“I can see that.” That bright smile she shot his way seemed somewhat genuine, but it also confused him. She was supposed to be some untouchable influencer, above such indignities as getting caught on the bottom of a dogpile.
She was!
He needed to get off her! His fingers went to hers. He meant to help her to stand, but touching her again had been another mistake. His skin burned, but he wasn’t about to let a little chemistry stop him from being a gentleman.
Chemistry? Stop already. She’s with West!
He tugged her up and went for her luggage next. It was near their feet.
“I’ve got the shoulder bag,” she said. Her hands landed on his, twisting his fingers away from the strap like her honor depended on it. “I’m trying to make a good impression on the family…” She stopped herself with a giggle. “Please don’t tell West about me tripping you. He’ll never let me hear the end of it.”
He completely agreed with her.
Cole carefully unwound his fingers from her soft manicured ones. This girl was killing him. Why did she keep touching him? “My lips are sealed,” he said. He scrambled back from her and headed back up the next flight of stairs with only two pieces of her luggage this time. All the way he tried to screw his head on straight.
She took a deep breath, hounding his steps. “You’re the baby, huh?”
“The baby?” He distastefully rolled the insult over his tongue. What did she think? He was seven? West might’ve dubbed him that, but Eva had nothing on him. He snickered. “And how old areyousupposed to be? Sixty?”
“Twenty-nine.”
“Now who’s the one in diapers?” he teased her back. “I’ve got you by two years, almost three.”
“Baby of your family, silly,” she replied, undeterred.
“It’s Cole,” he said, “but if you really want to call me the baby, then you’re going by ‘embryo.’ Hope you’re okay with that.”
She let out an explosive laugh. “West warned me that you had a mouth on you. He talks about you all the time.”
He cringed, wondering what demeaning things West had blabbed about him.
Eva sighed loudly behind him, perhaps oblivious to the brothers’ feuding. “The girls must go crazy for you in town. I’m sure you have to brush them off you like glitter.”
He rolled her luggage into her room, aware that he was now free to make a break for it. Instead of running, he leaned against the frame of the white-painted door and tried to explain how things really were in Harvest Ranch. “It doesn’t really work that way around here. We all grew up together in this town, so we knowwaytoo much about each other. We have to go to Charleston to find anyone to date, so…”
She seemed intrigued. “You don’t have a girlfriend?”
“Uh no.” And why was he admitting that to her again?
“I’d be happy to set you up.” Her delicate brow arched with excitement, and she clapped her hands. “Ooh, what’s your type?”
His mind flew to that beautiful redhead at Mo’s. He couldn’t quite remember what she looked like in the face of Eva’s pale beauty and–and… it didn’t matter. No way was he allowing Eva to meddle with his heart. “It’s cool,” he said. “I think I’ve got a handle on my own love life.”
“No, no! I want to be there for you!” She jumped onto Momma’s soft patchwork quilt that was spread over the four-post bed. The mattress squeaked under her swinging legs. “I love matchmaking. I helped Nash with Emily! How about I bring a friend with me the next time we come to visit?”
He could just imagine how that would go. He winced. “Don’t eventhinkabout it.”
Her beautiful eyes narrowed. “You’re hard to crack, just like West, I see.”
“No!” He was annoyed to hear his voice tightening with his disgust, but she’d gotten to him. “I’mnothinglike West.” She’d somehow stumbled onto Cole’s worst nightmare, and he groaned inwardly at her surprised expression. Still, he had to set her straight: “Get that out of your mind right now. West and I are way,waydifferent.”
Her cheek turned from him, seconds before he saw her knowing smile. Apparently, she disagreed.
He leaned back against the door again. It didn’t matter. His momma would be appalled at how unpleasant he was being to their guest anyway. Somehow Eva had gotten under his skin, but he needed to tone it down, way down. “Do you need anything else?”
“Yeah, I’ll need your number because I’m going to set you up.”
Eva had a hint of a southern accent. It was kind of cute. And then he thought about what she’d said.