“Didn’t I just take you on the most romantic few days of your life. Where I put a huge rock on your finger.” He pulled her close and kissed her temple. “But I hear you, sweetheart.”
“Do you all want to meet Petey, or not?” I moved to the back of the trailer ready to get business done so I could spend some more alone time with Tally.
“That’s what we’re here for.” Bertie looked up at Nash and shook her head. “You just can’t get the staff, can you Daddy.”
If that kid wasn’t so damn cute she’d been dangerous. God help the guy she set her sights on in the future. There was no way he’d get away with gas station flowers and a box of Hershey Kisses to show he cared about her.
“I guess not, Munchkin.” Nash raised an eyebrow. “I can still call you that, can’t I? Now we’re with family and you’re now a ranch foreman.”
“Yep. No problem. Just not in front of my hands at kid’s camp. We need to show them who’s boss.”
“No danger of them not knowing that,” Nash muttered under his breath. “Okay, Wild, let’s take a look at him.”
“Daddy down,” Billy demanded.
“Okay, buddy but stay well back, okay?” Nash lowered his son who toddled over to Bertie, buy when Petey moved in the trailer and gave a loudsnort, he ran to his mom and hid behind her legs.
Once I opened the back of the trailer, Tally and I stood back to let everyone get a better view through the railed gate. Draping my arm over her shoulder, she slipped her hand into the back pocket of my jeans and leaned into me. Inhaling the sweet smell of the coconut body butter she’d smeared herself in, everything felt damn near perfect.
I’d thought I cared about her before, but a few days away, just the two of us, no distractions or worry, had cemented how I truly felt. I loved her. I just didn’t have the balls to tell her yet. It felt too soon, like maybe it would scare her. Then there was the Declan situation. She was still married to the little douchebag and I kinda wanted her to be free when I said the words. The thought of losing her, though, of her not knowing how I felt, made my chest tight with a panic that I didn’t want to examine too closely.
“Woah,” Bertie said, her voice full of awe, garnering my attention. “He’s huge. Look at the size of his grenades, Momma.”
Lily playfully slapped Gunner’s arm. “What have I told you about talking to her like she’s a nineteen year old boy?”
“Ow, it wasn’t me,” he protested. “Ask your damn husband.”
Nash quickly moved away from hitting distance from his wife, pretty much admitting his guilt. “It’s that or fun sacks, which Wilder taught her when she was eight!”
“Don’t bring me into this,” I protested while Tally giggled at my side. “I taught her the correct anatomical name; ball sack.”
“Don’t think you did Uncle Wilder,” Bertie said, stooping down to get a better look of Petey’s balls through the rails. “You told me about Daddy’s fun sacks drying up.” She stood upright and clapped her hands together like she was dusting them off. “Okay, I think he’ll do.”
Fighting a grin, Nash scratched behind his ear. “Thanks Bertie, we appreciate your input.”
As she moved away Nash and Gunner moved in and from the sounds they were making and the words they exchanged, I think they agreed with Bertie’s assessment.
“I’ll drive him around to the paddock,” I told them.
“Jamie and Sam should be there to help,” Nash said. “Called them when youmessaged to say you were thirty minutes from home.”
“I take it Gideon’s been moved.” The last thing we needed was two bulls going head to head to prove who had the biggest…grenades.
“Yep, I got Davey to put him in that fenced off pasture next to Henry’s farm with that half dozen cows we were thinking of selling. Figured they’d be company for him and they’re past breeding age so they can grow old together.” He looked pointedly at Bertie. She’d been adamant that Gideon was not allowed to go to slaughter and because it would be cruel to leave him alone, it looked like we were keeping six cows, too.
“Well, it won’t break the bank,” Gunner replied and nodded at our niece. “And it’ll keep our new foreman happy.”
We all laughed, except for Bertie who was too busy trying to get Dorcas to give her a paw in exchange for a treat. It seemed our new bull was no longer of interest to her—not now she’d examined his balls.
“Okay, you coming with me Brownie?”
She chewed on her lip. “Do you mind if I go and see Dreamy? I kind of missed him.”
“Sure thing.” I gave her a quick kiss and tried to dampen down the anxiety of her being alone. Glenn was gone but we still didn’t know who’d been sending the messages or had trashed her lingerie drawer, if it wasn’t him. “Come back here, though. Don’t go to the cabin alone. Okay?” Cupping her face in my hands, I pinned my gaze to hers until she nodded.
It was only two hours later, when we walked hand in hand back into her cabin, that I finally let out a breath of relief.
“You want toast, honey?” Tally asked two days after we got back from Omaha.
