“Oh,” I said, pulling my coffee mug close.
The heat radiated through the ceramic, grounding me, as everyone started to chat amongst themselves. Wylie and Benny headed out the door despite the weather.
Just like that, I felt . . .
Normal.
No one asked why my hair was green. No one stared at me too long or made rude comments or made wild assumptions about who I was. They didn’t treat me any differently or like I was a little freak.
They just existed.
And I existed alongside them.
My throat burned. Pris glanced over at me and her eyes softened. “Rainbow Ranch is good,” she said. “I felt the same way the first time I came here.”
I drew in a deep breath and nodded. “I don’t know what came over me. Probably the adrenaline wearing off.”
“Well, let’s get some food in you. Sweet or savory or both?”
“Both,” I said, blushing as she grabbed my plate and started to pile food on it. Beau had yet to sit down, his brows furrowed as he chatted in a low tone with one of the teens.
They weren’t afraid of him. I wondered what that was like—being a teen who wasn’t afraid of the very masculine man in the room?
My eyes had a mind of their own, roaming down to his denim-clad ass.
Beau’s ass looked damn good in well-worn Wranglers.
What is wrong with me?!
Pris put my plate down with a wink and then filled hers with food. My mouth watered as I inhaled the homey, comforting scents, a blend that made my stomach growl.
Oh my god.A giant cinnamon roll sat on the edge of my plate. Or maybe it was some other type of bun? The icing on top looked a little different than what I was used to.
Boone swooped back through the dining room, his eyes lighting up when he saw my plate.
“Those are my famous buns,” he said with a broad grin.
One of the teens giggled. “Boone’s buns.”
He clacked a set of tongs he had in his hands. “My famous cinnamon orange buns. Let me know how you like them.”
“They’re the best,” Billie chimed.
I picked up the bun, the bread soft and squishy between my fingers, icing dripping to the plate. I sank my teeth in and moaned as the flavors burst across my tongue.
Boone’s buns were heavenly.
“Good, right?” Pris asked. “I’ll be riding the sugar high all day.”
I would be too.
Between listening to everyone chat about this morning’s storm and eating the delicious food—breakfast flew by. Once I polished my plate, I stood to gather dishes, Pris shook her head.
“I got this, we’ll clean up. Seems like you have some business with Beau.” She raised a brow at him.
I glanced up at the cowboy, meeting his warm gaze and feeling a heated tug in my stomach. Just the feeling of his eyes on me burned like a shot of whiskey. What was it about him? About thetwoof them? What if they were a couple?
Beau pushed back his chair and rose, taking his cup of coffee with him. “Looks like the rain cleared. Let’s take a walk and talk?”
