Page 47 of Eyes Like a Hurricane

“Oh my goldfish! Don't you look hot, Mamacita!” Leo exclaims as he reaches for my arms.

Pulling me in for a hug, he pets my head. His strokes are a bit aggressive, so I wiggle from his grasp.

“What are you doing to my hair?” I growl. “Do you realize how long it took to blow this rat nest dry and straightened?”

Tsking, he murmurs, “Honey, you did a pretty good job without me, but there is a distinct crimp in the center of your head back here. Clearly you can’t see it, unless you are an owl, which you aren’t.”

My eyes widen as I hold back a laugh. Leo raises his eyebrows.

“Well, hrm, when your eyes go all big,” he circles his finger in front of my face, “I guess you do look owlish. Kieran, do you have owl DNA?”

I chuckle. “You didn’t just ask that, did you? Owl and human DNA are not even remotely compatible. You know that, right?”

Putting his hand on his hip, Leo rolls his eyes so far back I’m surprised he doesn’t fall over. Pressing his lips together, he says, “Of course, I knew that. Humans are the most incompatible race ever. We can’t even procreate with ourselves.” He motions a finger between him and Kieran, causing me to snort.

I clear my throat, “Yeah, procreation with my brother is a topic I want to stay between you and him. Okay? Are you ready?”

He gasps. “Honey, of course I’m ready. I left our house and came to yours. Would I really leave my home if I wasn’t prepared for the public eye? Don’t answer that. Now, you are not ready. We need to fix that bump you got going on back there.”

I trudge to the bathroom and hear his footsteps following me. Luckily, the flatiron is still warm, so he quickly fixes the pieces he claims are not up to his standards. By 5:50 p.m., we are ready and out the door. I open the trunk, and Chloe jumps inside. We all climb into my Jeep, and I turn to smile at Paisley and Kieran, giving Leo a mock scowl.

Moments later, we are turning down the long gravel drive toward Lachlan’s house. When we get to the ‘y’ in the road, I point to the right. “This road leads to Ingrid’s house. We are going to take the left path to get to Lachlan’s house. They are only about fifty yards apart.”

“Oh, Kieran, we should totally buy the property next to Aislinn and build a little cabin retreat! Wouldn’t you love that?” Leo shouts from the back seat.

In the passenger seat, I see Kieran shake his head. “I’m thrilled Aislinn is back in the area, but I don’t think she wants us walking over first thing in the morning. I know I sure as hell don’t want to see her face first thing in the morning. I saw thatfor the first eighteen years of my life. She is way too chipper in the morning.”

I nod in agreement, but Paisley cuts in, “But, I could build in the back middle of the two properties. We would be like a love triangle.”

I glance over at Kieran and see him massaging his temples, so I respond, “Yeah, I think that would be a little much for all of us. Remember the phrase, distance makes the heart grow fonder? If we saw each other every morning, day, and night, I’m sure that fondness would dwindle.”

Kieran snorts and just loud enough for me to hear, says, “So eloquently put. I’ve never heard someone say back off sweeter than you. You’re like a Sour Patch Kid, sweet and sour in one bite.”

I release a loud laugh as we pull up to the gravel area in front of Lachlan’s house. Ignoring my brother’s kind words, I motion in front of us. “Well, here we are. They said they would be out back.”

We all climb out of the Jeep, and as soon as I open the trunk, Chloe shoots out of it toward Lachlan’s house. When she gets to the front door, she paws at the wood and then sits back on her haunches to wait. Glancing back at me, then at the door, Chloe cocks her ear to the air. Suddenly, she leaps up and races down the stairs. She bolts for the backyard, and I laugh, knowing she heard Finn, Callum, or Lachlan from the patio.

Following Chloe’s lead, we set off toward the backyard. As we come around the corner, we hear the pleasant hum of voices and laughter. There appears to be a good crowd. I know Lachlan said he had about ten members on his staff at the ranch. By the looks of it, just about everyone is here, including an older couple and a man who could be Lachlan’s twin.

As we approach, people slowly begin to notice our group of four arriving. Chloe is playing with Finn by the barn, so no one notices her arrival. One by one, heads turn, and in response, the conversations cease. I see Lachlan’s broad back standing next to Callum by the grill.

Having noticed the crowd is now quiet, Lachlan and Callum slowly turn. Lachlan’s eyes meet mine, and everyone else fades away. I can feel the smile spread across my face, and I lift my hand to wave. He responds with a huge grin and takes off toward us.

My feet stop moving. I’m frozen in this spot. I’m now at the back of my group. Before my legs can start working again, I’m enveloped in strong, warm arms. My hands reach up and intertwine behind his neck. His cedar and leather scent wraps around me, and I hold on tight.

His deep baritone whispers in my ear, “I missed you, Hurricane. Seeing you knocks the wind from my lungs. I was even prepared, knowing you were coming.”

I smile up into his heavy-lidded gaze. “I missed you too. I swear the world stopped for just a moment when our eyes met across your yard. Am I crazy?”

He shakes his head as he plants a tender kiss to my mouth. “Not crazy at all. I think time does stop. It’s fate's way of making sure we follow the path this time. I sure as hell plan to listen. Fate doesn’t give many second chances.”

I nod and smirk back at him, but before I can respond, I hear Leo say, “Hey, cowboy, do we get to see you two dance again tonight?”

Lachlan clears his throat and slowly moves his gaze from mine. “Actually, the patio is a perfect dance floor, and once dinner is over, Ingrid always brings her fiddle out. I bet I could get her to play something for us. What do you think?”

He looks down at me with a wink, and I nod.

Leo nods enthusiastically. “I’m going to like this shindig. Lucky for you, I wore my pants with stretch. I was planning to save these for tomorrow when we drag Aislinn back into Glaciers for more live music. It looks like it was good planning on my part to wear them tonight.”

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