Chapter 14
May your llama days be merry and bright.
“So what do you think?” Sarah asked Hudson as he headed for the chicken coop.
Scout fed her chickens twice a day and he’d added it to his duties. He found himself wanting to take over even more, but she’d been hesitant to let him handle as much as he knew he could.
And he also knew it was because he’d told her he’d be leaving in February. Still, she should let him ease the load while he was here. “About what?”
“Scout’s hot ex.”
“Really?” He glared at her. “That’s what you’re calling that douche?”
“Just wanted to see if you cared.” She grinned, a little obnoxiously.
God, she really was a psycho sometimes. She’d once told him the reason she loved Christmas so much was because it was when her ex-husband had died.
She hadn’t killed him or anything—she was strict about her contracts and code—but it hadn’t stopped her from celebrating what she called “a better world.”
“I don’t trust that guy.”
“Yeah, his smile is a little too charming. But…” She shrugged. “Being an asshole isn’t a crime. And if there is a drug-running angle coming from the Willman Ranch, it changes things.”
He nodded as he pulled the chicken feed out. “Yeah, it does.” They had enough contacts that they would figure out if Zack Willman was working for anyone or just letting locals use his ranch to transport. It happened a lot more than people realized.
But his ranch wasn’t as well-positioned for transportation as Scout’s, was more landlocked… “Maybe that’s the reason they want her farm. She’s got a lot more land and access to multiple rivers. Easier for transport that way.”
“I was just thinking that.” Sarah nodded. “I’m going to add some trail cams down by the nearest river tonight. I’ll grab her ATV and head out. I’ll be back after dark—make sure you save me dinner. And also, maybe grow a pair and make a move.”
He shot her a surprised look. “What the hell?”
She shrugged. “Just saying. You know I love you, but your romantic life is pathetic.”
“I don’t have…”
She just raised an eyebrow. “Exactly my point. Pa-thetic.” She turned the word into two long ones.
“I’m just helping her,” he muttered, not believing himself any more than he thought Sarah did. He might want more with Scout, but he knew she deserved better than a contract killer who’d been drifting for years. She deserved stability…and maybe he wanted that too.
“Fine, if you’re not interested in her, I already sent her info to some of the guys back home. Already got a few offers from the others to come help out.” She waggled her eyebrows. “As backup and maybe more.”
No goddamn way. “Who offered?”
“Ace and Silas.”
Hudson ground his back molars. “Get the hell out of here—and don’t contact them again.” Stupid, handsome bastards. Both of whom he actually liked. But screw them. And screw anyone who thought to make a move on his woman.
Who wasn’t actually his woman at all.
But his dick hadn’t gotten the memo.
He needed to get over whatever this was…except he really didn’t want to.
***
Hudson closed the front door to Scout’s home behind him and set the deadbolt. They’d had dinner, Sarah was settled in at the cottage—with working hot water—and he’d done one final walk around the property even though they had more security cameras now.
It was a compulsion to keep Scout safe.
“Hey, can we talk?” Her soft voice had him pausing, but he turned to find her in the open living room next to the entrance by the door.
“Sure. Everything okay?”
“Yes. But something earlier bothered me, and if I don’t say something, it’s going to make me crazy.”
“All right. Shoot.”
“I don’t appreciate you kissing me to get me to shut up or listen to you or whatever that was.” Her words came out in a rush, as if she’d been practicing.
He waited a beat to make sure she was done. “You’re right, and I’m sorry.” Mostly. But he didn’t feel bad about kissing her.
Her eyebrows kicked up slightly. “Oh. I thought you might argue with me.”
“For the record, I wanted to kiss you. And I still do. But it was poor timing.”
“You can’t…” She trailed off, her eyes wide as she stared at him.
Her dark hair was down again, damp from her shower, and she had on another of those formfitting shirts and jeans he’d been fantasizing about peeling off her inch by inch.
The woman was toned and fit from all the work she did and he had no doubt they could go hours together.
“I can’t mean that? Is that what you were going to say?
Because I very much do.” Maybe it was a mistake to admit his attraction, but…
he didn’t care. She clearly needed the help around here and he didn’t think she’d kick him out for admitting that.
Mostly because he’d seen hints of heat in her eyes when she looked at him.
And if she hadn’t kicked him out when she had to know what he’d done to Hank and Lane, he figured he could push it a little.
“Hudson.”
He loved the way she said his name. She didn’t add anything to it, so he just lifted a shoulder. He’d given her a fake last name—one of his covers—but kept his given name. And now he was even more glad he’d done that. “It’s true.”
“I can’t deal with this right now. We barely know each other, and we’ve got a week until the winter festival. I…” She turned on her heel and muttered something about going to bed, then disappeared into the back of the house.
“Smooth,” he muttered to himself as he headed back to his own room. “Real freaking smooth.” Yep, he should have kept his mouth shut. But he’d thought admitting it might lead to more.
Clearly he knew nothing.
As he shut the bedroom door behind him, a tap on the window had him pulling the curtain back—to find Lucy on the porch, booping her nose against the pane.
He slid it open, frowned at her. “What are you doing?” he asked, then chastised himself. It wasn’t like she could answer.
She bleated once, then down off the porch he saw Clover and Patricia standing under one of the sensor lights.
Lucy stomped her foot once, then her other one.
“Oh, you want treats?” Seriously, how did he know that was exactly what she was asking for.
She stomped again.
Apparently he spoke llama now. Or maybe he just spoke Lucy. “Fine, but this isn’t going to become a habit. Okay?”
She just stared at him with big brown eyes.
“Hold on,” he muttered before ducking back into the hallway.
He hoped for a glimpse of Scout, but she was nowhere to be found as he grabbed a handful of carrots from the fridge. After giving the girls their treats, he shut the window and eventually got into bed even as he wondered what the hell his life had become.
He’d fallen for a farmer only a couple rooms away. Knowing she was so close but had shut him out, at least physically, had his entire body on edge.
At least he was a snack bitch for three sassy llamas so he had that going for him.