“You guys didn’t have to come out here,” she said to the rest of them. “But since you did, I have no problem putting you to work.”
“You’ve got us until one o’clock,” Tara advised.
“Great. We’ll all go unload this wagon while Logan bales the next one.”
The morning flew by as they put up three full wagonloads, and Logan baled the fourth to clear the first two fields. The temperature had climbed above eighty, and every single one of them were sweating in the sweltering September sunshine.
Between the second and third load, Joy ordered a delivery of half a dozen foot long sub sandwiches from a local shop, and they took a break for lunch out on the porch.
While everyone else settled in the patio chairs to divide the sandwiches, she grabbed a couple bags of potato chips from the pantry and set them on the table. With a sassy grin for Logan, she turned to head back into the kitchen for drinks.
As the screen closed behind her, she heard Grant say, “The ones with ridges. Good choice.”
Logan’s choked laugh followed, joined by her friends at the table.
The sound of a dull thwack preceded Grant’s, “Ow. Come on. It’s funny.”
She assumed her friend had backhanded him on the arm.
Thanks, Jenny.
Now she knew why Logan had grumbled about the guy keeping his mouth shut—Grant must’ve been there. And he knew the meaning of her choosing those specific kind of chips. She covered her face with both hands, mortified at the thought of going back out to face them.
Conversation resumed outside as she worked up the nerve.
“Hey, Dolinski,” Tara called. “Your workers are thirsty!”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m”—she quickly modified her reply—“on my way.”
Her face burned as she approached the screen with the tray of glasses, lemonade, and assorted cans of soda. Logan rose to open the door for her, and she avoided his gaze, as well as Grant’s. It was one thing to tease him when it was their own private joke, but with everyone else so obviously in on it, she wasn’t so brazen.
Thankfully, neither of the guys said a word, and her tension eased as they all chatted through lunch.
The fourth load was up in the loft shortly before one p.m., so she and Logan said thanks and goodbyes to all their helpers before heading back out by themselves. Because the barn was stuffed to the gills, this last load would have to be fed over the next month straight off the wagon. They used the larger one without sides, and she drove while Logan caught the bales as they popped from the baler so he could pack them neat and tight.
Once the last bale was stacked a little after four, she steered over to where they’d parked the truck near the pond. The glimmer of the clear water beckoned, the purification fountain on the far side promising refreshing rejuvenation.
Joy shut off the engine and opened the tractor cab door to jump to the ground. She walked toward the truck, plucking the damp material of her T-shirt from her hot skin. Logan climbed down from the very top of the wagon, his shirt and hair soaked from the back-breaking labor of handling all the bales in the heat.
“You going to drive the truck back?” he asked.
“Not just yet.”
She caught his frown from the corner of her eye while she opened the passenger side door and grabbed the blanket to wrap around the box of Ultra Ribbed. After a glance at Logan as she closed the door again, she walked down to the shoreline to drop the blanket in the grass near the short dock.
Another peek revealed he’d come around to lean against the back of the truck. He silently watched her every move as he stood there, thumbs hooked in the front pockets of his jeans. She spread out the blanket, set the box of condoms on one corner, then took a deep breath and dragged her shirt over her head.
Chapter 15
‡
Watching Joy strip bare was the most erotic thing Logan had ever seen. He was hard by the time she kicked her underwear to the side with one pointed, painted toe. A goddess bathed by the afternoon sun, she glided down the length of the dock and dove into the water. The tiny splash made his pulse jump, and his erection strained against his zipper.
Her head broke the surface a moment later, and her hands rose up to wipe her face and smooth her hair back. Her lips stretched into a hesitant smile. “You coming in?”
The question startled him, and he realized he hadn’t even moved yet.
Hell yes, he was coming in.