Page 48 of Rocky Mountain Home

He was the cutest thing with that enormous blush. “You could learn.”

Not in this lifetime. “I don’t think—”

He moved in on her, scooping her up and planting his lips on hers.

The only thing that kept her from raising a knee and kicking him in the nuts was the fact he was Dustin. Instead, she hung there like a limp strip of flypaper until he made a disturbed sound and broke the contact between them.

He wasn’t a bad kisser, but he was…

Dusty.

Kissing him was the last thing she wanted, especially in light of the sensual impact of Jesse’s touch.

Dustin put her down, his embarrassment growing at her lack of enthusiasm. “Yeah. Well, I guess that’s…that.”

“That’s that,” she agreed. “Really, I’m honoured you asked me, but I need you as a good good friend, and my little brother. Just what you’ve always been. When the baby arrives, you’ll be a fantastic uncle, I know you will.”

Dustin refused to meet her gaze. “I’d better get back to work.”

He vanished around the edge of the stalls, moving as if his ass were on fire.

She went back to brushing her horse, something inside trembling between amusement and sorrow.

Everything was changing. Nothing was ever going to be the same because it couldn’t. Time was moving forward and the world was changing. This family that had been her lifeline for so long would always be there, but they were no longer teens.

Hope for the best and plan for the worst.

Still lost in thought, Dare made her way back to the cottage. She was already walking up the stairs before she noticed Caleb rising to his feet from where he’d been waiting in the rocking chair.

Her first thought was the girls, then Ginny. “Everything okay?”

He nodded. “You’re hard to track down these days. I thought this would be the best way to catch a minute.”

Dare tossed herself into the second chair and motioned for him to sit again. “I hope you’re not here to tell me you guys plan to beat up Jesse again.”

“I didn’t beat him up in the first place.”

She rested her head on the back of the chair, closing her eyes as she rocked. “No, you’re right. You’d never do such an undignified thing.”

He ignored her and completely changed topics.

“I got something for you to think about.” His voice changed timbre. He was always serious, but now he sounded…nervous?

Dare cracked an eye open to check him out. “What? I don’t want to make decisions about the ranch right now.”

“No, although that reminds me. You do know your shares in the ranch are secure. You’ve got income, such as it is.”

“I know. We covered this already when I found out Buckaroo was on the way.”

Caleb took a deep breath. “Yeah, that’s what I want to talk about. Not regarding the financial stuff, but about Buckaroo.”

An uneasy sensation crept in. “What?”

“I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and while I know Jesse has shown up, I think it would be better if you married me.”

Shock and amusement struck at the same time, making her snort in a very unladylike way. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

Then damn if he didn’t get out of the chair and go down on one knee in front of her.