Page 21 of Finn

Neither is making dinner for us, or brewing me coffee in the morning.

Why does he keep doing additional tasks that aren’t expected of him?

Fuck, I don’t have time to figure it out now, or talk to him about how he needs to knock it off, because I’m already running way later than I should be. So, instead, I tip my hat at him.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” His grin annoys me. It’s bright and cheerful and oddly nice to look at. He has nice teeth, straight and white, like maybe he had braces when he was a kid. “See you later.”

By some miracle, with the help of August and Dad, Hollis and I are able to get everyone loaded into the trailer in record time. With my brother behind the wheel, we hit the road only ten minutes later than we anticipated.

Arriving at the facility, Hollis backs up to the unloading door of the barn, and we hop out. While he handles the unloading, I head inside and start registration. Over the years, we’ve done this process so many times, we could probably do it in our sleep.

After we get ’em tagged and checked out by the on-site vet, they go into the holding pen. From there, it’s a waiting game. Depending on how large the auction is—which, considering how crowded it is in here already, I’d say it’s going to be a large turnout—it could be hours until ours end up in the auction ring.

“What’s up with you this morning?” Hollis asks as we find our way to the sitting area near the ring.

“Nothin’ is up with me.”

My brother huffs out a laugh. “You seem grumpier than usual. Somethin’s up.”

I shrug and offer a half truth. “Woke up late.”

“How’s it goin’ with the manny?”

Turning my scowl to him, I grumble, “I hate when you call him that.”

“Why?” A grin splits his face. “That’s literally what he is. Your male nanny.”

“Since when is nanny a gender specific word? Nannies can be both male and female, Hollis.”

Whistling to himself, he says, “Someone is touchy today.” Then, after a second, he adds, “He’s pretty hot, though.”

“What?” I hiss, narrowing my gaze.

Hollis holds his hands up oh-so innocently as he chuckles. “I’m just tellin’ it like it is. Yournannyis easy on the eyes, brother.”

I blink at my brother, not even sure what I’m supposed to say to that. Right after graduation, Hollis came out to the family as bi-sexual, so it’s not the fact that he’s attracted to men that takes me by surprise. It’s the fact that he’s attracted toAsh, specifically, and something about that grates on my nerves. The same way it did when I caught him fucking winking at Ash that first Wednesday dinner at my dad’s place.

“You’re not fuckin’ my nanny,” I mutter. Shaking my head, I look ahead at the livestock filling in the auction ring.

Hollis throws his head back, laughing. “Why not?” he asks obtusely. “Could be fun. You get one twin, I get the other.”

My nostrils flare on a harsh exhale as I fight the urge to deck my brother square in the nose. Something I haven’t done in years, but fuck, he’s testing me today.

“You’re an idiot,” I scoff.

“What’s the big deal?” There’s humor in his tone, and I can’t tell if he’s just saying this to get a rise out of me, or if he actually wants to fuck my nanny.

“Unlike you, who has zero responsibilities outside of the ranch, I have a whole ass child to take care of, and part of taking care of him is making sure he has proper care while I’m working, dipshit. You’re not fuckin’ up this situation for Tucker. He gets along really well with Ash. That’s the big deal.”

Talking about Ash does nothing but remind me of the lunch he packed for me that’s sitting in the truck. Why is the factthat he did that bugging me so much? Maybe the same reason everything else he does bugs me. Whatever that reason may be.

I should be thanking him because he’s right; I hardly ever remember to pack a lunch when I leave in the mornings. In fact, most days, the first real meal I have isn’t until I finish up and go home for dinner.

He’s just so…thoughtful, and I don’t know how to deal with that.

And then, for some reason, unbeknownst to me, my mind suddenly goes to the silver I spotted in his nipples. Why the fuck am I thinking about my nanny’s nipples? Why is that one little tidbit of information stuck in my head on repeat? The metal stood out against the dusky pink shade of his nipples. His chest and abdomen are smooth, save for the light dusting of dark hair under his navel that leads down into his pants.

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