Page 82 of Wrangled Love

He scoops a small sample onto a spoon and holds it out for me, and I pass it to Caleb. He takes a small bite, pursing his lips, and shrugs.

“Can I try another?”

“Sure. What’ll it be?” Beau questions.

Caleb waves to the bucket of cotton candy ice cream. Beau hands me a sample, and this time, Caleb takes a generous taste, scrunching his face like he just licked a lemon.

“Not a fan of that one?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “Can I please have chocolate with sprinkles?”

No surprise there. That’s what he got when we came in before.

“Great choice,” I say with a grin. “Glad you tried other options before deciding. You wouldn’t want to get stuck with a whole scoop of a flavor you didn’t like, right?”

“Yeah. Chocolate is the best ever!”

“One chocolate with sprinkles,” Beau says, handing me Caleb’s order.

“Thanks.”

I give Caleb his ice cream, and when I glance up, I find Briar already at the register, taking her wallet out of her back pocket.

“What do you think you’re doing, sugar?” I ask, stepping in beside her.

“You and Caleb were kind enough to invite me, so I wanted to return the kindness.”

“When we’re out together, you don’t pay,” I state.

She ignores me, turning back to the counter and holds out a twenty-dollar bill. “Woman, don’t test me, or I’ll throw you over my shoulder.”

She smirks. “Don’t tempt me with a good time, cowboy. I happen to know that’s the best view in town.”

Beau sets our cups of ice cream on the counter, looking between us, ultimately making the wise decision not to accept Briar’s money.

I slip an arm around Briar’s waist and lift her clean off the ground. She squeaks in surprise as I carry her a few steps away from the register. Caleb giggles as he watches the spectacle, clearly entertained by my antics. Still stunned, Briar stares at me as I grab her cup of rodeo rocky road and give it to her with a kiss on her forehead.

“You and Caleb go find a table. I’ll be right there.”

“I could argue, but I’d rather not let my treat melt while I do.” She lifts the cone from her cup, meeting my eyes as she takes a lick of ice cream.

God, there she goes again—teasing to get a rise out of me. It drives me wild, and when we’re alone later, I plan to make sure that mouth of hers is too busy to sass me. For now, I’m going to enjoy the afternoon with my favorite duo, because nothing beats hearing them laughing together at an inside joke or watching Caleb smile at Briar as if she’s made his day brighter.

After I pay the bill, I spot them at a booth in the corner, and take a seat across from them.

“This is so good,” Caleb says, chocolate smeared across his mouth and cheek.

Briar chuckles. “I’m glad you like it, little man.” She leans over to grab a napkin from the dispenser and gently wipes his face.

“I wish we could eat ice cream every day,” he exclaims.

Briar’s eyebrows shoot up. “Every day? If we did that, you might turn into a giant sprinkle.” She tickles his side, and he bursts out laughing.

Simple moments like this make everything else fade away, showing me what matters most.

I’m supposed to be inspecting the gutter drain on cabin four, but I’ve been distracted, replaying the moment Caleb spoke for the first time.

I was on my way to grab a book from my room when I stopped outside his bedroom door, drawn in by the sound of Jensen reading. He throws himself into the stories, complete with the silly voices and dramatic pauses, and even if he doesn’t notice, Caleb watches him with eyes full of quiet admiration. It was only fitting that his first words since losing his mom were for his dad, and it was a privilege to witness it.

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