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West sighed, his eyes shifting to his. He shook his head slowly. “Who would’ve thought thatyou’dget me leg shackled to a… beautiful and rich heiress?” He snickered, though there was a mean edge to it. He was a cornered tiger.
Cole’s fingers clenched, feeling strangely protective of that spoiled beauty. Had West not heard a word that he’d said? “You don’t have to do this. She has feelings, West.”
Dang, she was overflowing with them. He’d never seen anyone more animated.
West sneered at him. “What? Are you volunteering to take her on instead? Well, are you?”
He’d just met her! Cole pressed his lips shut, trying to figure out West’s angle. He always made the most of a bad situation. Sometimes hecausedthem to happen. Still, this wasn’t one of those Jane Austen flicks that Momma forced them to watch, where the man had to marry the girl because they were caught in a compromising position.
“Do you know what Trout would do to you if you dated his daughter?” West asked. He pinned him with nearly the same stern look that his young sons had given Cole when playing teacher. “You’d never be able to handle it.”
Cole wasn’t fooled. West was only out for himself.
“Believe me,” West said. “You want nothing to do with being a part of that family.”
“Why do you have to?” Cole asked through tight lips.
“Relax… marrying her won’t be the worst thing that’s happened to me.” West’s scowl immediately switched to a smile when he saw Eva.
She walked in with Pip and Charlie tugging at her hands. She cast Cole an apologetic look. “Funniest thing,” she said. “I-I thought that Cole wasyouearlier…” She started her apology, which made sense because there was no burying this, since it was on TalkieTalk.
West waved that offense aside with his hand. “Don’t worry about that. You were trying to surprise me… which is funny because I was getting ready to surprise you.”
“You were?”
“Yes…” West glanced over at his kids. “Hey, Charlie, Pip. Mompa has raw pie dough on the counter. If you hurry, you can sneak some before Hudson catches you.”
The boys let out cries of glee and raced each other out of the barn.
Not missing a beat, West got down on one knee. “Eva, make me the happiest of men.”
She covered her face, though one jeweled catlike eye peeked through her fingers. “But, West… what? What prompted this?”
Cole felt her same unease, but a million times over.
West stood, his hands sliding over her arms like he couldn’t get enough of her. The guy should’ve been an actor in another life. “You are… haunting. I can’t get you out of my head.”
Cole didn’t like where this was heading. “West…”
His brother glowered at him over her shoulder. “Why don’t you give us some time alone, Cole, while I convince this beautiful lady to be my wife?”
“You really mean it? Marry you?” Eva hopped up and down and squealed out for joy. Her arms clamped around him. “West… I… I can’t imagine anything so wonderful. I mean, yes! I will!”
Cole’s stomach took a nosedive. For some reason, this felt like his fault. Maybe because it was! But she was so happy! Who was he to get in the way of that? He watched them, torn, even as Eva kissed his brother. West expertly took over, leisurely exploring those full lips that eagerly met his every calculated move.
Cole knew exactly what those lips felt like. Somehow, what they’d experienced together only minutes before felt more meaningful. He stepped back the second those memories threatened to take over. No, she’d only thought that he was West. They had nothing together.
Wash her out of your mind!
She twisted around and ran over to Cole. “You’re going to be my brother! I am so, so sorry about the hayloft.” She giggled out her embarrassment. “I promise to keep my hands off you from now on.”
He couldn’t help the grim chuckle that tore through his lips, but something else, darker and more resentful stirred in his heart. That couldn’t possibly be jealousy, was it? He stuffed it down. Could that be the real reason that he objected so much to what was going on here—not that West was just using her like he did everyone else, and she was so vulnerable and… irresistible?
He groaned inwardly. Yeah, this was just stupid jealousy. He wished he’d never seen her golden heart. She could make the sun rise and set with a smile and that teasing sparkle in her vibrant eyes.
Really? Really? Wow. I’m thinking this about Trout’s daughter? I really am an idiot.
“Ooh.” She clasped her hands together. “Do you think we could tell your momma right away?”
