Page 29 of Second Chance with the Rancher

Chapter Eight

It was nine-thirty at night, their bellies were full of tacos and pastries and Triss was yawning more than she was breathing.

“I can’t keep my eyes open, guys. I’m sorry,” she said, standing up from where she’d been cuddled up on the couch with Asher. “I have to head to bed. The baby is making me sleepy.”

She leaned over where Mieka sat on the couch with her laptop, and pressed a kiss to the top of Mieka’s head. “Goodnight, little sister.”

Mieka tipped her eyes to Triss’s. “Goodnight.” She pressed her hand to her sister’s belly. “Goodnight, baby cowboy or cowgirl.”

“Rancher,” Asher and Nate both grumbled.

Triss grinned, then headed to the stairs.

“I’m going to go check on the foals once more, then I’ll meet you up there,” Asher said, getting to his feet.

“I can go,” Nate offered, though he looked mighty comfortable in the recliner with his big feet up and a beer in his hand.

Asher shook his head in dismissal. “I promised Tiberius I’d give him a few more carrots before bed.” He disappeared behind the wall to the entryway, the door opened and shut a moment later.

“And then there were two,” Nate murmured, tipping his beer bottle to his lips. “Whatcha looking at, Minx?”

“Furniture,” she said, glancing at all the tabs she had opened. “Furniture and linens. Décor, dishware. All of it.”

He was out of his chair and squeezing into the loveseat beside her before she knew it was happening. “Shove a bum, chum,” he said, giving her a gentle hip check.

Despite her lack of an ass and slender dancer’s frame, there really wasn’t enough room for both of them on the loveseat. The man had breadth to him, and when you added in his big presence and his ego, she felt like a third or maybe fourth wheel crammed up against the arm of the two-cushion couch.

“Let’s take a look,” he said, reaching for her laptop. “Ooh, I like these.” He was on the tab for beds she’d chosen for the riverfront cabins. All dark reclaimed wood that showed the natural grain and unique knots. “And matching nightstands. These are great.” He was clicking through all the tabs. “These are a lot of tabs. How does your brain function with so many open?”

She snorted. “If only you knew how many tabs were open in my brain at one time.”

He grinned. “Yeah?”

All she did was nod.

“This is a cool coffee table. It’s that live-edge stuff that has become so popular. But the wrought iron legs make it look rustic yet modern. Another awesome choice. And there are matching end tables.”

“Not exactly IKEA, I know, but I really think that you need to elevate—”

He held up his hand and shook his head. “We trust you, Minx. As long as they can get here by our first reservations and we can get them out to the cabins, do what you think is best.”

Hope poured through her and she leaned over until their shoulders touched, the heat of him branding her like an iron. But it wasn’t an unpleasant heat. It was welcoming and calming. She pressed the touchpad and went to a different tab. “They also make dining tables and chairs. Look at these.”

“Oh, we definitely have to get those. Look at that cool acrylic river running through the two slabs of wood. That is really neat.” He hit “add to cart.” “What else, Minx?”

Grinning, and elated that he approved of her choices so far, she flipped to the tab with the linens, then proceeded to explain to him her vision for each cabin.

She was talking a mile a minute, but her thoughts were moving a mile a second. She thought for sure Nate was going to ask her to slow down or that his eyes would glaze over as she brought up drapery and throw pillows, but he didn’t. He nodded and smiled, actively listened, asked relevant questions, and just seemed to absorb and enjoy her excitement.

The door opened and closed and for some reason, Mieka leaped off the couch, away from Nate’s warmth and her computer.

Asher came around the corner and lifted a brow suspiciously at them.

“How’re the moms and babes?” Nate asked his brother, completely unbothered by Asher’s presence and Mieka’s sudden departure from the loveseat.

“Callie is a bit engorged, not sure if Chance is nursing enough. I helped her, but we might need to call Jacob, have him come by in the morning to check on her.”

“Mastitis?” Nate asked.

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