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Laura wanted to curl up in a ball. Could you get fired before you even started a job for having sex with an employee?
* * *
Sunny wantedto pinch himself to make sure he was awake. How was it possible after over a month of dreaming about the woman in front of him she was here now? He’d heard some pretty crazy stories about the manifestation of what you want in life, but this seemed a bit beyond the typical capacity.
His shock was the only reasonable explanation for the way he snapped at her, but he regretted it immediately. She almost seemed to curl in on herself, as though she wanted to be as small as possible in the room.
Eagle looked back and forth between the two of them, frowning.
“You two… know each other?” he said, the confusion in his voice clear.
“Something like that,” Rafe murmured, unable to take his eyes off her.
When neither of them offered further explanation, Eagle kept going, but gave him a look that said he’d be looking for answers later. “Anyway. Laura will be managing the herd and the barn.”
He swung his head toward the other woman, who looked like everything Sunny ever thought an angel might. It still wasn’t enough for him to keep his gaze away from Laura.
“And it looks like maybe Harper will be taking up the position of… nanny?” he finished looking between Tech and Sadie.
Sadie spoke up. “Only if she wants to. It would be nice though,” Sadie said, wrapping her hands protectively around her small belly. “When we have two little ones, I would definitely appreciate extra hands.”
Laura’s attention was drawn to Harper now as they shared a silent conversation.
“I’d be happy to. I’ve worked in childcare before,” Harper said with a tentative smile.
Nettie clapped her hands, startling them all. “Wonderful. Now, everyone eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”
Three more men edged in behind Rafe, but he felt like his feet were glued to the floor. The mention of food seemed to rouse Laura, though, because she followed the crowd, Harper bobbing in her wake, still holding a happy Quinn.
He watched Laura grab two plates, piling one high and the other lighter. When they sat, Laura pushed the filled plate in front of Harper, who glared at her, but ate anyway, sharing tiny bites of food with Quinn, who insisted on trying to use the silverware herself and getting syrup everywhere.
The rest of the crew talked and laughed around him, but he couldn’t find any words. His eyes were drawn to Laura constantly. They’d spent two amazing days together. He’d introduced her to all kinds of ways of giving and receiving pleasure. Never once in those two days had they talked about anything of substance. Hell, he hadn’t even known her last name until five minutes ago when Eagle told him.
So why was he feeling so… so…? He couldn’t even describe what he was feeling. Shocked, maybe? But that didn’t seem to hold enough heat. The moment they’d parted ways on the sidewalk in Vegas, he’d regretted not getting her number, but had thought it was for the best.
Deciding he needed to get away from her, he wolfed down his food and, after rinsing his plate in the sink, bolted from the house. He felt Laura’s eyes follow him, but he didn’t look back. He wasn’t sure what he would do if he met her eyes again right now, but he was pretty sure it wasn’t something he wanted to do in front of other people.
The door slammed behind him, but he ignored it. Inside the barn, he took a shuddering, deep breath. Looking around, he ducked inside Barbosa’s stall. Sunny had never enjoyed being around the large animals, but Eagle’s horses were well cared for and friendly. Sunny had been taking care of them for months now and he’d ridden this horse when driving cattle between pastures. Barbosa nuzzled his shoulder, looking for treats. Sunny reached into his pocket and grabbed the sugar cubes he kept there now.
His other hand came up and scratched the horse’s neck and Sunny stood there until his breathing returned to normal. Unease still churned in his stomach, though. He’d just found a place he thought he might belong, and now that was all upended.
Eagle hadn’t even told him they were interviewing for the barn manager job. Not that it was his business. This wasn’t his ranch, and he was just a hired hand. He was honestly just lucky at this point that Eagle let him stay on. They had experienced hands now. They didn’t need him anymore. He knew Eagle would never ask him to leave, but how would this work now?
The one woman he’d ever met that he couldn’t get off his mind was his boss. This whole thing had disaster written all over it.
Besides, his life didn’t work like that. She’d realize he was just a washed-up veteran with commitment issues. A weekend fling was one thing, but Sunny had never considered settling down before. He’d always just assumed he wasn’t built for that. Women meant kids, dogs, and white picket fences. Sunny could deal with the dogs, but he didn’t want children. He had no actual idea how to be a parent. His narcissistic father and his mother, who’d never spoken up on behalf of her children, were not ideal role models.
No, Laura would want to build that kind of life here and Sunny had no place in that. But could he just work with her? Under her?
What would happen when she met someone? Because she would. If he didn’t have the past he had, Sunny thought Laura might be exactly what he’d want in a wife. Not that he’d given the idea much thought, since it wasn’t something he planned on doing.
Footsteps dragged him from his thoughts, and he braced himself. It wasn’t Eagle or Laura, though. It was Sadie.
“Sunny?”
He sighed and stepped around the horse. “Morning, Sadie. How are you feeling?” She smiled and lit up the dim interior of the barn. “Good. Bigger every day, but good. Are you alright?” she asked.
“Of course,” he said too fast.
