Page 79 of Crossing Every Line


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Evelyn crawled over to the mare and stroked her head. “Callie did an amazing job.”

“When did she give birth?”

“Just last night.”

“And the baby’s already walking around?”

“Yep. Horses don’t crawl. Hannah will be clumsy for a bit, but she’ll be running around the paddock by tomorrow.”

Amazed, Kendall fell back onto her booted heels. “So fast.”

“As cyclical as everything is on a farm, one thing moves at lightning speed—change.” Evelyn stood and slapped her hands on her knees to dust off the hay. “My, don’t you have a blush in your cheeks. Somehow I don’t think that’s from just being outside.”

“It is pretty hot.”

Evelyn hooked her arm into Kendall’s. “You’ve got sex eyes.”

“I do not.”

Evelyn laughed. “You do. And that quick response says to me that you definitely had it or almost had it.” She grabbed her hat off the post outside the stall. “Or you just enjoyed a little whisker burn with your visit to the new stables.”

Kendall swiped her hand over her face with a wince. “Is it that obvious?”

Evelyn shrugged. “Either you found yourself a randy cowboy at the stables—which isn’t hard—or you went and saw your little boy toy.”

“I don’t have a—”

“Everyone’s buzzing about Shane Justice. I saw you two roll in together this morning. I get the feeling that you aren’t quite boyfriend/girlfriend, but you’re not strangers either.”

Confused, she peered up at her. “How…”

“That man watches you like you’re a steak and a hot fudge sundae wrapped up in a silky bow.” Evelyn sighed. “I remember when Doyle used to look at me like that.”

Dumbfounded, Kendall followed her out of the barn. “You and Will?”

“We scratched the itch sometimes. After his wife died, he wasn’t all fired up to do much more than lose a few random hours in the middle of the night. It suited me until it didn’t.”

They walked in companionable silence. Was that all she and Shane would be? Random hours that filled the time until New York? That was all she wanted. All she was supposed to want. But after last night’s weirdness, she didn’t know. Even if she’d hopped on his lap easily enough a few minutes ago.

She found herself wanting to share the Heron with him. Instead of just telling him about her favorite spots, she wanted to show them to him. She wanted to see him there on her dock and look out on the water with his warm chest at her back.

Which was stupid. He’d probably want to sell and wash his hands of her. There was so much she wanted to do with it, but the only steady customers she had were fishermen. And she couldn’t turn them away, or she’d be out of business in a month.

She’d blocked out the reality of her situation for days now. She was so afraid the B and B would be gone and so would he. Maybe if she kept talking it up, she could convince him to see the Heron like she did.

And just maybe he’d see the bed-and-breakfast as something more than a moneymaker that would fetch them the highest dollar for a sale.

Evelyn’s voice gentled. “I’m not sure what’s going on in that head of yours, but I’ll give you a piece of unsolicited advice.”

“Lay it on me.”

“Good sex can color the whole world in sparkles and fairy dust. Wait until the sparkle fades before you own up to love and babies and forever. Sometimes the fairy dust is just a good orgasm.”

“I must be covered in fairy dust.”

Evelyn guffawed and slapped her back. “From head to toe, kid.”

Kendall slammed the lid on the box again. It wasn’t time to take New York out of its box and look at it too closely yet. “I think I’m going to enjoy my Tinker Bell status for a bit.”

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