Page 98 of Cole’s Dilemma

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What was West going to think when he saw them?

Did it matter? They were alive, and she was stunning. He took her by the waist. Her stomach heaved with her frightened breaths. He set her on her feet and held her close, running his fingers down her muddy hair.

“Should we hose off before we go into your momma’s home?” she asked.

What a thing to think about right now! And yet, they were filthy. He grabbed the shotgun from the back of his truck, and taking her hand, he led her into the barn where they kept a shower in the back.

It was a wide cement pad behind the stalls. The Slade men didn’t care about privacy, and it showed with the open space. They’d even thrown a few muddy dogs and other livestock under the spray when they got too dirty. The cement pad would be perfect for getting the worst of this mud off.

Setting the shotgun against the wall in easy reach, he turned on the spray and winced at the cold. Fiddling with the knobs, he finally got the temperature nice and hot. His numb skin complained under the spray, which made him realize how cold it actually was outside.

Turning to Eva, he saw her try to hide her shivers from him. He groaned. She wasn’t just scared, she was freezing. Her arms were wrapped around her torso. Wasting no more time, he drew her with him under the spray of warm water, fully clothed.

Why not?

Their clothes could use a good rinse too. He’d done as much after a day out on the ranch.

At first they just stood there under the spray, trying to get back their body heat as the air steamed around them. Eva wouldn’t stop shaking. He wrapped his arms around her, realizing instantly that he needed the heat from her as much as she needed his.

“Cole!” she cried out with a laugh. “How did we get so cold?”

They’d been focused solely on survival, that’s how.

Parts of his body stung under the warmth, but the shower was necessary for getting their core temperatures back to normal. He ran his hand down her grimy hair. “I’m not sure your hair is ever going back to its natural color,” he joked.

Eva reached for her hair, trying to squeeze out the mud. Her fingers trembled. That could be from the cold… or her fear. His protective instinct surged through him, and his hands joined hers to clean her off, catching what she couldn’t see on her face and wringing out the mud from her dress.

She tried to return the favor, by getting whatever she could out of his white shirt. Unnecessary, but sweet—the shirt was done for. So was that dress—it was a permanent dingy brown.

His gaze drew to the water catching on her long lashes. It dripped like dew against those misty blue eyes.

He couldn’t help it—he kissed her under the spray, gently. He was still so grateful to God that she was okay. Her fingers trailed across his neck as he caught her soft lips under his. They’d been through so much, and he didn’t want to take advantage of the turmoil of her emotions, though he supposed his were all over the place too.

Cole held her close just to reassure himself that she was still there.

He should get her back to the house, but he just didn’t want to let her go. As soon as he felt her shivers smooth out into her even breathing, he rested his chin on the top of her head. He listened to her heart slow from its earlier racing.

They could get out now. The swamp was as rinsed from their bodies as it would ever be. Steadying himself, he turned the knobs off from the shower and led Eva over the thick cement pad to where they stashed their towels on a side shelf. Someone had forgotten to replenish the supply, so he grabbed some clean horse blankets instead.

Those would have to do.

He draped one over them both, and they headed out, grabbing the shotgun again as they passed the stalls of horses. They left wet footprints to mark their way. Sleipnir whinnied softly.

A movement in the back of the barn made Cole stumble to a stop. They weren’t alone.

“Eva!” A man came crashing from the shadows. He carried a big balloon that might as well have belonged in the hands of a deranged clown for how creepy this looked. Written on the side was, “Will You Marry Me?”

Behind him, his flunky followed him with an oversized teddy bear and chocolates.

In one fluid movement, Cole brought the shotgun under his arm, shouting for Eva to get behind him.

The men’s hands went up. “Whoa!”

Cole noticed that the man with the balloon still had his phone on him, but where were the guns? Was his friend hiding his weapon behind that bear? “I want to see those hands,” Cole said.

The teddy bear flopped to the ground with a shout of surprise, and still no weapons. Where were they hiding them—or had they truly found his shotgun in the grass and had just left it where they found it? That would be insane!

These menlookedinsane.


Tags: Stephanie Fowers Romance