I leaned back and captured his lips in a soft morning kiss. “You guys always seem to find ways to surprise me.”
“Like the bathroom upstairs?” Dutch asked.
I kissed Range one last time before he moved back into the kitchen. “You heard me lumbering around up there?”
“Pretty much,” Troop said with a grin as he handed me some apple juice, “here, in case you want something other than coffee.”
I took it from him, but not before I reached my lips down and kissed his hand. “Thank you.”
“No thanks needed,” he said.
“So,” Dutch said as he pulled up a chair beside me, “before you even ask, no, Sheriff Barnes isn’t going to be an issue.”
I blinked. “How did you--?”
“It’s part of his charm,” Range said as he brought a plate of fruit out for all of us to munch on.
“Dutch and I are already on it,” Troop said as he scooted a chair up to my other side, “so by the end of today things will be settled and everything will be back to normal.”
“Well, hopefully noteverything,” I said.
“Good to hear you feel that way,” Range said as he dragged a lounge chair in front of all of us and climbed his big ass into hit.
I swear, the chair groaned out for mercy as he leaned back with his two plates of food steadied on both of his thick thighs.
“What?” he asked when he saw me staring. “Boy’s gotta eat.”
“Here, here,” I said as I lifted a piece of crispy bacon from my plate.
As we all ate and sipped our drinks, I found my gaze locked with the horizon. With the watery world stretched out before me and all of the bullshit finally behind me. I felt invigorated. Empowered. Ready to take on the world and all it had to offer.
But, it was Range’s voice that pulled me from the depths of my mind.
“So, what are you going to do about your nursing job?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know, really. But, for once, that doesn’t scare me.”
Range chuckled. “Good girl.”
The sentiment made me shiver as I reached for my coffee.
“You know,” Troop said as he slid a finger up and down the puckered skin of my arm, “I think someone likes that nickname.”
Dutch leaned into my ear and purred like a damn cat. “Such a good girl for us.”
My eyes fluttered closed. “You guys will be the death of me.”
“Naomi,” Range said curtly.
My gaze flew open. “What? What’s wrong?”
His stone-cold stare locked with mine. “You know we’d never hurt you. Ever. Right?”
“You know that’s just a figure of speech, right?” I asked.
“Naomi.”
I nodded softly. “I know. I know you guys won’t.”
