spoke to the cobwebs her mop collected in a corner.
“Do you always talk to yourself when you work?”
Dutch’s voice carried up to her ears at the same moment she felt his hands on her ankles.
“I was afraid I’d startle you,” he explained.
She took in a deep breath and regarded him from her perch. She clung to the mop so he wouldn’t see her hands shaking. The warmth of his fingers on her ankles provided more than a steadying factor. Bolts of excitement shot up her legs and warmed her belly.
And it was only half past nine in the morning.
“You did—I’m surprised I didn’t hear you with the door open.” She’d left the front door ajar to catch the fresh breeze blowing across the fields.
“You were obviously in another place.” The lines around Dutch’s eyes and mouth deepened. Was that actually a smile on his face? In her presence?
“Here, let me help you down.”
Before she had a chance to do anything else, Dutch grasped her by the waist and lifted her onto the cottage’s wide-planked floor. She looked at him.
“I suppose lifting animals all day makes that easier for you, but you could’ve given yourself a hernia.”
He laughed. Claire maintained her neutral expression, but knew her eyes reflected her chagrin.
“Trust me. I’ve carried calves and crias heavier than you.”
Yeah, right.
She kept the thought to herself. The awareness between them grabbed hold of Claire’s heart and she tried to catch her breath.
“Is something wrong with Nip or Tuck? Or Stormy?”
“Hmm?” Dutch was staring at her face and, more pointedly, her lips.
She took a step back. Dutch got the hint and the light in his eyes dimmed. He was back to business.
“The llamas—are they okay?” She repeated her query as a way of creating space between them.
“I haven’t checked them since this morning, but I’m sure they’re fine. I think it’s safe to say we can go to once-a-day, even every-other-day, checks.”
Relief and gratitude lifted the invisible weight from Claire’s shoulders. “They’re doing that well?”
“Yes, they are.”
“I can never thank you enough for all you’ve done, Dutch. If you’d come a few minutes later…”
“But I didn’t, and you were there, doing whatever you could. It’s my job, Claire.” He brushed off her thanks. He was in a better mood than she’d seen since moving back, and certainly since he’d been tending to the llamas.
“Is that why you came in here, to tell me the llamas don’t need as much vet care?”
“No, actually, I have a favor to ask.”
This was interesting. Dutch, asking her for a favor?
“Okay. Shoot.” She leaned the mop against the wall and shoved her hands in her jeans pockets.
“Sasha really wants to spend more time out here with the llamas.”
“With the llamas?”
“Yes, and well…with you.” His reluctance hurt a little.
“That’s perfectly fine, Dutch. You don’t need to ask me as a favor—it’s my honor to spend time with Natalie’s daughter. And yours.” She hastily added that when she realized how sharp her reply sounded.
Dutch held up a hand.
“It’s not just about the llamas, Claire.” Dutch looked somewhere past her shoulder, then back into her eyes. His discomfort was palpable. “Sasha’s thrilled that you knew Natalie so well as a kid. Let’s face it, I didn’t really come into Natalie’s life—except as a friend—until the end of high school.”
Claire prided herself on not wincing. “And?”
Dutch cast her a bemused expression. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?” He grimaced. “Hell, why should you?”
He ran his hand across the back of his neck. “As much as I have my reservations about all of this, I realize it’s a good thing for Sasha to have relationships with other adults. For her to trust an adult other than family. And you did know Natalie at her age, so you can fill in a lot of details for her.”
“Dutch, Sasha is welcome here anytime. You
“Do you always talk to yourself when you work?”
Dutch’s voice carried up to her ears at the same moment she felt his hands on her ankles.
“I was afraid I’d startle you,” he explained.
She took in a deep breath and regarded him from her perch. She clung to the mop so he wouldn’t see her hands shaking. The warmth of his fingers on her ankles provided more than a steadying factor. Bolts of excitement shot up her legs and warmed her belly.
And it was only half past nine in the morning.
“You did—I’m surprised I didn’t hear you with the door open.” She’d left the front door ajar to catch the fresh breeze blowing across the fields.
“You were obviously in another place.” The lines around Dutch’s eyes and mouth deepened. Was that actually a smile on his face? In her presence?
“Here, let me help you down.”
Before she had a chance to do anything else, Dutch grasped her by the waist and lifted her onto the cottage’s wide-planked floor. She looked at him.
“I suppose lifting animals all day makes that easier for you, but you could’ve given yourself a hernia.”
He laughed. Claire maintained her neutral expression, but knew her eyes reflected her chagrin.
“Trust me. I’ve carried calves and crias heavier than you.”
Yeah, right.
She kept the thought to herself. The awareness between them grabbed hold of Claire’s heart and she tried to catch her breath.
“Is something wrong with Nip or Tuck? Or Stormy?”
“Hmm?” Dutch was staring at her face and, more pointedly, her lips.
She took a step back. Dutch got the hint and the light in his eyes dimmed. He was back to business.
“The llamas—are they okay?” She repeated her query as a way of creating space between them.
“I haven’t checked them since this morning, but I’m sure they’re fine. I think it’s safe to say we can go to once-a-day, even every-other-day, checks.”
Relief and gratitude lifted the invisible weight from Claire’s shoulders. “They’re doing that well?”
“Yes, they are.”
“I can never thank you enough for all you’ve done, Dutch. If you’d come a few minutes later…”
“But I didn’t, and you were there, doing whatever you could. It’s my job, Claire.” He brushed off her thanks. He was in a better mood than she’d seen since moving back, and certainly since he’d been tending to the llamas.
“Is that why you came in here, to tell me the llamas don’t need as much vet care?”
“No, actually, I have a favor to ask.”
This was interesting. Dutch, asking her for a favor?
“Okay. Shoot.” She leaned the mop against the wall and shoved her hands in her jeans pockets.
“Sasha really wants to spend more time out here with the llamas.”
“With the llamas?”
“Yes, and well…with you.” His reluctance hurt a little.
“That’s perfectly fine, Dutch. You don’t need to ask me as a favor—it’s my honor to spend time with Natalie’s daughter. And yours.” She hastily added that when she realized how sharp her reply sounded.
Dutch held up a hand.
“It’s not just about the llamas, Claire.” Dutch looked somewhere past her shoulder, then back into her eyes. His discomfort was palpable. “Sasha’s thrilled that you knew Natalie so well as a kid. Let’s face it, I didn’t really come into Natalie’s life—except as a friend—until the end of high school.”
Claire prided herself on not wincing. “And?”
Dutch cast her a bemused expression. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?” He grimaced. “Hell, why should you?”
He ran his hand across the back of his neck. “As much as I have my reservations about all of this, I realize it’s a good thing for Sasha to have relationships with other adults. For her to trust an adult other than family. And you did know Natalie at her age, so you can fill in a lot of details for her.”
“Dutch, Sasha is welcome here anytime. You
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