That was a pretty great date.

She didn’t mean it like she said it.

My head knew that.

Other parts of me burned all over at her words right before she passed out. She was facing me, head resting against the back of the seat. Her pale pink lips were slightly parted and infrequent, but cute as hell, murmuring sounds came from her every time we hit a bump in the road.

I stopped drinking hours ago so I was able to safely get us home, but I also quit drinking because I was so wrapped up in laughing with Brooke and Rebecca that I didn’t even think of drinking.

When I worked next to her, she appeared to be content, even with the despair evident in her eyes. It was plain to see that she loved her land and her life on the ranch and had never wanted anything else other than to take it over someday and run it with her husband by her side. He was gone, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t still her dream.

Tonight, I saw something different in Rebecca Splendid that made it difficult to resist the overwhelming urge to wake her up by sliding my mouth over hers. She was full of fire—piss and vinegar like my mom used to say when I was being sassy. She and Brooke told stories all night long, fun and innocent stories of shenanigans they used to get up to, and while Rebecca more than once rolled her eyes and claimed every crazy idea was Brooke’s, it was bullshit.

Rebecca had at one point gripped life with both hands and lived it to the fullest. Maybe she hadn’t traveled the world—or much outside of Kansas—but that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy every opportunity, every thrill life threw her way.

At least she used to.

Knowing her more after a night she spent most of reminiscing with her best friend proved how much she’d changed. I obviously wasn’t the only one to see it.

At one point when Rebecca had gone to the restroom, Brooke had turned to me, sadness in her expression watching her friend walk away.

“I hate what life has thrown her way. Hate it even more she’s not even attempting to crawl out from beneath it. Joseph would hate that.” She’d turned to me then, still talking, “You didn’t know him, but he was a good guy. A strong guy. She didn’t need someone strong because she’s strong as hell, but the two of them together, nothing could break them. Hate, freaking hate, that without him, she’s forgotten who she was before him.”

And that was all it took. My decision was made.

She might not want me, not like I wanted her, but I had two and a half months left with her and I was going to give her all of me she’d take. I would make damn sure that by the time I left and went back to my life, she knew exactly how strong and capable she was.

I would do whatever necessary to put a fire back in her eyes. It was the least I could do for her and Max, but mostly, I wanted it for me.

I was falling for a woman I’d never be able to have, but I could still take care of her.

“Damn it.” I needed to fall for a woman with an end date stamped bright and clear on a return plane ticket like I needed a hole in my head.

It was still happening.

I pulled the truck down her drive, careful of the bumps and potholes on the dirt and gravel drive, and slowed to a stop without pulling the truck into the detached garage. Hopping out, I shut the door quietly and moved to Rebecca’s side, opened her door, and reached across to unbuckle her.

She jumped as I did it, eyes fluttering open. “Hey. What’s going on?”

“We’re home. Thought I’d help you inside.”

She moved slowly, nodding and twisting toward me. I took her arm in my hand. Heat slid through my fingertips, but I pushed past it and guided her to her feet. Once out, I locked the truck with the key fob.

“I can do it,” she whispered, looking down at her feet.

“Sure you can, but you don’t need to do it alone when you have help, either.”

She stiffened in my hold before swaying into my side. Crazy woman. Brooke wasn’t wrong when she called her strong. Even half awake she didn’t like taking offered help.

I used the keys to unlock her door, followed her in and held her steady while she kicked off her sandals.

When she was barefoot, I let go, ignoring again, the coolness that slid through me as I released her.

“Thank you for tonight,” Rebecca said. She pushed back her long black hair, pulling it off her neck and draping it over one shoulder. She was stunningly beautiful, with soft curves in all the right places, trim and firm muscles in her legs and arms. Her large black eyes carried the weight of her life usually, but currently they were dull. Most likely from too much wine and needing sleep, but I still clenched my teeth together as I took her in.

I could pull her toward me and hold her. I should push her away to keep us both from getting into a mess that would only make our lives messier.

“I’m glad you had fun. Glad I could be there for you while you were doing it, too.”

I offered her the keys and she reached out, touching them like she didn’t want to touch me, but at the last moment, she held onto them a bit too long before taking them from me.

“You’re a good man, Cooper Hawke.” Her lips lifted into a soft, sleepy grin.

And damn, she was even more beautiful with a hint of happiness on her.

“Thank you,” I choked out. She was looking at me in a way I liked a whole hell of a lot. I’d seen that look on women’s faces lots after becoming famous. The look that said they were thinking of making a move, but nervous to do so.

Rebecca wouldn’t look at me like that. I had to be imagining it.

“You need help getting upstairs?” I asked when she kept looking at me, her bottom lip sliding between her teeth.

“No.” She stepped toward me, hesitating as she moved, and I braced myself for whatever she was about to do, but I didn’t move away.

I was paralyzed by her beauty moving toward me, her hand reaching out for my arm, that indecision flaring in her dark brown eyes.

“Rebecca—” I said. She had to stop, she had no clue what she was doing to me. Heat was swirling in my spine and one particular area in my jeans was growing uncomfortable.

She didn’t stop moving, and as her hand reached my bicep, my muscles tightened. She rolled to her toes, leaned up.

“Rebecca,” I whispered again. She was moving straight for my mouth.

The good man she claimed I was would move back, wouldn’t want those lips to fall to mine. I wasn’t a good man. I wanted to touch her back, press my lips to hers, slide my tongue inside her mouth and place my hands on her hips and yank her against me.

There was no way she truly wanted to kiss me.

She didn’t. At the last second, she moved to the side and her lips brushed over the corner of my mouth, landing on my cheek.

The faint scent of flowery perfume hit me at the same time her lips made contact with my skin and still, I forced my body to lock, to not reach for her.

Instead, I inhaled her, reveled in the brush of her silky hair over my arm, the weight of her body pressing against mine even if she was barely touching me. My eyes closed and I breathed in the scent and feel of her, taking from her whatever she’d give me like I’d vowed to do.

She pulled back, not looking at me, and fell back to her heels. “Goodnight, Cooper.”

I cleared my throat in order to speak. She’d barely touched me and I was on fire, hard all over, everywhere.

“Goodnight, Rebecca.”

She headed up the stairs, still not looking at me, not even looking back when I told her I’d lock up.

I waited until she reached the top of the stairs, until I heard a door close behind her, and I waited longer until water in the upstairs bathroom turned on.

Then I locked the front door, moved to the back, and I got the hell out of her house before I went after her.

---

“Hey Pepper.” I crouched down and ruffled the top of my favorite baby goat.

I grinned down at the cute little gray animal and lifted him into my arms. I’d watched this kid be born. Watching it happen had been one of the grossest and slimiest, but coolest things I’d ever seen in my life.

I’d tossed and turned all night long. Instead of continuing to do it once it hit four-thirty, I’d gotten up and showered and decided if I couldn’t sleep, I could get my ass moving to make things easier for Rebecca once she rolled out of bed.

My guess was with all the wine she drank last night, getting up at her typical five-thirty wasn’t going to be easy for her, if even possible. I wasn’t wrong because it was well after seven and I hadn’t heard or seen her yet.

I didn’t mind.

She deserved a morning off, and I’d quickly realized that work on a farm never quit and you certainly didn’t get weekends and holidays off.

I’d already fed the horses and gathered eggs from the coop, which was always an adventure in itself. Typically, I escaped only after either being pecked a handful of times or my shoes sinking in chicken crap.

One thing I’d learned so far living in the country, was that even with all the fresh, unpolluted air, I almost always stank like shit. It came at you from everywhere. Horses, cows, goats, chickens, you name it, I’d stepped in it.

And now, I was with the goats, checking on them and giving them feed and water. There was one more goat getting ready to give birth in the next week or two.

I didn’t ask how Rebecca knew, but she did spend a few extra minutes with her every day we came and hung out with them.

The kid, Pepper, climbed into my arms and pressed his nose to my cheek.

“Yeah, I know, I like you too, but I got more stuff to do, so go play.”

Since she’d told me about the Jefferson family messing with her fences I wanted to drive around some of the pastures and double check them. We hadn’t done it in a few days, but after Gavin’s constant glares last night, it was prudent to stay on top of it. Who knew if he came home drunk and pissed off and decided to screw with her.

I set down Pepper and stood, but he followed me out of the pen where they were kept. During the day, Rebecca let them roam free knowing they couldn’t make it past an outer fence so I didn’t bother shutting the gate.

I reached outside, and squinted through the bright sunlight toward the main road. The quiet rumble of a vehicle kicking up gravel and dirt grabbing my attention.

By the time a black GMC Yukon came into view, I was close to Rebecca’s front porch, Pepper still following me at my heels.

The SUV stopped, the driver’s side door opened, and a man with dark black hair, and dark black eyes that matched Rebecca's appeared. He slammed the door shut and since his posture and movement toward me shouted confrontation, I planted my feet and crossed my arms over my chest.

“Can I help you?”

I’d already seen photos of this guy inside. Rebecca had been concerned he’d show at the bar last night and while I knew she had a younger brother, she didn’t talk about him much and she definitely hadn’t liked the idea of him showing at The Tavern.

“Yeah. You wanna tell me who in the fuck you are at my sister’s house and what the hell you’re doing here?”

The screen door slammed behind me and I spun to find Rebecca stomping out onto the porch.

Screw me halfway to Sunday. She was barely freaking dressed in shorts so short they could barely be called that, a tank top that clung to every inch of her skin and clearly proved she didn’t have on a bra, and a pale purple robe, flying out behind her.

Her hair was mussed, long and wild and blowing out over her shoulders and she didn’t stop moving until she reached the bottom steps, right next to me.

Fantastic. I now knew exactly how beautiful and fuckable she looked right when she woke up. Just what I needed.

“He doesn’t need to tell you anything, but you can explain to me why you’re here, shouting at my guest, Jordan.”

Ah. So I was right. This was the brother.

He also seemed like a dick. He leaned in, hands on his hips, and his voice was not kind when he barked out, “You know why I’m here.”

She whipped closed her robe, belting it at her waist—thank goodness for small freaking favors. “Yeah. I suppose I should thank you for waiting until this morning to come out here considering I’m sure Ryan called and told you all about it when he got home last night.”

He didn’t bother lying. “Left a message at one o’clock. Got it at six and it took me over thirty minutes to calm down enough to drive my ass out here. It’s all over town, you out with some guy I had no idea was even here, Rebecca. Two of my morning servers were dishing about it.”

She blinked and turned to me. “It’s after seven? And you’re already dressed and working?”

The sweet look on her face made me want to kiss her. I was so screwed.

“Figured you wouldn’t be up early today, I was and got moving.”

“Seriously?” Jordan barked and my head whipped in his direction.

“Watch it,” I clipped back equally as fierce as he did. “Obviously you’re Rebecca's brother, and you might not know me, but you know it can’t be right to show up at her place early on a Saturday morning being an asshole to her like this. So calm down, or go home until you can and then come back.”

Slowly, his lips spread into a smile and he turned to Rebecca. “I like him. Now who in the hell is he? Looks familiar.”

“You’re a pain in my ass. You know that?”

His grinned widened. “I’m your brother. It’s my job.”

At that, and both of their quiet laughter and the tension dropping in the air, Jordan walked straight toward us and when he got close, he yanked Rebecca into his arms, not even bothering to whisper as he said, “Still pissed as hell you didn’t give me a heads-up. Damn near had a heart attack when I got Ry’s message.”

“There was no reason for it.” She pulled back and held out her hand to me. “Cooper, this is my brother Jordan Marx. Jordan, Cooper Hawke.”

“Cooper fucking Hawke. Holy shit, I knew you looked familiar.”

Next to me, I practically felt Rebecca's eyes roll.