He got to his feet and stepped back to look at the chicken coop. “What do you think?”
“I think their house is probably nicer than mine.” Lenny grinned at him and gave the sandwich a little shake.
He took it and bit of a big piece. A groan pulled through his chest when he realized this was not peanut butter and honey, his usual fare.
“This is jam,” he said around the mouthful of bread and peanut butter and, yes, deliciously sweet raspberry jam.
“I made it,” Lenny said, a hint of pride in her voice.
“Did you grow the raspberries?”
She handed him a bottle of water, and he uncapped it, swallowed, and drank half of it.
“No,” she said. “Do you think we could grow raspberries here?”
“I think if you got a heat-tolerant variety, you could,” he said. “And we definitely need some sort of shade for them. A raised bed would probably work, but you’d need a lot of water.”
He didn’t say more, because the fury of Arizona would be unleashed on Lenny soon enough. Zona had checked his neck wound several times, given him a new cream for it, and insisted he take a picture of it and send it to her that evening. She never let him leave without a couple hundred dollars’ worth of food, and this time, she’d also sent a box of warm weather clothing from one of her sons, who had never worn it.
Brandon loved his sister-in-law, her fiery temper and tendency to be overbearing simply part of her charm. She took exceptional care of those around her, and Brandon counted himself lucky to be one of them.
Arizona was buying all twelve chickens she’d bring to the homestead tomorrow, and Brandon knew she wouldn’t go for the cheap pullets. She’d show up with fully mature and ready-to-lay hens that would probably cost a couple hundred dollars each. She’d also bring more food, and she told Brandon she planned to ask Lenore to come to Thanksgiving and about allowing her and Duke to pay to drill a well here on the homestead.
No matter what Brandon had told her, Zona would not be swayed in either offer, and all Brandon could do now was pray.
He finished his sandwich and his bottle of water and readjusted his hat on his head. “Thanks for bringing this out, Len.” He hooked his arm around her and pulled her close. “I just wanted to get this done. Then I’m gonna come look at your raised beds, and then we can start on the barn.”
“I think I got the beds figured out,” she said. “That last one just took a little bit more shaving than the others.”
“I’m sure you did.” He placed a kiss to her temple and looked at the coop. “This one will hold about twenty. I’ve got all the nesting boxes and perches inside. The mobile mini-coops will contain four to six, and I can get started on those next week.”
She had not brought up Conrad or building out the solar system since Monday, and Brandon didn’t want to poke the bear today either.
“This is amazing,” she said. “I never dreamed of having a coop like this.”
“You’ve done an amazing job on the beds and the greenhouse,” he said. “We’ve almost got three things done in only a couple of weeks.”
Lenny let out a contented sigh and nodded. “Yeah. It’s been amazing.” She looked up at him, the emotion plain in her eyes. “Thank you so much for coming to do this for me.”
“I’m not doing itforyou,” he said, his voice lowering and turning husky. “I’m doing itwithyou.”
She smiled and curled her fingers around to the back of his head, brushing the long hair there. “I’m glad you’re back,” she whispered.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“And it’s not about the work.” She looked at him, open vulnerability on her face.
Brandon had always been able to read women exceptionally well, and without another word, he leaned down and touched his lips to Lenny’s.
He’d kissed plenty of women, but nothing had ever felt like this before. This softness, this sweetness, the way she melted into him, and how they fit together so well.
Everything male inside him came to life, and Brandon took her face in both of his hands and deepened the kiss knowing he never wanted to kiss anyone but Lenny for the rest of his life.
16
Lenore had never been kissed the way Brandon currently kissed her. She felt like she’d entered a free fall, and the only thing keeping her tethered to Earth was Brandon’s hands. He slid one down the side of her neck while the other moved back into her hair, and he kept kissing her as if he might like it too.
All of Lenore’s irritation with his tardiness had disappeared the moment she’d seen him, and now she felt nothing but warmth and excitement about her relationship with him.
