Sutton leans down and brushes his lips against my temple before sitting beside me. “Hi,” he says to my still grinning friends. “What have you two done to make her go beet red?”
“Oh nothing,” Cate says in a singsong voice, totally giving herself away.
“You’ll find out when Blair’s stuff arrives,” Alex replies gleefully. “Just make sure she shows youallof the boxes.”
“Alex…” I growl half-heartedly, feeling Sutton’s inquiring gaze on my face.
When I turn to look at him, he’s smirking at me. His eyes aren’t curious anymore though, they’re burning hot. “I look forward to it,” he murmurs to me, his voice turning rough.
“Wow,” Alex says, breaking the moment. “Nowthatis hot. Don’t let us keep you.”
Cate giggles. “Yeah. We’ve got packing to get back to. We’ll email you when everything’s ready so that you can contact the realtor and put it up for sale.”
“You’re sellin’ your apartment?” Sutton asks.
I shrug, realizing that I hadn’t really thought about it until now. “It makes sense. I’m going to be living here anyway. We can put the money towards building a home of our own on the ranch eventually.”
He cocks his head, his features as soft as I’ve ever seen them. Butterflies scatter in my belly.
As much as I love talking to my two best friends, there’s something else I think I’d much rather be doing right now, especially with Sutton looking at me like I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to him.Funny. I feel the exact same way about him.
“Talk soon,” I say, not looking toward the camera.
Alex and Cate laugh, bidding us farewell and telling us to ‘have fun’ before ending the call.
“You want that?” he asks before cradling my face in his hands. “To build a home for us?”
“I want everything with you, Sutton Cooper. Don’t you know that already?”
He growls deep in his chest before jumping to his feet. I’m about to ask what’s wrong but the words get stuck on my tongue because in the next breath, he hauls me up, throwing me over his shoulder before stalking to the bedroom.
And after that, there’s not a hell of a lot of talking to be done.
Then again, there didn’t need to be.
Chapter 27
Blair
I’ve been spending so much time at the hospital and putting in even more hours at night to get the plans in place for the new ‘hospital at home’ service, that I’ve been feeling guilty about neglecting everything else in my life like the family and the ranch.
That’s why I suggested that some family time was in order—and why we’re all gathered in the dining room of the ranch house to try our hand at a cooking contest with a twist.
Today, each couple has to make a dish based on a common ingredient, with all of the produce and herbs coming from Jude’s garden beds on the ranch. And since the whole thing was my idea, Birdie decided the common dish fortodaywould be potatoes.
“It’s the food of your people, Blair,” she says. “And it just so happens to coincide with the ranch’s first potato harvest from Jude’s garden.”
We’re halfway through our allotted one-hour prep time when the crunch of gravel outside grabs our attention.
Since Jude is closest to the window, he walks over to take a look before turning back to us with confusion written all over hisface. “Whoever it is, I don’t know ‘em, but there’s no way they’re here for me.”
Then, as if we don’t have two strangers standing outside our house, he returns to the table to help Wyatt mix what looks like homemade hashbrowns with bacon, cheese and corn in them.
Sutton takes in my wide eyes and chuckles before pulling me in to kiss my temple. “I’ll go get the door,” he murmurs.
Not thinking anything of it, I go back to thinly slicing my peeled potatoes for a three-cheese gratin when I hear a high-pitched shriek, followed by a familiar squeal, an “oh my god,” a “yep, still hot,” then the loud grunt from my man. Curious–and a little concerned–I quickly wipe my hands and make my way into the hallway to see what’s going on, only to stop dead in my tracks.
“Surprise!” my two best friends shout as they push past Sutton and run my way, tackle hugging me in an ABC sandwich for the ages.
