Page 19 of Forever His Brat

Of course, it was really an excuse just to get another look at them. They’d been worn out the day before and the visit had been too brief to really get to know them. It would be nice to see what they were like when they were fresh from a good sleep.

She knew what Sam would say about it. He’d tell her to leave them alone for the first day and let them get settled. That’s why she wasn’t planning to mention it to him.

But Katie would appreciate a visitor, Charlie was sure. And she could read a situation as well as anyone. If the visit wasn’t wanted, she’d just ask if they had everything they needed and then go.

She was passing right by the cabin anyway. Of course, since she did have to go straight to the barn afterward, she was wearing her working clothes. She frowned and looked down.

Her jeans were a little on the worn side and her boots had obviously seen a lot of miles. Not much she could do about it. Besides, it was a ranch. People didn’t wander around in nice clothes. It would be counterproductive.

But there was something about interacting with a woman she didn’t know well that made her want to look her best, or at least a little better. She pulled her hair up into a neater ponytail than she usually managed. A little makeup brought out her eyes and added some color to her lips.

She looked at herself in the mirror and tried a smile. It looked fake. “This is stupid.”

She never wore makeup to work, and Sam at least would notice. She should probably wipe it off, but she hesitated. In a way the makeup was a shield. It protected her.

That thought made her snort and turn away from the mirror. Lipstick as a form of protection—that was such a girly high school thing. What had even given her the idea.

And then she realized it made sense. Getting dressed up, doing her hair and make-up—that was how she prepared her introvert side for going to a social event. Itwasa kind of armor in a way, and it had gotten her through high school, college and grad school.

It helped her fit in, and to some extent served as camouflage. It gave her a confidence boost and she needed that now.

She just wasn’t used to needing that layer of protection here on the ranch. Hoping Katie would be a friend didn’t automatically make the introduction phase easier. She felt off-center and anxious for things to work out which had led to her subconsciously deciding to throw on some lipstick.

Charlie left it on and ten minutes later she was out the door. Her original plan, to walk over, was immediately discarded. It was freezing outside.

It didn’t matter how silly it was to take a car for a two-minute drive, there was no way she was walking. The inside of the car wasn’t much warmer, but at least she was shielded from the bitter wind.

Charlie parked next to the barn and then walked around behind to the foreman’s cabin. She hesitated for a second on the steps before knocking softly. If they were busy or asleep, they probably wouldn’t hear it and she’d just go.

But just as she turned to leave the door flew open. “Charlie! Hi, good morning!” Katie was smiling, full of bubbly enthusiasm, and also… without clothes.

Charlie blinked and a heat rushed to her cheeks as she noticed Katie was wrapped in an oversized towel. “Oh, sorry! I was just—”

“It’s freezing out there. Come in, quick.” And then for emphasis, “Hurry, so I can close the door!” The dramatic shiver that went with it probably wasn’t feigned.

Charlie realized her potential new friend was going to turn into an icicle standing there. She ducked inside and Katie slammed the door behind her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said, blurting the words out in a rush of embarrassment.

“You’re fine,” Katie assured her. “We got a late start today because Daddy decided he wasn’t letting me out of bed. Normally we’re up with the sun.”

Katie seemed completely comfortable standing there in a towel in front of a stranger. Charlie was the one who felt uncomfortable. What was the etiquette for this?

She tried to keep her eyes on Katie’s face without making it obvious she felt awkward. “Well, I was just— I’m working in the barn today and I thought I’d stop by to make sure you had everything you needed.”

“Thank you so much. That’s really thoughtful, and yes. Oh, you don’t know how much I appreciated having a well-stocked kitchen when we got here. Setting up a new household is such a pain in the ass. The worst part of moving all the time. I fucking hate—”

From the direction of the bedroom came Nick’s voice. “Watch the mouth, kitten.” There was no heat in it, though it was definitely a warning.

Katie rolled her eyes. “He has this dumb thing about swearing,” she told Charlie in a stage whisper. It was obviously meant for him to hear since she didn’t bother to lower her voice by much.

Nick came out of the bedroom as if summoned. To Charlie’s relief he, at least, was fully dressed. “I have a thing aboutyouswearing, Katie.” He turned to Charlie and nodded his head. “Morning, Charlie. Like she said we really appreciate the effort. Made it a real welcome for us.”

“It was no problem, really. We want you to be happy here and it was the least we could do.” She smiled, relieved to have a place to settle her glance that didn’t have her cheeks flushing.

“Trust me, it’s not the least. Most people—hold on.” He took Katie by the arm, turned her around and gave her a gentle push toward the bedroom. “Get some clothes on, girl. You’re gonna freeze standing there half naked, and you’re probably making Charlie uncomfortable.”

Despite the fact that it was true, Charlie felt compelled to deny. “Oh, no. It’s fine really. I—”

Nick gave her a look, complete with a slow eyebrow raise that had her closing her mouth in mid-sentence. She wasn’t under his authority. There was zero fear he’d do anything to her, especially since she was one of his bosses technically.

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