“Did you get her pregnant?” Grandpa Sammy asked, standing in the open office doorway.
“No.” Rory let his outrage show and scowled at his granddad. “But that would probably please you to no end. All you talk about is getting a great-grandbaby from all of us.”
“I want you settled with loving wives and kids, but you better do it right. You marry her, then have a family. When she’s ready,” he added. “Women choose those things. You get all the fun, but they do all the work.”
“Trust me, she’ll have fun, too,” Rory said, in a rare show of humor. His brothers were right; he did let loose more since he’d met her.
“What will I have fun doing?” Sadie walked in behind Colt and stared at Rory.
Rory, along with his brothers and granddad, startled.
“Are you blushing?” Sadie asked him, scanning him and the others, her eyes narrowing. “What are you guys talking about?”
“Nothing.” Maybe he said that too quickly.
She frowned and pressed her lips together, a blush blooming on her already rosy cheeks from her ride in the cool morning air.
“How are you this morning, pretty girl?” His granddad drew her attention.
Sadie’s sharp gaze hadn’t left Rory’s. “I’m fine, thank you. The ride was exactly what I needed.”
Colt coughed to cover a laugh. Ford turned his head to hide a smile. After all, they had been talking about him riding Sadie and getting her pregnant.
“I have stalls to clean.” Colt bolted for the back door.
“I’ll help.” Ford followed Colt out.
“If there’s anything you need, pretty girl, just let us know. We’re here to help.”
“Thank you, Sammy. I appreciate it.” The words she spoke didn’t match the angry look in her eyes she cast Rory’s way.
“I’ve got business in town.” Granddad walked away to get his keys from the hook in the kitchen.
Sadie waited for the back door to close before she said anything. “Did you tell them we slept together?”
“We didn’t sleep together.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“Why the hell would I tell them anything about what you and I do together in private?”
“It seems to me that when I walked in you were discussing sleeping with me.”
“We were, but not in the way you think.” He couldn’t tell her they were talking about him marrying her, that his brothers and granddad expected and accepted it. Those two things meant the world to him, but he and Sadie weren’t there yet. He wanted them to be, but rushing her could backfire. He needed more time to forge a stronger bond. He needed to know that she wanted a life with him. Forever.
She folded her arms across her chest, pushing her breasts up. “Rory, what is going on?”
“I’m sorry. I’m not explaining well enough.”
“You haven’t explained anything. Why would you talk to them about sleeping with me?”
“I wasn’t. I didn’t. My grandfather reminded us, me, that I need to be responsible and do the right thing always for you.”
Her gaze softened, but not by much. “Don’t you think you guys are a little old to be getting the talk?”
Rory shook his head, smiling at how ridiculous this conversation had become when all he wanted to do was kiss her good morning and savor his memories of what they shared last night. “Trust me, we got it a long time ago. Granddad has been harping on us for the past year to settle down and start a family before he dies.”
Her hands fell back to her sides and alarm replaced the perturbed look in her eyes. “Is he not well?” The concern in her voice touched him.
“He’s fine. But he’s getting older and wants to see his boys happy and not alone like he’s been these last thirty years.”
“That’s a long time.”
“I’m not saying he didn’t step out with a lady now and again. Always discreetly, you see, because he had three boys to raise.”
“So he wants you married with babies.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s kind of sweet. He loves you and wants you to be happy.”
“What about you?” he asked, hoping to somehow feel her out about marriage and children.
“I want those things, too. With the right person, because when I make a promise like that, it will be forever.”
Her gaze never left his.
“Anyone in particular you see yourself with forever?” he asked boldly.
She closed the distance between them, wrapped her arms around his neck, and went up on tiptoe. “Except for the whole you-and-your-family-talking-about-me-behind-my-back, you’re looking real good this morning.” Her lips brushed his in a soft kiss. She smelled of horses and grass from her ride.