Page 36 of Fall Over You

“What do you want for breakfast?” Becca asks, voice raised.

My eyes round at her. What the hell is she talking about?

Her delicate hand slides into mine, the calluses on her palm meeting my own. “Those banana bread muffins you like?”

Again, her hand is cold, and all I want is to warm it up. I surround it with my other one and lift it to my lips, blowing warm air into the space between. Becca’s eyes brighten, and Kristen’s face falls.

“I wouldn’t want you to miss your favorite blueberry ones,” I swallow hard and feel my chest go prickly-hot as I prepare to say her name. My name for her. “Reba.”

A wave of heat pulses off Becca’s body and her face flushes. My lips quirk up. There’s a heady kind of power in making someone as brash as Becca get affected.

She steps in closer. “How about I make you banana bread, and you make me some blueberry muffins, grumpy bear?”

Those blue eyes are glowing and, by some massive lapse in judgment, I glance at her lips.

They’re slightly open with quick, shallow breaths passing through. Her flannel shirt is unbuttoned to a thin tank top underneath with a lace edge, and I could swear the fabric throbs with her heartbeat.

In another life, I’d wrap my arm around her mid-back and draw her up into me. I’d act like I’d kiss her, but instead drag my lips down her neck.

I’d spend the rest of my life chasing the way she’d gasp.

But this isn’t another life. Ellie can see me, and I don’t want her getting confused.

“What are we doing at breakfast?” I ask, lowering my voice.

Why am I using that tone? Been so long since I talked to somebody like that, and dammit if my pants aren’t a little tighter.

Becca taps my chest, tugging on my canvas jacket. “You’re going to give me your business proposal, and I’ll give you a tour of what I need.”

My voice is still pure gravel, my cheeks hot from doing something I really, really should not be doing at all. “What you need, huh?”

Becca’s laugh is cocky, but I know she’s fucked up on this, because her chest is all splotchy. “If we’re getting hitched, you should probably know how to take care of me.”

I’m some mix of confused and horny because I would love nothing more than to take care of Becca, but I can’t even think about that now because I’m in a tent with my daughter and her teacher just a few feet away from me. “What about what I need?” I ask.

Becca’s lips tip up and she draws me that last inch so our bodies are flush. “I already know what you need, Tyler.”

FOURTEEN

BECCA

My hands are greasy when Tyler and Ellie show up. I didn’t expect them for another half hour, and I only just got the blade taken off my busted-ass mower.

“You’re early,” I call out.

“Sorry,” Tyler says. “My early bird was already gettin’ worms and couldn’t wait to get out here.”

I whistle and T-Bone comes running. Tyler braces like she’s going to hurt him or Ellie, but T-Bone just shoves her muzzle between Tyler’s legs, forcing an entry to circle around him. Ty coughs, making Ellie laugh. I go to hide my amusement and remember my hands are dirty.

“Welcome committee’s here,” I say instead.

“So friendly,” Tyler says, cracking the finest hair of a smile. Ellie wraps her arms around T-Bone’s neck for one of her overzealous hugs. “Ellie, honey, I don’t think she likes that.”

As if to prove she loves it, T-Bone hooks her head over Ellie’s shoulder.

“Hmm, yeah, definitely looks like she hates it,” I say.

Tyler plants me with a look. “I’m trying to teach animal safety, Miss Reba.”