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She squeezed the trigger and hit all six of the jugs in succession. Of course, she could. Her father had her shooting guns since she was four years old.
The boys cheered behind her.
The worker jumped up while Charlie and Pip pointed out the stuffed animals that they wanted. One was an oversized pink and blue bear that no one had managed to win that whole day.
“No, no, pick those smaller stuffed animals,” she said. “I’d have to hit about twelve more targets to get that big one!”
“You can do it!” Pip said eagerly.
“She sure can.”
Eva turned and groaned when she saw Cole had finally joined them. He leaned against the partition dividing their game from the rest of the carnival. His eyes smoldered on her.
Wow, she had definitely overdone it with her makeover. She’d never do that again!
Eva was good. Too good.
He looked way too attractive and he knew it. Cole belonged on a runway with his camel-colored cable knit sweater. She’d paired that with a long tweed houndstooth coat and charcoal slacks with the hem cuffed up so that it showed off his brown leather boots… ones definitelynotmade for the farm.
To his credit, he’d kept his complaints to a minimum, laughing every so often, especially when he saw the care she’d taken in choosing his socks. But she had the last laugh when she caught him checking himself out in the mirror and, of course, she had to tease him about it the whole drive over to the barn in his truck.
He’d seemed deep in thought this morning.
He pushed his elbow against the partition wall, watching her. His fingers twitched as he gave her a shrewd look. “Win us that pink teddy bear,” he said.
The know-it-all!
She laughed and lowered the pellet gun. No way would she have him crooning about how right he was about her trying to dumb down her skills for West’s benefit. “Nice try,” she said. “The boys just won their stuffed animals.”
They groaned.
“It would never fit in your momma’s car,” she said. “She’d kill me.”
“Lame.” Cole brushed near her side, hardly giving her room between him and the boys to escape. Before coming to Harvest Ranch, she’d think nothing of his proximity, but… her senses felt heightened for some reason, like she was aware of his every move.
This thing between them was getting worse!
His hands went to hers… no, he was taking the pellet gun from her, in the most compelling, sensual way. His fingers slid down hers until she released the barrel to him, and not as quickly as she should. He lifted the gun and blessedly narrowing his eyes on the milk jug and not on her anymore, he took every target down and continued doing it until he got them that teddy bear.
The boys danced.
“Their momma is gonna have your head,” Eva said.
He smiled at her. “We’ll put our prize inmypickup. What do you say, boys? Should we let Eva sleep with the teddy bear tonight? She’ll need it after all those True Crime shows she’s been watching.”
She gasped out in laughter. What crazy thing was he saying?
The boys clapped and robustly agreed that Eva should take her turn with the stuffed animal.
He passed the shotgun off to the teenage worker so that the kid could close up his booth. Cole put his arm around her shoulders. “Have you made your bets yet?” he whispered into her ear.
She startled, more at his flirtatiousness than at the fact that he was willing to consider making a friendly wager on racing the baby animals. “But you said bets were tacky?”
“For the kids,notfor us. We only have a few races left.”
She bumped him away from her with her hip. “I’m the one from the long legacy of bookies, not you. You don’t want to mess with me.”
“Oh, but I do.” He winked.
