Page 33 of Her Boss, Her Rancher: Sunrise On The Ranch

“Furniture doesn’t arrive for another couple of days.”

“It arrived this morning, actually.” She offered a small, unsteady smile. “I got on the phone two days ago and had the company’s ass for breakfast.”

He shook his head and chuckled. “I’m learning to never underestimate you, Ms. Graystone.”

“Wise man, Mr. Covington,” she responded, forcibly settling her world on its axis once again and giving it a mental nudge to set it spinning.

He gave a single dip of his chin. “I’m at cabin eleven. Bring that bill of lading down when you’re done here.” He was halfway across the living room before he stopped and gave her his profile. “Five bucks says your cookies kick ass.” And then he was gone.

A genuine smile stole across her face.

Wouldn’tthatbe something?

CADEHUNGTHElast shutter on the final cabin before slipping his hammer into the loop on his tool belt. He pulled up his shirt and wiped his face, neck and chest before tossing the tee into his tool bag. The area was well lit by new arena lights, casting long shadows even though it was way past dark. He climbed down the ladder and stepped twenty or so feet away from the cabin to take in the completed job. A sense of fierce satisfaction wound through him, and he wondered idly, as he dug a cookie out of the cooler, if Emma had experienced the same sense after her first—very successful—attempt at cookies.

Since he was the last one working tonight, Cade was left putting away all the tools before heading to the barn to shut out the lights. His horse, Ziggy, nickered, demanding attention. Glancing around a little guiltily, he went to the fridge in the tack room and grabbed a can of Coke. Taking it to Ziggy’s stall, he opened the can and set it on the wide sill of the stall door. The horse picked up the can and tilted his head back, spilling as much of the soft drink as he managed to get down his throat before dropping the can and tossing his head. If a horse could express glee, Ziggy’s face was radiant with it. The Coke was their little secret—Ziggy was a sugar addict and Cade was his supplier. Whatever. It clearly worked.

Cade laughed as the horse flapped his lips for more. “Nope. You’re cut off at one can, my friend. You’re far too close to the edge as it is. What will we do if you go over? Your loyalty could be compromised entirely, and for what? A single twelve-ounce fix? You’ll hate yourself in the morning.” The horse snorted and pawed at the stall door, and Cade lifted his brows. “See? You’ve already been reduced to begging for your next hit. Where’s your pride, man? And when will you realize one hit is never enough? We’ll fight this together. I promise.”

Cade bent down and swept up the discarded can, chuckling. The recycle bin was almost full. He’d have to empty it tomorrow—the day of his date with Emma. Maybe he and Emma could leave a little early so he could dispose of the recyclables at the depot in Clayton. Might bring in a couple hundred bucks.

He began flipping heavy switches. The barn went dark first, followed by the arena and then the landscape lighting. That’s when he noticed one of the cabins was completely lit up.

It would have been easiest just to cut the power to all the cabins and check it out tomorrow, but if there happened to be a short or if one of his brothers happened to still be working... But he’d watched them head inside at least an hour earlier.

“Folks have to learn to switch lights off. Utility bills are going to leave us eating dandelion soup and boiling river water for drinking.” He yanked his hat off his head and slapped it against his thigh as he walked. A decidedly feminine shadow moved by the window, her form backlit against the curtain.Emma.

“What are you up to, Ms. Graystone?” he murmured.

Music sounded faintly through the door. Not just any music, either. It was the Tyler Farr album he’d had in his truck. He wasn’t sure if she’d lifted it from him or had downloaded it from somewhere. But she was clearly singing along, her voice low and sultry and just off tune enough to be positively endearing. She was also dancing.

He moved closer to the window, shifting so he could see through the split in the shades. This was definitely not the kind of dancing they’d be doing tomorrow night. These were dangerous moves, the kind that whipped a man into a frenzy right before they rendered him a complete fool. He watched those hips sway, found himself seduced by the way they swiveled and thrust with the music, and admitted to himself it wouldn’t be so horrible to be a fool.

Cade grinned as he adjusted his enthusiastic erection. Man alive, that woman couldmove. He couldn’t wait to get her on the dance floor.

She spun by the window and something else inside caught his attention. His grin was wiped away as if it had never been. Emma wasn’t working in the cabin.She’dmoved in.

Damn if he was going to let that stand. She was a guest in their house, a guest inhishouse, and she wasn’t staying in a cabin. This way she’d be out of reach, too far away from him.

He wanted to be close in case she needed him for any reason. He wanted to hear her getting ready for bed. Wanted to hear her get up in the morning. Craved listening to her humming as she brushed her teeth. To be reassured that she was still there, that she hadn’t disappeared into the night, hadn’t left him with complicated memories and unresolved tomorrows.

He stepped to the door to knock and a hard hand gripped his fist. “I wouldn’t.”

Cade whipped around, his other hand already fisted and headed toward the source of the voice.

The dark shadow ducked and yanked on his dominant hand at the same time, pulling Cade off-balance. “Cut it out, little brother.”

Eli.

“Thanks for the reminder on the official rank and order. What are you doing out here?” Cade asked, panting from a combination of adrenaline and...more adrenaline.

“Came out here to ask you the same thing. Saw all the lights go out but you never made it to the house. Wanted to make sure you didn’t forget your way home.”

“Unless you decided to wear ruby slippers, clicked your heels together, whispered ‘There’s no place like home’ and dropped the house on some unsuspecting soul somewhere else, I’m good, thanks.” Cade pulled his hand free of Eli’s grip with a bit of force. Wouldn’t have been necessary if Eli had simply let go, but in typical big-brother fashion, he hadn’t.

The guy had been nowhere in sight when Cade had needed him most, and now he was trying to slip into the authoritative role? Life didn’t work that way. Not as far as Cade was concerned, anyhow. He’d covered for Eli for years, and not once had the sacrifice been acknowledged. Not by anyone, but especially not by Eli.

“Thickheaded or not, you’re not stupid, Cade. When I said ‘don’t forget your way home,’ you know I was telling you to put one foot in front of the other and get to bed.” Eli’s terse tone said he expected no argument.