Be nice, be nice…
“Oh! I didn’t know you were going to be joining us. I, uh, I’ll have Addie set another place for you. Use the Ajax. It's good on grease.”
She turned around to start the faucet for him, but before she could scoot away, the man covered in dirt was right upbehind her with his arms on either side—grabbing the soap and lathering it up his arms.
“Excuse me?” She was flabbergasted. “What on earth are you doing?” She was beginning to believe that Justin Forge had zero chill.
“Washing my hands, just like you told me to.”
He was grinning. She felt it. The hair tightened on her head, and she tried to hide the shiver that ran through her entire body. How did he do that? He felt massive wrapped around her, and she wondered, for a split second, what it would feel like to be completely held by him.
Earth to Blythe! You just left your fiancé. We are not using this giant, sexy man as a rebound!
“If you’d kindly move your rock hard chest from behind my head, thank you, I would feel a lot less like a hostage and a lot more like a guest in this house, and the one who just cooked the delicious meal you’re about to eat.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Justin brought his right arm over her body and she swiftly scooted away from him as he finished rinsing off the soap.
Rock hard chest? Thank you? Let’s be a little less complimentary next time, okay?
Next time? What was she thinking? She gave him no indication that she was interested in him…right?
Blythe suddenly remembered her mouth hanging open like a cod fish when she’d seen his eyes for the first time. Gosh, they were mesmerizing…
His eyes are blue, so what? There are millions of blue eyes on this planet.
How long did she stare at him that day? Hell, she couldn’t remember…but surely that didn’t convey interest. Simply shocked that a stranger would be so straight forward. Herthoughts were interrupted as Chris came whistling through the doorway.
“Hello, family!” he sang, “I brought a friend to supper.”
No shit, Sherlock.
“Yay!” Both girls rushed to hug their dad and then ran to Justin. They’d been playing upstairs before they heard the commotion.
“Come give your big brother a hug.” He reached out to pick them up with a squeeze.
Big brother? What the hell? How?
Blythe motioned for everyone to take a seat. Once each person was settled and tucked in, Chris asked Evie to say the prayer.
“Dear Father in Heaven…please bless our food. Please tell Mama we miss her. Bless Lythie for helping us make the food. Bless all our cows, chickens and all the horses and…”
Chris cleared his throat, and Evolette quickly closed the prayer with an “amen.”
Blythe looked up from her reverence and saw the grin on both men’s faces. She was so darn cute, how could they not love her for such an innocent and heartfelt ask.
Justin smiled and winked at Evie.
Blythe turned to Justin. “So, uh, big brother? What did I miss?”
She saw how much the girls adored him. She’d seen how Addie blushed when he called herprincess. No way he was biologically related to the girls. He looked nothing like them, and he was too old. She needed to ask how old he was, exactly. She couldn’t remember Claire having any nephews on her side of the family.
“I’m technically their foster brother. Though, like I told you before, I lived at the bunkhouse with the boys, mostly. By the time little Addie was born, I was a man living my own life. Butthat doesn't mean I don’t love on these girls and come for dinner and a visit now and then.” A giant smile covered his face when he said it.
“Oh, I see. Well, that’s nice. How old are you? When I was here for the summers, no one ever mentioned there was a foster kid living here.”
Chris sat up in his chair and looked straight through her. “We didn’t mention it because it wasn’t like that for us.”
Justin cleared his throat. “Well I asked to be with the ranch hands. It wasn’t like I was living, eating, and sleeping here. I was sixteen then, and you were only six. I wanted to make my own way, and your uncle gave me that, man to man.”
