Sweet Mountain Rancher by Lough Loree

Author:Lough, Loree [Lough, Loree]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-09-01T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

“HEY, NATE,” CARLOS shouted from the diving board. “Watch this!”

Carlos’s belly flop soaked everyone, Nate included, and provoked brotherly taunts and threats that sent the kid scurrying for cover. Though it did his heart good to see the boys enjoying themselves, Nate found it tough to take his eyes off Eden.

She had been sitting poolside when her phone pinged, and now she was hurrying to the pool house, bare feet splashing through the shallow puddles left behind by the boys.

For one thing, she looked fantastic in the body-skimming white top that covered her bathing suit.

For another, she seemed worried or scared as she paced behind the sliding glass doors.

Sam padded up on big bare feet and flopped onto the lawn chair beside Nate’s, and he was glad his cousin had decided to spend his weeklong vacation at the ranch. Sam held out a frosty can of soda.

“Don’t say I never gave you anything,” he said, handing it to Nate. “And don’t chug it, or you’ll get an ice-cream headache.” He pressed a forefinger between his blond eyebrows. “Ask me how I know.”

Nate popped the top and took a swig. “Thanks,” he said. “That hits the spot.”

Sam gave a quick nod toward the pool house. “What’s all that about?”

Nate shrugged. “Who knows? Could be the contractor who’s rehabbing her house.” He shot a quick look at Thomas, who was about to do a backflip from the board. “Or that one’s ex-con dad, who wants back in the kid’s life. Or her landlord, Brett Michaels.”

“That jerk? Man. I haven’t thought about him in years.” He paused. “Remember the time he stuffed shrimp between the coils of the science lab’s heaters?”

Nate groaned. “If I think about it too hard, that stink still burns my nose.”

“I’m still traumatized. Can’t eat shrimp to this day.”

The cousins shared a quiet chuckle.

“Wonder when things went sideways?” Sam mused. “I mean, how does a guy go from harmless pranks to being...Brett?”

“Don’t know, don’t care, long as he steers clear of me.” And Eden. And those boys.

“Oh, you’ve got it bad, don’t ya, cuz. Real bad.”

He’d stolen a glance at Eden. Again. And Sam had caught him. Nate swiped condensation from the side of the soda can. “I think you’ve been sitting in the sun too long. You’re babbling.”

“Me think thou does protest too much.”

Nate laughed. “Should have read the actual play instead of the CliffsNotes. Maybe then you’d know how to properly quote that line.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

Over in the pool, Ben was on the diving board, trying to decide whether or not to try a backflip.

“Just do it!” Cody bellowed.

DeShawn agreed. “You’ll never know if you can or not if you just stand there!”

“From the mouths of babes,” Sam said, nodding toward Eden.

“There you go, babbling again.”

Sam sat sideways in the chair and looked Nate in the eye. “Just do it. It’s good advice when you’re trying something for the first time.” He glanced toward the patio doors, where Eden was now frowning at her phone.

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