Page 10 of The Cowgirl's Forever Love
“Make one comment about waddling, and you will start your world tour in a body cast,” Tamara warned as she made her way from the room.
Lisa snickered as she dealt with the breakfast dishes, waving briefly when Caleb stepped back into the house.
Tamara returned to the room and settled on the couch. Caleb joined her, sliding behind her back. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as she leaned against his chest, trusting completely. Her eyes closed, and her breathing settled out.
In spite of it being barely eight a.m., she slipped off into a nap right there and then.
Caleb’s eyes met Lisa’s. “Thanks again for all your help,” her brother-in-law said, his low grumble of a voice modulated even softer to avoid waking Tamara.
“I’m glad to be here,” Lisa said honestly.
“You offered to help Tamara with her pregnancy, not to be our servant with everything else. And I never meant for you to be trapped in the house twenty-four seven.” Caleb’s solemn face brightened as his lips twisted into a smile. “But I’m not going to deny how much I appreciate you stepping in. There’s no way we would’ve been able to get her to slow down otherwise. She needs to take it extra easy these last couple of months.”
Everything inside Lisa tightened. “She didn’t tell me anything was wrong.”
Caleb gestured for her to lower her voice. “It isn’t anything specific to worry about. With how sick she’s been the entire pregnancy, though, the doctor warned about overdoing it. So, thanks. Not just for today, but for your promise to stick around.”
“She’s my sister.” It was the only explanation necessary.
Lisa would do anything for her sisters and always had.
She took another look at Tamara’s face, at the dark circles under her eyes and the weariness visible even as she slept against her husband’s chest.
It was too easy to worry.
“I’ve got the day off,” Caleb reminded Lisa. “Go. Take some time to yourself and recharge your batteries. And if there are other times you need off, make sure you ask. We’ll get everything important done around here, one way or another. You need to enjoy yourself as well.”
She didn’t expect her time in Heart Falls to be a holiday, but Lisa didn’t bother to argue because number one, fighting with Caleb was like going a round with a brick wall. And two, he was right about part of it. She needed to get out of the house for a while.
She slipped a lunch and her new journal into a backpack and headed outside. Shoving aside the temptation to look for Josiah, she marched through the barn until she found the foreman, Ashton Stewart.
The older man nodded at her request for a ride. He pointed toward the end of the long walkway. “I’ll saddle Licorice for you.”
“I can do it,” Lisa offered. “I’ve been around for a couple months, and I know where everything is. You don’t need to babysit me.”
“Treating a lady right isn’t babysitting,” Ashton said, completely deadpan, but then he smiled. “Go ahead. Have a good ride.”
Lisa was still smiling when she stepped into the tack room. She lifted off the saddle she’d used before, the weight heavy in her arms as she turned…
And smacked straight into Josiah.
3
Josiah caught the saddle, twisting to the side as he let the weight fall in front of him. With his other hand he caught Lisa’s shoulders and stabilized her, keeping both of them from ending up on their rears.
Her expression flipped from shock to amusement. “Talented. He can juggle as well as Doctor Dolittle-ing. Sorry for running into you.”
“I’m glad you did.” Her face twisted in confusion until he laughed softly. “Well, I’d prefer the running to not involve leather objects, but whatever.”
Lisa recovered quickly. “Not into kink?”
The flash of heat her comment triggered was way out of line. For a moment, he couldn’t bring himself to respond.
Her eyes widened, and even in the less than optimal lighting, a sweet flush raced across her cheeks.
There wasn’t a moment to lose. “Heading out for a ride?”
“Caleb’s off today, so I’m off as well.”
