Lily probably hadn’t because she knew her grandma would tell anyone who would listen to her. Well now the cat was out of the bag so the whole town would soon know.
“It’s quite new,” Gunner told her, doing some fancy armography so that his arm was wrapped around me while still holding my hand. He pulled me close so that he could rest his chin on the top of my head. “But it’s going well so far.” He tickled my side. “A lot of horse riding, isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
Biting my bottom lip, I nodded and gave him a sneaky elbow to the stomach. He gave a quiet ‘oof’ and held me tighter.
“I’m pleased for you both,” Peggy offered. “Down to one available Miller brother, then. Disappointing.”
I felt Gunner’s chest shake behind me as we both looked at Peggy’s disappointed face.
“Sorry about that, Peggy,” I told her.
She shrugged. “That’s life. Now I need to get home and get ready for tonight.”
“Let me help you.” Gunner let me go and reached out for Peggy’s bag of booze. “Where are you parked?”
“Just outside Missy May’s.”
“Oh great, we’re going that way.” Gunner wrapped an arm around the bag while he held his other one out for Peggy to link.
I practically swooned as the old lady looked up at him with wonder in her eyes. If that wasn’t bad enough he went and patted her hand resting on his arm and then winked at her.
I was pretty sure it wasn’t just me who was halfway in love with him.
Chapter 32
Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
Gunner
Icouldn’t remember the time I’d last had a whole weekend off, unless I was on vacation. I’d always start with good intentions, but after a couple of hours I’d been restless and more than ready to get back to work. This weekend, though, the first with Cassidy, I’d barely thought about work. Apart from the meeting with Nate Jenkins, but that was more of a necessity than a desire.
No, all my desire was purely for Cassidy. Especially as our relationship had moved on a stage. I had no idea that sex could be like that. Something more than gratification. Something that made me feel like I was burning from the inside with the level of need that I had for her.
“Where’s your girlfriend?” Wilder asked as I closed the stable door on the rescued racehorse.
I turned to see my little brother wandering toward me, his usual confident swagger with his ball cap on instead of hisStetson. He wasn’t dressed for work, so I assumed he’d come from the house after showering.
“I’m guessing she’s at home getting ready for school tomorrow.” That was where I’d left her, anyway. In her bed, sated, after another round of sex before I’d had to leave her. I hadn’t wanted to, but she had chores to do and me staying would have meant being up at three to get back to the ranch for work. I mean, I wasn’t averse to it, but I knew we wouldn’t get much sleep if I stayed over.
“So, she is your girlfriend then? Not just a fling?”
“No, she is not a damn fling,” I snapped, as I checked the bolts on the stable doors. “What are you doing out here, anyway?”
“Came to tell you that dinner is ready, and Bertie has questions for you.”
“What sort of questions?” As I walked past the other stables, I looked at all the bolts making sure everything was secure.
“About your and Cassidy’s sleepover. Whether Miss. Turner is going to be her aunt and why didn't you come home last night?”
I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. I didn’t want to answer all the questions because I didn’t want my answers to jinx anything.
“Maybe I’ll eat dinner in the bunkhouse.”
“Don’t be a grump,” Wilder said with a laugh. “She’s just excited is all.” He nodded at the office. “How you feeling about tomorrow being Charlie’s last day?”
“Okay, I guess. I’m happy for her if it’s what she wants.”
“She’ll be a loss, though.”
