During dinner, the family talked about their ideas to keep an eye on Nate. After the initial furor died down, they made good plans that were not over the top in Alyssa’s opinion. Although, she wouldn’t want to be Nate if he didn’t back off. Five brothers, a father, and a grandfather were a lot of people to have pissed off. But the real kicker was the mother bear. Meg was ready to fillet the man and serve him up to some hungry bears.

Meg said, “It’s been a long cold winter, and one of the bears or wild cats would be happy with a little snack.”

Everyone at the table shuddered at the thought and Drew said, “Mom, you can’t say things like that. Now, if he goes missing, I’m going to have to investigate my own mother.”

Travis smiled at his wife. “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll help you hide the evidence.”

“Dad, not helping.” Drew groaned.

Adam chuckled. “Maybe Nate is the one that needs protection. A whole lot more than Emma does.”

Meg just shrugged. “He better watch his Ps and Qs then, and stop harassing my baby girl.”

Emma grinned at her mother and Alyssa decided she was glad that Tony had eaten an early dinner and gone to bed before his normal time, because of his busy day in town. She thought he might be scarred to hear such talk.

Drew said, “You just let the law handle it. Nate might like to push women around, but going to jail is a whole other story. Drake served him this afternoon and let Nate know the department wouldn’t put up with any BS from him, so he better keep his distance.”

Meg nodded, but Alyssa didn’t think Meg had changed her mind on the subject.

The candy hand-out turned into quite an event as each person ogled the other’s candy and tried to convince Emma they had asked for it instead of the one that really had. Emma didn’t budge on her list, even when Grandpa K tried to play the old and forgetful card. Emma just laughed and kissed his cheek. Every single adult acted more like a child than Tony had, and Alyssa found it quite entertaining.

When the candy euphoria died down, Beau and Alyssa went out to the barn to check on the animals, and then go over the births from the day. It was a crisp cold evening which surprised Alyssa after the warm day they’d had.

She shivered.

Beau pulled her in closer as they walked, and wrapped his arm around her. “If the skies are clear we often have warm days and cold nights. Nights end up being warmer with some cloud cover, because they hold in the heat.”

“Thanks for the science lesson. Maybe I was just being dramatic, so you would hold me closer.” She laid her head on his shoulder.

“No drama needed for that. I like holding you close. Just move on in anytime.”

“Are you sure about that, cowboy? You might get tired of me all up in your grill all the time.”

He stopped walking and pulled her completely into his arms holding her close. Then, he took her chin and looked into her eyes. “Yes, Alyssa. I am sure. I love the feel of you in my arms.”

She shivered at the intensity in his eyes and the words he’d spoken almost reverently. She was getting lost in this man and she just didn’t have any desire to stop the fall. She wished the semester would stop going by so quickly, but it was barreling on like a freight train.

* * *

Beau felt Alyssa shiver and decided he needed to get her into the barn, so she didn’t get too cold. Neither one of them had thought to bring a coat with them because of the warm day. Not that they were going to freeze in the distance from the house to the barn, but still, it was foolish of him. He’d been focused on getting her away from his family and alone for a few minutes. He needed to get his mind in the game, rather than thinking of Alyssa all the time. He kept one arm around her and walked her quickly into the barn and into the office. He turned on the space heater and had her sit near it.

“I’ll check the animals real quick. While I do that, bring up the database and we can talk about what happened while you were in town.”

She nodded, and he walked out of the room as she typed in the password to the screen saver.

He chastised himself as he checked on the animals and made sure they had plenty of food and water, and none of them needed any care. He needed to make sure the animals came first before whatever this was he had going on with Alyssa. And he needed to make sure they didn’t just go off like two idiots with no thought to the weather. It could still get nasty up in the mountains this time of year—they were moving away from snow and heading toward lightning storms. They could have either, so it was a volatile time of year and he needed to keep his head on his shoulders and not in his pants.

When he got back to the office he was sure he’d talked himself into some rationality, right up until he opened the door and saw her sitting in front of the computer, completely enthralled with the data on the screen. He groaned to himself and knew he was a goner. So, he decided that maybe he should work to compartmentalize his mind. Cattle and life during the day and Alyssa at night. He wasn’t sure that would work, but he could give it the old college try. Besides that, him freaking out about forgetting a coat when they were going less than a dozen yards from the house was making a mountain out of a molehill. There were even some hoodies and jackets in the barn if they really needed them. He was turning into a basket case. Alyssa looked up at him and smiled. Yep a basket case.

* * *

Alyssa wasn’t quite sure what Beau was doing standing in the door staring at her with a frown on his face. So, she decided to get him out of his funk with birthing questions.

“I was reading about your crazy morning. Nothing too critical, but it kept you hopping, didn’t it?”

He smiled. “It did, and I missed you being by my side and anticipating my every need. I had help from some of the guys, but I had to tell them every little thing I needed. ‘Get a threaded suture out of the compartment labeled suture. Carefully open the package without poking yourself. Hand me the needle. Clip the thread after each stitch.’ It was exhausting, and it made me realize how easily you and I work together.”

She grinned at him, enjoying the compliment.

He wagged his finger at her and teased, “So, no more going into town when every one of the cows giving birth decide to be contrary.”

She said sweetly, “You just give me a schedule of those times and I will be happy to follow it. I am here to work, after all.”

He groaned and stalked toward her. “Woman, you are going to be the death of me.” He pulled her out of the chair, bent her over his arm and kissed the stuffing out of her. She was quite happy to comply with his kisses. Warmth filled her body and tingles shot through every limb. Her mind emptied as she enjoyed the sensations flooding her bloodstream.

When she was back on her feet with enough brain cells firing, she shook her head at him. “I’m here to work, not flirt… or kiss the boss.”

He put his hands in his hair and pulled. Then he started muttering. “One little mistake. A guy makes one little mistake and does the woman let him forget it? No. She. Does. Not.”

She laughed delightedly and poked him in the chest. “Don’t you ever forget that, cowboy. Words are important, so you need to mind your tongue.”

Beau shook his head. “Now, are we going to talk about the cattle or stand around flirting all day?”

“That’s a tough decision.” She turned toward the computer then looked back to him, then back toward the computer.

That time when she turned away from him, he swatted her lightly on the ass. “Brat.”

She waggled her butt at him. “The boss is kind of strict. I don’t think he would like me to goof around or flirt.”

“Well, he might forgive you if you flirt only with him.”

She frowned at him then turned away. Looking back over her shoulder she said, “Meany.”

He guffawed. “I don’t think we’re going to get much done tonight. You’re too feisty.”

“Oh, goody. Let’s go back to the house and have sex instead.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Race you.”

She was off like a shot. He laughed and hit the lights on the way out of the room and then the barn.

She got to the door a second or two before he did and started crowing. “I win, I win.”

“No, you didn’t. We still have to get all the way to my room.”

She shook her head. “No, we can’t go racing through the house to your room.”

“Why not?”

“We don’t want to attract attention. Adam already glares at us and I don’t believe for one minute he hasn’t tried to talk you out of this.”

Beau shrugged. “I don’t give a hot damn what Adam thinks. This is my life and yours. His opinion is not important.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that, but we don’t have to rub his nose in it, either.”

“Fine, we can walk sedately to my room.”

She nodded and fire lit her eyes. “Which means I won and you have to be my love slave.”

His eyebrows rose. “Your love slave?”

“Yes, my love slave. You have to do everything I tell you.”

“That doesn’t really sound like a loss to me.”

She pulled him in and whispered. “We’ll see how you feel after I’ve had my way with you.”

His whole body had frozen at the seduction pouring from her lips. She hooked one finger in the belt loop on his pants and pulled. He followed her stupidly into the house and could barely function enough to get his boots off, there was so much lust running through his veins.