Page 81 of Nanny for the Cowboy

“What?” I sit up straighter in a hurried shuffle. “Why?”

“Because he won’t let it go until he’s found me.” Brooks shrugs, and I clench my jaw, narrowing my eyes at him. “I’ll sneak out while you check the barn.”

He kisses me again, then he’s shoving me up and patting me on the ass.

“Hey!”

“Get movin’, Lucky. You’ll want to get dressed fast.” Brooks wears his devilish smirk with pride. “I’ll throw on some clothes, then come in through the back door.”

I stand there staring at him, my mouth open in shock.

“Git!” He hollers—like I’m some fucking sheep or something.

“Oh, you son of a?—”

“Clover! Come help!” Darby calls from down the hall.

Throwing my hands up, I head to the closet to change, yelling, “Coming!” so that Darby won’t come busting in.

When I come out, button-down and shorts firmly in place, I glare once more at Brooks, who’s still just smiling.

“You’ll pay for this, asshat.” I reach for one of the pillows that fell on the floor and chuck it at him. “Bum.”

Brooks catches the pillow and grins. “Consider it tax for my services.”

I won’t laugh at that, no matter how funny it was. Instead, I go to the door, slipping through and offering one final parting blow.

“Better come up with a good reason we couldn’t find you. Because that one is so on you,Ace.”

TWENTY-NINE

Brooks

“Darby, stop playing with that.” I take the collapsible drink special display and set it back up on the table.

“Sorry,” Darby whines, “I’m bored.”

With a sigh, I nod, patting him on the arm. “I know, bud. Me too. But we’re waiting for Clover to come on so that we can cheer her on. Okay?”

“Is the show going to start soon?”

He looks at me with those big, pleading eyes that only kids can manage, and all I can do is sigh—again.

“I think so, Darby. But I don’t know. Here.” I take out a ten from my wallet. “Go get a Shirley Temple with extra cherries.”

Darby perks up, snatching the bill and running off toward the bar.Ugh, that’ll be future-Brooks’s problem.

With a pleasant level of silence at my table, I lean back in my chair, surveying the place. It’s more crowded than usual, and I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that Clover was well-received at the fair.

Does she have fans?

The thought is nice, but I know that Clover was nervous, and I hope that the size of the crowd doesn’t scare her out of performing at all.

“Brooks!”

I turn, and Leo is coming from across the bar. I’m not surprised to see him. I know that Clover told her dad about the performance, but my spine goes rigid nonetheless.

Play it cool, Brooks. You’re fine. Just don’t mention that you’re sleeping with his daughter.

---