The mud had dried over Eva’s cheek, flecking into chipped patterns. It was all over her, clinging to her clothes, her neck, her hair. He couldn’t get to it all, and still… without thinking, he wiped off a chunk from the side of her cheek with his thumb. She turned her head. He got the full impact of her jewel-like gaze.
He held his breath.
The sparkle in those eyes after their romp through the mud had deepened into something more poignant, and he wasn’t sure ifsheeven knewhow she watched him, but if she did, she’d laugh to know what a wreck she was making of his legendary reserve.
Her attention was addicting in a way. He understood why West insisted on keeping her around, even if he didn’t love her.
West was a fool.
Feeling the storm in her soul like it was his own, Cole almost groaned as the tragedy of West’s negligence struck him full force. This girl must be loved as deeply as she loved.
There is still time to talk her out of her obsession with my older brother.
Cole hadn’t realized that he was hatching such a foolhardy plan on their way back, but the more he got to know her, the more he couldn’t stand to see the train wreck that West would make of her life.
This wasn’t because he wanted Eva for himself. Well, hedid… if he was being honest, but that wasn’t even a thing anyway, no matter how his heart raged against him. The reasons to stay away from her were too many to fight—the two of them were worlds apart… and still he’d see her happy if it killed him.
She cleared her throat. “You know, I should be able to walk from here.” Her bare foot dangled high over the ground.
What was this reluctance filling him at letting her go? Eva fit perfectly against his chest, but no, that wasn’t the reason… entirely. He shook his head, taking a firm hold against his building rebelliousness, even as he heard himself making excuses. “We’ve gone this far. We might as well get you someplace where you won’t step on an old nail from a horseshoe.”
Feeling like a bigger idiot than his brother, Cole brought her to the barn. Releasing Dopey, of course, wasn’t as hard. Cole’s arm was getting numb from wrestling with the bumbling calf’s makeshift leash, and so he dropped off the animal first. The oversized baby immediately found some straw to chew on.
Next, Cole clutched Eva’s waist with both hands so that he could lower her down from his horse. He shouldn’t have done that, either. He was touching her far too much, almost to the point that it felt weirdnotto touch her.
Their kisses were constantly flashing through his mind like an electrical storm. No matter how he tried to cut off those memories, they flooded through everything that he did.
Stop already. You’re a mess!
Cole set Eva down on the barn floor covered in sawdust.
Lizardman hopped joyously around her legs. She leaned down, petting the obnoxiously happy puppy between the ears. “Good boy. You were so fast, Lizardman!” She scooped up the panting dog and cuddled him next to her ear.
His throat constricted. She treated everyone in her life with that same affection. In some ways, she and that cute puppy shared all their best qualities—playful, energetic, innocent—well, in her own way. She was certainly deeply in love with West and had devoted her every thought to him.
She deserved so much better. How could he convince her of that?
He climbed down from Sleipnir and rubbed down his horse, directing Eva to find a stall for the baby calf. The awkward beast was overjoyed to find some hay, but Cole needed to make him up a baby bottle with some milk. They wouldn’t be able to locate the mother any time soon.
Eva tried to help Cole out as much as she could, staggering around in one boot. He thought about sending her off to that shower their dad had constructed in the barn, but the mud on her was almost completely dry now.
Momma’s house would be safe.
There was no reason to keep her hostage anymore.
“Why don’t you go inside and shower off,” he said.
“You’re probably right.” She ducked her head, cheerfully conceding. “We look like we just got done playing the turkey bowl, don’t we? West won’t even recognize me, I bet.” She stroked Dopey’s moving nose before she hobbled away. “Let me know how that big baby does.”
Cole watched her go, trying to shake off this strange new spell that was beating his mind into mush. Nothing was working.
As soon as Cole finished with the animals, he also made his way back to the house. Lizardman followed him inside. The first thing Cole noticed when he walked through the side entrance was the silence. His mother wasn’t at the counter, chopping away at vegetables for dinner.
That was odd.
“Hello?” his voice echoed strangely. The only sound was the water running from Eva’s shower upstairs.
Cole had noticed some cars missing in the front driveway. No one had told him that they were doing errands today. Still, it wasn’t a huge surprise. Their momma would need supplies for Thanksgiving, so she would’ve gone to Charlottesville, and of course, she was in no condition to drive, so that might explain West’s absence. Their old man might still be out working the range.