Page 35 of The Cowboy’s Forever Promise

Chapter Ten

She was standing in front of his closet, dressed only in his shirt and a slight frown when Carson walked in with two mugs of coffee on Tuesday morning. Everything that had been lying around, had been neatly folded and stacked on a table. Her legs were bare, her hair hanging down her back, her arms crossed.

He should be irritated that the first thing she wanted to do was tidy up, but those legs … Without saying a word, he put down the mugs and grabbed his camera.

“Stop that,” was all she said as she kept staring at his closet.

“I thought you were still sleeping.” He smiled, clicking away. “What are you doing?”

“We have to get all these clothes on the bed so that you can decide what you still want and what can be given away.”

“Okay, but what about coffee first?”

With her eyes still on his closet, she moved closer to him. “Smells good, thank you.”

Only as she turned, he noticed the shirt hadn’t been buttoned up. As his blood heated, he snapped a few more pictures before he put down his camera. “Damn woman,” he growled as he pulled her closer. “You’ll be the death of me yet.”

Within minutes they were back on the bed, exploring and loving each other as if they hadn’t spent an entire night just doing that.

The coffee was cold by the time they finally got up.

“I have to go,” he said as he was buttoning his shirt. “I can drop you off at June’s?”

Glancing to her watch, she groaned. “Oh, my goodness, I forget all about time when I’m with you.” Startled eyes met his. “I mean …”

“I love that you say what’s on your mind.” Giving her a quick kiss, he turned away, chuckling. “Go shower, I’ll make fresh coffee, otherwise we’ll never leave.”

Combing her hair with her fingers, she frowned. “I need to get a brush. I’ve … misplaced mine. Annie has given me one …”

While she was talking, he walked to his closet and took out the brush he’d found in his hotel room in Spokane. “It was under the bed in my hotel room,” he said as he gave it to her. “Remember what I did with it?”

Her eyes darkened. “Carson.”

*

It was another hour before Carson dropped Abby off at June’s. They’d ended up in bed with the brush and … well, time passed before she finally had a shower and got dressed.

Watching him walk around his truck to help her out, she took a breath. She was going to miss him terribly when she returned to Seattle …

That was another few days, she didn’t have to think about it just yet. For just a moment she leaned against his warm, solid body as he gently put her down.

The front door opened and June stepped out, Daisy and George at her heels. With an excited yelp, George charged forward in their direction.

As June approached them, Abby frowned. Something was wrong.

June’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I took him from Cooper at breakfast this morning because I knew Abby would be here.”

Crouching down to stroke George, Carson grinned. “I was on my way to get him. Are you sure he can stay here today?”

“I’ll look after him,” Abby said. “Don’t worry.”

She quickly helped Carson take everything she needed from his truck and put it into the house.

“I’ll see you guys at lunch,” he said as he pulled Abby closer and kissed her. “If I don’t make it, I’ll come and get you late afternoon.”

“Wow,” June said softly as they watched Carson drove away. “You stayed with him last night?”

“I have and before you ask—this is temporary only. Now tell me what’s wrong. And don’t say it’s nothing, I know you.”