“Ooh, are any about me?” I beam.
He laughs again. “Let’s just say you’re my new muse. I’ll sing you one of them sometime, when all of this is behind us.”
“All of what?” I ask, and he’s about to answer when Jed comes jogging toward us.
“Heads up, guys. The press know all about Brett being here and they’re swarming the Alpine Apartments.”
“Shit,” we both say in unison.
“There’s still my couch you can crash on,” Jed offers. “Or Zane mentioned the carriage house?”
“That might be a good idea.” Brett looks at me.
I stand up straighter. “I can do one better, why don’t you come stay at Cedar Hollow?”
His face lights up. “Ah, yes, you have the bunkhouse.”
“No, I meant you can stay with me at my place, and if anyone comes past my fence line or steps one foot onto my driveway, I’ll be pointing my double-barrel shotgun at their asses.”
“I think that’s a yes,” Jed says with a laugh. “I’ll go get your stuff.”
“Thanks, man.” Brett fishes around in his pocket and tosses him the key. “Appreciate it.”
“Anytime.” He gives me a wink before taking off.
“What a mess,” Brett mutters.
“No, it isn’t, it’s just life,” I say. “And if I’d have known you were coming to stay for an extended period, I would’ve stocked up the fridge.”
He chuckles. “Long as you’ve got bread, coffee and half a dozen eggs, little lady, I’m sure we’ll survive on rations.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got friends in low places who can deliver food.” I smile up at him because it’s the truth.
“Uh huh. Well, I’d say we better get you home before this place is swarming with reporters. We know how fast news travels around here.”
I reach up onto my tippie toes and we kiss, long and hard. “We’re gonna do this?” I breathe when we break away.
He nods. “We’re gonna do this.”
I pull back for a second, then say, “Spoiler alert, I’m not an easy woman to please.” I know there’s a mischievousness in my tone that wasn’t there before. He brings it out in me.
He takes my mouth again. “Oh, I know, and believe me, that’s gonna be half the fun.”
CHAPTER 20
Brett
I don’t know if I fully deserve a second chance, but I’m not gonna argue. Not with a woman who just told me she has a double-barrel shotgun, and she’s not afraid to use it. Hot. I can totally see that about Bailey, the thought of her defending me like that makes me smile. There is much, much more to know about my girl, but I also know she would go to the depths of hell for someone she cares about.
So we hunker down, literally.
You would think we were about to witness some kind of nuclear fallout when Bailey returns from the store at dusk with two giant bags of groceries as well as the distinct waft of burgers and fries from The Perky Porch. It makes my stomach growl. Before she’s even put any of the groceries away, she’s pulling out pillar candles of varying shapes and sizes and dotting them around the house along with some smaller tea lights.
My lips tug a smile as I watch her. “Bailey, honey, what are you doing?”
She turns to look from the fireplace back to me, holding her finger over the trigger on the lighter. “What do you mean? We’re in total lockdown, babe.”
I laugh, despite this ever-growing crazy situation of some kid noticing me on the street and blowing my cover, causing some kind of media frenzy. The exact kind I was trying to avoid. Being incognito certainly didn’t last very long, and it’s not how I thought things would go. I’m not even a week into the job. “Lockdown?” I raise an eyebrow, as if to say, is this really necessary?
