ChapterEight
Greer was more impressed with, drawn to, and confused by Emery Reeder in the light of day than he had been last night when he’d still hoped she might be Taylor Miles. When he’d turned from grabbing milk out of the fridge and she’d been standing framed by the guest bedroom door wearing only his T-shirt, he about had heart failure. The shirt had slipped off one shoulder and only covered the tip-top of her thighs. The smooth, firm, tanned shoulder and legs he’d seen were more appealing than any model could be. At least to him.
It wasn’t just physical beauty that Emery Reeder possessed. She had an inner light and warmth about her that took him by surprise. She was funny, intellectual, and could talk the hind legs off a mule. He loved it. He could listen to her talk all day, and he spent most of his days in silence. He hadn’t realized how much he’d been missing out on. Listening to her talk, holding her hand while he prayed, savoring a bite of food at her instruction, laughing, seeing her smile. How on earth could this woman be the mercenary Travis Reeder’s sister? It made no sense, and he wished he knew more about Travis and could somehow bridge the gap to Emery.
They walked out to the barn together into the bright sunny morning. July second. His family would have an enormous party on the fourth. Would he miss it this year to be with Emery? He didn’t mind. He loved his family, but social events weren’t his ideal way to spend his time.
He wanted so badly to hold Emery’s hand as they walked. Or maybe he’d get brave enough to place his hand on the small of her back as he’d seen his brother Thor do with his fiancée Shelly. He shook his head to clear it. He was supposed to figure out why she was here, not fall in crush with her.
“You shouldering that heavy load all right over there, Maverick?”
He smiled. She had no idea how heavy his load was. Or maybe she did. He found himself wanting to tease with her, and he never wanted to tease with anyone. “Top Gun?”
“No-o,” she drawled out, shaking her head. “I love Tom Cruise’s smile, but you are the cowboy through and through. Do you like me calling you Maverick?”
“Sure.” She could call him anything she wanted. His chest tightened. Unless she called him murderer. Oh, man. Hopefully Papa would figure out who had sent her here. Sweet, funny Emery must be misguided, probably by the same people who had paid her brother to resort to kidnapping and murder to find the Delta secret. Maybe Travis had been lied to as well.
If she knew he’d killed her brother, she had to hate him. How could she act this appealing, kind, and fun with him if she knew he’d killed Travis? What did he know? He was no expert on women. He’d failed with Belinda, the one woman he’d thought he was meant to be with. His cousins and sister were great, but he’d mostly stayed quiet and out of trouble by not rocking the boat with them. Unlike Chandler, Thor, or Hudson who teased them all nonstop. He swore they did it just to get a reaction.
Emery looked him over as they stopped next to the barn. “Or maybe I should call you Rooster.”
“Rooster?”
“Goose’s son. In the new movie?”
He shook his head. He’d never seen the new Top Gun, only the old one back in middle school, and it had been old then.
“Ah, you’re missing out. We’ll have to watch it together. Sooo good.” She leaned against the barn and he’d never seen a more appealing sight. What would she do if he pinned her against the barn and kissed her? His face heated, and he tried to focus.
“Rooster was super cute,” she continued, adorable and appealing as anyone he had ever seen. “He had this mustache …” She drew in a breath. “Smoldering, blazing, glowing,fieryhot.” She winked and Greer found himself jealous of some man named Rooster. “And he plays the piano and sings like Goose did in the first movie. ‘This kind of love drives a man insane,’” she sang out. “‘You broke my will, oh what a thrill, goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!’”
Greer laughed. He would surely set some kind of record for the most laughter out of his mouth in twenty-four hours.
“Would you grow your mustache longer and shave your beard for me if I begged you pretty please?”
Greer’s eyes widened, and he scrubbed at his short beard. She blinked up at him so prettily he almost lost his mind. He’d grow a mustache for her. He wanted to ask if she’d kiss him if he beggedher“pretty please.”
Blinking quickly to clear his vision of what kissing her might be like, he opened the small man door and held it for her. They walked into the dim, cool interior of the barn. There was enough light from the skylights and the windows that he didn’t bother with the light switch.
“Yay!” She clapped her hands. “I can’t wait to meet all of your people.”
Greer chuckled, shaking his head. They slowly walked around and he introduced her to Bear, Bruin, Beau, and Brooks, his horses, and then they found Brave napping in a corner. His dog looked up at them and Emery immediately squatted down to pet him. Brave moaned and leaned into her. Greer needed to find a new dog to help with the cattle, but it felt like a betrayal to replace Brave who’d been a gift from his dad for his twelfth birthday. He and Brave had grown up together.
“Ah, that’s a good boy.” Emery peered up at Greer, a twinkle in her dark eyes. His heart missed a beat, and it was all he could do to not rub at his chest. She was going to tease him, and he could hardly wait to hear what she had to say.
“So, what iswithall the B names?” she asked.
His eyes widened and his gut suddenly churned. No way was he telling her about Belinda. He’d only talked to Esther and Papa about Belinda ditching him for her career as an exercise consultant and then meeting someone at the gym, someone who could “actually share their feelings with her instead of grunt” and telling Greer “goodbye forever”.
Some of his siblings or cousins knew how in love he’d been with Belinda back in the day, but thankfully they never said anything or teased him. She’d been gone from the valley for over two years now, but when they’d dated she’d renamed his horses with B names like her and like Brave. He’d thought it was cute at the time. He hadn’t renamed them after she left. Possibly hoping she’d come back?
He shrugged, saying nothing and having to resist the urge to fold his arms defensively across his chest.
Emery straightened and walked closer to him. It amazed him that she wasn’t afraid of him. Had she come here on her own to discover what had happened to Travis? That wouldn’t explain her having money to pay cash for everything. He had to think she didn’t know who had killed Travis, or she wouldn’t be so sweet with him. His heart ached for her. If only he could hold her and somehow make things right for her. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t bring her brother back.
She blinked up at him, those long lashes framing her dark eyes. She was so beautiful he wondered if staring at her would blind him like the sun.
“So …” She tilted her head to the side of the garage where his John Deere 2025R was parked. “What’s the tractor’s name?”