“Maybe I will,” she said, waving and turning
back to her books.
He found a small study table and chair and dragged them back to where she sat. “You look uncomfortable,” he said, startling her.
“Brody. You didn’t have to do that.” But she was already putting her things on the table.
“Can’t resist. I’m a gentleman, after all.” He winked at her.
Her blue-green gaze locked with his, lingering long enough for the air between them to tighten and build. What would she do if he brushed that wayward curl from her cheek? His fingers itched to find out.
“Brody,” she managed, clearing her throat.
“Yes?” he asked, resisting the urge to step closer.
“Take a hike.” The words were soft, unsteady and dangerously husky.
He smiled. “Sounds good. Tomorrow. After you take Cal to school. I’ll meet you here?”
Her eyes went round, and she shook her head. “You are—”
“A genius,” he finished. “After all, I just got you to ask me on a hike. I’ll let you study now.” With another wink, he left her openmouthed and staring after him.
Chapter Five
The next day she was called in to substitute teach a kindergarten class. Mrs. Rios, the regular teacher, had left early the previous day with a stomach flu, and India got to hear all about how poor Mrs. Rios threw up in the hallway after running out of class.
“Mrs. Rios’s class is a handful,” Cal said as he was getting ready for bed after the end of her second day.
She smiled at her son. “Guess it’s a good thing you’ve got Mrs. Hamilton, then?”
He nodded. “She reads to us lots and has molding clay in her stations all the time—not just for special treats.”
India considered Mrs. Hamilton a brave woman. Molding clay, as she’d found out today, could be seriously disruptive in class. Especially when one student decided to fill another student’s nose with it. After a quick trip to the school nurse all was well, but those fifteen minutes had her rethinking her career field.
“Mrs. Rios is feeling better, so I think I’ll work at the antiques shop,” she said as she dried his wet hair. “And then it’s the weekend. Anything special you want to do?”
“Find a horse I can ride?” he asked, the hope and anticipation on his face too much to resist. “I can do it, Mom. I just need some practice.”
She sighed, running her fingers through his hair. “I know you can. We’ll figure something out, okay? I promise.”
He nodded, smiling ear to ear. “Okay.” He climbed into bed and pulled his blankets up. “Studying tonight?”
She nodded. She had plenty to do. The problem was she didn’t want to do it. No, tonight her restlessness was at an all-time high.
“You get some sleep,” she said, stopping to press a kiss to his forehead.
“I will.” He yawned around his words, his eyelids already heavy. “I’m beat.”
She giggled and stood, turning off his overhead light and flipping on his T. rex night-light. With another, “Night,” she pulled his bedroom door shut behind her and leaned against it, staring around the small cabin she and Cal called home. It was a tiny guest cottage on the dude ranch, two bedrooms and a kitchen-dining area. Perched just far enough from the main lodge to give her a sense of independence, its isolation was the reason most guests asked for a different room. And, sometimes, she did feel achingly lonely—though the cabin’s location probably didn’t have much to do with that.
She pushed through the front door and peered into the black night sky. A million stars sparkled down on her. Between the white rocks cropping up through groundcover and the light of the moon overhead, the ground was a patchwork quilt of shadow and light.
“India?” Scarlett called out, the beam of a flashlight breaking the pitch-black near the tree line.
“Hey.” She waved, relieved by the company.
“I had to escape,” Scarlett said, laughing. “Ever since Dad read about Brody, he’s all fired up. Mom just told him about the committee meeting tomorrow—”