His gray T-shirt clung to his chest in a way that outlined those hard muscles I was having the damndest time not gawking at last night. And paired with those jeans? It was enough to make a woman forget all her better judgment. My gaze traced him shamelessly as he walked closer, every step an insult to my ability to think straight.
By the time I snapped my eyes up to his face, I knew it was too late… He’d definitely caught me looking.
Of course he did.
I lifted my chin. Not out of confidence, but out of sheer stubbornness.
He didn’t smirk. Didn’t greet me. Just looked me over like I was another thing to be wary of this morning, then kept walking.
Jerk.
My hand found the bathroom doorknob, but I turned back, just once, because apparently I hadn’t been humiliated enough yet.
“Seriously?” I muttered before I could stop myself, because…yeah…the jeans fitthatwell.
Zane paused mid-stride. “You say something?” His voice was low, scratchy from sleep, but sharp enough to snap me out of practically eye-fucking him there in the hallway.
Heat rushed to my face. “Nope.” I yanked the door open, slipped inside, and slammed it shut behind me. Lock engaged, I leaned against the door, exhaled hard, and whispered to no one, “Stupid, sexy cowboy.”
I didn’t care if hehadrescued me last night. I didn’t ask for it. His brother seemed to have had everything under control until he charged in like some rogue knight trying to rescue the princess who’d already been protected by Prince Charming. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to thank him and boost his already overinflated ego.
Still…
He did look good doing it.
I left the bathroom minutes later and slipped down the now familiar hallway toward the kitchen—rounding the corner with my nerves buzzing. I wasn’t sure who I’d run into, or what kind of mood they’d be in after last night’s unplanned sleepover.
To my surprise, it was just Norah and her mother, both moving around the kitchen like they’d done this routine a thousand times. The place smelled like coffee and something warm and buttery and, for a second, I forgot how awkward I felt.
“Hey,” I said, stepping in. “Good morning.”
Norah looked up and smiled. “Hey, Andi.” She wiped her hands on a dishtowel and nodded toward her mom standing at the stove. “This is my mom, Lindy.”
“It’s nice to properly meet you,” Lindy said, offering her hand across the kitchen island.
“You too,” I replied, shaking it. “And I’m really sorry about last night. I didn’t realize Norah had…roommates.”
Lindy laughed lightly. “It’s quite all right, hon. We’ve had worse surprises.”
She was warm and welcoming, with the same blond hair as Norah, just streaked through with wisps of white, and this timeless beauty about her. It wasn’t hard to see where Norah and her brothers got their looks. That being said, I was only judging by what I’d seen so far, seeing as I hadn’t met their father yet.
“Can I help with anything?” I asked, watching them work.
“We’re nearly finished,” Lindy said. “But you can set the table. Plates are in the top cabinet, silverware’s in that drawer…and I think you’ve got the glasses figured out.”
Her light-hearted humor made it easy to relax.
“On it,” I said, grateful to have something to do.
Once everything was set, I grabbed the juice and milk from the fridge and placed them on the table. The mismatched plates and slightly chipped mugs gave the table a kind of quirky charm. It was the kind of kitchen where you could tell memories were made.
Lindy set down a steaming plate of sausage links and biscuits straight from the oven, and Norah followed with eggs and pancakes—placing them all in the center of the large farmhouse table.
“Andi, would you be a sweetheart and call the boys in?” Lindy asked.
“Sure.” I headed for the back door and stepped outside. The screen door slammed behind me with a loudcrack, making me jump. I glanced back through the mesh. “Sorry!” I called.
“It’s fine!” Norah laughed from inside. “That door’s got a mind of its own.”
