you’re agreeing to teach me how to operate in this territory?”
“I wouldn’t go that far. But I’ll teach you what you need to get by.”
“Yes.” She did a classic double fist pump gesture for emphasis.
“That is if you ask me. And if I were you...” He ducked under the roll bar to the ground. “I’d ask me real nice-like. Bended knee, the whole shebang.”
“Oh, my gosh. You can’t be serious. It’s a fake engagement.”
He gestured to the rocky ground again. “Not to everyone out there.”
“You’re for real? You want me to kneel? No one can see us. Oh, all right. Whatever.” She shoved his chest, causing him to retreat a step and giving her room to bend on one knee. “Okay. So. Um, Nick Burke, will you?”
“Wait. I think you’re supposed to hold my hand or something.”
She rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, sighing as if touching him was going to absolutely kill her. “Will you marry me?”
“Marry you? I don’t even know you.” For some unexplained reason he couldn’t help teasing her.
“Okay, that’s it. I’m out of here.”
He squeezed her hand, keeping her where she was while he knelt in front of her. Their thighs touched. It was clear that two layers of jeans weren’t enough to stop the sparks he remembered.
“Go ahead. I’m ready and will behave.”
“Again?” Beth cracked her neck exactly like she did before taking aim. “Fine. Will you marry me?” she asked in one long monotone breath.
“Sure. But I want to be up-front with you. I believe in long engagements.” He helped her to her feet.
“Thank heaven.” She started to slip away.
Someone probably watched them through the telescope they had on the patio. That’s how his mom would have known he was close. He knew it, but Beth didn’t. The entire gesture thing was to make her cover story believable. He should tell her. But not telling her for a minute was much more fun.
As many times as they’d kissed, even the first night they’d kissed, they’d never been standing. Now he held her close to his chest and slid his arms around her back.
“What the heck do you think you’re do—”
He kissed her. And kissed her again before her hands went from trying to push him away to sliding around his neck. Her lips were as soft as he remembered. She tasted like fruit. Strawberry or maybe cherry.
It was hard to remember that someone, most likely both his parents, were taking turns watching. His fingers itched to drop a few inches and curve around her shapely bottom. Instead he wrapped them around her waist and explored her cool mouth.
When they came up for air, Beth’s dimple was prominent in her cheek.
“Worth going down on one knee?”
“Don’t get so full of yourself.” She pointed a finger in his chest. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out this was for your mother’s benefit. I finally remembered the telescope.”
There wasn’t a sharp jab from the tip of her finger. He grabbed her hand and took a closer look. “You cut your nails?”
“I realized it would be better if they were short. Easier to do ranch work. I took care of it in Alpine with Kate. I don’t mind.”
He did. He’d miss them. “Kate? When did you see her?”
“We went shopping. I needed appropriate clothes if I was going to take my turn mucking stalls like everybody else.”
“I have hands for that. Who the hell said we took turns?”
“Great. Just great. I am going to kill your father,” she said through gritted teeth as she walked back to her seat.
“Hey, Beth?” A Wrangler width’s between them and he continued to feel the heat she’d created being against his body. He wanted to stay and wait for the stars to come out instead of heading toward the house. He was very tempted to ask but that wasn’t the objective. “There’s another reason for you to stay on the ranch besides my mom’s ultimatum.”
He could see her smile, her brilliantly white teeth showing in spite of the darkening sky. Time to
“I wouldn’t go that far. But I’ll teach you what you need to get by.”
“Yes.” She did a classic double fist pump gesture for emphasis.
“That is if you ask me. And if I were you...” He ducked under the roll bar to the ground. “I’d ask me real nice-like. Bended knee, the whole shebang.”
“Oh, my gosh. You can’t be serious. It’s a fake engagement.”
He gestured to the rocky ground again. “Not to everyone out there.”
“You’re for real? You want me to kneel? No one can see us. Oh, all right. Whatever.” She shoved his chest, causing him to retreat a step and giving her room to bend on one knee. “Okay. So. Um, Nick Burke, will you?”
“Wait. I think you’re supposed to hold my hand or something.”
She rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, sighing as if touching him was going to absolutely kill her. “Will you marry me?”
“Marry you? I don’t even know you.” For some unexplained reason he couldn’t help teasing her.
“Okay, that’s it. I’m out of here.”
He squeezed her hand, keeping her where she was while he knelt in front of her. Their thighs touched. It was clear that two layers of jeans weren’t enough to stop the sparks he remembered.
“Go ahead. I’m ready and will behave.”
“Again?” Beth cracked her neck exactly like she did before taking aim. “Fine. Will you marry me?” she asked in one long monotone breath.
“Sure. But I want to be up-front with you. I believe in long engagements.” He helped her to her feet.
“Thank heaven.” She started to slip away.
Someone probably watched them through the telescope they had on the patio. That’s how his mom would have known he was close. He knew it, but Beth didn’t. The entire gesture thing was to make her cover story believable. He should tell her. But not telling her for a minute was much more fun.
As many times as they’d kissed, even the first night they’d kissed, they’d never been standing. Now he held her close to his chest and slid his arms around her back.
“What the heck do you think you’re do—”
He kissed her. And kissed her again before her hands went from trying to push him away to sliding around his neck. Her lips were as soft as he remembered. She tasted like fruit. Strawberry or maybe cherry.
It was hard to remember that someone, most likely both his parents, were taking turns watching. His fingers itched to drop a few inches and curve around her shapely bottom. Instead he wrapped them around her waist and explored her cool mouth.
When they came up for air, Beth’s dimple was prominent in her cheek.
“Worth going down on one knee?”
“Don’t get so full of yourself.” She pointed a finger in his chest. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out this was for your mother’s benefit. I finally remembered the telescope.”
There wasn’t a sharp jab from the tip of her finger. He grabbed her hand and took a closer look. “You cut your nails?”
“I realized it would be better if they were short. Easier to do ranch work. I took care of it in Alpine with Kate. I don’t mind.”
He did. He’d miss them. “Kate? When did you see her?”
“We went shopping. I needed appropriate clothes if I was going to take my turn mucking stalls like everybody else.”
“I have hands for that. Who the hell said we took turns?”
“Great. Just great. I am going to kill your father,” she said through gritted teeth as she walked back to her seat.
“Hey, Beth?” A Wrangler width’s between them and he continued to feel the heat she’d created being against his body. He wanted to stay and wait for the stars to come out instead of heading toward the house. He was very tempted to ask but that wasn’t the objective. “There’s another reason for you to stay on the ranch besides my mom’s ultimatum.”
He could see her smile, her brilliantly white teeth showing in spite of the darkening sky. Time to
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