Page 26 of The Cowgirl's Chosen Love
“It’s a time-honoured tradition,” Walker offered as an excuse. He patted the mare’s nose, then eased past her. “You don’t have any brothers of your own, and all your cousins are a couple-of-hours’ drive away.” He turned to Luke. “What do you need?”
Luke responded, and the two of them dove into their own conversation while continuing to care for the newborn and its mama.
Leaving just Caleb.
He stared at Josiah, his face unreadable.
Then, slap him silly with shock, Caleb turned toLisa. “Treat him right.”
He turned on his heel and rejoined his brothers. The three of them went about their business as if Josiah and Lisa weren’t standing there.
It took a moment before Lisa managed to haul her jaw back into place, and she looked up at Josiah, blinking hard. “Okay, then.”
“Best friends,” he offered with a shrug before continuing, “I have no idea what the hell he meant.”
Her lips curled. “It seems the world is determined to make sure anything involving you is convoluted enough to keep me on my toes.”
“We wouldn’t want life to get boring, would we?”
“Heaven forbid.”
They grinned at each other. Josiah glanced toward where the others were peeling off to different tasks. He stole one more moment, tugging Lisa to the side of the hall and twisting them until his body hid her from view. “You going to make enough apple turnovers that you can save one for me?”
“Maybe.” She leaned sideways, peeking past his shoulder. Then she quickly caught hold of his lapels and tugged him down as she lifted her lips in offering.
He really needed to get back to work, but hereallyneeded to accept this small moment of pleasure even more. He slid his arms around her and pressed their mouths together for a brief, intense connection that left him breathing hard when they broke apart only a few seconds later.
Lisa patted his shirt then tucked her hair behind her ear as she took off with a wave. “Call me.”
“I will.”
He watched until she’d left the barn, then turned back to discover Caleb only a few feet away.
His friend eyed him wordlessly.
“I know. I know,” Josiah said quickly. “It seems as if I was keeping something from you, but this whole thing came up kind of quickly.”
“Obviously.”
“It wasn’t as if I knew on Sunday, because I didn’t.”
Caleb didn’t answer. He was wearing his stone face again.
Great. The complete and utter lack of words coming to mind right then would have made his family, all masters of the stage, tease him mercilessly. Josiahhadto find the right thing to say. “I like her. And she does need a chance to unwind.”
Nothing. Not a single reaction beyond the death stare.
“Come on,” Josiah begged. “Say something. I swear I have nothing but her best interests at heart.”
Then damn if Caleb’s lips didn’t twitch once before he ran a hand over his face, twisting away to hide his expression.
Curses rose in Josiah’s mind as he realized his friend was a second away from breaking into serious amusement, if not outright laughter.
“You’re a bastard,” Josiah muttered.
Caleb clapped a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Not often I get to pull one over on you. Had to grab the opportunity when it happened. I’m not upset. You’re right—Lisa needs time to relax, and you’re my best friend. If you’re not good enough for her, no one is.”
He hesitated, walking at Josiah’s side toward the mare.
