Page 28 of Blindsided By the Enforcer

“Annie, I’m not breathing right now,” he says as I use his hand to pat Sally.

“Wait right here. I’m going to bring over some feed.” I take off, grabbing as much hay as I can hold.

“Annie, get back here. This isn’t funny.”

Just as I am walking up to them, Sally moves her head up and licks his cheek. Cade is frozen still. “If I piss myself, you better not laugh at me,” he says, his voice shaking.

“Cade, she loves you. Holy shit. I can’t believe this,” I walk up to Sally and Stella and share the feed I brought between them. “See, they aren’t interested in mauling you.”

“Honestly, they are kind of cute,” he suddenly says, surprising me.

Sally turns to Stella. She makes a low-pitched moo sound. Cade stumbles backward and lands on his ass.

“Oh no, are you okay?” I turn and offer him a hand. He gives me his hand and a zap of electricity runs through my body. Despite the cool temperature, his hand is warm and his skin is rough and calloused.

“I don’t know. Am I still alive?” he asks.

I help him to a standing position. “You’re just fine, you big baby,” I tease. I wipe some of the straw off his jacket.

Again, the kiss we shared enters my mind. That was so unlike me. I don’t go up to guys I barely know and lock lips with them.

He takes hold of my other hand. Our gazes lock. Having him this close to me causes the air to shift between us. Something heavy and wanting replaces the cold air. My heart picks up pace and my lips want the taste of his again. I lick my lips.

Sally let’s out a soft moo again and Cade jumps. “Geez.”

Whatever spell came over us is broken. I blink.

“Why does she keep making that sound?” he asks.

“A low moo is a sign of contentment,” I explain. “She’s probably happy to see me and she seems to like you.”

“How can you tell all that?” he asks.

“Because I grew up around the cows. They all have different personalities. Some are friendlier than others. They love to socialize and hang out with their friends. My dad is really bigon ensuring they are comfortable and have a lot of space. It’s so relaxing to be around them,” I say.

“Relaxing, huh?” he repeats like he doesn’t believe me.

“Give yourself a few meet and greets. You’ll see how they grow on you,” I tell him.

“You seem like a straightforward honest person. I like that about you, Annie, but I don’t see myself getting used to being around cows.”

“Okay, well, why don’t you hop the fence over there,” I suggest. “I’m just going to hang out a few more minutes. I want to hand-feed a few of them and say hello. Things will get busy later. I won’t have a chance,” I tell him.

He hops the fence like I suggested and I watch him visibly relax. I need the space away from him because I don’t know what just happened, but having Cade close to me made it feel like there was a magnetic pull drawing us together. I wanted to kiss him so bad. That’s a big freaking problem.

“Sally, I’m in big trouble,” I tell her.

Again, she lets out a soft moo. I could swear she agrees with me.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Cade

Watching Annie interacting with the cows gives me a funny feeling in my chest. She’s a natural with them. She’s talking to them and laughing when they lick her. I don’t know what to make of her, but there is something pure about her. She says it like it is. I appreciate how straightforward she is. She acts like herself. She’s full of passion for this place. You see it in the way her blue eyes warm when she’s engaging with the cows. She’s giggling and speaking with them. Her passion has me feeling uneasy about my own life. I used to love hockey, and somewhere along the way I lost that passion. Dad was always riding me to play rough and “get the job done.” I hear his harsh voice echoing in my ears. I try to flush it out by thinking of the cows and how I was fearful at first, but then I relaxed and even enjoyed myself.

Annie says goodbye to the cows. She walks over to me and climbs over the fence easily. She takes me around, showing me the other barns filled with sheep and goats. One of the goats just had some babies and they are so small and adorable.

“Can I pick one up?” I ask Annie.

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