True Love at Silver Creek Ranch(37)
“You’re not convenient,” he said, following her down the steps to the back of the pickup. “Hell, this lust I feel goes against everything I think is right.”
“I’m hardly flattered,” she said, hefting a sack of mineral pellets over her shoulder and going back up the stairs.
He grabbed two of them and followed her. “Don’t be like that. I can’t do this because I work for your family, and I want them to trust me.”
“Our reasons aren’t too different.” She dropped the sack onto the floor and watched as he piled both of his on top. “You work for me. This has to stop. And it doesn’t mean anything, Adam, you know that.”
They finished unloading the truck in silence, then went up to the house. Brooke shivered as the light snow touched her hat, then the back of her neck, but she wasn’t cold. Oh, no, she was hot and achy and aroused and frustrated. What had gotten into Adam, kissing her like that? Pushing her up against the door, his big body holding her there, his mouth hot on her neck, his hand on her—
She pressed her lips tight together, or she would have embarrassed herself with a groan.
Once they’d pulled off their coats and boots in the mudroom, Adam excused himself to wash up, and Brooke went into the kitchen.
It looked so normal, the big windows full of light, Sandy behind the counter enjoying the food prep. Brooke had heard often enough from her mom that feeding your family was an act of love. Brooke couldn’t be surprised that it was one of the first chores her mom wanted to reclaim, but still, it gave her a lump in the throat just seeing the radiance of her smile.
“Before you say anything, I didn’t go crazy,” Sandy assured her. “It’s a simple meat loaf, nothing fancy. You can help me make a salad.”
Her dad and Josh came in just as Adam returned, and the three men grabbed beers and started to discuss football. Brooke was a fan of the Broncos, so she chimed in occasionally as she chopped and started to relax.
Adam volunteered to help prepare the salad, and Sandy shooed him away. “We’re almost done,” she insisted.
Brooke was relieved. She was afraid she’d start blushing too much if she stood next to Adam. As it was, Josh gave her a curious glance at one point, and she gave him a curious glance back. When they all sat down to dinner in the kitchen, she hesitated, trying to decide if it was better to sit next to Adam or across from him.
Damn it all, he was affecting too much of her life, and she didn’t like it. She took the nearest seat, and it happened to be next to Adam. Maybe that would be better than looking into his face, remembering how frantically she’d kissed him.
As they were eating, Sandy looked to Brooke. “Nate tells me they haven’t set a wedding date because of Stephanie. How’s Emily doing with it?”
“Okay,” Brooke said. She noticed Adam glance at her curiously and thought it only polite to say, “A couple months ago, Emily discovered that Joe Sweet is her biological dad.”
His eyebrows rose. “I remember the Sweet brothers. We went to school with them.”
They’d been on the football team with him, she remembered. The Sweet brothers had worshipped at the altar of football and weren’t too pleased that a “criminal”—their word—might harm their chance on the road to a state championship. But Adam’s hard work had won them over.
“Joe had a teenage fling with Em’s mom,” Brooke continued, “but she left town without telling him she was pregnant. Joe was happy to meet Em, and so were the boys. But Steph . . .” Her voice trailed off.
Josh gave a sigh. “She’s sixteen, but it doesn’t sound like she’s acting her age. Or maybe she is acting her age.”
“Em thought things were okay.” Brooke poured ketchup on her meat loaf. “But even though Steph is in the wedding, talking about it seems . . . stressful for her, so Em doesn’t want to have that ruining their day. So she’s waiting. I thought I’d talk to Steph.”
Her dad frowned from his place at the head of the table. “You think that’s a good idea? Might make it worse to interfere with the natural way of things.”
“She’s taking a barrel-racing lesson with me soon. And heck, we’re both bridesmaids. I could bring up the wedding and see what happens.”
“That sounds reasonable,” Sandy said. “You’ll handle her as delicately as you need to.”
Brooke smiled at her mom, feeling a rush of happiness at the support. “Thanks.”
They ate in silence for another couple minutes, except for an offer of another beer from Doug, and Josh wanting the ketchup.