Page 144 of The Nanny and the Beefcake
“We’ll be over in a minute,” she said, handing the child the leads, then turned her attention to Raz. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I’m fine, plum,” he said, shifting his stance.
He didn’t look fine—not even close.
He cleared his throat. “Be careful, all right? I can’t…”
“I’m okay,” she said, trying to meet his eye, but he kept his gaze trained on the ground.
“What would have happened if I didn’t see you? It’s dusk. It’s getting darker here in the shade of the mountain, and it’s even darker on the trail. I can’t be everywhere, Libby Lamb.”
“I know,” she answered, pressing her palm to his chest. His heart thundered beneath her touch.
Her beefcake released a heavy breath. “Plum, I couldn’t take it if—”
“Look who decided to show up,” Mitch called, cutting Raz off.
She glanced past Raz. The group was headed their way. She dropped her hand from Raz’s chest. With his back to the crowd, no one could have seen her touch him. And she didn’t want to give Sebastian the wrong impression.
“I told you they were here,” Sebastian chimed.
Libby surveyed the group. Penny and Charlotte were here with their plus twos, Rowen, Mitch, and of course, the kids, but Harper didn’t seem to be with them.
“Can I go get a hot dog?” Sebastian asked.
“I’ll take care of this,” Phoebe announced, taking Sebastian by one hand and Oscar with the other. “I’ll make sure the boys eat.”
“And how many hot dogs have you had, Phoebe?” Rowen asked, raising his eyebrow skeptically.
“Not enough to vomit,” she replied, hauling the boys toward the tent.
“We’ll drive home with the windows open,” Penny said gently, patting her fiancé on the back as he held his head in his hands.
“Are you okay, Libbs?” Charlotte asked. “Sebastian mentioned you and Plum were having some trouble slowing down.”
“I’m fine. Plum loves to chase butterflies. She got caught up in the moment chasing one. That’s all, but we’re both safe and sound,” she answered, chancing a look at Raz. A muscle ticked in his cheek. The runaway donkey episode scared him more than he was letting on.
“Are you sure it wasn’t Raz’s face that scared the donkey?” Mitch commented with his signature Mitch smirk in place.
Raz puffed up. “Don’t you start, you cheese toastie eating wanker.”
“Mitch has a point,” Rowen added with his own nerdy grin in place. “I don’t know how Libby can stand to train you every day. And what’s that about?” the man asked, gesturing to Raz’s mud-speckled legs.
And just like that, Raz’s darkened aura lightened.
“It’s called training, and it’s something you can’t do with your arse in a chair, staring at bits and bobs floating around on a screen,” Raz tossed back, loosening up as she felt his energy shift.
Yep, thanks to Rowen and Mitch, Raz was coming back from a dark place.
Rowen stared at the boxer, then studied the donkey corral. He tapped Penny’s shoulder. “I have an idea for a new video game.”
Penn gasped. As the head video narrative writer at Gale Gaming, the nerd spoke her love language. “What is it, honey?”
“Erasmus Cress, Donkey Boxer,” Rowen announced.
For a beat, no one said a word until Raz doubled over, laughing as he waved off Rowen.
“That would be a hell no, mate! Not a chance of that happening. Donkey Boxer? What’ll it be? Donkeys, standing on their hind legs with boxing gloves?”
