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An awkward silence fell between them. He hadn’t wanted to ‘snuggle on the couch.’ He had only been teasing her, giving her a hard time like a brother would do? She didn’t think of him as a brother like Quaid, Clint, or Easton.
“Let’s do something outside,” she suggested. “It’s too beautiful out there to waste this day.”
Snuggling on the couch wouldn’t qualify as a waste. Far from it.
“All right. A horseback ride? A hike? Swim in the lake?”
All of the above, please, she wanted to cry out.
“You don’t have work to do?”
“Nothing that can’t wait. I’ll need to feed tonight. We can check fence line and bait traps if you favor a ride.”
“Horses, please.” She couldn’t resist clapping her hands together.
“Was there a hat in your suitcase? I don’t think mine will fit you.”
“I will go look.” She sprang toward the stairs, but turned back. “Can you wait for me?”
“Jacey Oliver … you are my top priority.”
That slow cowboy smile melted a piece of her that had probably been frozen for years. She wanted to be his top priority always. She wanted to see that smile multiple times a day for the rest of her life. Her mind raced away with dreams of her and Cade. That wasn’t a prudent path, but it enticed her. Especially when compared to stewing on the lack of solid memories or what Quaid had shared about their demented mother.
“Thank you.” She ran up the stairs, shuffled through the suitcase, and found a pink baseball cap that said Not Your Princess. An odd and sassy saying, to be sure. Was it hers? Maybe someone had gifted her such a hat.
Rushing back down the stairs, she saw that Cade had not budged. His large form and manly bearing appealed to her on every level. Thank you for this man, she prayed. His gaze lifted to her, and she proudly held the hat up, attempting to hide the emotion Cade aroused in her.
“Not your princess?” He gave a grunt. “I wonder who bought you that.”
“My wager is on Easton.”
He did not smile like she imagined he would. Instead, he crossed the distance to her and put out his hand. “Let me help you get all that hair inside the cap.”
“I would appreciate your help.” She handed over the hat.
Her anticipation ramped up as he stepped in close and his body overshadowed hers. He held the cap in one hand and ran his fingers through her hair with the other.
Jacey quivered and miraculously did not fall over. The feel of his fingers trailing along her scalp was bliss, especially combined with the depth of feeling in his green eyes. Even without her memories, she knew this was the most romantic moment she had ever experienced.
Cade continued, gently running his fingertips from the edge of her face and back through her hair until he seemed to have covered every inch of her scalp. He hadn’t secured her hair, simply made her shiver with longing for more of his touch.
He brought the hat up and secured it on her head. It fit nicely.
“Thank you,” she managed. Can we repeat that sequence over and over again?
“My pleasure.”
She loved when he said that.
He picked up his cowboy hat off the coffee table and they walked together to the front door. He already had his cowboy boots on, and she had put runners on after her shower. They walked onto the porch and he plunked his hat on his head.
She gazed up at him. His green eyes locked on hers.
“I had no idea that cowboys were the most fascinating and handsome of men,” she said. Should she be so transparent? What did she have to lose? She might be relocated or captured by her mother tomorrow.
His slow grin came as a reward for her risky statement. He stepped closer and cupped her waist and hip with his palm. Fire raced through her, as unfamiliar as it was enthralling. “I had no clue famous and wealthy ladies were the most mesmerizing and gorgeous of women.”
Jacey bit her lip to hide her pleasure at him returning the compliment. She had no desire to be a famous and wealthy lady. She wanted to stay right here with this intriguing cowboy.
