The ride back to the house and garage seemed even more quiet with the dark of night surrounding them. Once there, Jace walked her to the door.
She turned to face him. "Thanks for letting me tag along tonight."
"Anytime." He meant that, too. If she could come with him every time he needed to tend to things on the farm, his days would be a whole lot brighter. "Get some rest. You earned it."
She hesitated for a moment before rising onto the toes of her shoes.
To his surprise, she placed a whisper of a kiss on his cheek near the corner of his mouth. The brief touch had his mind spinning as he watched her take a small step back.
Hope flitted across her face quickly followed by doubt. Did she regret the kiss? Because he sure didn’t. When her doubt was chased by embarrassment, he realized she took his hesitation for rejection.
She turned away. "Good night, Jace."
She moved to unlock the door, but before she could take the key out of her pocket, Jace reached for her arm.
He gently tugged her toward him again. The moment she lifted her chin, her gaze tangled with his as he leaned in and kissed her.
He'd intended for it to be brief. A peck meant to reassure her that the tiny kiss she'd offered earlier had not only been appreciated but welcome.
When his lips melded with hers, all thoughts of a brief kiss disappeared. All that existed was the way she fit perfectly into his embrace.
Her arm went around his neck. He pulled her closer, deepening their kiss.Everything about it—about her—was like coming home.
Their kiss ended much sooner than he would've liked, and he let his forehead rest against hers. This changed everything, but he didn't come close to regretting it. "Good night, Bonnie."
Bonnie looked like she might say something. Instead, she offered him a shy smile, unlocked the door, and went inside. Just before she closed it again, she lifted a hand in farewell.
Jace waited long enough to hear the lock slide back into place before going into the house. The light was still on in the living room where Noel had crashed on the couch. She sat up quickly and blinked her eyes at him. "Everything go okay? Did the lambs make it?"
"Yep. Both are healthy, and mom is doing great. It's good we were there, though. We had to assist with the first one, but once we did that, the second arrived easily on its own."
"That’s a relief. I haven’t heard a peep from Gunner since he went to sleep." She stood and stretched her arms over her head. "My bed is calling me." She stopped and squinted at him. A slow smile stole every hint of weariness from her face. "Something else happened tonight, didn't it?"
"Good night, Noel." He tried to hide his grin from her as he moved toward the stairs.
"Good for you," Noel said behind him and then raised her voice. "It's about time!"
Chapter Sixteen
Bonnie had no idea what to expect when she showed up at the main house for work the next day. But the knowing look from Noel told her that the woman had at least guessed about the kiss between Bonnie and Jace, or Jace had told her. Either way, heat infused Bonnie's cheeks as she tried to act normal.
"Jace is already out working with Cabe," Noel said as she gathered her things. "Gunner was hungry early, so I fed him some breakfast. He is super energetic today." She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "I guess Jace talked to Cabe first thing this morning. The mama and two babies are doing well."
That brought a smile to Bonnie's face. "That’s great to hear." She wondered if it'd be okay to go to the barn in the next day or two and see the lambs. "My parents were against pets. I never experienced something like that before. It was amazing."
"My brother feels the same way, though I'm sure it isn't just the lambing." Noel smiled at Bonnie with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I’m happy for you guys. You know, in case my opinion matters." She winked. "I'll see you this evening. Have a great day, Bonnie."
"Yeah, you too."
The front door closed, and it was several moments before Bonnie moved to slide the deadbolt into place. Gunner pushed his toy car into the room, complete with all kinds of motor sounds and spit to accompany them.
She greeted the boy, but her mind was centered on the man who was somewhere else on the property. Just thinking about him had her lips tingling at the memory of their kisses.
She worried all morning about what it would be like to talk to him this morning. Did the kisses mean as much to him as they did to her? Would things be weird between them? Would he act as though nothing had changed? Is that how she was supposed to act?
Now she simply wished he’d been at the house when she arrived. Then she’d have some answers to all of her neurotic questions.
Well, she had a job to do and a little boy to spend time with. There was no sense in acting like a twitterpated schoolgirl.
