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“You must have gone to see Annie today.” He sets his bowl in the sink. He’s close to me now, and I can feel the heat coming off him.
He’s a potent man.
“I did,” I confirm. “I like her a lot. I think it’ll be a fun job.”
“I’m glad.” He leans in and kisses my temple.
“So, what brings you down to town?” I ask and climb up onto the bed to sit with my legs crossed. He follows suit, sitting next to me.
“I had a bad day, and I was thinking about you. So, I came to find you.”
Okay, that might be the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.
“Are you going to beg? Do I get my hiking trip in the spring?”
He laughs and tugs me against him, wrapping an arm around me, and just holds me close.
“No.” He buries his lips in my hair. “This is all I need for now. Some conversation and a hug go a long way.”
I hear the exhaustion in his voice. “What happened, Seth?”
He sighs, kisses me once more, and then pulls away just a bit when I shift so I can look up into his face.
“Wolves,” he says at last. “They’ve been pests on the ranch this year. Today, we discovered a small herd of cows about three miles from the barn that they got to. Killed eight calves.”
“Oh, no.” I take his hand in mine and give his fingers a squeeze.
“It was a bloodbath in that field,” he says softly. “The mama cows were standing over them, crying.”
“Jesus.” I shake my head. “That’s awful.”
“Yeah. Well, we got the fish and wildlife people out there, and then we hunted down a whole pack of wolves.”
“You killed them?”
His eyes are sad as he nods. “Six of them. We tried relocating them in the past, but they just come back. And our livestock isn’t the only herd in the area that’s been targeted. They can be incredibly destructive.”
“I had no idea. I thought they were on the endangered species list.”
“Not anymore,” Seth says with a sigh. “I don’t like killing animals. I know we talked about hunting up at the chalet. I think that’s different, though. We feed families with that meat and keep the animal population down. But what we had to do today? That’s shitty.”
“I’m sorry.” I lean over and kiss his cheek, then climb into his lap and hug him. “I’m so sorry.”
He loops those strong arms around me and holds on tightly.
“Thanks,” he mutters against my shoulder. “Thanks for being here.”
“There isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be right now.”
Chapter 7
~Seth~
I didn’t realize that we’d fallen asleep on the cozy bed in Remi’s van. One minute, we were just hugging and talking. And the next thing I knew, it was dark, and I could hear an owl outside hooting away.
I check the time, surprised to see that it’s past midnight. We must have slept a good four hours.
Or, I did, at least.
“Go back to sleep,” Remi murmurs next to me.
“I have to go home tonight,” I whisper and kiss her forehead. “I have to be up early so I can help with the ranch.”
She sits up and flips on a light, then blinks at me, her lavender eyes heavy with sleep. “Okay. I don’t remember falling asleep.”
I grin and brush my thumb over her cheek. “Me, either. We were tired. I want to see you tomorrow. Take you out for dinner.”
“Like, on a date?”
“Yes, a date.” But then I remember that I have a bunch of kids coming to my place tomorrow and swear under my breath. “Wait. Tomorrow’s no good.”
“Saturday, then?” she asks without hesitation. She doesn’t look jealous or even curious about what I’m doing tomorrow night, and that’s a breath of fresh air.
The women I’ve dated lately want a play-by-play on my whereabouts. It’s damn annoying.
“Yes, Saturday is great. Pick you up at six?”
“Sure.” She grins and scoots to the edge of the bed. “I’ll walk you out. I have to secure the doors.”
I open the sliding door of the van and step down, then turn back, noticing I’m at eye level with Remi’s boobs.
It’s not at all a horrible place to be.
She bends down and takes my face in her hands, planting one hell of a kiss on me that makes my head spin.
“What was that for?”
“Just something to think about until Saturday,” she says with a grin. “Drive safely home, okay?”
I nod but don’t walk away.
“You’re still here.”
“I’m waiting for you to lock up.”
She tips her head to the side, studying me in the moonlight. “You’re a chivalrous guy, aren’t you?”
“I have manners,” I reply honestly. “If that’s chivalry, then I guess so.”
“I like it,” she decides. “Have a good night.”
She pulls the door shut, and I hear her rattling around, pulling the seatbelts through the doors, I assume. After a few moments, the van goes silent.
