“Why are you looking at him like that?” Seth’s voice is hard and angry.
“What?” Oh, crap, he caught me. I’m so embarrassed. “I’m not looking at anything. Just daydreaming, I guess.” My face is bright red when I look down at Seth, but he scowls and pushes his worksheet toward me.
“Girls are dumb. You shouldn’t look at him like that. He’s a jerk.”
Josh saunters in through the sliding glass door off the kitchen, his shirt still off, and I bite my lip as my eyes wander down his torso. When I glance back up, he’s grinning, that sexy dimple is winking at me, and I flush.
Maybe I should start working with Seth over at the big house.
“Are you guys almost done?”
“Almost.” I nod.
“I’m going to catch a quick shower and then put you up on a horse, my friend.”
“Cool!” Seth exclaims, surprising us both.
“Um, I wore shorts.”
“I noticed. You have gorgeous legs. We’ll make it work. I’ll be out in a minute.” With that, he saunters down the hall and I hear a door close.
“Why do you think he’s a jerk?” I ask, still stuck on the gorgeous legs remark. Does Josh mistreat him?
“Because he’s my dad’s brother. They’re twins.”
“And you think your dad’s a jerk?”
“He is a jerk,” Seth insists emphatically.
“I don’t remember your dad being a jerk, Seth.” I check over Seth’s work.
Something is wrong. Well, not something, everything. Every single answer on this sheet is wrong. But as I read through the work, it’s correct. He’s purposefully worked out every problem the right way and marked the wrong answer.
“What the heck, Seth?”
“What?”
“All the answers are wrong.” I frown at him and wait for his answer.
“So?”
“So, the work is right, and you wrote down the wrong answers on purpose.” I sit back in the chair and cross my arms over my chest. Seth squirms in his chair, his mouth set in a tight line as he frowns.
“Doesn’t matter if it’s wrong.”
“Well, yeah, it does because you’re being graded on these, Seth.” I tilt my head and watch him squirm some more. “You are so smart. Why are you doing this?”
His startled gaze meets mine, making my heart ache for this boy. He seems so lonely and sad. I just want to pull him to me and hug the defiance right out of him.
“I’m not doing anything,” he whispers, and looks down at his sheet.
“Okay, let’s do this,” Josh says, returning. His dark hair is wet from the shower and he’s changed into clean jeans and a white tee.
“Why did you put on clean clothes?” Seth asks with a frown. “They’re just gonna get messed up again.”
“Because I’m sure Cara doesn’t want to stand next to me when I smell funky, kid. That’s gross.”
“You smell funky no matter what,” Seth taunts.
Josh’s eyes light up with humor. “Back at you. I’m glad you’re staying over at the other house because I hate to think of what your bedroom must smell like.”
I watch the banter with a huge grin plastered on my face. I don’t think they joke with each other like this often.
“It smells like stupid air freshener because Gram keeps sticking smelly stuff in my drawers and stuff.” Seth wrinkles his nose.
“Take it from me, kid, air freshener in a young man’s room is mandatory.” Josh shakes his head and laughs. “Shall we?”
“Really, I—”
“Yep, we shall!” Seth jumps up and runs out the back door.
“I guess we shall,” I mutter, and stand to follow him.
When we step outside, Seth has already reached a tall, black horse and is petting its nose, talking to it softly.
“What if the horse doesn’t like me?” I whisper to Josh. He smiles down at me gently and tugs on my hair. I want to lean into his touch, so I step away.
“She’ll love you. She’s a gentle horse, Cara. I wouldn’t put you on one of the mean stallions. Magic is a sweet mare and she’s patient with the newbies.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Besides, she’s my horse. I know her better than any other animal on this ranch. You’ll love her.”
“I could love her from afar,” I mutter.
He laughs at me, and as we approach the horse, I hang back and watch Josh and Seth pet Magic, both crooning softly to her. She does seem sweet. She nudges their hands and nods her head as if she knows what they’re saying.
And her big, brown eyes shine with intelligence.
“I’m gonna go get her an apple!” Seth runs back to the house with excitement.
“Come here, Cara,” Josh murmurs gently, and holds his hand out for mine. I take it and immediately love the way his large, callused hand feels wrapped around mine. He tugs me to his side and places my hand on the mare’s nose. “Just pet her.”
“Hi, pretty girl.” I pet her nose, then run my hand down her long, soft neck. “Are you going to be gentle with me?”
Magic snorts softly. I smile at her and continue to pet her gently. Just when I’m beginning to relax, she steps to the left a bit, her heavy foot startling me, and I jump back in surprise.
“Easy, girl.” Josh steps up behind me, his chest pressed to my back, again covers my hand with his, and I don’t know if he’s talking to me or the horse, and frankly I don’t care. “Easy.” He guides my hand down her neck and then leads me to the side of the horse.
“She’s really tall.”
“This is one of the smaller horses,” Seth informs me as he rejoins us with an apple in his hand. He holds it out for Magic and she eagerly, and gently, takes it from him, munching happily.
“Okay, you’re going to put your left foot in the stirrup, and I’m going to boost you up into the saddle.”
“No.” I try to take a step back but crash into Josh’s hard chest.
“Why are you scared, honey?” Josh asks gently.
I swallow as I look up at the saddle. “It’s really high up and I don’t like heights.”
“Once you’re up there, you’ll see it’s not that far.” He’s running his hand up and down my back in a soothing, calming pattern and leans down to whisper in my ear, “I’m right here. I won’t let you get hurt.”
“What if she takes off running and I hit a tree branch?”
Josh laughs and shakes his head. “You watch too many movies. Trust me, Magic is a sweet girl. You’ll be fine.”
“Okay.” I take a deep breath as Josh places my foot in the stirrup.
“Just bounce up and I’ll boost you.”
“Um, okay.”
“Cara, you’re gonna love it!” Seth tells me from Magic’s head, where he’s snuck her another apple. I’m floored at the difference in him from just a few moments ago. This ranch might be the best place for him.
I bounce twice and suddenly Josh grips me at my waist and boosts me into the saddle.
“Here, take the reins.” Josh hands me the soft leather straps and Seth helps me find the other stirrup with my right foot.
“I’m on a horse,” I breathe.
“You are.” Josh grins up at me, then looks at my legs with a frown. “The saddle might pinch your thighs a bit. From now on, when I tell you to wear jeans, wear the damn jeans.”
“And you call me pushy?” I smirk down at him and then take a deep breath, starting to feel comfortable up here on this horse.
Although the saddle isn’t terribly comfortable.
“My ass is going to hurt tomorrow,” I grumble.
“Probably,” Josh agrees. “Okay, we’re going to walk you around the field.”
“I’m fine just sitting here. No need to get fancy.”
“Don’t be such a wimp.” Josh laughs and guides Magic slowly along the fence line.
“Oh, God.” I bite my lip and white-knuckle the reins. I am being a monumental wimp.
Finally, my body
falls into the rhythm of Magic’s gait and it almost starts to feel good.
“How are you doing, honey?” Josh tosses a smile at me, admiring me as he leads Magic through the pasture. “You look great up on my horse.”
“I’m good.” I smile down at him, my stomach clenching. He thinks I look great! “This isn’t so hard.”
“It’s only the company that sucks.” Seth is walking behind us, picking up rocks and throwing them, his scowl back on his face. And we’re back to the attitude.
“What’s wrong, Seth?” I ask, attempting to look back at him without falling off this horse.
“Nothing.” He tosses another rock into the pasture as he rolls his eyes. I have no idea if this sudden change in attitude is because he’s preadolescent or if he’s truly angry about something.
Before long we’re back where we started from. Josh helps me dismount, his hands again on my hips, lifting me. I plant my hands on his shoulders, and when my feet hit the ground, he doesn’t immediately let me go. His brown eyes are soft and smiling, and I just want to stay right here, all day.
So I pull gently away and turn my attention to the horse, rub my hand down her neck.
“Seth, you have chores to do.” Josh pats Magic’s neck as he moves to tie the reins to the fence.
“I don’t want to do them today,” Seth mutters.
“We do chores every day,” Josh reminds him.
Seth squares his shoulders, and I know Josh is in for a fight.
“I want to play video games.”
“After your chores are done.”
“I’m not doing it.” Seth turns and stomps off toward the house.
“Seth King, you will do what you’re told!”
I watch in awe, and in utter shock, as Seth turns around, flips his uncle off, and runs for his bike.
“Oh my God.”
“I’m gonna kill him.” Every muscle in Josh’s body is tight, the muscle in his jaw is flexing, and I can feel the frustration coming off him in waves.
“There are moments when he’s so happy and sweet, and I can tell he’s a good kid. What is going on, Josh?” I lean my hips on the top rail of the fence and cross my arms over my chest.
“I don’t know what to do with him, Cara.” He pushes his hands through his hair as he paces in front of me. “He talks like this to my mom, my dad, even the ranch hands. Punishing him doesn’t help.” Josh throws his hands in the air and keeps talking. “We’ve taken away all of his privileges: his video games, his music, he doesn’t get to ride the horses, he has to paint the fences. It doesn’t matter.”
Josh takes a deep breath and props his hands on his hips, shaking his head in frustration. “I know he’s had a rough time of it the last few years, and God only knows what that woman said to him and what he saw when he was still with her.” Josh swallows hard and swears under his breath. “Obviously, the way he talks about Zack, it isn’t good. But he won’t talk about it, and I don’t know what to do with his disrespectful attitude.”
“I have an idea.”
Josh snaps his head over to look at me and takes a deep breath, calming himself. “I’ll take all the ideas I can get right now.”
“I want to take him on a field trip tomorrow.”
“Absolutely not. We don’t reward that behavior with field trips.” Josh shakes his head, fisting his hands at his side.
“No, a different kind of field trip. Trust me.”
“I do trust you, but . . .”
“Have you ever seen that TV show Scared Straight?”
Understanding brightens his brown eyes and a slow smile spreads across his lips. “I’m going with you.”
“Can you get away for a whole day?”
“I’m the boss, sweetheart, I can do whatever I want.” He pushes his hand through his hair and sighs.
“If you’re coming with me, you need to understand that I’m in charge. You keep quiet and you let me do all the talking.”
Josh narrows his eyes at me and steps closer, until he’s close enough to touch me. “Okay, but enjoy it while you can, honey, because I’m not a man that gives up control easily.” He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear before pulling his thumb down my cheek to my chin. I can’t move. My eyes are caught in his dark gaze.
“Your eyes are amazing, Cara.”
“They’re kind of weird,” I whisper.
“No, they’re not weird.” He shakes his head slowly. “I’ve just never seen eyes that go from amber to hazel to green. I wonder what color they are when you’re turned on?”
Whatever color they are right now!
This is not the kind boy I knew as a girl. This man is still kind, and gentle, but is self-assured and sexy and calls to me in ways I thought existed only in the romance novels I read.
Think about Seth! Think about your job!
I take a deep breath and step back, close my eyes for a moment, and then square my shoulders. “I’ll pick you guys up at seven tomorrow morning.”
“That’s early.” Josh’s eyebrows shoot up as he shoves his hands in his pockets.
“I’m sure you’ll have been up for a few hours by then.” I smirk. “It’s going to be a long day. You might want to make sure Seth gets a good night’s sleep.”
“You mean business, don’t you?” Josh asks with a chuckle, then he sobers when he sees how serious I am.
“If this doesn’t mellow Seth’s attitude out, I don’t know what will.”
“We’ll see you then.”
CHAPTER
Three
JOSH
I wonder what she has up her sexy little sleeve.
Seth, yawning, is in the backseat of Cara’s car, and I’m sitting shotgun. I can’t help but look over at her and grin. Her sunglasses are perched on her cute nose, her shoulder-length blond hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and she’s wearing jeans—imagine that—that hug her full ass perfectly. Between those jeans and the red, V-neck T-shirt that shows just a hint of cleavage, my cock has been at half-mast since she picked us up.
It’s going to be a long day.
I’ve tried to respect her space, and her position as Seth’s teacher, but I’ll be damned if I can stay away from her. I love the way she feels, and I need to find out what it feels like to have her beneath me, to be inside her.
Jesus, I’d be happy to just hold her while we watch TV, and I haven’t had that urge in a long, long time.
Cara was always a sweet kid, if not a little, well, plain. Not ugly, just not someone who would have made a teenage boy pay attention.
Until Monday, it hadn’t occurred to me to pay much attention. Thank God Kyle sent her to my place.
Cara glances over at me and offers me a soft smile. “What?”
“Where are we going?”
“Breakfast.”
“You wanted to take us out for breakfast?” I ask, surprised. My gut clenches when she laughs. Has her smile always been that amazing?
“We need to eat something, it’s going to be a long day.”
“I already had breakfast,” Seth grumbles. “Where are we going, anyway?”
“That’s fine, you can watch me eat the best waffle in town.” She smirks and turns in to Ed’s Diner, and despite my having had breakfast a couple hours ago, my stomach growls.
“Ed makes the best waffles,” I agree, and hop out of the car.
“Who’s Ed?” Seth asks as he shuffles along behind us.
“My uncle.” Cara smiles at him, and I wish she’d turn that smile on me. I adore her smile. “He owns this place.”
“Gee, imagine that, with it being called Ed’s Diner and all.”
“Watch your smart mouth,” I warn him with a glare, and he glares back at me.
“You agreed,” Cara whispers, reminding me that she is in charge today, and I fidget. I don’t like giving up control, and I definitely need to be able to protect her from any harsh words Seth might decide to fling at her. “I’ve got this.”
She leads us into the diner an
d to a booth. We order three waffles with bacon and orange juice on the side.
Seth makes quick work of his own waffle and polishes off half of Cara’s. He definitely hasn’t lost his appetite.
As we are finishing up, Ed himself comes out of the kitchen, smiling when he sees Cara sitting in the booth. Cara stands to give him a big hug. “Hey, darlin’, it’s always good to see you.”
“Hi, Uncle Ed. You look great.” She grins up at the aging man lovingly. Ed is short for a man, but still much taller than Cara. He’s stick thin and gray, with kind eyes.
“So, I see you’ve brought me a new worker.” Ed narrows his eyes as he gazes at Seth.
Seth’s eyes go wide with surprise. “Worker?” Seth squeaks.
“I have. Seth is going to help you out this morning. Ed’s short a dishwasher today, so you’ll be filling in, Seth.”
“I am not!” Seth’s gaze turns to me. “What the hell, Uncle Josh?”
“You will be respectful and do as you’re told,” I tell him softly, barely keeping my temper leashed.
“Aren’t there laws against kids working?” Seth grumbles, making my lips twitch. This kid is really too smart for his own good.
“Not for just a few hours. Come on.” Ed walks briskly through a swinging door and into the kitchen. Seth follows, with Cara and me bringing up the rear. On one side of the kitchen is a large tub sink with a nozzle that pulls down from the ceiling and is used to power-wash dishes. Quite a stack is already waiting for Seth.
“This is gross!”
“Breakfast dishes usually are, son.” Ed winks at him and flips an egg. “Gravy and syrup are the worst.”
“You have an electric dishwasher! Why are you making me wash these?” Seth crosses his arms and scowls at all of us.
“Because,” Cara begins softly, “you said yourself yesterday that it doesn’t matter if you work hard. It doesn’t matter if you pass school, or if you fail. Today, I’m going to show you just a few of the reasons why it does matter.”
“I’ll pay you seven dollars an hour to wash those.” Ed gestures with his spatula. “That’s minimum wage.”
“I can wash some stupid dishes. It’s not hard.” Seth scowls and sets his jaw.