Page 111 of Nanny for the Cowboy

When his words trail off, I turn over my shoulder to eye Brooks. “I’m what?”

He cringes slightly. “That you’re ‘in a sexual relationship.’ His words, not mine.”

Swallowing that down, I grimace a little, shaking it off. “Okay, yup. That’s not what I want to be thinking about, either.”

“Exactly. That’s why it’s a thing for him. Leo can’t help butknowthat we’re having sex when he looks at me because when we were friends…we joked about our sex lives, you know?”

“Okay, I can understand that. And yeah…let’s not bring that up with mydad. Like ever.”

“I can very much get behind that.”

Nodding, I hesitate in the doorway, turning toward Brooks and putting my hands on his chest.

“Did he say anything else when you talked to him? Anything I should be prepared for?”

With a sympathetic, if knowing, grin, Brooks shakes his head. “Just the classic ‘if you hurt my daughter, I’ll end you.’ Which I understand entirely and assured Leo I would not do.”

“Well, that’s okay, I guess. So, he really does seem okay? I don’t want to rush anything, you know. We can reschedule for another time.”

I’m stalling. We both know I’m stalling, and Brooks eyes me, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smirk.

“Your father seems fine. Ifyou’renot ready to go have dinner, that’s another thing, though.”

Shaking my head, I duck my head down before meeting Brooks’s eyes again. “No, no. I don’t want that. I just…let’s keep the conversation above the board, right? I don’t want to be getting the third degree, either.”

“I hear you, babe. But,” Brooks drags me through the door toward the stairs, “we still have to have dinner with him. You don’t want to lose the relationship? Well, then don’t.”

Narrowing my eyes at him, I frown. “I hate it when you’re right.”

“I know, babe. I know. Now, let’s go. I’m sure Darby is going to be?—”

“Dad, Clover! Can we please go already!”

“Calling for us soon.” Brooks smiles, gesturing toward the stairs, and I smile, following him down.

It’s time to face the music.

As we pullup to my dad’s new farmhouse, I’m feeling better. Brooks—and even Darby—has a way of helping me to calm the chaos in my brain when I’m feeling overwhelmed, and damn, has that been useful this week.

Nothing like uprooting your life to fill your week with endless to-dos.

Still, I’m not complaining. It’s all more than worth it.

I’ve sang for Rosie a few times, which has actually been a bit of a break for my brain, and managing my client list as I begin the process of going remote.

It’s been fucking stressful, but it’ll all be over soon, my life better for it. And I can live here in Red Lodge comfortably with my grumpy cowboy.

Darby continues to be his amazing self, and helping him through the usual school week stuff has been a welcome bit of a familiar routine. It’s nice to have that piece of my life that I can count on.

Sheep and shit shoveling included.

It’s even better that Brooks and Darby are in my life full-time now. They’re my family as much as my dad is, and I’ve even started to see myself as something besides Darby’s nanny.

Though I don’t necessarily have a name for my role right now.

Still, I’m Clover, a businesswoman starting her own remote marketing firm, a singer who enjoys modest crowds at the local bars, Brooks’s girlfriend, and Darby’s pseudo-step mom, if not officially.

All in all, life is pretty damn good.

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