Page 62 of A Rancher's Heart
Josiah snickered. “Don’t think you can keep things secret in a small town like this. I’m surprised it stayedundercoverthis long, and yes, that was a dig.”
Dustin glanced between Josiah and Caleb. “What’s he talking about?”
“No idea.”
“Oh, come on now. Don’t play the innocent. I know about you and Tamara.”
His youngest brother looked shocked. “Are you and Tamara…?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Caleb and Josiah spoke at the same time,
Caleb glared at his friend, narrowing his eyes. “Who the hell is telling you bullshit stories? There’s nothing between me and Tamara.”
At least a whole hell of a lot less than he wished was going on.
Josiah leaned back and folded in his arms over his chest. “That’s not what I heard. I was at the Sinclairs’, and word is you’re taken. So’s she, and considering how growly you’ve been the last while, it all kind of made sense.”
“I don’t think you and Tamara should be fooling around,” Dustin piped up.
“We’re not fooling around,” Caleb snapped. “It’s just damn small-town rumour. I’m surprised, Josiah. You know better than to listen to gossip and take it as gospel truth.”
“Hey, let’s just say I was hopeful.” His grin widened. “But if it’s gossip, then she’s not taken, which means I can ask her out, right?”
Caleb wasn’t about to rip his best friend apart, but the urge was there.
The urge was damn strong.
Instead he shrugged. “Don’t know that she’s got a lot of time to be off gallivanting at the moment, so maybe you should put that on hold for a while.”
Josiah’s knowing look was enough to send Caleb scrambling to find something for them to do that would be enough of a distraction.
They got into a task, and between the happily finicky labour and Ashton joining them, there was plenty enough work to change the topic to safer ventures, but word of the gossip nagged him.
Small-town rumourwasa thing, but even that usually had some kind of a starting point. He was still stewing over it when Josiah was getting ready to leave.
Caleb jogged up and knocked on his truck door.
The window rolled down and Josiah rested his elbow on the sill. “I’ll send out one of the staff to finish the vaccinations, if that’s okay with you. I’ve got a couple of things I need to complete before the office closes.”
Caleb waved it off. “Not a problem.” He eyed his friend. “You mind telling me exactly who said what about me and Tamara? It’s the kind of thing I don’t want getting back to the girls without having an idea of what to tell them.”
Josiah’s lips twitched but he kept his expression under control. “A few days back Tamara was at some event with the girls and claimed you were wellsatisfied, if you know what I mean. And no, I’m not talking about her abilities as a nanny. People figure your bed is plenty warm these nights.”
A swear escaped.
That was the last thing he needed—actual encouragement straight from the horse’s mouth. And it was encouragement, of the roughest kind.
The images crowding his brain were as dirty as all get out. Tamara warming his bed? Exactly the dreams waking him in the middle of the night. The ones where he’d find himself with the sheets kicked off, body covered in sweat. Fingers wrapped around himself before he realized what he was doing.
He dipped his head. “Appreciate it.”
Josiah paused. “I was teasing you earlier, but you know, maybe the two of you getting involved wouldn’t be a bad thing.”
Caleb couldn’t believe his ears. “She works for me. What part of that is a good idea?”
