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Would her kids inherit that? She cleared her throat, realizing that she should create a bond with this man. After all, he was going to be her brother. “So… things didn’t work out with that redhead?” she asked.
He held up his hands. “Second rule. No more trying to set me up. Let’s find other things to talk about besides my love life, you know, like normal people do.”
“LOL,” she cried out. “By all means, teach me how normal people talk.”
His nose wrinkled and he burst out laughing. “Uh, for starters, they don’t actually say LOL. if they’re not texting.”
She snorted and dissolved into giggles. “The school of Cole. Do you have a rule for everything?”
His lips curved and he turned to stare out the windshield. “Yeah… unfortunately.”
At least he was honest about it. Probably why his brother West trusted him with her so much,evenafter they had kissed. At first she’d been insulted that West didn’t care enough to be jealous, but soon she realized that it was because Cole was kind of a stickler.
His uptightness was kind of cute.
Of course, that hadn’t explained why Cole had actually kissed herbackthat day… but then again, he’d been so convinced that there hadn’t been anything going on between her and West… until there really was.
Even she had been surprised when West had asked her to marry him, almost like a fairy had waved a wand and granted her everything that she’d ever desired.
She’d been so shocked that she’d almost been torn on her decision, but that went away as quickly as she met West’s provocative blue eyes. They were like sapphires. And she was a sucker for jewelry.
That’s all there was to it.
Just like she was a sucker for these breathtaking autumn leaves on the Slade Ranch. Wow! They were like jewels too. Her gaze riveted to the view outside. The trees painted the velvety green pasture with vivid rubies, amber and gold. Slade land was a treasure trove of beauty and–and… hot men.
She almost snickered, but stopped herself.
LOL.
But people didn’t say that. This time she let out a laugh… out loud.
Cole looked over at her. “What?”
Quickly reviewing her thoughts, Eva decided they wouldn’t be funny to present company. She quickly changed the subject. “So… uh, how did you get talked into doing the kiddy pumpkin event?”
He rolled his eyes. “The same way I get put in charge of everything… I’m the only one who says yes.”
That made sense. She leaned back into her seat, enjoying the view of the rain-soaked world. The colors were brilliant against the darkening sky. The windshield wipers gave her about two seconds’ worth of Harvest Ranch’s beautiful (though soggy) outdoors before the storm covered it from her again. No wonder the meadows on the range stubbornly stayed so green.
When it rained here, it poured.
“Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice,” she said. “Is the festival just for one day?”
“Yeah, the day before Thanksgiving and then we’re free.”
Cole might not be enthused about the project, but Eva felt invigorated at the idea. Maybe this was something that she could actually help with? She couldn’t cook or bake worth a lick, West was busy, and the kids were gone. Lily’s suggestion that she might be useful to Cole was actually pretty brilliant.
If there was one thing that Eva knew how to do, it was throw a party.
Cole turned off the country road and entered a gravel one that led to the biggest barn that she’d ever had the pleasure of coming across. The classic frame belonged on the set of one of those Amish Hallmark movies… with one exception. The rough lumber was painted gray. “That barn needs to be red,” she decided.
“Okay, get on that,” he said jokingly. “We’ve been looking for volunteers to paint it.”
That would take weeks… maybe months. She cracked a smile. “No, actually, gray’s good.”
“Let me know when you change your mind. I can order some red paint.”
She flashed him a sarcastic smile to match his tone.Not happening.
