Page 19 of Heart & Hope

Louisa watches the two of us. A string of curses comes from somewhere high outside.

“Excuse me. Sounds like Tarzan could use Jane’s help.”

I jog outside to find Reed hanging upside down, cable between his teeth as he ties the lights to the branch below. God, how fit is this man?

“Reed Rawlins, don’t you dare fall from there!” I call up the tree.

His head jerks in my direction and he smiles, the cable still between his teeth. I shake my head at him, huffing a laugh.

“Lawson will be out to help you in a minute, please don’t kill yourself over the lights.” Concern lines my every word.

“Laws is here?”

“Yeah, just got here. Getting changed. He’s nice.”

Reed’s face slackens for a second before he glances back up the tree and curls up, grabbing the branch with his hands and sliding his legs from the one they were hooked around. When he comes to rest sitting on the lower branch, he stares down at me.

“Need some cold iced tea, Rubes?” He studies my face, and it takes me a moment to understand his meaning.Oh, he thinks I’m into Lawson.

“I don’t need cooling down from meeting your brother, thank you. But you in that tree? Now, that could have me hankering for something...”

When his mouth gapes, I stifle a giggle and walk back across the yard, leaving him hanging. Literally. That was too easy. I chuckle to myself. Leaves rustle behind me before something heavy hits the ground. Footsteps lope, catching up to me, and I stop, staring inside the house. Louisa putters around the house as I force air in and out of my lungs.

Nope.

Not going there. I close my eyes. But all I see is Reed hanging in that tree, muscle-bound and happy. Internalizing a groan, I open my eyes and start for the house.

When a warm hand wraps around my wrist and spins me back, the last of the breath falls from my lips as Reed’s green eyes drop to them.

He’s too close.

I’m too close.

His hair is all ruffled up from climbing trees like an utter child.

But the place it cracks deep inside me feels like nothing else. This wild and free man—the opposite of everything I have ever been, ever wanted—has me coming apart at the seams with one sweep of his hand through his unruly hair.

He opens his mouth to say something but closes it again. And when he doesn’t say anything, standing impossibly still, I rest a palm on his old shirt, sleeves rolled up, scattered tree debris on the worn fabric. “Those lights ain’t gonna hang themselves, cowboy.”

“Sweet drawl, baby.”

He messes up my hair with a languid look before turning back to the tree.

Rooted to the spot, I can’t take my eyes off him as he springs back up into the tree, arm and back muscles working. My gaze drifts to his ass, and I clear my mind with a shake of my head. I have details to attend to.Party ain’t gonna make itself, Ruby Jane Robbins.

I roll my eyes at my own stupid southern talk. My parents would be appalled.

When Louisa meets me at the door, she glances over my shoulder as Lawson walks past and toward the tree Reed is hanging in again. Louisa laughs as he screeches like a monkey and scales the tree like his younger brother did.

God, these people have no idea how lucky they are.

“How’s the entrée coming along?” I ask.

Louisa’s eyes snap back to me. The love and adoration on her face for her sons transfers to me as she wraps an arm around my shoulders. “All done. You want to climb a tree, too, hon?”

I huff an indignant laugh. “Not likely, Lou.”

“You can, you know. Out here, you’re free. And we love having you around, Ruby Robbins.”

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