Page 18 of Curvy Nanny for the Cowboy

“Hey, Mols.” Billy strolled up like a handsome cowboy straight out of a Hollywood western. It was too bad he didn’t make my heart race the way Colton did.

“Hi, Billy. How goes horsing around?”

He smiled at my silly wordplay. “Good in here. Not so good out by the fences where the goats got tangled.”

“Oh no! Are they all right?” Those goats were adorable and so affectionate, and I hated to hear they were hurt.

“A little scraped up, but they’re good. With the vet right now.”

“That’s good.” Poor Colton was probably upset and angry that he hadn’t prevented it.

“Yeah,” he nodded as he helped Hunter saddle Peanut Butter and led them out of the stable. “Something is weird about it according to Wyatt, but he didn’t say much more about it.”

“Weird how?”

“The way they were tangled up; apparently, it was unnatural.” He shrugged and grabbed the lead rope before motioning for Hunter to get on the pony, which he managed to do on his own.

“Did you see that, Molly?”

“I did. You’re becoming more of a cowboy with each passing day.” I watched the beautiful smile that lit up Hunter’s face as he rode around the paddock, sitting perfectly and moving with the pony. My thoughts shifted to Colton and the goats. Unease settled into the pit of my stomach, and I couldn’t say why, but I was determined to shake it off. Colton would be exhausted after being up all night with the goats, and a little grumpy, so after pony time, I put together ingredients for a slow cooker chili.

“Now what?” Hunter popped up beside me, smiling with all of his teeth on display.

“Now we’re going to learn a little bit of life science: flowers and plants, grass, bugs, and trees. How does that sound?”

“Let’s go!”

One of the things I loved about kids at Hunter’s age was just how excited they were to learn new things. I hoped he never lost that feeling, like a new world was opening up. He listened carefully when I explained about the bee sitting on the flowers in the meadow. He laughed until he cried when the butterfly landed on his nose and got mud everywhere when we dug our hands into the mud.

It was a fun day full of education and outdoors, which gave me plenty to distract me from thoughts of that fiery kiss with Colton. Did it technically qualify as a make-out session since our bodies were all over each other? Heat flamed my cheeks just thinking about Colton. My boss. Hunter’s dad.

I looked over at Hunter as we started back to the house to find his head bobbing all over the place. I admired kids and their ability to fall asleep at any moment, even while walking. He wasn’t going to make it to the house, so I hoisted him in my arms and slowed down to make sure I could make it all the way home.

The sun was starting to set, and it was getting dark out, but the walk was peaceful, almost serene. The beauty that faded during the last rays of sunshine was breathtaking, and I focused on that as my legs grew heavy and tired. It was dark by the time I set foot on the front porch, nearly collapsing on the welcome mat just as the door yanked open.

Colton was there with a dark scowl on his face. “Where have you been?”

I sighed heavily and pushed past him with my right shoulder because the longer I held Hunter, the heavier his sleeping body became. My thigh muscles screamed more with every step I climbed until I made it to his bedroom. I laid him down and undressed him quickly before replacing his outdoor clothes with pajamas. “We’ll do a bath before dinner,” I whispered to myself.

Colton’s presence behind me was a reminder that I couldn’t just leave and collapse in my own bed. He was waiting for an explanation. “Molly.”

I turned to him and sighed again, ignoring the way my legs wobbled with exhaustion and my eyes fluttered closed. I ignored it, at least until Colton’s arms banded around me and he scooped me off my feet. “What are you doing?”

“You can barely walk,” he growled and carried me out of Hunter’s room and down the hall to mine.

I wrapped my arms around him, reveling in being in his arms again, even if he wasn’t kissing me breathless. He smelled good, like man and sweat, soap and hay, and something that was uniquely Colton. I laid my head on his chest and inhaled deeply; his heady scent made me giddy. “You smell good.”

He groaned at my words, and I smiled, inhaling his scent again. “Molly,” he growled.

“What?” I asked the question with big, innocent eyes and a ghost of a smile playing at the corners of my mouth. “You picked me up, and I’m surrounded by you and your scent. You. Smell. Good. Really good.”

He set me on the edge of the bed, and I fell backward with a sigh. “We were out exploring, learning about nature and the great outdoors. We got carried away because Hunter is excited to learn about everything, and he fell asleep on the way back, so it took longer than it should have. If I thought we would be out so long, I would have left a note.”

“You’re dead on your feet,” he grumbled and dropped down beside me.

“Yes, I know. But it was so worth it. Look at the photos and videos. It was a really good time, Colton.”

The smile on his face as he swiped from photo to video was intoxicating. It was so damn sexy I had to pinch my knees together and bite the inside of my jaw to prevent the moan from escaping. “It looks like a great day. I’m sorry I missed it.”

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