He gazed down at her. “This is not fake,” he whispered. “I’m falling in love with you a little bit more every day, and I don’t see why we need to tell them now.”
A ray of sunshine entered her heart from the very first word he’d said. It curved her lips slightly, and Beth ran her hands along his shoulders to the long hair that curled beneath his hat. “I’m falling a little bit more in love with you every day too.”
“Is that right now?” he asked, a smile touching his mouth too. “Why’s that?”
“Because you take care of me and TJ,” she said. “You’re smart, and you’re literally the hardest-working man I’ve ever met. You’re kind to us even when you’re exhausted, and I’ve literally never heard you complain about anything.” She could go on and on, but she pressed against her emotions to steady them. “Why do you like me?”
“Because you have convictions,” he said, and that surprised Beth. “You want that farm to be the best it can be, and you’re not going to stop until it is. I love that about you. I watch you work around the house and the farm with your wounded hand, and it’s like it doesn’t even slow you down.” He ran his hands through her hair, a look of adoration replacing the glinting, scary one. “You’re brilliant with TJ, and I learn more about you and him and being a dad every time I watch the two of you interact. You’ve taught me how to peel apples and peaches, and you’ve taught me how to slow down when I want to speed up.”
He cleared his throat. “Just to name a few things.”
She smiled up at him, enjoying the feel of his hands along her back and waist. “I thought you were going to say it was because of the caramel pecan brownies.”
He chuckled and leaned toward her, resting his forehead against hers. “Those too, actually.”
“I’ll make them tonight, if you want,” she said, so many things shuddering through her chest.
“I’d like that, Beth.” His breath wafted across her nose and cheeks, and he smelled like mint and lemons, as well as something richer in there—probably the black coffee he’d drunk for breakfast.
“Please kiss me,” she whispered, and Trey didn’t need to be told twice. He matched his mouth to hers, stroking and taking what he wanted from her. Beth gave it willingly, because he gave so much to her willingly.
As she kissed him in her father’s garage, Beth fell a little bit more in love with him. Maybe all the way in love with him, because he’d forgiven her when she’d made a mistake, and there was no better feeling than that.
* * *
That evening,Beth dragged a knife through the pan of caramel pecan brownies that had been sitting on the counter cooling for the past hour. Trey had volunteered to put TJ to bed, and Beth had sent them both down the hall fifteen minutes ago.
She put a couple of brownies on a plate and went down the hall to her bedroom. With her tasty treat on the nightstand, she retraced her steps to the kitchen and put two more brownies on a plate for Trey.
This time, she paused in her son’s doorway to find Trey half sitting up and half lying down in bed with TJ. The little boy was curled into the cowboy’s chest, and Trey read in a soft, clear voice from the book he held for TJ to see.
He wasn’t wearing his cowboy hat, and he looked softer, more approachable and less rigid. His dark hair curled around his ears and across his forehead, and Beth smiled at his handsomeness.
Her heart melted, and she wanted to take a picture of this moment so she could look back at it and remember, even when her memory had failed.
Danny had never read to TJ. Danny had never even changed their son’s diapers. Not even once. Trey would do that and more, and Beth knew it.
Trey closed the book, his eyes meeting Beth’s. He smiled, the crinkles around his eyes so sexy and making him look so happy. “All right, bud,” he said in the same calm, quiet voice. “Slide on under now.” He got up so TJ would have room in the bed.
TJ snuggled into his pillows while Trey tucked the blanket around him. He bent down and pressed a kiss to TJ’s head and whispered something. TJ reached up and put both arms around Trey’s neck and said, “I love you, Trey.”
“Oh, well. I love you, too, TJ.” By the time her son had let go of Trey and he’d straightened, Beth’s heartbeat had worked itself into a frenzy.
She held out the plate of brownies, almost as if they’d protect her from her own feelings. Those feelings surged and pushed against her defenses, the dam about to break. “Brownies,” she said, and she barely recognized her own voice.
“Thank you,” he said, crowding into her personal space to take them. She fell back and went into the hallway, her mind whispering crazy things about inviting him to her bedroom to share their treat together.
Crazy. Insane. Impossible.
“I’m assuming you have some of these in your bedroom already,” he said, his voice filled with teasing.
“Your assumption would be correct,” she said. “I’m all out of Ritz chips. A woman needs something in her nightstand to munch on.”
“Mm.” The sound got dragged out, and she turned to find him eating his brownie, his eyes closed in bliss.
He opened his eyes and finished the bite. “I don’t think you can say onemuncheson brownies. These things are like cake.” He stuck the rest of the brownie in his mouth, pure delight on his face.
She watched him chew, her pulse blitzing around her chest. What would he do if she stepped into his arms and kissed him? What would he say if she could somehow get him into her bedroom?