“Don’t be silly. Of course not. I stepped outside.”
Ember shook her head, retrieving ingredients from the fridge and a loaf of bread from the pantry.
June’s head tilted and eyes tugged into a squint. A slight crinkle held to her dark, thin brows. Nash was unsure if her intrigue was due to recollection or examination, but every ounce of her visual focus settled on him. For the first time in three months, he finally understood what Ember meant by being able to feel someone else’s energy. However, he couldn’t put his finger on the sentiment.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt your weekend. I’ve been wanting to check out Walker Ranch and see how you’re doing under all the pressure, so here I am.” June spoke to Ember, but her soft gape held to Nash. “You look so familiar to me. Have we met before?”
“No ma’am. Not that I can remember.”
His response only deepened the confusion spreading over June’s petite features. Rattled by something, her concern shifted to what he thought felt like panic, fidgeting with the polished amber stone hanging from a thin leather chord at the hollow of her throat.
“Are you a cowboy, Mr. Harris? Do you work for Walker Ranch?”
He got the feeling she already knew the answer to her question, but he’d play along. “No ma’am. I’m in oil and gas.”
“Roughneck?”
“No. I’m the CEO and Founder of an independent oil and gas exploration company NBH Exploration.”
“Hmmm.” Fingers loosely caged over her mouth and chin, June tapped her index finger to her lips, pondering.
Peeling her attention from Nash, June moved around the kitchen island, circling it several times, almost as if she were pacing. Nash ambled toward the coffee pot, starting a fresh brew.
“Surely you have a horse though.” She mindlessly waved a hand in the air mid stride. “Or at least had one growing up.”
Spinning to face her mom, Ember’s eyes bulged holding up a spatula. “Mom, he grew up on the ranch next door, so of course, he had a horse. It might be easier if you try asking Nash whatever it is you’re trying to figure out. I’m making French toast with blueberry syrup. How many slices are you up for?”
June waggled a hand back and forth throwing out a peace sign indicating two pieces.
“I have two horses. I grew up riding an appaloosa named Sugar.” Nash paused, half expecting June to blurt out a description. “Growing up, she was my loyal companion.”
June released a short, mechanical laugh. “I suppose with a name like Sugar, her buckskin hide is blanketed with white splotches.”
Holy. Shit.
Nash wasn’t sure if he should be fascinated, nervous, or terrified, but at the moment, fascination was hands down winning the race.
“As a matter of fact, that’s exactly how she got her name. She reminded me of the teakwood sugar bowl my father used to keep beside his coffee pot.” Nash took a breath waiting to see if June could add any details. “I’ve been in the saddle with Whiskey for almost six years now. She’s a real beauty with an elongated star marker between her eyes.”
“Well of course she is.” June’s laugh turned strained.
The creaking of the back door opening drew their attention. Bee entered the kitchen, pixie gray hair peeking out over an arm full of towels and bedding.
“Mornin’. Don’t mind me.” She gestured hello with a wave. “It’s been a long time since I’ve made up the guest room, I had to wash linens.”
June looped her arm through the crook of Bee’s elbow, steering her toward the hallway. “No need for you to go to all that trouble. I can handle that. How about if we drop these on the bed and then you can take me on that tour we talked about.”
Bee frowned. “Tour?”
Nash rested a hip against the granite watching June unleash her charm on Bee.
This ought to be rich.
“Yes, you mentioned the barn earlier and I’d love to see it.” June’s tone hyped up her enthusiasm, but her close-lipped smile pressed into a hopeful grimace.
Bee’s gaze widened with understanding. “It’s a beautiful morning for an ATV ride. Let’s leave these in your room and I’ll introduce you to Walker Ranch.”
Ember cast a probing look over her shoulder. “You’re not going to join us for breakfast?”
June scurried over and pressed a big kiss on Ember’s cheek. “I had a bite before leaving Austin early this morning, and as Bee mentioned, it is a glorious day.”
The fleeting look in Bee’s eyes teetered between guilt and excitement as they waved and walked out the door. Nash couldn’t tell if Ember sensed something strange about June’s quick-witted departure, but he doubted she was so absorbed in homemade blueberry syrup not to notice.
However, she played it off well.
Lifting the tip of her index finger covered in the sweet concoction, she hummed, “You want a taste?”
The chaotic pounding in his heart had nothing to do with the breakfast and everything to do with the beautiful woman standing before him. He drew in a deep inhale, teasing his senses with the faint aroma of lavender still dancing over her skin and hair from the night before.
Nash curled his tongue around her finger, sucking it into the heat of his mouth. Gaze turning lazy, Ember’s shoulders slumped, leaning into his gravity. Her perfectly pink lips parted on a breath forming the shape of an O.
“Sweetheart, I want more than a taste.”
Chapter 21
Ember
There’s no avoiding the worst-case scenario. If it happens, you just have to roll with it.
Earthy scents of patchouli and cannabis rode along the soft breeze as she made her way toward the barn, instantly reminding her of home. She found her mom sitting on a saddle blanket, meditating in an open field behind the barn.
Ember grabbed another wool blanket and wandered out to join her.
Face to the sun, June sat cross-legged with the back of her hands resting on her knees, soaking up the day’s energy.
“Did you have a nice visit with Bee?” Ember tossed the blanket on the ground in front of her mom. Emotions burned the back of her throat not wanting to ask the next question. “Or is Nash really that bad?”
Ember knew her mom had no interest in seeing the barn. Within two minutes of meeting Nash, she couldn’t get out of the house fast enough. Though Ember hid her reaction from Nash, it crushed her. And it wasn’t as if Nash didn’t sense an issue. He most definitely did. He simply opted not to open up a discussion about it.
Ember wanted her mom to like Nash, but it was more than that.
Much more.
“Sit down, Ember. We need to talk.”
Any remaining hope concealed in the corners of her heart vanished. Whether it was a bad boyfriend or a friend who wasn’t a great influence, her mom’s warnings regarding the dealings of the heart had always been spot on.
Pacing in a circle, tears needled her nose. “I can’t sit. Just give it to me straight.”
“Ember.” June’s quiet, stark tone grabbed her attention. “This has nothing to do with Nash. It does, but not what you think.”
Ember’s hand flew to her chest, fingers fanning out over her sternum. Her face crumpled. Air puffed her cheeks, slowly releasing the breath she’d been holding as she dropped to her knees, shaking out her trembling hands to dry the perspiration coating her palms.