wasn’t one she wore to work, and the jeans were a darker wash than usual.

Her long blonde hair was down, resting over one shoulder like a waterfall. He never complained that she wore it up most days. He liked seeing every bit of her face.

But when she wore her hair down, he had problems. He spent way too much time fighting the itching in his palms. What would it feel like to run his hands through it?

“Everything okay?” she asked.

“Yeah. Everything’s fine. How was your date?”

So much for acting cool and being subtle.

Jess shrugged. “He’s a good guy, but it didn’t work out.”

“What do you mean? What did he do?”

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