Page 52 of My Cowboy Trouble
"How bad is it?" she asks, looking out the window at the gaping hole in the barn roof where a branch went through like a spear.
"Scale of one to ten?" I pretend to consider. "About a 'we're fucked if it rains again' off the scale kind of mess."
"It's Montana. It's always about to rain again," Trent points out, clearly making lists in his head of what we'll need. "We need to patch it today."
"We?" Asher asks. "You mean you need volunteers for roof duty in ninety-degree heat?"
"I mean exactly that."
"I'll help," Kenzie offers, and all three of us turn to stare at her. "What? I can help. I fixed a fence, didn't I?"
"The wrong fence," Trent reminds her.
"Still fixed it." She crosses her arms, which does interesting things to her chest. "I'm not useless."
"Nobody said you were useless," I say, already imagining her up on that roof with me, sweaty and determined. "In fact, I think you'd be very useful. I call dibs on Kenzie for my repair team."
"There are no teams," Trent says. "This is a barn roof, not a competition."
"Everything's a competition with you three," Kenzie points out. "Might as well make it official."
"Fine." Trent's jaw does that thing where he's trying not to show emotion. "Gavin and Kenzie take the north side. Asher and I will handle the south."
"Divide and conquer," Asher mutters, shooting me a look that says he knows exactly what I'm doing.
What I'm doing is getting her alone. Well, as alone as you can be on a barn roof in broad daylight with half the town driving by to check storm damage.
"Better get started," Trent says, heading for the supply shed. "Temperature's only going up."
Kenzie follows me to gather materials, and I can't help but notice she's walking normal today. The soreness from our night together must have faded. Shame. I liked knowing she felt us with every step.
"You sure you're up for this, princess?" I ask, loading her arms with shingles. "Roof repair isn't exactly in your wheelhouse."
"Neither was riding a horse in a rodeo, but I managed that."
"Barely."
"Still counts." She shifts the weight of the shingles, and I resist the urge to take them from her. She wants to prove herself? I need to let her. "Besides, how hard can it be? Nail goes in, shingle stays on, roof gets fixed."
"That's adorable. You think it's that simple."
"Isn't it?"
I lean in close, ostensibly to adjust her grip on the materials. "Nothing's ever simple with you involved, city girl. Thought you'd have figured that out by now."
Her breath catches, just for a second, before she pulls back. "We're fixing a roof, Gavin. Try to keep it in your pants."
"Where's the fun in that?"
"The fun is in not falling off a barn and breaking our necks."
"You worry too much." I grab the ladder, testing its stability. "Though I appreciate your concern for my neck. I know how much you like it."
Her face goes red, and I know she's rememberingher lips on my throat, her teeth marking me. I've still got the bruise to prove it.
"Just climb the ladder, cowboy."
"Yes, ma'am." I start up, then look back down at her. "Nice view from up here. You should see it."
