engaged. Start a family. And yet she’d kept putting off the conversation. Her skin had itched and the air had become thick at the thought of making the two of them more permanent. She’d had to abandon the notion before she could really consider it.
In the past two years, she could’ve been almost anyone or anything she wanted. What had she chosen?
A baker.
Someone who works in the middle of the night when everyone else slept.
Did a little part of her shrink at the idea of becoming close to anyone because of the pain of rejection she still felt with her aunt?
And yet with Nick, everything was different. She didn’t have to lie. She didn’t have to pretend she was someone else. She didn’t have to fake a relationship. He was her new handler. It was his job to keep her safe. He was proving capable of the task. So much so, that she was starting to feel more like herself than she had in months.
But was letting her guard down a good thing?
Before she could get inside her head about what that meant, a dual cab pickup truck pulled up.
Nick braided their fingers. A slow smile spread across his almost too perfect lips. “Our salvation has arrived.”
The passenger’s-side window rolled down, revealing an attractive man in the driver’s seat. Right away she could see the two were related. The driver had the same sturdy, muscular build. He was similar in size to Nick. He had the same nose and smile. Other than that, his hair was lighter and he had dimples when he smiled.
“This is my little brother Luke.” He introduced the two, motioning toward the cab as he let go of her hand to open the door for her.
“Little?” Luke scoffed. He flashed perfectly straight, white teeth. “I’m second-youngest. And way better looking than this guy.”
“Keep believing it, and maybe it’ll be true someday,” Nick grunted. “You’re as modest as ever, I see.”
“Beautiful dog,” Luke said, as Nick coaxed Boomer into the backseat.
“Thanks,” Sadie said. “He’s been pretty brave today.”
Nick pulled himself inside the warm cab after her. She was so cold she couldn’t stop shivering.
“I can see my brother didn’t prepare well enough for this trip. You’re an icicle. What are you trying to do, freeze your witness into testifying?” He cranked up the heat and pulled a blanket from the backseat, spreading it across Sadie’s lap for her. “This should help. Or you could scoot a little closer and I could put my arm around you. You know, body heat and all.” Another show of perfect white teeth greeted her. Luke seemed to be greatly enjoying teasing his brother.
“She’ll warm up fine without your paws on her,” Nick said quickly, folding his arms.
“This is fantastic.” Sadie pulled the blanket to her chin and leaned toward the vent. “Thank you.”
“Where we headed?” Luke put the gearshift in Drive and handed a steaming foam cup to Sadie. “I brought hot chocolate for you.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. This is heaven.” She gripped the drink with both hands and took a sip.
“Take us to the ranch,” Nick said.
Luke cocked a dark brow, looking as though he needed a minute to rationalize the location before he spoke. “Darlin’, do you want the radio on while I talk to my crazy brother?”
“No. I’m fine,” she said. Besides, she wanted to see if sparks were about to fly.
“You just let me know if there’s
anything
I can do for you, you hear?”
Sadie was certain she blushed. Good looks and charm must seriously run in this family. “I will.”
“You didn’t tell me the package I needed to pick up was this beautiful.” Luke chewed on the piece of gum in his mouth.
Being so close to him, Sadie could smell the cinnamon.
Nick made a disgusted noise from his throat. “Don’t you have a girlfriend somewhere?”
Luke didn’t immediately speak. What flashed in his eyes? Hurt? Anger?
An expression crossed Nick’s features that Sadie couldn’t quite put her finger on.
In the past two years, she could’ve been almost anyone or anything she wanted. What had she chosen?
A baker.
Someone who works in the middle of the night when everyone else slept.
Did a little part of her shrink at the idea of becoming close to anyone because of the pain of rejection she still felt with her aunt?
And yet with Nick, everything was different. She didn’t have to lie. She didn’t have to pretend she was someone else. She didn’t have to fake a relationship. He was her new handler. It was his job to keep her safe. He was proving capable of the task. So much so, that she was starting to feel more like herself than she had in months.
But was letting her guard down a good thing?
Before she could get inside her head about what that meant, a dual cab pickup truck pulled up.
Nick braided their fingers. A slow smile spread across his almost too perfect lips. “Our salvation has arrived.”
The passenger’s-side window rolled down, revealing an attractive man in the driver’s seat. Right away she could see the two were related. The driver had the same sturdy, muscular build. He was similar in size to Nick. He had the same nose and smile. Other than that, his hair was lighter and he had dimples when he smiled.
“This is my little brother Luke.” He introduced the two, motioning toward the cab as he let go of her hand to open the door for her.
“Little?” Luke scoffed. He flashed perfectly straight, white teeth. “I’m second-youngest. And way better looking than this guy.”
“Keep believing it, and maybe it’ll be true someday,” Nick grunted. “You’re as modest as ever, I see.”
“Beautiful dog,” Luke said, as Nick coaxed Boomer into the backseat.
“Thanks,” Sadie said. “He’s been pretty brave today.”
Nick pulled himself inside the warm cab after her. She was so cold she couldn’t stop shivering.
“I can see my brother didn’t prepare well enough for this trip. You’re an icicle. What are you trying to do, freeze your witness into testifying?” He cranked up the heat and pulled a blanket from the backseat, spreading it across Sadie’s lap for her. “This should help. Or you could scoot a little closer and I could put my arm around you. You know, body heat and all.” Another show of perfect white teeth greeted her. Luke seemed to be greatly enjoying teasing his brother.
“She’ll warm up fine without your paws on her,” Nick said quickly, folding his arms.
“This is fantastic.” Sadie pulled the blanket to her chin and leaned toward the vent. “Thank you.”
“Where we headed?” Luke put the gearshift in Drive and handed a steaming foam cup to Sadie. “I brought hot chocolate for you.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. This is heaven.” She gripped the drink with both hands and took a sip.
“Take us to the ranch,” Nick said.
Luke cocked a dark brow, looking as though he needed a minute to rationalize the location before he spoke. “Darlin’, do you want the radio on while I talk to my crazy brother?”
“No. I’m fine,” she said. Besides, she wanted to see if sparks were about to fly.
“You just let me know if there’s
anything
I can do for you, you hear?”
Sadie was certain she blushed. Good looks and charm must seriously run in this family. “I will.”
“You didn’t tell me the package I needed to pick up was this beautiful.” Luke chewed on the piece of gum in his mouth.
Being so close to him, Sadie could smell the cinnamon.
Nick made a disgusted noise from his throat. “Don’t you have a girlfriend somewhere?”
Luke didn’t immediately speak. What flashed in his eyes? Hurt? Anger?
An expression crossed Nick’s features that Sadie couldn’t quite put her finger on.
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