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She pulled her lips briefly between her teeth and then extended a dainty hand. He took it and gently shook, letting his palm linger in hers. Rosemary brought her left hand up and patted her red cheeks.
Warm breath danced against my neck, and I leaned toward Briar, not wanting to miss a single moment of this old-people flirting. “She did that to make sure Rooney saw she doesn’t have a wedding ring on,” Briar whispered.
I smirked, her explanation confirming what I was suspicious about. “So, how long do you think it’ll be before she makes Rooney take her on a date?” I replied under my breath.
Briar bumped me with her shoulder. “Who says Rooney won’t ask before Rosemary steps in?”
“You don’t know Rosemary like I do.” I winked at Briar as she rolled her eyes. My mother’s piercing gaze stole my attention away from Rooney staring at Rosemary. She lifted a brow and tipped her head.
Leave it to my mother to pick on something that I wasn’t even sure Briar wanted. Then she focused back on Rooney. “I can’t believe it took us this long to be introduced. But that eighteen-wheeler behind you makes me think that you being here is more than just to visit,” my mother said.
“Straight to the point,” I muttered under my breath.
“Shush,” Briar answered and gently slapped my arm. As I shot a teasing glare in her direction, Rooney’s voice pulled me back.
“Got a trailer full of dead cattle that are in desperate need of a necropsy. Sooner rather than later,” Rooney answered and then glanced at Rosemary. “Sorry, sweetheart, if that was a bit gruesome. This ol’ boy ain’t been around a woman as pretty as yourself in a long time; sometimes my mouth gets away from me.”
I don’t know who was more shocked by the blatant flirting—Briar or myself. My jaw hit the dirt at the same time as hers, cracking upon contact. Rosemary blushed and waved her hand. “My daughter is a veterinarian and lives here since she’s married to Weston. I’ve heard plenty,” she answered, and a light giggle escaped her lips.
“Close your mouths. Now!” my mother mouthed silently at me and Briar. I snapped my teeth together and glanced at Briar, tapping her hip with my hand. She slowly raised her eyes to me, as if moving through sludge, and I reached toward her, pushing her jaw shut with gentle force. It was a really good thing that their backs were to us.
“Say something,” my mom quickly added without a word and subtly nodded at Rooney and Rosemary.
“Oh, uh,” I cleared my throat, and Rooney briefly glanced at me before looking back at Rosemary. “Look, I can take care of the semi. I’ll park it out of the way and give Doc a call, if you’d like a tour of the place? Rosemary’s just waiting for Tenley to go into labor; I doubt she’d mind taking you?”
Rosemary dipped her chin, glancing to the ground, and then clasped her hands in front of her.
Rooney took a step toward Rosemary. “Your daughter’s having a baby?” he asked, and she nodded.
“Yes. Not my first grandkid, but Tenley’s first baby,” she answered, her voice higher pitched. I took a slow step backward, grabbing Briar’s arm.
“Well, Cassidy talked about this place the entire time he lived with me. I’d love a look around,” Rooney answered.
Rosemary giggled. “Oh, wonderful.” She reached forward and slipped her arm into Rooney’s elbow that he offered, and then they walked off toward the main house without looking at the rest of us.
“Alright,” my mother suddenly said, snapping my attention to her. “What’s this about dead cattle needing necropsies?”
“It’s a long story, and they’ve already been dead for over a week or two at least. The truck’s refrigerated, but like Rooney said, I gotta get Doc started on these necropsies as soon as possible,” I quickly answered and let go of Briar.
My mom narrowed her eyes and glanced at the beautiful blonde beside me and then back at me. “Is this related to the illegal hunters or whatever that were here earlier?”
Briar pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, and I saw a hint of worry cross her effortlessly beautiful features.
So, I quickly shook my head. “Nah. Can’t be.” Running my hand across the back of my neck, I glanced at my dad, silently asking him to step in for me here.
“Nancy, my love, Cassidy and Miss Briar here have got some work to do; we can talk with them later. Let’s let them be for now,” my dad said and slipped a loving arm around his wife’s waist.
She kept her steely gaze locked on me a little longer. “Fine. Be smart; you have young eyes watching you,” she quickly admonished.
“Yes, ma’am,” I answered, wrapped my hand around Briar’s arm, and dragged her away from my parents to the other side of the eighteen-wheeler.
“Let me call Doc. He’s got a lot of work to get started on,” I said to her and let go of her.
“Cassidy,” she whispered under her breath as my gaze locked onto her beautiful face. A face full of worry, fright, even bordering on terror.
“What’s wrong, Goldie?” I tenderly asked. My body begged for me to reach forward and cup her cheeks. Everything screamed for me to cradle her into my body, reassure her that everything was going to be okay, even though I had no idea what she was so afraid of.
“What if he doesn’t find anything?” She stepped toward me, nearly bumping her chest against mine. My brows furrowed, drawing together as I swam in her swirling irises.
