True Love at Silver Creek Ranch(42)
As Brooke leaned over to open the gate, she winced at the sarcastic emphasis on “wedding.” Okay, enough of that. Hopefully, she’d planted some seeds. Once they’d gone through, and she closed the gate behind Steph, she gave the girl a challenging look. “We’ve got a little thaw today, so the ground will be muddy. After a warm-up, let’s see how fast you can go.”
Steph brightened immediately and trotted her horse over to take the starting position.
After the lesson and Steph’s departure, Brooke was oating Sugar before letting her loose in the pasture with the other horses when Nate approached her.
He glanced out in the yard, where they could just see the taillights of Steph’s horse trailer disappear down the road into dusk.
“So . . . how’d it go?” he asked, leaning oh so casually against a stall.
She eyed him with amusement. “Steph is going to be a champion someday, if I have anything to say about it.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I thought you didn’t want me talking to her?” Brooke asked innocently. “You know, I might goof things up worse.”
“I didn’t say that. And I know you can’t keep your mouth shut. So how’d it go?”
She smiled. “Okay, I guess. She didn’t want to talk about Em or the wedding much. I just brought up the gowns we might wear as an ‘us bridesmaids’ kind of thing. I suggested the Chess Club go to the bakery for their snacks.”
Nate’s brows lifted. “Chess Club?”
Laughing, she explained the misleading name.
“That was a good idea,” he admitted.
“Don’t look so surprised,” she said lightly. “I do have them now and again.”
He reached around and tugged her braid. “I know.”
She swatted at his arm, and he just grinned. When he walked away, Brooke couldn’t help staring after him and shaking her head. It was rather amusing how desperate her playboy brother was to get married.
After helping a couple tourists park in the right spot for the sleigh ride, Adam almost walked into the barn when he caught sight of Nate and Brooke talking. He backed out again before they saw him. Nate had assigned him some mechanic work in the truck shed, and he wasn’t quite done.
When he saw Nate leave the barn, he went in and found Brooke hanging up her tack.
She glanced at him and shook her head. “Surely you’re not interested in how my talk with Steph went.”
“Not really. I don’t have too many fond memories of the teenager I was.”
“I think you’re being too hard on yourself. You straightened out . . . some.”
He shrugged. “And your brother may want to get married in a hurry, but it’s not like he’s spending his nights alone.”
Brooke laughed. “No, but they don’t live together. He loves her and wants to be with her.” She tapped his chest as she walked past him out of the tack room. “Don’t tell me you’re complaining about spending your nights alone.”
“Not me. It’s peaceful.”
“Then why are you bothering me?” she asked in a lighthearted tone. “Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving, and I have lots to do.” She moved to the barn door and paused. “Did my mom invite you to Thanksgiving supper tomorrow night?”
“You don’t want me to be there,” he said, knowing it was for the best.
She didn’t deny it, only met his gaze then, and as usual, he couldn’t look away. He could get lost there, forget where he was—forget what she wanted. He wasn’t sure he knew anymore what he wanted from Brooke.
“But I don’t want you alone on the holiday,” she admitted at last.
“Alone?” He smiled. “When I have the widows?”
She visibly relaxed. “So you’ll be with your grandma then.”
“For the afternoon. Then I hear the widows are coming to your place. I’ll convince my grandma to come, too, so I can have some peace and quiet.”
“You seem to value that,” she said, putting her hand against a wooden beam.
“I do. When you’ve spent ten years shoulder to shoulder with other men, and you never do anything alone, even the most private . . . well, let me tell you, that log cabin is mighty peaceful.”
“I’m glad.” A sly smile curved her mouth. “Once upon a time, you never went anywhere alone, if I remember correctly.”
He grunted.
“Ah, so you can’t disagree. What did you need that posse for? Proof of your popularity?”
He had no choice but to smile. “I can’t deny that. It made me feel good to have guys who thought I was cool. It was something I definitely didn’t get at home.”