ChapterFour
Greer paced in the living room waiting for Emery or Taylor or whoever she was to come out of the bathroom. He was suspicious and edgy and crazily attracted to a woman he had no right to be attracted to.
He needed to call Papa and see what his advice was. If anyone could do it, Papa could muddle Greer out of this mess. He was confused. Emery was not only incredibly appealing to him but had made him smile and … laugh. He didn’t even know what to think about that. Only his hilarious little brother Hudson and his cousin Maddie could make him laugh.
He rubbed at his chest. If the beautiful woman in his bathroom really was Emery Reeder and had come here to avenge her brother or attempt to steal the secret, it would hurt down deep. He’d barely met her, so that was as insane as him laughing at her little comments.
He heard the bathroom door open, and then Emery walked into the main living area. Her warm brown eyes focused on him for a moment, and warmth filled his chest. She quickly looked away. Her gaze swept around his spacious great room, seeming to catalog the vaulted ceilings, hickory cabinets, gray granite countertops, leather furniture, distressed cherry floor, and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the lake and mountains beyond. It was growing dark, so the picture-perfect lake was a deep, dusky blue.
“Your house is gorgeous,” she murmured.
“Thank you.” He was proud of his sprawling rambler. His cousin Alivia had designed and built it for him. The same cousin he’d protected while shooting this woman’s brother. A tremor went through him at the thought.Please don’t let her be Emery Reeder, he begged heaven above, though he was ninety-nine percent certain she was. It was hard enough trying to forgive himself for Reeder’s violent end. This twist of the man’s sister appearing in Greer’s world and staying in his house was too much. Especially if the angels above had directed her here.
They stared at each other and he tried to remember the manners his mom had drilled into him. “Hungry?” he grunted out.
“Yes, but I’m more tired than hungry,” she said.
Did that mean he should feed her or not? He was the furthest thing from a host. He rubbed at his jaw. “A snack?”
“No, thanks. I can eat tomorrow. I’d love to steal a bottle of water and climb into bed.”
“Okay.” That he could handle.
He hurried to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and brought it back to her. As he handed it over, it happened. Their fingers brushed. Warmth erupted from the simple touch of her skin, and he froze. Their gazes collided and he could see that same warmth lighting up her beautiful brown eyes.
Then Greer did the craziest thing he’d ever done. Instead of moving away, he wrapped his hand around hers.
She startled and stared at him as if she could see into his soul. Greer felt like she was a grounding wire and he was being struck by lightning. The sensation was intense and warm and should’ve been painful, but she grounded and protected him.
Yanking her hand free, she stepped back and held up the water bottle. “Thanks so much,” she said far too brightly. “Where do you want me to sleep? I can sleep on the couch if you need.”
“No,” he managed, feeling completely out of sorts, not from the way it felt to touch her, but from her pulling away.
He gestured her to the south. On the north side of his house, his master suite had views east and west. The great room was in the middle with the large living area, kitchen, and dining room. The entryway and his office were at the front of the house. On the south side, behind the garage, was a workout room and two spare bedrooms with a bathroom between them. One bedroom had nothing in it, but Esther, Alivia, Maddie, and Jessie insisted he have the third room done up for “guests.” He would’ve scoffed at them, but Greer wasn’t much of a scoffer. Needless to say, he’d lived in the house for three years and Esther, Maddie, and Jessie, had each stayed in the room once, probably to make him feel like it hadn’t been a complete waste of money but not overwhelm him with too much human interaction. His sister and cousins would be ecstatic to know he had a female guest. Until they found out who it was.
They walked through the living area and he reached in front of her to push open the guest bedroom door. She looked around at the four-poster bed, nightstand, and large windows overlooking the lake.
Greer walked past her and opened the closet. He lifted out a set of clean sheets and said, “Nobody’s slept in the bed. Might be dusty.” It was a lot of words for him. He’d talked more around her than he did around anyone. She didn’t move, and he didn’t know if he should change out the sheets or leave them for her.
“I don’t think it matters,” she said, gesturing to herself. “I’m a dirty mess.”
He looked her over. She was dirty except for her face, arms, and hands that she’d scrubbed in the mud room bathroom. He held up a finger, then turned and strode from the room. Hurrying through the house, he went to his master, grabbed a T-shirt out of his closet, and rushed back to the guest room. Emery hadn’t moved.
He handed over the T-shirt, careful to not brush her hand and risk losing his mind again. “Shower and sleep in this,” he pushed out. “I can wash your clothes.”
She looked him over. The warmth he’d felt in his chest spread to his extremities. She was attracted to him, and the thought made him … lightheaded. Greer always thought of himself as strong, but right now he felt so weak he was tempted to lean against the doorframe.
Emery shook out the T-shirt. Her brow furrowed and her mouth curved into a smile. What shirt had he given her? It just looked like one of his plain gray T-shirts.
“‘I never dreamed I’d be a super sexy rancher, but here I am killin’ it,’” she read aloud, turning the shirt around so he could see the print on the front.
Greer froze. “Um …”
She looked up at him and laughed. “And here I thought you were a humble guy.”
“My cousin,” he pushed out by way of explanation. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Maddie. She’d given him the shirt for Christmas, thinking she was hilarious. He’d thanked her. And had never worn it.
Looking at Emery again, he shook his head and muttered, “Sorry.” He held out his hand for the shirt. He’d go exchange it for one that had no writing on it.