Page 14 of Frosty the Farmhand (12 Days of Christmas)

13

REID

“ I didn’t know dirty talk was my kink,” I blurt out when I find Wren in the kitchen pouring milk into a bowl of cereal.

She narrows her eyes at me, milk splashing onto the counter.

“Watch out?—”

Slamming the carton on the counter, she turns, giving me her full attention.

“I’m sorry. I thought you rolled into the house on a Sunday afternoon after not telling me you weren’t coming home and ignoring my texts and in leu of good morning , jumped right in with ‘I didn’t know dirty talk was my kink.’”

She makes air quotes around the last part as I flop into the chair at the table.

“I’m sorry,” I say dramatically as she huffs, grabbing a paper towel and cleaning up her mess before putting the milk away. Taking the seat across from me, she narrows her eyes and shoves a bite of cereal in her mouth.

“Talk.”

The word is garbled but it’s not hard to figure out.

Also, that’s why I’m here—that and to change so I can take Harlan to the winter market.

“It was amazing.”

“Obviously—you’re still blushing.”

“Ugh,” I groan, covering my face with my hands. “The things he said, Wren, I just—” Pulling my hands away, I stare at my cousin and watch as her eyes widen, her spoon clattering to the table.

“No way,” she breathes, her hand slamming down against the wooden surface.

“There’s no way, right? There can’t be.”

“Reid, we do not fall in love with men we just had mind-blowing sex with.”

“I didn’t mean to,” I hiss because I didn’t. It just happened, and I’ll pray to anyone listening that it happens again.

Preferably as soon as possible.

“But…he’s not staying, right?”

Unless I give him a reason.

I ignore the little voice in my head. “I’m just going to enjoy it while it lasts—enjoy him— because there’s so much to enjoy with that man.”

“And now you like dirty talk,” she teases with a grin that would rival the Cheshire cat.

“Only when he says it—I’m too awkward for any of that.”

She cackles, throwing her head back like it’s the funniest thing she’s ever heard, and if I didn’t love her so much I’d be pissed right about now.

“But it’s good?” she asks, confirming what I’ve already reiterated a million times, but I nod anyway. “That’s a relief. There’s nothing worse than some asshat thinking he’s hot shit but he’s cringy instead of sexy and it’s like please stop talking or I’m out of here.”

I snort. “You’ve never left midfuck; don’t even lie.”

“No, but I have faked the hell out of an orgasm to get out of there and then immediately blocked their number.”

“Savage.”

“I have no time to soothe the hurt ego of some fuckwad and his deplorable attempt at dirty talk.”

“Not that you’re salty about it.”

“On the contrary, I’m very salty.” She dips her previously forgotten spoon into her bowl and takes a bite. “Do you know how hard it is to be a woman and find a guy who’s worth scheduling to meet, enjoying their company enough to have an entire meal, confirming compatibility, and then go home with them and actually receive the metaphorical payouts of the sexual promises they made?”

“That sounds absolutely exhausting.”

“It is. Which is why I’ll be single forever.”

“We’ll see,” I say, not believing her in the slightest that she’s okay with being single forever, but I also don’t have the energy to go toe-to-toe with her this morning.

“We will. But for now, tell me all the dirty details.”

My morning with Wren took longer than I anticipated. She’d been in rare form, the news of the buyout of Mountain Side Salon and Spa weighing heavily on her. We had no way of knowing what the new year would bring, and that made it worse.

After showering and changing into a navy blue sweater and jeans, throwing other clothes and toiletries into a bag, I headed for my uncle’s house.

Harlan had been hesitant last night, but after seeing him with Onyx, there was no doubt in my mind that he was the right man for our newest rescue.

Pulling up the drive to their house always puts a smile on my face. The house is massive, and a stunning mixture of wood and stone. Large windows face the mountain, the glass panes having to be specially ordered. It had been a process, but Uncle Winston had wanted my aunt to have the house of her dreams and now she did.

The wide, wraparound front porch has enough rocking chairs for all of us plus a few more. It’s always been my favorite place.

Parking my car, I climb out and make my way up the walkway, not bothering to knock on the door before turning the knob and pushing it open.

“Reid!” my uncle booms as soon as he spots me. “How are you, kid?”

“Good,” I say, a flush creeping up my neck without my permission. My uncle smirks.

“Uh, just so you know, there’s a camera on that outside door,”—his eyebrows move slowly up his forehead like he’s subtly trying to tell me something I don’t already know—“you know, for uh… future reference.”

Oh my God, just kill me now.

“Great!” I say, my voice rising higher than I intended. “So I gave Harlan a tour of the barn.”

“I bet you did,” he murmurs under his breath, and I gape at him before dragging my hands down my face and silently screaming into them.

“Anyway,” I say pointedly as I get the nerve to look at him, “he saw a couple of the horses, but you should have seen the way he was with Onyx.”

“Onyx?” my uncle asks as he crosses his arms and widens his stance. It’s his thinking stance, and he’s been doing it for as long as I can remember.

“I’ve never seen anything like it, honestly. He was so patient, just talking to him, and by the end, Onyx let Harlan pet him. I think he’d be perfect to help with the rehabilitation.”

“Think he’d be interested?”

“I think so, but it would have to come from you. He’s not used to our dynamic here.”

He hums and then nods. “All right, I wanted to talk to him anyway. I know he said he was only interested in a temporary position, but I’m hoping I can get him to stay on. I’m sure I won’t get any complaints from you.”

“Oh my God! I cannot believe you right now,” I groan as I spin on my heels and march toward the door, his laughter following me as I do.

“See you tomorrow!”

“Can’t wait,” I call over my shoulder, stepping out onto the porch and heaving a deep breath. I could live a lifetime and never talk to my uncle about sex ever again—indirectly or otherwise.

It’s disturbing on so many levels, but I don’t focus on it for long because my uncle is going to offer Harlan a permanent position here in Wintervale, and if he accepts, there might just be hope for us too.