Once with a Cowboy: Loving Day Collection (One Night Only Book 1) by Selena Illyria Page B

back to the bedroom pack her things and return to demand he take her home. Instead, she sat down on the bed, pulled on her socks and boots and gave him a small smile. “I can deal with your aunt. I’ve had worse encounters with relatives.”
                  He let the last remark slide and said, “And that flood Noah had to deal with was a little bit of rain. Okay, just be warned, don’t let her upset you okay? If it gets too much, it’s okay to come get me. I won’t be long.” He kissed her, this time on the lips and moved around her, taking care to brush his body against hers, reminding her they weren’t done with the fun they’d started earlier.
                  “I know. See you downstairs.” She brushed passed him and shut the door behind her. 
                  He changed into a fresh pair of jeans, a T-shirt and work boots and rushed downstairs to join them.
                  “You do know how to make a pitcher of sweet tea, don’t you?” Aunt Patsy asked.
                  “Of course. I may have only lived in Texas for a year but I had to learn quickly. Ty loves the stuff.”
                  He heard the thud of the pitcher on the counter.
                  “Not as much as he loves you, obviously.” Aunt Patsy laughed maniacally.
                  Ty’s heart stuttered before it began to beat again. He skidded to a stop at the entrance of the kitchen but his feet didn’t get the memo and he stumbled forward, crashing into one of the barstools at the island.
                  Vanessa’s eyes were wide, fear etched on every line in her face, her mouth agape, color drained from her face.
                  “Nessa?” Ty took a step forward only to be stopped by another barstool, which turned into him rushing around the island.
                  “I’m sorry,” she whispered before she turned and rushed through the mud room.
                  “Well! You sure know how to pick ‘em, Tyler. Rude!” Aunt Patsy glared after Nessa.
                  “Aunt Patsy, I love you, but you show up here unannounced and she’s going through something right now. I think it’s best if you come back later, invited .” He waited for the red head from a bottle to say something.
                  She narrowed her eyes to slits, her ruby colored lips thinned. “Well—”  she lifted her head and plastered a fake smile on her face. “I’ll take my leave. At least your bother Daniel knows how to be a good host–unlike you.” She sniffed, turned off the stove, picked up her basket of biscuits and brushed past him. “I’ll see myself out. You call me when you’ve learned manners, boy.”
                  He didn’t pause to see if that was true. Knowing his aunt, she’d pretend to leave only to sneak around the side of the house and, under the guise of admiring the gardening, eavesdrop on him. He pushed out into the early morning sunshine, a light heat filled the air already. The chirp of birds and rustle of vegetation filled the air. He breathed deeply, the sweet perfume of sunflowers planted on the side of the house drifted past on him a soft breeze.
                  He spotted Nessa’s retreating figure heading towards one of the beds of lavender furthest from the house that formed the border between the fields of flat grass and the start of the backyard.
                  “Nessa!” Maybe this had to do with her distance of last night.
                  She glanced over her shoulder but didn’t stop until she reached the flower bed where she sank down on a mosaic bench–a leftover piece of furniture from the previous owners.
                  “Nessa?”
                  Her body shook but he heard nothing.
                  “Not now, Ty.” The words sounded gritted out, as