“Enough to last us the month.”
“Well, you did a shit job of it,” he gripes.
I lean back against the counter. “Is something wrong? I’m sensing some tension here.”
He stands silently for a moment, not looking at me. “Can you just…stay away from me until she’s gone?” he says eventually.
“Summer?” I ask innocently. “Why?” He doesn’t respond. “Mate, I don’t want to annoy you, but I can’t stop doing whatever’s bothering you if you don’t tell me what it is.”
“Nothing,” he bites out. “You’re doing nothing wrong. I’m the one who?—”
“Whowhat?” I cajole.
“I kissed her,” he mutters eventually. “Last night. Shouldn’t have.” His frown deepens. “Don’t even know why.”
I grin, taking a sip off my coffee. “Aye, she has that effect, doesn’t she?”
His gaze snaps up to mine. “You knew.”
“Yep. She told me. So that’s why you’re in a bad mood? You’re jealous?”
He sucks in a breath. “Aye,” he says. “I’m jealous, and I don’t know why, and I’m angry at you, and I don’t want to be. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
Damn. So hereallylikes her. This changes shit.
Cameron goes to leave, but I grab his shoulder. “Wait, don’t go. You know I don’t own Summer, right? If you want to lay one on her, go ahead.”
He frowns. “She wants you.”
“I mean, if she kissed you back, kinda sounds like she wants you too,” I point out. “Hey, maybe she’d even be down for an Aileen situation. That was fun. Two big Scottish lads sharing her on her countryside holiday?” I elbow him. “You know we’re better than those skinny London boys.”
His jaw tightens. “She wantsyou,” he repeats.
“But—”
“She kissed me and then went to bed with you an hour later,” he snaps. “Which is fine. I don’t have time for her anyway. So please just stay out of my way until she’s gone.” He pushes past me again.
I try to get in his way. “Cameron?—”
“Is everything all right in here?” Alec’s clipped voice comes from behind us. I turn to see him in the doorway holding his toolbox.
Oh, he definitely heard every word of that.
“Fine,” Cameron mutters, stalking off to the back door.
I salute Alec with my coffee mug. “All good in here, boss,” I promise, taking a swig.
Today is going to be an interesting day.
TWENTY-ONE
ALEC
“Come on,” I murmur later that evening, tilting the milk bottle. The tiny lamb in my arms wriggles, shoving the teat away weakly. I close my eyes.
I’m exhausted. It’s almost ten p.m., and I’ve been awake for sixty-five hours. I should be doing my perimeter checks. Instead, I’ve been kneeling on the floor of the lambing barn, trying to feed this runt lamb for over forty minutes.
“Eat,” I tell her, stroking her soft little ear. “You need your strength.”
