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Olivia stood and yawned. “Yeah. I would have told you itwould be a cold day in hell, but hey, all my instincts are off lately. I’mgoing to up to my room. I have some calls to make. Did I mention TrevMcNamara’s sons are obnoxious as hell?”
“Several times,” Dad acknowledged.
“Well, they are,” Olivia said as she turned and walked out.
“That did not go well.” Pops followed her. “I’ll see if Ican get her talking.”
Harlow straightened her shirt, looking over at Nicole. “Youready for a session? Landon’s going to be a while before he can take us intotown. I saw him riding out with the hands.”
“I can call him back,” Dad offered.
Nicole stood with Buddy in her arms. “It’s fine. We can goafter lunch. I would like a training session. Can we work on ball busting?”
And it was time for him to go to work. “Love you, baby. I’mgoing to protect my balls though.”
“I’m with you, brother.” Josh shook his head Harlow’s way.“I think I liked it better when Nicole was worried you were in love with us andjealous of her.”
Harlow’s jaw dropped. “She thought what?”
Nicole held Buddy close to her chest. “Well, I didn’t know.I know now. And Joshua Barnes-Fleetwood, you are a terrible man.”
Josh winked her way. “Yeah, but I’m your man. And lucky you.Grim’s here and he’s practically an angel.”
Nicole moved to him, going on her toes to press a kissagainst his lips. “You be careful out there. Those cows can kick when they wantto, and despite what I said before, I like your balls intact.”
“And I’ll go make sure lunch is coming along,” Abby said,waving her children off.
“Now you’ve gone and scared your momma.” Jack winkedNicole’s way as he followed his wife out.
“Nothing scares my momma,” Josh countered then moved in tosurround Nicole, pressing his chest to her back. “You be careful. I love you,baby. I’ll see you this afternoon. Grim, I’ll make it back here for Kim’s call,too.”
Grim nodded.
Then they could truly begin.
ChapterNineteen
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Landon satin the driver’s seat of the truck, looking around the parking lot of therundown motel.
Harlow frowned his way and pointedly checked her watch.“Kim’s supposed to call in an hour. If you stay with us, we’ll still have tomake the trip to the shelter.”
Nicole didn’t want to be late. “I’d like to be back in timefor the call. This is my whole future on the line, and I think I should bethere.”
The day had kind of gotten away from her in the sweetestway. First she’d chased Buddy, who had taken off running through the frontflower beds. She’d worried the dog was trying to run away, but he’d come backand run zoomie circles around her until he’d lain down and immediately falleninto a nap. Lunch without Josh and Grim was no longer any kind of awkward forher. In fact, she loved the time she got with Abby and Olivia and Harlow.They’d had a leisurely lunch and talked about how Olivia’s trip to Bliss hadgone.
Poorly on the romantic front since the objects of heraffections turned out to have just announced their engagements. To differentpeople. None of whom were Olivia Barnes-Fleetwood.
However, Olivia couldn’t stop talking about the obnoxiouscowboys she’d had to deal with while working with their fathers. Like couldn’tstop talking about them in a “they annoy me for reasons she wasn’t willing togo into” way.
Nicole had found it utterly fascinating, which was preciselywhy they were running late.
Landon sighed. “Fine, but you two be ready to go when I getback.”
Harlow waved him off. “We’ll be ready. I don’t think she’sgot a ton of stuff.”
Nicole moved to the door of the motel room as Landon droveaway.
It was odd to be back here now. She’d been gone for a coupleof weeks, but it felt like she was a different person. She’d come to this placedesperate and alone.
