He looks me up and down, a grin spreading over his face. “I’ll take you to him.”
I walk beside him as we take a winding path toward a big building.
“How long has the Kringle Ranch been in your family?” I ask Ledger as I try to keep up with him. He’s so long-legged that it’s hard for me.
He notices and slows his stride. “I don’t reckon I know. A few generations, I suppose. The Kringles adopted me when I was about fifteen. Just like they did Micah and Cassie.”
Weird, I didn’t know they weren’t all siblings. They always act like it every time I see them together. They’re always bickering and teasing each other and laughing. It makes me miss my family.
Leaving our little town in Georgia was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. There wasn’t enough money for all of us to go. So, Mama scraped together enough cash to buy me a bus ticket.
I’ve been on my own ever since, bouncing from town to town. Courage County is the place I’ve stayed at the longest but if Micah doesn’t hire me, I might have to find somewhere new. The thought of leaving this warm community makes my heart hurt. It has nothing to do with a certain gruff cowboy.
Ledger stops in front of a brick building that’s small but neatly kept with window boxes out front. There are even seasonal plants in them. He knocks once on the red door before he’s pushing inside and gesturing for me to follow.
“Hey, Micah,” he calls. “Found a pretty little thing on the path here.”
Micah looks up from his desk. It’s cluttered with paperwork all around him. He’s got Abby in one arm while cradling a phone between his shoulder and his head. The dark circles under his eyes tell me that he hasn’t been sleeping well. I guess that shouldn’t be a surprise given that he’s just become a new father. But the sight makes me want to go to him. I want to brush the dark hair from his eyes and reassure him that he’s not alone anymore.
With a muttered curse, he ends the phone call and glares at his brother. “What the duck is she doing here?”
Ledger shrugs but the entire time, he looks like the cat who ate the canary. “I don’t know. I was too distracted by how pretty she is to ask her. Maybe you should.”
Something dark and possessive crosses Micah’s features. “Out. Now.”
I take two quick steps backward, prepared to flee his wrath. “No, not you. You stay. Ledge is leaving.”
Ledger tips his head toward me, amusement still on his face. “Seems my work is done. Good luck with grumpy pants here.”
Micah growls. He actually growls at Ledger.
But his brother just laughs as he takes three long strides to the door. “See you soon.”
The moment we’re alone, Micah’s scowl only deepens. “Ignore Ledger. He’s...well, he’s Ledger.”
“He seems nice enough,” I offer.
There’s another growl. I’m beginning to think he’s not a cowboy at all. He’s a caveman—a big, grumpy caveman. “What can I do for you?”
I twist the bottom of my shirt. Now that I’m here, I’m suddenly nervous. If he tells me he doesn’t want me for this job, it’ll be worse than being rejected by Austin or Mallory. They might not have given me a job, but I don’t lie awake at night thinking about them.
But Micah is a different story. Sometimes, when I’m alone in my bed and I remember the way he looks when he’s scowling, my fingers drift into my panties. I caress my swollen folds and imagine it’s him doing it.
I imagine that he’s whispering into my ear, calling me his dirty girl, and telling me how slick I am. Would he nip at my skin? Put his blunt finger deep into my weeping channel? Would he make me come just from touching my pussy and murmuring filthy things into my ear?
Abby starts screeching, and her loud sounds pull me from my fantasies. The fantasies that are never going to come true anyway.
“The job. I’m here for the job,” I answer the question he asked while tuning out the baby’s noise. Growing up with so many siblings has taught me how to handle noise coming from multiple directions and still stay on task.
He looks me up and down while trying unsuccessfully to calm his daughter. “You ever operated a chainsaw?”
“I didn’t think it would be necessary.” What is the man expecting me to do, build a cradle from a tree that I’ve cut down on his property? Seems like a hell of an employment test.
“Operating a chainsaw is useful when cutting firewood,” he answers, his tone barely hiding his annoyance. He’s so different than when he’s at the store. I’m not sure if it’s me or Abby’s crying that’s got him on edge. Maybe it’s a bit of both.
“And that’s part of the job?” At this point, I’m pretty desperate for employment. Even if being a nanny for Micah has some unusual tasks, I don’t care. I just want money to take care of my family.
“Yep, right there in the description. Door is behind you. Have a nice day.” He turns his attention back to the screaming baby girl that he’s still trying in vain to comfort.