Page 51 of Nanny for the Cowboy

My cheeks are burning, and my pulse is too noticeable in my chest and ears. “I said thank you earlier. Remember?”

“What if I want another one?”

Brooks looks at me from beneath his strong brow. His eyes are fire, the hazel depths swirling with electricity. The silver flecks at his temple catch the light, and the breeze ruffles his dark hair.

Clover. Clover, what are you doing? This is…this is umm…

“Earn it,” I don’t break the eye contact that blazes between us, my heart thoroughly lodged in my throat, “Ace.”

Stepping closer, Brooks boxes me in with his superior height. Sure, I could back up, but I also can’t. I’m frozen in place, right fucking there.

“Those are fighting words, missy.”

Oh, God. Is this really going to happen? Is he going to?—

Crack!A booming roar of thunder rips open the sky as lightning flares, and in less than a moment, rain starts pouring down from clouds I didn’t notice had turned gray.

“Ah, shit!” I put my arms over my head, which does nothing to keep me from getting drenched, running toward the house.

Lightning and thunder boom again, and I jump, nearly falling on my ass in the now slick grass.

“Clover!” Brooks shouts, rushing up to me and snagging me by the arm. “Come on.”

He pulls me under a massive tree, the one I’ve always stared at near the rear of the house. Beneath it, we can find some semblance of shelter before the rain dies down enough to make it inside.

I’m utterly soaked, my clothes sticking to me and creating an instant wet shirt contest. I roll my eyes at the thought, pulling the fabric of my shirt away from my stomach. When I let go, it snaps right back into place, though.

“Montana rain storms.” Brooks looks up to the clouds, his button-down shirt sticking to his skin, his shaggy hair dripping water. “They do tend to come out of nowhere.”

It’s wildly unfair that he manages to look even more charming. I’m shivering, and my hair hangs in my face in a messy curtain of wet-noodle curls.

I laugh softly, shaking my head. “Spilled feed bag, spine meets door, nearly falling on my ass—twice—and now a storm. God, I’ll never live down how ridiculous I look, drenched from a freak downpour like some drowned rat. Still think that nickname you gave me is fitting?”

Glancing over at me, Brooks’s stare consumes me, running over me from head to toe before landing on my own, locking our eyes in together. The corner of his mouth lifts in an easy smile, and his entire vibe softens.

Turning toward me, he reaches out and tucks one of the wet strands of hair dangling in my face behind my ear. It’s a moment before he pulls his hand away, and I’m not sure if I want him to.

That smile of his doesn’t falter or fade, and he swipes his finger across the tip of my nose, whisking away the droplet of water clinging to my skin.

“That I do.” He nods gently. “Lucky.”

NINETEEN

Clover

I didn’t make myself a sandwich for lunch today. At least I remembered to come in and make something for Darby this time, foreveryonereally. And this time, it’s mac’n’cheese.

I’ve had like three bites. Darby is almost done.

With a sigh, I shake myself, trying to refocus. I need to eat. It’s been a long morning, and…I just need to.

What you need to do is stop thinking about Brooks.

It’s pretty impossible, though. After the rain, we were able to run back inside, and Darby was there to greet us. We were made the butt of every joke, which was fine, Darby is funny, and I wouldn’t hold it against him.

The thing that got under my skin and refused to leave was how Brooks was so damned quiet after that. He didn’t say so much as another word between getting cleaned up and cooking and eating dinner.

Not one.

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