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I let her lead me away, but I kept Chaos in my periphery.
“Care to tell me what’s up with the packages?”
“She’s just having a little trouble with where she’s going to land. Roommate problems.”
Laverne studied me with her faded denim eyes. “That’s a partial truth.”
I lifted a shoulder. “She’ll get her bearings.”
“But will you? Love is scary.”
“Stop with the love sh—” I huffed out a breath. “Stuff. We barely know each other.”
“Barely stop watching her, you mean.” She stood in front of me. “And while I’d love to think you’re watching her like that just because of the attraction deal, I wasn’t born last week.”
I grasped the back of my neck. “Ah, jeez.”
“Remember I took the old CocoaBus on road trips. You think the open road didn’t include hot, sexy flings?”
“I didn’t think about it. Please stop talking about it.”
She patted my cheek. “You’re adorable. Just because I’m older and very married doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten being young and wild.”
“I’m not young.”
She patted my chest. “I don’t suppose you’ve been young for a long time. But maybe she makes you feel that way.”
“I’m too old for her in the long term.”
“I don’t know about that. Willow is an old soul and she’s been through a lot. She deserves someone—”
“Not like me?”
Laverne frowned at me. “Why would you think that?”
I shrugged again.
“Well, that’s a coward’s answer. Maybe that’s your problem. Big Army guy can’t handle falling in love with someone?”
“Can’t fall in love with someone in four days.”
“Bullshit.”
My eyebrows shot up and I had to fight a smile. “Language.”
“You’ve heard far worse, and I’ve said and thought even darker things. I work on a farm with idiot males, remember? Some I’m even related to.”
I pressed my lips together against a laugh. I might’ve wished I could run for the hills when it came to figuring out whatever was going on between me and Chaos, but I did love this woman.
Impulsively, I pulled her in for a hug. She smelled like Chaos with an underlying earthy tone, as if she’d just put her hands in dirt.
She hugged me back. “This isn’t going to stop the conversation. Even if I do like hugging on all these muscles.”
I laughed and let her go. “There’s nothing to talk about. We’re still figuring out what we are. But here and now, it’s all about the wedding. So, I’m going to get the largest cup of coffee and see what they’re going to make me do.”
“You don’t have to hover. The girls will be fine together.”
“I told Clay I’d make myself available.” The lie flowed off my tongue. Well, half truth—I did tell Clay I’d help out. But hovering wasn’t my style, so they would get suspicious if I did.
