“Like maybe they could be interested in each other?”
“Maybe.” Shane paid better attention to the body language between the two and decided there might be an attraction, but he was pretty sure neither one had noticed it yet.
For a second Shane envied the easy camaraderie between Gabe and Chelsea. With the bet hanging over their heads, he and Brandee couldn’t afford to let down their guards. And maybe that was okay. Sparring with Brandee was exciting. So was making love to her. He liked the way she challenged him, and figuring out how to best her kept him on his toes.
Besides, he wasn’t in this for the long haul. This was his chance to have some fun and try to win a bet. Eventually he would move out of Brandee’s house and life would return to normal. But what if it didn’t? What if he wanted to keep seeing Brandee? He snuck a peek at her profile. Would she be open to continuing to see where things went? Or was this just about the wager for her?
Shane didn’t like where his thoughts had taken him. He liked even less the ache in his chest. Gabe’s words from several days earlier came back to haunt him.
As long as you realize what you’re doing can have repercussions and you’re okay with whatever happens...
It was looking more and more like he had no idea what he was doing and the repercussions were going to be a lot more complicated than he’d counted on.
Nine
To thank Chelsea, Gabe and Shane for their help at Hope Springs Camp’s mini-event, Brandee treated them to dinner at the Texas Cattleman’s Club. Their efforts were the reason the day had gone so smoothly and Brandee was able to relax at the end of the successful event.
As soon as they finished dinner and returned to the ranch house, she and Shane headed out to the patio to sit by the fire.
Brandee tucked her bare feet beneath her and sipped at her mug of hot, honey-laced herbal tea. “Despite your very late start,” she said to Shane, keeping her tone light, “you were a huge help today. I think it was good to have both you and Gabe there. Usually we have trouble keeping the boys on task.”
“A couple of them were a little rowdy while they were waiting for their turn at the obstacle course, but once they got working with the dogs it was better.”
“The clicker training keeps both handler and dog engaged. Megan was very satisfied how the day went.”
“She said she might even get some adoptions out of it.”
&n
bsp; “I wish Seth Houser could be one of them. He’s been working with Sunny for almost three months. And making great strides.” The Wheaton terrier was a great dog, but way too hyper. He’d been adopted twice and returned both times. A talented escape artist with abandonment issues, he needed to go to someone as active as he was.
“I was really amazed by how well Seth handled him.” Shane puffed out a laugh. “I think Tinkerbell and Jenny were my favorite pair.”
The adorable shih tzu/poodle mix with the bad underbite had been recently turned in by a woman who had to go into a nursing home. Jenny was a goth girl of fifteen who’d shuffled through the day with stooped shoulders and downcast eyes. But she’d bonded with her short-legged black-and-white dog and together they’d won the obstacle course.
“Megan has a knack for matching the right dog to the perfect handler.”
They lapsed into silence for a time while the fire popped and crackled. The longer they went without speaking, the more Brandee could feel the tension building between them. The last time they’d sat together out here, she’d ended up dragging Shane into the shower.
The day after, she’d been busy with her cattle herd and hadn’t gotten home until late every night. Part of her wondered if she’d been avoiding Shane. The way she’d felt as he’d slid inside her for the first time had shocked her. She’d expected to enjoy making love with Shane, but couldn’t have predicted to what extent. It was like all the best sex she’d ever had rolled into one perfect act of passion.
And ever since, all she wanted to do was climb into the memory and relive it over and over. But not the aftermath when she’d bolted for the safety of her room before Shane could notice that her defenses were down. Standing naked in the bathroom, she’d been terrified that, with his appetite satisfied, he wouldn’t want her to stick around. So, she’d fled.
Now, however, after a couple days to regain her confidence, she was ready to try again. Anticipation formed a ball of need below her belly button. The slow burn made her smile. She was opening her mouth to suggest they retire to his bedroom when he spoke.
“I see why you find it so rewarding.”
Brandee sat in confused silence for several seconds. “What exactly?”
“Working with teenagers.”
With a resigned sigh, Brandee turned down the volume on her libido. “I wish I could say it was all success and no failure, but these kids don’t have nearly the sorts of issues of some I’ve worked with.”
“You do a good job relating to them.”
He hadn’t done so bad himself. Watching him with Justin, Brandee had been impressed with the way he’d gotten the kid to stop looking so morose.
“I remember all too well what it was like to have troubles at home,” she said.