Luna points to her chest. “Chose my shirt with care this morning.”
It saysun-burn-able witch, and the little hyphens are actually middle fingers.
“That’s my mom,” I say with a groan.
“We’re all grown here,” Luna says crisply. “But I don’t want either of you to hurt the other, so pleaseunderstand that I will be practicing spells, just in case.”
Hope’s mouth falls open, then snaps shut. She nods. “Got it.”
My phone vibrates in my pocket. Hope’s gaze jerks to the screen as I pull it out, but it’s not Cash.
“Ridge,” I say as I answer it. “What’s up?”
“I need your help this morning, if possible. That fucking bull has escaped again. I’d like to move the heifers to a different pasture, put some space between him and the cows.”
Yeah, that’s important. “I’ll figure it out, yep. Give me a few minutes, and then I’ll saddle up with you.”
When I hang up, I explain the situation to Hope. “That bull is a randy fucker, which I know is his job, but we need him to breed the heifers, and he thinks the cows are where it’s at. But the other bull has them covered, or will, and we’re not worried about them taking. So he needs to be in with the heifers, in a different spot.”
“Got it. Sounds like a breeding emergency.” She says it straight, but there’s some sass in her voice.
“You have good jokes in the morning, you know that?”
“I try.”
I wish I could stay just like this, side by side, arms brushing as we share our morning coffee. It’s so fucking good and domestic, it makes my heart squeeze tight. The only thing that would make it better is if she was in my bed all night instead of just part of it.
More and more lately I’ve been wondering if she’ll let me be that for her, be her proper mate and Bellamy’s dad, before we get married, or if she’ll want to do it right. I don’t mind. Could do with alittle courtship, a little formality to ease us into forever.
As Luna carries her coffee out of the kitchen, I give Hope a final, unvarnished hungry look.
She leans in and whispers, “What are you thinking about?”
I grin at her. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“Yes.” She blushes, looking pleased with herself. Thinking that I’m having dirty thoughts.
I brush my lips against her temple. “Wedding bells, maybe.”
“Oh, please.” She blows a raspberry. “Good deflection, cowboy.”
“You don’t want to know what I’d do to you on a wedding night?”
“I think you’re a funny, funny man.” She pats my chest. “Go help your brother. Your mom and I will be fine.”
“I’m going to call Cash first. See if he’s seen anything worrying. Maybe he can come out here for the morning.”
“We don’t need a babysitter today.” She brushes her lips against my jaw, but before I can turn my head and deepen the kiss, Bellamy wakes up on the baby monitor.
“Duty calls,” she whispers.
Next, I wake up Cash, who checks his surveillance footage from the night. “Nothing here, brother. All quiet, all night.”
I scrub my hand into my hair. “All right. Look, I need to help Ridge move a bull. Could you come out here for lunch?”
“Sure thing.”
I pack a lunch, then head out to the barn and put on my chaps. Shadow looks happy to spend the day on the mountain, and I don’t blame her. I’vebeen neglecting her a bit. The pasture Ridge wants to move the young herd into is lush but hard to get to on wheels, which means a long horse ride. And lots of time to think about what comes next.
