Page 67 of Rocky Mountain Devil

That’swhat she kept forgetting. That’s what went missing whenever her brain got tangled up in the past. The idea that life was supposed to be fun kept slipping from her fingers.

“I’m so glad you’re you.” Laurel wrapped her arms around Rafe and gave him the most enormous bear hug she could. An intimate connection that wasn’t sexual, even though her shirttails hung open, her naked body pressed to his. His shirt was untucked and his hair was a mess, and the two of them ached with sexual tension, but this was—

Almost magical.

It took a while to find their feet, what with all the helping each other get dressed. Most of Rafe’s attempts seemed borderline groping instead of helping, which set her off laughing.

He strapped the picnic basket to the back of her ATV before glancing over and offering a cheeky grin. “You got plans for the rest of the day?”

She thought it over. “Not unless I want to redecorate my apartment. Which would take all of five minutes.”

“Come help me do my chores?”

She grinned at the invitation. “You’re such a slacker, Coleman. Sure, I’ll come along. But you know this means you have to be a librarian someday.”

“Deal.” He waited for her to mount up before kissing her firmly then retreating to his bike. “I’ve always wanted to fool around in the stacks,” he teased.

Hmmm. The perfect thing to daydream about as they headed farther into Angel land. Overhead, the sun was shining, and the land seemed to stretch endlessly in front of them, and they were together.

Funny how much better the day had gotten.

Chapter Fifteen

While he’d thought life would get busier now that he was back at the ranch, he’d underestimated exactly how stinking busy. Not just Gabe, but the entire Coleman clan were determined to keep him going from before sunrise to well after dark.

They’d always shared tasks, but this year it seemed everyone had more work than workers, and every day he had to make a choice. When he got a few minutes free, he could use them to move into the house with Jesse, or he could steal away and spend time with Laurel.

It was a no-brainer.

They met in the strangest places, but Rafe didn’t mind. He’d text her a warning, and if she was free, they’d meet in the middle somewhere between the field or the barn he’d been working and wherever she was at. They fit in a couple of fast food restaurants, and another picnic, this time with a lot less fancy sandwiches—peanut butter that he’d tossed together before leaving his place.

If it had been up to him, he’d probably have been living above the garage at his folks when the snow flew. Laurel, it seemed, had other plans.

Rafe:you at work?

Laurel:you done? Coming up for air?

Rafe:not done. My tractor broke. Gabe is making me take a break while they fix it.ThenI get to work until midnight.

Laurel:awesome. Come to the rental.

He wasn’t sure where she was talking about.

Rafe:your place?

Laurel:no, yours. Your new place, with Jesse. Which is your old place, I guess.

He had no idea what she was doing, but he hopped in his truck and made the short trip, pulling into the yard to discover his cousin Trevor’s overgrown beast of a truck backed up nearly to the door.

He peeked into the truck bed surprised to recognize the half dozen or so boxes in the back.

“Hey, you made good time.” Laurel slipped out the front door and into his arms, giving him a big squeeze as she pressed a quick kiss on his lips. “Only a couple more trips, then you have to do the rest of the work, because I’m not unpacking for you.”

Rafe looked around in confusion. “Where’s Trevor?”

“I don’t know. Your cousin and Becky must be out in her truck, because I stopped by and the house was empty.”

He caught himself chuckling. “You stole Trevor’s truck?”