The Sheriff's Mail-Order Bride (The Watson Brothers #2)(32)

Gina blushed and Rory slapped her on the butt as she tried to get away.

“Don’t mind her. She can’t say anything considering she was probably doing the same thing.” Chance winked at Gina and strolled into the kitchen. “I’m hungry. What’s on the menu this morning?”

“Well, I was thinking of bacon and eggs with fried potatoes. That okay?”

“Sounds great. Now I’m really starving.” He chucked Fisher under the chin and took a seat at the table.

Callie filled the coffee pot and put it on to heat up. “So, what are we going to do about those horses Tyson talked about yesterday? Do we really need them?”

“I’ll take them if you don’t want them.” Rory looked at his brother before glancing over at Gina. “I think I’d like them, especially since we plan to get a few head of cattle. Make it easier to round them up.”

Gina nodded her head. “I know nothing about horses at all. That’s your department. I’ll take care of the garden and the chickens. They’re about all I can manage, I think.”

“Done.” Chance agreed that Rory would call in on Tyson and pay for the horses and see if they could stay with him until the new fencing had been done.

“Hang on. You knocked him down yesterday and now you’re going to ask him to keep some horses on his property for you?” Gina looked at him, confused at the way they worked.

“Yeah. Why not?” Rory frowned at her, obviously not understanding what her problem was.

“Because if that was me you punched, I wouldn’t talk to you for weeks, that’s why.” She cracked eggs into a hot skillet.

“I told you, that’s just the way it is with Tyson—the reason you should never let anything he says get to you. He forgets about it as soon as he says it.” He picked up the crust that Fisher threw on the floor and walked over to put it in the bin, ignoring the beseeching look in Sherbet’s eyes. “After work today, we’re going over to the cottage and you’re going to tell me what you want so the contractors can get started. I know you’re keen to move back in but we need the work done first otherwise it’ll be a nightmare. Also, I’d like to get married at our own place if that’s at all possible.”

“Ah, Rory Watson, you are a romantic. Who would have guessed?” Callie grinned, pretending to wipe away a tear.

He gave her a pitiful look which made her burst into laughter. Gina shook her head. They were all crazy and she’d fallen in love with them all.

“Fine then, if that’s the only way to keep the peace, I’ll do it. Should I meet you there or will you come back for us?”

“If you meet me there, you can putter around as I know you’ll want to anyway and get the feel for what you want, so when I arrive you’ll be on top of it all. How does that sound?” He slipped his arm around her waist and nibbled at her neck.

“Great, but if you want to eat before you leave, might I suggest you go and sit down. It’s kind of hard to concentrate like this.” She shivered and her nipples perked up under her bra. Rory laughed, a deep throaty sound that went straight to her core. Tonight she would make him pay for teasing her.





Chapter Eleven





Rory took note of the black car sitting opposite his office. The man in the front seat wore dark glasses and a suit like someone out of a bad spy movie, a newspaper held up to shield his face. If he was trying to look incognito, he was doing a really bad job of it. Rory shook his head and hurried to his truck. He was meeting Gina at the cottage to go over her ideas for the home they were going to renovate together. He’d already decided to add on an extra few rooms at the very least. He wanted a family room, and a bigger bedroom for Fisher, and at least one more for the next child he hoped they would have together.

Gina’s car was already parked out in front of the cottage and he glanced around searching for her. The front door stood open so Rory started there first. He walked into the lounge, seeing it differently than he did last time he was here. Now he saw it with Fisher playing on the floor in front of the fireplace, his toys scattered over the rug while he sat back on the couch with Gina in his arms. Gina had painted it a rich cream, giving it a new lease of life. Once they had furniture in, it would look just as he’d imagined.

“What’s got that dreamy look in your eye, cowboy?” Her seductive voice made his pulse race. She leaned on the door frame staring at him from under her lashes, a small smile on her lips.

He smiled. “I want it all and it’s only now I’ve come to realize I can have that with you and Fisher. And to think I was happy to settle for a companion. I’m more grateful than you can ever imagine.”

“Ditto. I never thought when I answered that ad that I would be so lucky. I hoped and I prayed for a decent man to spend the rest of my life with. I didn’t expect what I got last night.”

“What was wrong with this morning?” His lips twitched and he tried to keep a straight face but gave up. His heart flowed over with happiness for the first time in years.

“Nothing unless you count having to get out of bed.” She walked over and slid her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest. Rory put his arms around her and held her tight.

“Guess we have tonight to make up for that.”

“Yeah we do.”