Chapter Twenty-One
Tom
I couldn’t keep the disappointment from my face as everyone flooded into the room. Damn, I’d been looking for a few minutes of privacy with Summer so I could make sure that last night wasn’t weighing on her. Taking her virginity was no small deal and I wanted her to know that I wasn’t going to change the way I was with her, however that was.
For my own part, I wasn’t sure what our night meant now. I mean, I was still the same old me—the me who didn’t want any part of a relationship, whether I’d taken her virginity or not. As far as I looked at it, Summer was a big girl and she’d made a decision that she had been okay with.
And yet, when I contemplated a relationship with the feisty blond, there was something about the idea that strangely appealed to me… a lot.
Dammit, Tom, that storm has addled your head! I railed at myself, knowing there was no way in hell I was getting into a relationship with Summer. Not when we worked together and not when Brady would have my hide for it. Not to mention that I just wasn’t a relationship kind of guy. I liked my independence too much.
Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, I cleared my throat and quickly exited the room to check on Brady—or at least that’s what I told myself.
“Hey!” he hollered at me from the living room couch and I pulled up short.
“You get any sleep last night?” I asked him, eyeing him warily.
He rubbed his eyes and inched upward on the couch, wincing. “Not really. Shitty night.”
“So, you’re ready to let me take you to the hospital?”
He glared at me. “I already told you I wasn’t going.”
“Just to get checked out,” I insisted. “What if something is really wrong with you?”
He swung his leg to the floor, gasped, and grabbed the arm of the couch. “Christ, that’s sore.”
“I hear they’ve come a long way with pain meds.” Every word was dripping with sarcasm.
He ignored me and stood, glaring some more and daring me to help him. I ignored him and gave him my shoulder to lean on. After he proved he could take a step, he grabbed a hold of my arm and growled his displeasure.
“I’m going to make it into breakfast if it kills me,” he grumbled.
I shrugged. “And it very well might. You sure you don’t want to stay here and I’ll have Rue bring you breakfast?”
“No. I already feel like a complete weakling, I’m not going to make it worse by anyone doting on me. I got this ranch to run.”
I assisted him into the dining room and he was surprised by the lavish table setting, just like the rest of us had been.
“What’s going on in here?” he grumbled. “Why so formal?”
“Summer,” I answered under my breath, as if that was response enough.
“That girl’s just a surprise a minute, isn’t she?” he asked, some of the gruffness absent from his voice.
Before I could answer, Rue rushed over and fussed Brady into the nearest chair. “You are too darn stubborn for your own good!” she reprimanded him.
He stuck his tongue out at her as one of the twins took notice of him.
“Did you get shot?” he asked excitedly as everyone laughed. Brady even gave a little smirk. I skirted the family and took the seat across from Summer. She quickly averted her eyes and fiddled with one of the candlesticks, looking nervous. I wasn’t sure why.
Meanwhile, Brady was busy fielding questions and comments and everyone’s attention was on him. Except for Summer’s and mine. We were in our own little bubble at the other end of the table. She’d set a big centerpiece down between us and if we wanted to, we could almost hide from all the commotion. If we wanted to…
“How are you feeling this morning?” she asked the candlestick.
“Were you talking to me or the candle?”
I waited for her to look up. It took her forever, but she finally lifted a very careful gaze as she studied me. She was still clearly nervous. She withdrew her hand and accepted a bowl of hard-boiled eggs as they headed our way. “I was talking to you.”
“Because you seemed extra interested in everything but me,” I teased.
She struggled to maintain eye contact, but managed as she passed me the eggs and fumbled for her water glass. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
My grin widened. I enjoyed teasing her. In fact, I wondered if it might be my newest favorite pastime. “Yes, I do feel better. Little on the tired side and my muscles are aching something fierce...” I tugged at my pant leg. “But I’m better.” I took a sip of my water as I eyed her above it. “I think last night helped me abundantly.”
She choked and grabbed her napkin, holding it against her mouth while she coughed and sputtered into the snowy-white linen. The little boy tapped my arm and I tipped my head toward him, giving her a minute to collect herself, but it was all I could do to keep from laughing.
“Hey, partner,” I addressed him.
He grinned. “I like that. Mom, could my new name be Partner?”
Marlene looked at us and smiled. “Sure, honey.”
He seemed satisfied with the answer and looked back at me with a wide grin. “What’s your name?”
“Tom.”
He scrunched up his face. “Like the Tom and Jerry cartoon?”
“Yeah.” I grinned. He was damned adorable and I couldn’t help but remember how good Summer had been with him when they were making those crafts earlier. I wasn’t usually one for kids, but this guy was softening me, question by question.
“Are you a real cowboy?” He looked quickly at my hat, then back at me.
“I am. Maybe when the weather calms down, you could come out and help me work the cows?”
His face lit up and he yipped, then quickly turned toward his mother again. “Mom! Mom?” Marlene faced the little guy as he nearly exploded with excitement. “Tom said I could ride with him. Is that okay?”
She glanced at me, then at Brady. “Um, well...”
Brady finished his mouthful of food, then set down his fork and explained what he had planned for their stay—weather permitting—which meant, I had to go get those cows and bring them in if he thought we were still moving them out north while Marlene and her kids were here. While he was giving them the rundown, I turned back to Summer. She was watching me carefully and I lifted an eyebrow, but she ducked her head and studied her last few bites instead, a rosy hue shadowing her cheeks. God, but the woman was absolutely stunning.
Images of her beneath me, moaning as I slid in and out of her suddenly assaulted my mind and my dick started to grow heavy in my pants. Not wanting anyone to notice, I immediately started thinking about cow shit to get my cock to calm down. It did, thank God.
“You still want to grab cows with me today?” I asked the top of her head.
She glanced up at me, surprised, but then immediately nodded.
“Let’s ride out as soon as you can get away. Think you could get out of chores after breakfast ‘cause it’s gonna take us a while.”
Rue sat down between us. “Yes. You two need to get going as soon as you’re done eating. I can handle everything here.”
“Are you sure?” Summer asked, and her voice was timid for the first time since she’d gotten here. I wondered if maybe she regretted last night and didn’t want to spend any more time with me. I hoped that wasn’t the case because I didn’t regret one hot, wet, slippery second of it.