Page 57 of A Cowboy's Trust

Sexy, warm woman nestled in his lap, her tongue teasing with his—it was amazing. Not perfect, but it was a fine first step on the way there.

Neckingon the bench overlooking Heart Falls was a slice of hometown heaven.

Of course, when Jake adjusted position and kicked over the table, followed by the picnic basket tipping over and spilling all its contents, Tansy stopped kissing and started snickering.

“Don’t squirm any harder,” he warned.

“The bench won’t tip,” she assured him.

Jake picked her up as he stood, guiding her feet to the ground carefully. “I’m more worried you might end up kneeing me somewhere that will stop the evening before it’s begun.”

The warning was enough to make her legs go limp, but not enough to stop the amusement.

She helped him pack, and they headed back to the truck. “I still enjoyed my appetizer course,” she informed him.

“Me too.” He stole another kiss as she crawled into the cab, and another before he started the engine. They got distracted for a while. He hadn’t put the truck into Drive, and she was tempted to crawl over him right then and there.

Jake broke their embrace, pressing their foreheads together. “Not that I want to stop, but we need to.”

“You have an agenda?” Tansy asked.

“I have a timer going off in fifteen minutes,” he admitted.

“Planning sometimes sucks,” she pointed out.

They pulled apart, then had to wipe down the inside of the windows to clear away the steam. She was still hooting with amusement when he pulled back on to the main highway.

When he took the turn that led them straight back into High Water lands, Tansy frowned. “You forget something?” she asked.

Jake parked in front of his private apartment, tossing a shy glance her way. “I cooked for you tonight.”

It felt as if a finger traced up her spine. Not scary, but very, very intimate. “That sounds lovely. Let’s go rescue your timer.”

She’d been in Petra and Aiden’s suite any number of times. Jake’s was slightly smaller. One bedroom sat off an open kitchen slash living space, with a decent-sized bathroom to finish the apartment. The finishing touches were mostly complete, but Jake hadn’t done much decorating yet.

But the scent as he guided her in the door offered the most home-like feeling ever.

“Meatloaf?” she wondered aloud.

Jake hurried to the stove and checked the timer. He turned off the heat before slowly twisting. The slightest flush coloured his face. “My mom’s recipe.”

Oh my. Tansy stilled.

The guys talked a lot about their stepdad, Jeff. He’d made a huge impression on them, and had been the motivation for starting High Water in the first place. Tansy had heard the phrasepay it forwardso many times it had also become part of her mantra.

But their mom?

Tansy took off her boots and hung her coat then made her way to beside Jake. He pulled a head of lettuce out of the fridge and was working on a salad. “Can I help with anything?”

“I’ve got the meal under control.” He tilted his head to the side. “If you want, you can open the wine. Or if you’d like something else to drink, check in the fridge. I put a few options in there so you could choose.”

“Of course, you did,” Tansy teased softly. “Wine is wonderful.”

She went to work on the cork as he assembled the salad with far more skill than expected. Not that she’d thought he couldn’t cook, but?—

No, she really had thought that. Tansy left the bottle open to breathe and leaned a hip on the counter and watched him. “Tell me to take a hike if I’m being too nosy, but I’m surprised to see how competent you are.”

A low chuckle escaped him. “You are hell on a man’s ego.”