Page 55 of A Rancher's Heart

Which put them both at the kitchen door right as Tansy walked up. Walker held the door for her as she stepped past, a huge towel-covered metal bowl in her arms.

“Walker. I didn’t know you were in town.”

“Off and on, like usual. How’s the family?”

Tansy’s expression went unreadable. “Oh, they’re all great.”

“That’s good. Real good.”

He stood there in the doorway, fidgeting with the cup in his fingers until he realized Tamara was watching him. He put it down on the counter then stepped back, reaching behind him for the door.

Suspicion snuck in. He was acting an awful lot like a nervous suitor. Did Walker have a thing for Tansy?

“You’re welcome if you want to stay,” Tamara said. “We’re making cinnamon rolls. You could have another cup of coffee—”

“No, that’s fine. I should be going. Thanks for the coffee. Bye, Tansy.”

And with that, he was gone, the kitchen door swinging closed after him with a snap. Tamara moved forward to watch out the window, amused that the man was all but running. He was past the road before slowing to a cowboy stroll.

“Well, that was entertaining.”

Tamara turned to discover Tansy wore a pleased smirk. “There’s got to be some history I don’t know about happening. Are you and Walker—?”

Tansy’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped open. “Oh no. Not me, my big sister. Ivy and Walker had a thing back in high school before she went away to university.”

Ha ha. The plot thickened. “Sohow’s the familywas code forhow’s Ivy doing but I don’t really want to ask?”

“Yup.” Tansy pointed toward the side counter. “Come on. We’ll get started on the next step while we talk. I can only stay for half an hour.”

Half an hour was long enough to get the cinnamon buns in the oven and share some quick talk time, which turned out to be not about Walker and his past love life. Instead they shared a little about their training—Tamara’s time as a nurse and Tansy’s baking adventures.

It was far too short, but when Tansy waved goodbye, the scent of sweet cinnamon and fresh bread was rising on the air, and Tamara felt as if she’d come that much closer to putting down roots.

A solid knock on the wooden panel to his right brought his attention up from where he was cleaning stalls. Tamara stood patiently until he met her gaze.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Yes, just wanted to make sure it was okay if I pick the girls up from school. We need to go shopping, so I may as well save them the bus trip home.”

And with that one comment, he felt a little out of touch. “They need new clothes? I thought—”

“No. They’re good. But they have a birthday party, and we’re down to the wire. I have no idea what eight years olds want.”

“According to Sasha, most of the store.”

Tamara smiled, and something inside him twisted. She’d let her hair down since he’d seen her that morning, and the ends curled around her face like a picture frame. She had a hint of something shiny on her lips, and he had to look away before it became too clear he was considering how much trouble it would cause if he were to press his lips to hers, just to see if there was a flavour to go with the shine.

Hell, the thought of kissing her had a certain portion of his anatomy reacting, and he stepped awkwardly back into the stall to grab his rake in self-defense.

“We’ll be back before four,” Tamara finished, speaking to his back as if he weren’t being rude.

Only he couldn’t turn around because if she happened to look down, she was going to wonder what it was about horse stalls that gave him indecent hard-ons.

Then he remembered. “Wait.”

Hell. On. Earth. He reached into his back pocket and hauled out his wallet, gritting his teeth as the movement pressed his jeans tighter over his erection.

Caleb held the wallet high as he opened it and pulled out some cash. “Here. I know we got you set up with household money, but this kind of stuff is extra.”