Page 74 of Knot The Only Onee
"When are you going to get Alena and the crew?" I asked Noah and took a sip of my coffee. Bridget was perched on my lap, and I was feeding her breakfast. At first, she squeaked about being fussed over. But we all knew she loved being taken care of.
And we loved taking care of her.
Noah looked at his watch. "In two hours. They took off half an hour ago, so they'll be touching down at nine."
I nodded and leaned down to nuzzle Bridget's neck, taking in her scent and savoring it in my lungs. It was still taking time to get used to my heightened senses. Before, I had a slightly better sense of smell and hearing, but now it was as if they doubled in power. The best scent was still Bridget's strawberries and cream. It made me want to throw her over my shoulder and run up the stairs every time.
The scents from the barn? Yeah, not so great.
"I can't wait to see Alena." Bridget sank back against me, laying her head on my shoulder.
I scooped up another bite of eggs and held it to her lips. She ate it but glared at me as she chewed. I wasn't much of a breakfast person. The food on my plate had been for Bridget's benefit, not mine. Coffee was good enough for my stomach in the morning.
"I've already got things prepping for the massive dinner tonight." Lucas skipped over and refilled my coffee. He gave Bridget a kiss on the top of her head and stole half a piece of toast from my plate.
"You little shit, give that back," I growled, reaching my free arm out to grab him, but he danced away too quickly for me to catch.
"Nope," he replied, popping thep,then taking a bite of the toast smothered in his homemade grape jelly. "Tastes better if I take it from your plate. Don't you think breakfast tastes better when James feeds you, darlin'?"
Bridget grinned and nodded. "It's strange, but it totally does."
"I don't mind sharing with you, baby girl." I kissed her lips, tasting a hint of sweetness lingering from the pancakes and syrup. "Him, on the other hand." I glared at Lucas. "He's a thief."
Noah shook his head as he set his phone down on the table. "You're both troublemakers. How can Lucas be a thief when he made you breakfast? Taking a few bites from our plates is like his tax as the chef."
Bridget giggled as she nodded her approval. "He's got a point." Her hand splayed out on my chest and centered me. She was like my lifeline, keeping me tethered and sane when all I wanted to do was scream. There had been several more areas of the fence that had been damaged this week.
If it didn't stop, Noah and I would have to visit Cedar Hills Ranch.
The alphas of Cedar Hills were complete and total jackasses. There had been a bitter rivalry for a few generations over land disputes and property lines. Noah had never given in to the hype, ignoring the little pranks the younger brothers had liked to cause.
But this time, two of our horses had almost gotten tangled in the downed fencing.
You can mess with me all you want, but if you hurt my animals or my mates, I would gut you like a fish.
"Hey," Bridget said, her hand patting my chest. "Why did you stiffen up? What crossed your mind?"
I let out a sigh and shook my head. "Nothing, baby girl. Just caught a whiff of the barn." I let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Still trying to get used to my new senses."
Her brow furrowed. So did Noah's. They knew I was lying but didn't push the matter.
Noah's bright baby blues told me he wouldn't be patient and would demand answers soon.
Double fuck.
I'd tried to hide the repairs from him, knowing how much he had on his plate already with keeping the loan shark away.
"Why don't you shower while I head out and get started on chores?" I lightly ran my hand up and down Bridget's back.
She yawned and then let out a deep, contented sigh as she settled back against me. "If I have to."
Chuckling, I kissed her forehead. "You can take a nap first if you want to. I need to go out and make sure all the horses are taken care of. I'm sure Alena will want to see Honey and take her out for a ride. Which means," I tickled her side, and she squealed in delight. "I need to go get them fed and happy."
"Okay." She pouted for a fraction of a second before smiling. "It won't be long before they're here! Maybe I will take a small nap before showering. That will be perfect timing."
I set her on her feet with both of my hands planted firmly on her hips. "Sounds perfect, baby girl."
Bridget wrapped her arms around me, and I placed my head on the swell of her breasts. This was a position a man could get used to. She ran her fingers through my hair, nails racking across my scalp. A groan of appreciation bubbled up from my throat, and I fought against the voice in the back of my mind that reminded me I needed to get to work.
