“I can’t do that,” he said. “I’ve got two horses I’m working with.”
“Ashton’s going to do it.”
Tarr scoffed, the noise angry and loud and not really reflective of how he felt.
“It’s yourbirthday, Tarr,” Briar said as she turned back from the fridge. “And it’s a weekend. You don’t have to work yourself to death.” She took one menacing step toward him and poked her forefinger into his sternum. “And you should have told me it was your birthday.”
“I didn’t want it to be a big deal.”
“How would you feel if it was my birthday and I hadn’t told you?”
“Well, that tracks for you,” he said.
“Which makes this even weirder.” She glared at him and went back to un-bagging groceries. “I got the cheddar cheese and caramel popcorn you like for the movie—which I’m going to let you pick, by the way, because itisyour birthday—and Bobbie Jo said the theater room is full of blankets, and we can turn on the space heater down there if we don’t want to uncover the vents.”
“You’ve talked to them about it?”
“How do you think I found out it was your birthday?” she asked. “I had to find out from Bobbie Jo, for crying out loud.”
“Yeah, kind of like me finding out about your stunt riding from Rosie Young.”
Briar whipped back to him, her vulnerability combining with her ire and making her absolutely stunning in the morning light coming through the back windows. “I apologized for that.”
Tarr grinned at her and drew her into his arms. She tried to resist him, but in the end, she eased into his chest and wrapped her arms around his back, making him feel strong and steady.
“Well, I’m sorry then, sweetheart,” he murmured. “December birthdays are kind of hard, you know? It’s like everything’s overshadowed with Christmas.”
“All the more reason you should have told me,” she said. “Then I wouldn’t have had to make an emergency run to the grocery store, panic-buy everything I saw, and hurry here so I could catch you before we had to go do our chores.”
She stepped back and gazed up at him. Tarr’s eyes dropped to her mouth as he found himself thinking about kissing her more and more often.
“I’m afraid my presents are pretty lame, and I’m going to save one of them until later today, but you can have the first one right now.”
“Oh, yeah?” He raised his eyebrows. “And what would that be, sweetheart?”
“Well, one, I’m making you lunch.”
“Dang,” he said with a grin. “I thought you were going to say I could kiss you.”
Briar sucked in a breath and stepped back. Tarr dropped his hands from her body, realizing that while they had been getting to know each other over the past couple of weeks and becoming more and more friendly, she definitely wasn’t ready for kissing.
“It’s fine,” Tarr said, waving his hand. “What’s present number two?”
She reached for the plastic bag still sitting on the counter and wrapped the ties all the way around something rectangular inside. “This is for later, and I still have to wrap it,” she said. “But number two is that I’m going to leave Wiggins with you all day, and he can sleep here with you tonight.”
Tarr’s smile widened even further, and he laughed as he grabbed Briar and spun her around in the kitchen. “That’s the best birthday present ever, honey. Thank you.”
It felt natural to him to lean down and kiss her, so he did, but he planted his lips right on her cheek instead of her mouth.
“Really, thank you, Briar,” he whispered in her ear. Then he straightened again and beamed at her, turning toward Wiggins, who had pivoted from the back door where he’d been watching for possible intruders—or probably just birds.
“Hey, buddy, did you hear your momma’s gonna let you stay with me tonight?”
Wiggins smiled and his tongue dropped out of his mouth as he panted. Tarr crouched and scrubbed him along the ears, the sides of his face, and under his neck.
“I mean, I don’t need you to keep me warm anymore, but I sure do love it when you’re in the bed with me.”
“Oh, brother,” Briar muttered from behind him, but Tarr didn’t much care. He did love Wiggins—the dog was a good friend—and he straightened and turned just as Briar closed thecupboard where Tuck and Bobbie Jo kept the sugar bowl for their coffee and their salt and pepper shakers.
