Lucky Baby (Crescent Cove 11)

She nearly sliced my arm, but my quick reflexes left leaves as the only fatality.“Watch it.”

“Kinda a cramped situation here.”

“Yeah. More cramped for this little guy.” I hacked at the branches to make more space. “So what are you doing here anyway?”

She leaned against me to see what I was doing. “You should cut over there.”

“Thanks, Captain Obvious.”

“Dick.”

“Language,” I mumbled.

“You too?”

I grunted and broke off another branch. “Kimmie is a drill sergeant.”

“I’m getting that.”

“So?”

“So what?”

“Why are you down here in the mud with me?” I hissed as a thorn sunk into the side of my hand. “Bastard.”

“Language.”

“Jerk.”

“Bitch.”

Her immediate reply made me turn toward her. “Sexiest woman in the Cove and watches Supernatural? We should get married.”

“Not in this lifetime.”

I grinned and went back to work. “Did you come here looking for me? Or are you friends with the mom squad?”

“Dear God, no.”

I huffed out a laugh. “Are you finally calling in your chip?”

“Yes. I talked to Gideon, and he told me where to find you.”

“I’ll have to buy him a case of beer.”

“He says you owed him money.”

The other guys on Gideon’s crew were tired of me winning at poker and had gotten me shitfaced at the last guys’ night. They couldn’t handle my natural aptitude. “Fucking cheaters.”

“Language!” Came a chorus of voices just behind us.

I turned to look at Tish and her face was way too close to mine. More of that cinnamon goodness came from her dark red mouth. Her deep brown eyes were intense and damn if they didn’t dilate a bit. Maybe it truly wasn’t one-sided on this attraction thing after all.

The dog let out a pathetic growl, dragging me back to the reason I was laying facedown in the mud. I flicked my very sharp knife through the cord tied to the trunk and dragged the little guy close enough for me to scoop up before he could disappear into the thornier tangle of brush.

I lowered my voice to a rumbly whisper. “Hey, there. You’re okay now.”

“What’s going on?”