“Right. I have a bit of a mess to clean up, and you should sleep a little before you have to go to work.”
Our schedule today is busy, and skipping even half the day isn’t possible. “You’re right. I’m going to go.”
He follows me out of the stall. “Don’t forget your crackers.”
“Thanks. And please try to sleep at some point. I’m sure one of the other guys can cover for a little bit.” I reach for my keys and find his in my pocket. “Oh, you’ll need these.”
“Take the truck. You don’t need to be walking around the ranch at this hour. I’ll get it from the main house later.”
“Good. Yeah.” I make my way to the door, conscious of him behind me. But before opening it, I give in to impulse and turn around.
His eyebrows lift when I launch toward him. And I can feel him smile as I kiss him again. Hopefully, I’ve made my feelings clear.
I’m really hoping Paisley is free for lunch and doesn’t decide that conversations about her brother are off-limits because I really need to talk to my friend. About Dumplin’.
Before I throw myself at him again, I wave and walk to his truck.
When I climb into the cab, I realize what a mess I am. I spent the night in a stall with a sick horse. I picked the absolute worst time to make a move, and poor polite Parker acted like I was fresh out of a shower.
I really need to apologize to him, but my lack of impulse control makes now a really bad time for that.
* * *
At noon,I park outside the restaurant and wave as Paisley unloads her children from their car seats. “Thank you for this.”
“All three of us needed time out of the house and away from the boxes, so thanks for asking.” She hands me the baby, then picks up her toddler. “Is there areasonyou so desperately wanted to have lunch?”
“Yes, but I’ll tell you inside. And I need to text Parker and check on Bonnet.”
“Is everything okay with his horse?” Paisley points to a booth in the corner. “We’ll bother fewer people over there.”
As we settle into the booth, I tell her about Bonnet’s colic. “So Parker and I ended up staying in the barn all night.” I glance at the little ones, trying to figure out how to word the next part so that it doesn’t spark giggles. “And when there was a clear sign that she’d turned a corner and everything would be okay, I...” I pucker my lips and point to the kids. “I’m trying to be careful with what I say.”
She laughs. “These two have seen Chris kiss me multiple times. It’s not weird for wives to kiss their husbands. It’s agoodthing.”
“I know, but he seemed a little surprised, so I doubted myself. Plus, I stank. I’ve showered twice, and I can still smell myself.”
“I sense a shift.” She grins and leans forward. “So y’all have moved beyond the friends-only and into new territory? Just generally. I don’t need details.”
“I’m not sure. He’s sweet and funny. He listens to me, actually paying attention to what I’m saying. And even though he’s doing me this huge favor, he acts like he’s the one who won a prize. I didn’t know it could be like this.” I cover little Topher’s ears. “Plus, your little brother is super hot. I didn’t notice when we were in high school—obviously—because he was a middle schooler, but I see him without a shirt daily, and yeah. Hot.”
Topher shoots me a look as I pull my hands away. For a four-year-old, he’s expressive.
Paisley slaps a hand over her mouth. “TMI, but I’m glad to hear you likeyourhusband.”
The waitress clears her throat, and her brow furrows. “Do y’all need more time?”
I have no idea how much she heard, but now I want to crawl under the table.
“Oh no, I think we’re ready.” Paisley picks up a menu and points out what she wants.
Hiding behind my menu, I tell her what I want. And after she walks away, I shoot off a text to Parker.
Me:Thinking about you. How’s the patient?
I won’t panic if he doesn’t send an answer right away. He could finally be getting some sleep.
Parker:Stinking up the barn. Almost back to her normal sweet self. Will you be back at the ranch in time for dinner?
