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Not good.

Bodhi sprawled back in his chair and watched Nico. She’d kicked off her boots, and her bare feet were tucked under his butt. Her hair glinted fire in the golden light of the restaurant as she tilted her head and listened to his granddad discuss how he’d met his wife, who’d been a rodeo queen. Bodhi had heard the story before, but he loved to see how his granddad’s face still lit up so many years after her untimely death.

Nico knew how to ask questions. She listened. Drew people out more, encouraged, but it had also become clear that she was a master at deflecting attention.

Too bad. He smiled at her, and she smiled back as if totally attuned. He didn’t have a right to them, but Bodhi wanted to know her secrets. Shane brought their coffee order herself. Black for him, but Granddad had talked Nico into one of Shane’s specialty coffees. There was a tower of whipped cream with orange zest sprinkles.

“Looking a bit flat and boring over there, Bodhi.” Nico scooped a little whipped cream up with a spoon and licked it clean, watching him.

“Now you’re just bein’ mean,” he drawled. “I’m driving.”

“You could say please,” she said as sweet as the sugar that was in that drink.

His interest flared. How far would she go? “Pretty please,” he purred.

She scooped out a bit more whipped cream with her finger and then smoothed it over her lips, leaned in and lightly kissed him.

He caught her head and kissed her again.

“Thank you for sharing,” he said, wondering how much of her flirting was for show since his granddad was watching. Was any of it real?

Can’t think like that.

But he couldn’t stop thinking what if. What if his dad had never sent that letter? What if he’d tossed it before he opened it like he’d wanted? What if he was free to open his heart?

Would she open hers? Or was this all a game to her?

He couldn’t shake his mood on the way home. His granddad was chatty—talking about his rodeo season, all the moms coming out tomorrow, and how happy he was that Nico was coming out to the ranch to help prepare for the Bash.

“But life’s not all fun and flirt and game.” Granddad shook a finger at Bodhi, but with a smile. “I’m expecting work out of you.”

“Granddad, are you lonely?” he asked, glad that he didn’t have to look his granddad in the eye when he asked such a personal question.

“Why are you asking me that?”

“We’re gone a lot.” He felt like a fool. “And you just seemed to come alive tonight at dinner talking and telling stories, inviting Nico out to the ranch to help decorate and to dinner on Wednesday. Heck, you were even giving her career advice.”

She was an attorney. How had Granddad known that and he hadn’t?

Because he hadn’t asked.

He’d been too busy getting her naked.

Because it wasn’t a real relationship.

Was Bowen having this much trouble staying in the right mindset?

And if Beck showed up tomorrow at the ranch, Ashni in tow, sparkle on her finger, would he throw in the towel and let Nico go, or would he take this to the finish line?

What if he did?

He couldn’t do that to her. He had a high-risk job and a potential ticking time bomb in his genes.

But what if…

The thought both thrilled and terrified him, but no way was he ready to shout asparagus.

“You thinking about…” He could barely say the word. “Selling the ranch just seems so out of character.”