“Hey,” I whisper into my daughter’s hair. “You totally made my day.”
“Yeah?” When she pulls back, she wipes her eyes, but even though she’s emotional, she’s smiling.
“Yup. I was having a crummy morning, but then my favorite people stopped by.”
She looks up at Tori and leans toward me to whisper, “Tori made the food, but I helped.”
“I’m sure it’s delicious,” I say, watching how Tori averts her eyes when I look at her. “What’d ya make?”
Mila jumps up and down. “Sandwiches and salad.”
I’ll be starving again in an hour, but this sweet delivery fills me up in other ways. “Sure was thoughtful of you.” I wait until Tori looks at me to say those words to my daughter, so Tori knows they’re meant for her too.
I tell my ranch hands to take a break and corral my brood into the corner stall that’s been outfitted into a small office with an extra table.
Tori hands Cody to me, and I kiss his chubby belly and make him laugh while the girls set out the food. And holy shit, my daughter’s simple description of the meal doesn’t do it justice. Because Tori didn’t just make sandwiches and salad.
My mouth waters when I see the thick, succulent pieces of meat wedged between the lightly toasted slices of bread.
“You made a roast? And homemade potato salad?” My mom left a roast to thaw in the fridge before she left, and I guess there must’ve been a sack of potatoes somewhere in the pantry.
I’m almost tempted to say Tori looks embarrassed at the spread.
She tucks her hands in the back pockets of her cutoffs and nods. “That okay?” She glances up at me, her hair tumbling over her shoulders and hiding half of her face. “I probably should’ve asked first. There’s more than enough for you guys for dinner. If you don’t mind eating the same thing later.”
“This is amazing.” I get my daughter seated next to me and prop Cody on my lap while I dig in. Flavor explodes on my tongue with the perfect spices and just the right amount of mayo. The meat practically melts in my mouth.
I’m two bites in and halfway through a whole sandwich when Logan strolls up to our impromptu lunch.
“Did ya bring enough for me too?” he asks Tori, who is standing between me and Cody, helping him dig into a Tupperware of food that’s been cut into toddler-sized pieces. Shit. I should be doing that.
She tucks a long strand of hair behind her ear. “We brought plenty. I wasn’t sure how hungry Ethan would be, so if he doesn’t mind sharing…”
I’m tempted to growl and keep this for myself, except my brother has been busting his ass all day.
Nodding toward the empty chair across from me, I don’t bother to stop devouring my lunch.
He takes one look at the spread and wraps an arm around Tori and kisses the top of her head. “This fu— freaking rocks. You’re amazing.” Squeezing her harder, he looks at me. “Isn’t she amazing?”
Tori gives him a self-depreciating smile, and her cheeks heat.
I pause mid-bite, frozen with the very real desire to peel Logan off Tori with my fist. “Stop mauling the woman and sit your butt down and eat.” My attention darts back to Tori. “Yes, she’s amazing.”
She averts her eyes, like she’s at a loss for words. Interesting.
“You gonna join us?” I peek in the basket and notice the last of the oatmeal cookies my mom made this weekend.
“No. I, um, I lose my appetite when I cook. From smelling the food all that time, I guess.” She turns to Mila and unwraps her sandwich carefully so the thick chunks of meat don’t fall out.
“Make sure you eat at some point so my kids don’t run you ragged. I can watch them for a bit if you need a break. I didn’t intend for you to do a marathon cooking session while you babysat. Thought they could eat some chicken nuggets or mac and cheese or something easy for lunch.”
Shrugging, she turns those big hazel eyes up to mine. “It’s not a big deal. I like to cook, and your kitchen is amazing, so that makes it really fun. I don’t mind. But if you have any requests, let me know ahead of time so I can make sure you have all of the ingredients.”
Logan leans forward in his seat. “You take requests?”
I toss my napkin at his face. “Not from you.”
He chuckles and winks at Tori, and I force myself not to clench my fists. Not sure why that bothers me, but it does. Logan’s a flirt. That’s who he is, but watching him fawn over Tori gets under my skin.
When we’re done eating, I head out into the main part of the barn. My kids are hanging off my brother when I notice Tori reaching up to pet one of our buckskin quarter horses, who’s leaning his head out of his stall and enjoying the attention. Can’t say I blame him.
Her slender arms wrap around his neck, and she nuzzles him with her face. The moment is such a sweet one that it draws me closer. Allison never came back here. Never cared about the horses. Makes me wonder if things would’ve been different if she had. It’s not like I never invited her to see what I did. Would’ve loved to have her appreciate what my family and I spent our whole lives building.
“What’s his name?” Tori asks, her eyes full of wonder and appreciation for the magnificent animal in her arms.
Reaching behind his ear, I give him a good scratch. “Moves Like Mick Jagger, but I call him Mick.”
“That’s a crazy name.” She slides her hands over him, a beautiful smile on her face.
“You ride?” I’m wildly curious now given how comfortable she is petting Mick.
“Nope.”
Hmm. “Wanna learn?”
Her bright eyes shift to mine. “Really?”
“Sure. Why not?”
She bites that full lower lip. “You spend so much time with these guys. Why would you want to work more to show me how to ride?”
The words come without thinking. “Because this doesn’t feel like work.” I’m not sure if I mean raising horses or the idea of teaching her what I do, but the answer is the same regardless.
I don’t mean to check her out, but it’s hard not to notice her beauty or her warm amber eyes. Those rosy, flushed cheeks. Her teasing smile.
Tori twists her long hair up into a top knot, and I can’t help appreciating her graceful neck.
Which has me looking down her body, my pulse quickening from the generous curves of her breasts beneath the maddeningly snug tank top.
I look away, not wanting to be that guy.
A moment later, her voice draws my attention back to her.
“Must be nice to have something you love so much.” A cool breeze blows through the barn, and she tilts her head and closes her eyes. “To have something that’s so a part of you, you feel it all the way down to the soles of your shoes.”
“It’s fulfilling, for sure, and there’s nothing like teaching someone who loves horses how to ride.” It’s true. It’d be a damn delight to show her the ropes if she’s as interested in these guys as I think she is. Peeling off my baseball cap, I wipe the sweat off my forehead and put my baseball cap on backwards, so I can feel more of that breeze on my face. I lower my voice, so my children don’t overhear. “But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t stressful. Being here, doing this for my family, it’s a lot of pressure. As much as I love the ranch, I wish I could spend more time with my kids.”