Page 69 of A Simple Life

He frowned.

I took in a deep breath. “Could you pick Abby up for me? Take her to the farm. I don’t know what you can do when⁠—”

He cut me off by laying a finger on my lips. “Yeah, I’ll pick up Pumpkin and take her to the farm.” He grinned widely. “She can come with me to finish the day. Check out the crops, ride on the tractor. She’ll love it. We’ll take her to the slumber party when you’re done.”

I worried my lip.

“Unless.” He paused with a concerned tone. “Do you think she’s okay for that?” he asked. “I was worried about that all morning. Wondering if being at the farm is enough of a change.”

“She’s slept at Mandy’s before. She knows the other girls—and Bethy will be there. She’s looking forward to it.”

“Then we’ll do that, and I’ll take you to supper. If anything changes, we’ll swing by and pick her up. No worries.”

“Thank you,” I breathed out.

Suddenly, he yanked me into his arms and, ignoring the fact that we had an audience, kissed me.

“Good girl,” he whispered into my ear. “Asking me for help. I know how hard that is for you.”

I couldn’t help the flutter in my chest at his whispered praise.

I turned my head and pressed my mouth to his ear. “I like it when you call me good girl.”

He stiffened, then chuckled low and satisfied in his chest. “Glad you do. I plan on calling you that tonight while your lips are wrapped around my cock. Then again when I take you hard and listen to you scream my name.” His voice was like melted butter flowing over me, warm and sweet, the tone deep and sensuous. “We’ll be alone tonight, darlin’. No holds barred.”

I shivered, stared at him a moment, then I gripped his shirt and yanked him down to my level, kissing him as hard as he had done earlier, sliding my tongue over his.

He lifted his head with a lazy grin and touched my bottom lip, stroking it. “What was that for?”

“For being you. And all that—” I indicated the tables “—pouring water, being charming. Helping me.”

He shook his head. “Your ex has a lot to answer for. That’s what people in love do, Quinn. They help each other.” With that word bomb, he dropped his head and kissed me again. “I’m going to get Clint to make me a sandwich and head out. I’ll see you in a bit.”

He walked away, and I stared after him.

Did he know what he’d just said?

Did he mean it?

I shook my head to clear it.

I’d have to find out later.

Right now, I had a restaurant to run.

JOHN

Abby looked up, squinting. I reached down on the floor and plunked a straw hat on her head. She giggled. “Now I’m a cowboy!”

“Not a cowboy. A farmer,” I corrected. “A junior one.”

“How come?”

“This is a farm, not a ranch. I have no livestock. No horses.” I explained at her confused look. “I grow crops that feed people. It’s important. I like being a farmer.”

“You have cows. And you wear cowboy hats.”

“I wear hats to keep the sun off my face like this.” I tapped the brim of her too-big hat. “And if I were a cowboy, I’d ride a horse, and I’d have hundreds of cattle—not only a few dairy cows.”