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“Feel like testing me? I might surprise you.” I can’t help it. The more wound up Luke gets, the more I want to tease him just a little bit. I don’t know why I feel so determined to get an actual smile out of this guy, but it seems important.

He studies me. Not like he’s checking me out or anything. More like he’s trying to understand what I’m talking about, as though I’m a space alien speaking a foreign tongue. “I think I’ll pass, thanks.”

I glance in the direction where Scout went, figuring he’ll be coming back soon with his schoolbag, so we don’t have much time to talk without him overhearing. I get right down to it. “I’m sorry I fell asleep. I hope that didn’t make it awkward with Scout⁠—”

“Please never apologize for falling asleep. You had a long day. I get it.”

“Still, you could’ve woken me.”

He takes a sip of coffee, and I watch his throat move as he swallows. How can a man possibly be this sexy just drinking a cup of coffee? I lift my own cup for a sip so that I don’t outright drool.

“I tried.”

I shut my eyes against the embarrassment. “Oh no. Tell me I didn’t talk in my sleep or something.”

“You may have admitted a few things.” His serious tone makes it impossible to know if he’s kidding. I don’t have time to ask because I still want to figure out our plan before Scout comes back.

“We need to take photos or whatever, and I still want to learn about ranching, so when should we do that?”

He looks at his phone and swipes across a few screens, his forehead creasing as he does. “I have a packed day. I’m not just double-booked. Somehow I’m triple-booked. I’m gonna be taking calls while I’m on a cattle drive and voice texting when I’m on the road. And today’s our day to bring snacks to the preschool, which I completely forgot. I must’ve been nuts to think this could work.” He’s winding himself into a new tight little stress ball. It hurts to see another human working this hard to keep all the balls in the air and being so hard on himself when none have even dropped yet.

I give him a little wave. “Hi, hello. I don’t have a job or anything to do. I was going to hang out at our ranch and probably drive my sister crazy rearranging things and taking pictures of everything, so maybe I should stick around here and drive you crazy instead.” I hold up a hand when his mouth hardens into a line. “I mean, I can help you.”

“Why are you doing this?” He sounds angry. Or frustrated. Or just…really damn tired.

“Doing what?”

“Offering to help. People don’t just do shit like that unless they have a reason. At least not the people I’ve met.”

I take a step closer, reach up, and tap his chest. He doesn’t flinch this time, but he looks down at my finger as though it’s a foreign object. I don’t care. It feels like some sort of therapy program to acclimate him to being a normal human each time I touch him. “You need to meet some better people.”

I expect him to argue, but instead his face actually…relaxes. “Yeah. Maybe.”

Scout comes racing down the hallway, sounding like he weighs much more than he does with the way his feet stomp on the wood floor.

Luke catches him before he can careen into me and tells him to tone down the noise. “Use your inside feet.”

“I know. T-rex feet are for outside.”

I laugh at their dinosaur shorthand. “Scout, I hear it’s your snack day at school.”

He pumps a fist. “Yes. Daddy, you promised we could bring watermelon and string cheese, remember?”

“Yup. I remember.” Luke goes to the fridge, confirming that there’s exactly one stick of string cheese and no watermelon. His sigh is almost louder than the dinosaur feet.

Not wanting to butt in where I don’t belong, I pull Luke aside and whisper that I could pick up the snack and drop it off at the school later on. I don’t expect him to agree, but the lines on his forehead fade, and his jaw unclenches.

“You know what, that would be great. If you’re sure you don’t mind.” He fishes some cash from his wallet and hands me some bills. “And please get yourself whatever you’d like, a sandwich or drink, whatever.”

“Ha. I won’t be needing food for a while after those pancakes, but thank you.”

Luke puts his hands on Scout’s shoulders and walks behind him like he’s herding him out of the kitchen and toward the front door. I tag behind with the wad of cash in my fist, wondering how I’m supposed to know how much watermelon to get and where the school is.

“I’ll text you the info,” Luke says.

“Awesome. Tell me everything. Leave nothing out.”

“Huh?”