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“None of your damn business. So when are you making Hank an offer?”
“I don’t think there’s any hurry. It’s not even on the market yet.” He got to his feet. “Now I’m going to take a shower.”
Before he got to the door, Sam stopped him. “So who was the girl in the hayloft?”
An image popped into Rome’s mind. An image of curls the color of deep burgundy apples and eyes the color of late summer grass . . . and breasts so full and soft they’d tempt a saint.
“Just a girl.”
Chapter Six
“I don’t know why we were stuck washing all the reception dishes?”
Cloe stopped drying the plate and glanced at Noelle who was washing dishes at the sink. Noelle was the baby of the family. And there had never been a more adorable baby. Noelle had always been chubby and full cheeked with the Holiday green eyes and Mimi’s bowed lips and button nose. She had long eyelashes that any woman would kill for and dimples that creased both cheeks whenever she smiled.
She was like a perfect little doll.
Which probably explained why everyone in the family had spoiled her rotten. Everyone but Daddy. He didn’t believe in spoiling any of his girls. Although recently, he had become more approachable. Cloe wasn’t sure if it had to do with him getting into so much debt he was going to lose his ranch or his heart attack.
Her father had almost died two months earlier when he’d suffered a heart attack while fixing a broken fence. Luckily, Rome had discovered him and called 911. Otherwise, her daddy might not be there.
Just the thought of Rome had her body flushing with heat as a flood of memories filled her brain. Memories of ruffled dark hair and sleepy gray eyes. Memories of a strip of naked, well-defined chest dusted with hair . . . and an extremely hard erection. She didn’t understand her body’s reactions. She had never had these kind of heated thoughts about Brandon. Not even after their scheduled Saturday night lovemaking.
And yet, just the thought of Rome’s hard body pressing against her made her feel like a boiling pan of hot caramel.
“Did I miss some barbecue sauce on that plate?”
Noelle’s question pulled her from her wayward thoughts and she realized she had stopped drying the plate and was just standing there staring at it. She shook her head and continued drying. “I was just woolgathering.”
Noelle sent her a compassionate look. “I’m sorry about Brandon breaking up with you, Clo.” Cloe had told her entire family, besides Sweetie and Decker who were enjoying their honeymoon, about the breakup over breakfast. They’d all had different reactions. Mama and Belle had hugged her close while Daddy, Liberty, and Hallie had wanted to hunt him down and make him pay. Noelle hadn’t said much until now. “I guess you can’t help thinking about him.”
That should be the case. After all, Brandon was her one and only boyfriend. But since waking up with Rome, Brandon hadn’t entered Cloe’s mind once. While it was a relief, it was also disconcerting. What was wrong with her? She should be thinking about a man she’d been with for six long years. She certainly shouldn’t be thinking about a man she barely knew.
“I’m fine, Elle,” she said as she stacked the plate in the box with the rest of the clean plates. “Now tell me about your latest TikTok recipe.”
Noelle attended a pastry school in Dallas and spent all her free time posting her recipes on TikTok hoping to become a social media sensation. And she had built quite a following.
“You really need to get on TikTok, Clo, and then I wouldn’t have to tell you about my posts.”
“You know I’m not much of a social media person.” She didn’t even have a Facebook account.
“I know.” Noelle shook her head. “And it’s pure craziness. There’s an entire world out there that you’re missing out on. Take online dating, for example. Nowadays, you can find a new boyfriend with just a swipe of your phone.” She quickly grabbed a dish towel and dried her hands. “In fact, let’s get you signed up on a dating app right now.”
Cloe held up her hand. “No, thank you, Elle. I might be fine, but I’m not ready to get back into the dating scene just yet.”
“Why not? Daddy always taught us that when you fall off a horse you need to get right back in the saddle.”
Once again, Cloe couldn’t help thinking about the way her bottom had fit so perfectly in Rome’s lap. It had felt like sitting in her favorite well-worn saddle.
“What’s the holdup, ladies?” Liberty barreled into the room. “The rest of us have cleaned the entire barn while it looks like you two have been dawdling.”
“Dawdling?” Noelle glared at her. “You try washing a thousand plates, glasses, and eating utensils. My hands are so water wrinkled they look like Mimi’s and my polish is chipping like the old paint on the chicken coop.” She held up her hands. “How am I supposed to do cooking videos with hands that look like these?”
“Oh, no!” Liberty dramatically held a hand to her chest. “Chipped polish? What a TikTok disaster.” She lowered her hand and shook her head. “I swear you are so egotistical, Elle, it’s not even funny.”
“I am not egotistical. I just like my hands to look their best when I do my posts. And don’t act like you don’t primp, Libby. I’ve seen your closet of designer clothes and shoes.”
“As a successful businesswoman, I need to wear stylish clothes. It’s all about the first impression, kid.” Liberty waved a hand at the old T-shirt and faded jeans she wore. “But if you’ll note, when I’m doing messy jobs, I dress appropriately and don’t worry about my nails.”
