Page 195 of Cowboy Daddies

Jeb Wilder was her nemesis.

And a poopface, to steal Wyatt’s word.

How dare he spill coffee all over her, then touch her without her consent, carry her into this diner to run cold water over her foot?

And then threaten to be a pain in her ass. What exactly had he meant by that?

“Is everything all right here?”

Casey peered around Jeb. Why did he have to be so big? She spotted the woman who owned the diner. Aggie.

Nice lady.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t wanted to hire Casey for such a short time. Casey couldn’t blame her. She would be leaving soon and she couldn’t supply any information about her former employer since it had been her father. The last thing she wanted was for him to know where she was.

Or that she was in trouble.

She didn’t need him trying to rescue her.

“Yes, everything is fine, thanks,” Jeb said stiffly.

He was so uptight. He needed to loosen up a bit. Do some yoga. Maybe look into some relaxation techniques.

“Casey?” Aggie asked.

“I’m all right except for the fact that Jeb here is trying to freeze my foot off,” she grumbled, attempting to move her foot away from the icy water.

“Keep your foot under the water,” Jeb ordered.

This girl was terrible at doing what she was told.

“I get it,” Aggie said. “I was married to a caveman for forty years. Incredibly bossy. Great in bed, though. So that made up for it. That man could spend hours eating⁠—”

“I think we’ve heard enough,” Jeb said hastily.

A giggle surprised him and he glanced down to see that he’d placed his hands over Casey’s ears.

Shit.

What was he doing?

He snatched them back. “I am not a caveman.”

“You’re bossy and protective and you always think you’re right,” Aggie pointed out.

“That’s because I am always right. The two of you know each other?” Jeb asked.

To his surprise, Casey’s face grew guarded. “Only slightly. I’ve come into the diner a few times. The meatloaf is amazing.”

Aggie pointed at her. “You need to come in more. You’re too thin.”

Aggie thought most people were too thin. But was Casey looking thinner? Her face seemed more drawn and those dark marks under her eyes had grown.

Was she not eating or sleeping well?

And why was he concerned? She wasn’t his to take care of. He was only helping with her foot because he felt like he was partially to blame.

Although she had bumped into him.