Page 7 of Heartless
“I mean, over my dead body.” Condescension drips from his words.
Her head quirks to the side, and I close the space between us. If he thinks he’s going to talk to my best friend that way, he’s got another thing coming. I’ve had her back since we were teenagers. Summer’s endured enough shitty men in her life, so this one can fuck all the way off.
“Cade, don’t be ridiculous. We’ve been trying to find someone for—”
He cuts her off. “You’rebeing ridicu—”
I step onto the porch, seeing red. No one else in my family has red hair, and I don’t know if it’s to blame for my fiery side, but I have been known to fly off the handle and hold a hell of a grudge.
I’ve been known to break up bar fights with a bat.
And maybe I’m about to be known for kicking a hot-as-hell rancher in the balls.
I wave a hand right in front of him to shut him up. “Choose your next words carefully. I don’t care if she’s about to be your sister-in-law. No one speaks to her with that tone, period.”
He turns his dark gaze on me now, eyes starting on my face before trailing down my body in the most critical and unnerving way. When his eyes come back up, the look in them is perfectly flat.
Like he’s sized me up and found me entirely lacking.
“And I don’t care if you’re her best friend. You smell like beer and your panties are still in my back pocket. You’re not taking care of my son.”
My eyes narrow, and my lips curve up at his misstep. “You saving them for later?”
I wink at him, watching fiery red splotches crop up on the apples of his cheeks and seep out across the immaculate bone structure hidden beneath that beard and scowl.
Summer spins on me, chocolate eyes wide as saucers. She resembles one of those squishy-faced dogs whose eyes are constantly bugging out in the most adorable way. “Cade is the panty guy?”
“I’m not the panty guy,” he interjects, but Summer and I ignore him.
“Yeah. And you said that any sane man would have thrown them out. So you know what that means.”
We’re grinning at each other like crazy people now, and before I know it, a giggle slips from between Summer’s lips. And before long, she’s doubled over, hands on her knees, gasping for air.
“For fuck’s sake.” The grump runs a broad hand through his hair in frustration. “I amnotthe panty guy.”
Laughter shakes my shoulders, and my eyes water as I mumble, “What are the chances?”
“This is a small town. The chances are rather good,” Cade grits out, not nearly as amused as us.
Summer practically howls as she straightens and swipes at her eyes. “Don’t worry, Cade. They’re clean.”
His nostrils flare, and his eyes fall shut as he sucks in a deep breath. Like that might bring him some sort of peace.
“Panty Guy.” I shake my head and grin at him. Nanny or not, I’ll be spending time around this man for the rest of my life with Summer being married to his brother, so I might as well smooth things out.
“He’s not a panty guy! He wears boxers!” A small voice echoes from the hallway as the most adorable dark-haired, blue-eyed little boy comes blasting into view. “Those tight ones though,” he clarifies, adding insult to injury.
“Yeah,” I deadpan to the little boy who’s now wedged himself under his dad’s arm. Big eyes regard me with keen interest. “Can’t have any chafing.”
“What’s chafing?” he asks curiously, as his dad holds one broad, tanned hand up to his eyebrows and rubs at them.
“Luke.”
“Like when all your junk rubs together,” I explain.
You don’t grow up around my parents and act shy about this stuff. Nothing is off the table in our family.
“Oh yeah,” he nods, appearing wise beyond his years. “I hate it when that happens.”
