The look of surprise on her face would have been laughable if she wasn’t clearly dealing with the issue of too much on her plate.
Lacey breathed out a heavy sigh. “You don’t mean that.”
He took a step toward her, Bridger moving with him. The boy jumped up and down. “See, Mom? I told you?—”
She gave him a sharp look, and Mack chuckled. “What did you tell her, kid?”
“That you would babysit me.”
Mack stiffened. Bridger was the most important thing in the world when it came to Lacey. She didn’t just let anyone in her son’s life. The fact that she was willing to let him interact with the boy on a somewhat regular basis wasn’t something he’d ever take for granted. Slowly, he dragged his gaze to Lacey to see if what Bridger had said was true.
Lacey flushed a deep red color that he hadn’t seen before. She fidgeted before him, shifting her weight from one foot to the other and tugging at the hem of her shirt as she dropped her gaze to her hands. “Angela isn’t taking my calls. And my regular sitter has the flu.”
Bridger merely beamed at Mack.
She continued, “I can’t afford to miss another shift. I understand if you can’t, and I was going to ask Sammie, but?—”
“Hey,” he murmured, reaching out to squeeze her hand. Lacey didn’t like asking for help—and apparently asking him for anything was crossing the lines. “If you haven’t figured out that I would do anything for you by now, beautiful, then you don’t know me at all.”
Tears brimmed in her eyes, threatening to fall over the curl of her lashes. She blinked them back and sucked in a trembling breath. “I—this is still so new, I didn’t think?—”
His thumb brushed over her cheek. “Shh.”As far as I’m concerned, you’re it for me, baby.He’d wanted to say those words. They burned in the back of his throat, threatening to tear themselves from his lips. But he didn’t say them. He couldn’t afford to scare her off. If she knew just how deep his feelings were becoming, she’d definitely put distance between the two of them. Instead, he chose a safer route. “For once in your life, let someone else take care of you.”
“Yeah, Mom. You worry too much.”
A laugh bubbled out of Mack’s chest as he shot a quick look in Lacey’s direction. “The kid isn’t wrong.”
She wasn’t impressed by either of them, and it only made Mack laugh again before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. It was enough to break her stern expression. A flicker of light in her eyes was all he saw before she brought those walls back up. Still, she gave him a grateful smile. “So you can watch him tonight? I know you didn’t sign up for this, but?—”
“I can watch the kid,” he whispered. “Whenever you need me to. If I have to drop everything, I’ll be there.” He drank in the wonder that she shared with him, and it was everything. It made his heart warm and swell until he didn’t think his chest could contain it any longer.
Her smile grew, and she nodded. “Thank you, Mack.”
Her use of his name was even better than that smile and her thanks. It made him feel like they were returning to normal. Even though it had only been one night, he needed this. His grin spread wider, and he leaned toward her, his voice lowering so only she could hear. “Your smile is proof that the best things in lifearefree.”
Lacey was momentarily caught off guard, which gave him a second chance to flirt with her.
“Do me a favor?”
She blinked up at him, nodding. “Sure. I can’t exactly tell you no when you’re helping me.”
He cocked his head slightly. “Let me borrow a kiss. I promise I’ll give it right back.”
For a moment, she didn’t move. Then she snorted. He expected her to shove him playfully or roll her eyes. But she didn’t do either of those things. She draped a hand around his neck and pulled him in for a deep, sweltering kiss—one that had the other cowboys whooping and hollering behind him. When she released him, her cheeks were flushed again, but her eyes were brighter than they’d been since he left her last night.
Before he could say anything, Lacey whispered, “They say nothing lasts forever.”
His brows creased. Was she implying that they weren’t going to last?
Lacey patted his cheek. “Maybe you’d consider being my nothing.”
It took him a few moments to realize what she had done—what she’d said. By the time it clicked, she was already several feet away. He called after her, “That’s my line.”
She flashed him a smile, and it was almost as if nothing was wrong at all. He clung to that feeling as he watched her drive away. Then Bridger pulled on his hand. “Do I get to see the horses now?”
He jumped, suddenly remembering that he wasn’t alone. Grinning down at the kid, he nodded. “What kind of cowboy would I be if I didn’t introduce you toallof the animals?” He ruffled the boy’s hair. “And we’re going to have to get you your own cowboy hat, too. What do you think?”
Bridger’s eyes rounded with a fresh wave of excitement. He nodded and jumped up on his toes. “And some boots?”
