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“I figured as much, so I brought supplies.”
He unpacks the bag and fills my table with more food than I could eat in a week’s time, let alone one morning. Donuts, muffins, cut fruit, yogurt, bacon, and breakfast sandwiches.
“The bakery’s not open until nine am on Sundays.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, but they opened when I knocked on the door.”
He says it totally deadpan, yet I can’t help but wonder if he pestered the poor baker to open early. I’ll have to send a thank you note later.
“Eat up,” he says. “You’re going to need your energy for your pampering today.”
I stare at him over this latte that I’m sipping. I splutter, “Pampering? Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
Tanner shoves a donut in his face and then kisses me on the forehead with his white powdery mouth. “The crew will be here in about an hour. Enjoy your breakfast. Relax. I’ll see you when the chores are all done.”
Agape, I turn to watch him walk to the mudroom. Tanner wears a fitted fleece pullover and bought his own rugged farm boots, steel toes, and everything. “I don’t understand what’s happening, Tanner.”
He turns and pushes his hat back on his head, tipping it back enough for me to see him give me a wink. “If I’m going to take you on a proper date, I want you to properly relax first. Makes it easier to fit pokey things inside holes.”
“Oh my god!”
“I’m talking about boutonnieres. What the hell are you talking about, missy?”
I’m barely conscious enough to get mad.
I only allow Tanner’s words to affect me for a few seconds and get busy shoving a donut in my face and sucking down my coffee. And then I prepare for work because I’m Casey Hicks, dammit, and this is my ranch.
ChapterEight
Tanner
This woman is so unbelievably stubborn.
Here she comes, riding up to the herd on the back of Mr. Grant.
I check my watch; she should be getting her foot massage now.
“Casey, what are you doing here?”
Her face is tight. “It’s my ranch. Not yours.”
“This isn’t preschool, Casey. I ain’t gonna take your toys away. I’m just trying to give you a break.”
She rides past me and throws a comment over her shoulder. “I don’t need a break. I need to work.”
A frustrated noise between a growl and a snarl bursts from my throat. I urge Mary forward and trot up next to Casey.
“It’s all free.”
“Nothing’s free.”
“Didn’t I tell you I heard you when you said I wasn’t getting laid tonight? This isn’t about that. This is a way to say thank you. I’m trying to take care of you.”
Casey snaps her gaze to me and tugs at the reins to slow down. The horse whinnies as she turns him to face me. “Why did you want to say thank you?”
I shrug. “Because I know Violetta put you up to it.”
