“Strip, strip, strip,” she gloats.
A deliciously handsome smile flirts on his lips as he fights a laugh. “Fine. Yes, I had to remove everything I owned.”
“Even your underwear?”
I bust a gut, laughing, and Pane’s cheeks turn red. “Not that. Anyway, Sylvia Maddox is a foreboding presence, Rowe. But she’s not awful.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Natalie points her fork at me. “I mean, this is the same woman who wouldn’t let her children take their fathers’ last names. She’s a Maddox. We’re all Maddoxes. But I bet your mom’s nice, isn’t she, Rowe? Probably smells like sugar cookies and gives warm hugs.”
“She actually smells like patchouli, but she does give good hugs.”
“See? I knew it.”
Natalie takes the last bite of biscuit and scoots her chair back, scraping it against the floor. “Now, who’s ready to get to work? We have a farm to save.”
Apparently, Pane told Natalie pretty much everything about the place, so she knew exactly what needed to be done, and demanded a nail gun.
“How about a paintbrush?” he suggests.
“Fine.” She opens her palm. “But I expect real paint on it.”
“Oh, there will be real paint.”
We work inside most of the morning and go outside to help the guys after lunch. Donner shows up with several men from the yurt community, and they set about painting the exterior of the house. They also make a sign.
“Wadley Farm and Spa,” I muse, taking a look at the scrolling black letters etched into the wood.
Pane comes over, rubbing the back of his neck. “What do you think?”
I press my hands to my heart. “I love it.”
When I drop my hand to my side, it brushes against the back of his. We freeze, watching as Donner tediously paints. “Glad you like it, because it can’t be changed now.”
My hand is still touching Pane’s, his is still touching mine, and a frenzy of feeling snakes its way up my arm and straight to my heart.
I don’t dare breathe. I don’t dare move. My fingers twitch, and our hands move to join until Natalie’s screeching yanks us around.
The piggies stampede through the yard with Pane’s little sister lying spread-eagle atop them.
I frown. “Is she crowd-surfing the piggycorns?”
Pane nods. “It does look that way.”
As they fly past, Natalie points up. “Look at that weird bird!”
I follow her finger and see a bird fluttering high in the sky. Itisflapping its wings in a weird, kinda jaunty way. Must be injured.
Pane’s shoulder touches mine as he leans in. “You know she’s going to want to stay.”
“But she’s got to go home.”
He glances down at his phone. “Yeah. We’re meeting Mom in two hours. You ready?”
No.“Yes. Absolutely.”
