Page 6 of That One Night (The Heartbreak Brothers Next Generation #4)

Through the window, she could see Jed gearing up to leave for the evening. It felt like the reprieve she was looking for. She jumped up from the table.

“I need to speak to Jed before he leaves,” she told her mom. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

Her mom frowned. “Oh, of course.”

Rushing out into the sultry early evening air, Emery found herself glancing at the farm cottage on the other side of the lane.

She hadn’t seen their new neighbor since the day his goat had stolen her clothes.

She hadn’t laundered his t-shirt either.

It was still under her pillow. Last night she’d pulled it out and smelled it like some kind of weirdo.

The aroma of earth and cologne had taken her right back to the field.

To the darkness in his eyes as he’d stared at her, standing half naked.

To the way she’d felt alive like she hadn’t for a long, long time.

It was a good thing Trenton didn’t know about that. He probably would have a hissy fit they would hear within a ten-mile radius.

“Hey!” she called out, spotting Jed standing over by the pasture, in a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt, the way most farmers dressed. He turned around, giving her a beaming smile.

“Hey, Emery girl. What’s up?”

She forced a smile on her face, trying desperately to think of something to say.

Actually, I’m trying to escape from my mom and you’re a convenient excuse.

Yeah, that wasn’t going to work. “I was wondering how your family was doing,” she said lamely.

He blinked, like he knew she was lying. “They’re all good. We had another grandbaby. My youngest daughter’s child.”

“Congratulations,” Emery said, genuinely pleased for him.

“Thank you.” He beamed. “Want to see a picture?”

“Yes I do.” She smiled while he pulled out his cell – an old battered iPhone that she would lay a bet once belonged to one of his six kids. His thick, calloused fingers took a while to find the photo, but when he did his smile widened even more as he held it out to her.

“They named him Samuel Jedidiah. After me.” He looked proud as punch at that.

“He’s a beauty.”

“He really is.” He cleared his throat. “And how are you doing with getting all that information you need?”

“I’ve found nearly all the paperwork. Dad’s filing system left a lot to be desired.”

“He was a doer, not a paper man,” Jed told her.

“I don’t suppose you know when he sold off the top field, do you? I need that information.”

Jed rubbed his chin. “A couple of years back I think. Let me look through my own paperwork,” he said.

“Times have been hard. Costs keep going up and crop prices keep going down. Your dad made the decisions he needed to keep this place going.” He looked at her, his expression soft.

“Your mom, too. It’s been hard on her, I guess.

Trying to keep this place going when she has no idea where to start. It’ll be good for her to move on.”

“It will.” She nodded. “Thank you for staying on and helping her. It means a lot.”

“No problem, kid.” He ruffled her hair and it sent a rush of warmth through her. “I’m glad you’re back. You’ve made your mom happy, and I haven’t seen her happy in a long while.”

Her throat tightened. “Thank you.”

“And she’s so excited about your wedding. Maybe she’ll get to show photos of her grandbabies around soon too, huh?”

There was that guilt again. Mixing with the feeling that she was letting everybody down. “Maybe,” she lied.

He winked at her. “I’d better get home. You get this place on the market and get it sold before fall. That way your mom can start building her life before the year is over.”

“That’s the plan.” If they could find somebody to buy it. “Have a good evening.”

“You too, kid.” He wandered over to his old, battered truck and climbed inside. She watched as he drove away. She was just about to walk back into the house when a loud bray came from the rocky lane, making her jump.

A goat – the goat? – was leaning his head over her mom’s fence, his big bottom teeth on display as he called out to her. His eyes – yellow as the sun with a dark slash across the center – followed her as she walked over.

“Are you the panty-stealer?” she asked, keeping her distance because she didn’t trust him not to steal the clothes off her body this time.

He let out a bray, then reared onto his hind legs like a horse, his hooves clattering against the weathered wooden slats of the fence. She was used to highly strung animals – what farm kid wasn’t – but it still made her jump.

“Frank!”

Hendrix came storming out of the cottage and across the lane, a towel in his hand, his hair wet. He was wearing a pair of jeans and nothing else, his feet bare, just like his chest, which was covered in tiny droplets of water.

Everything inside of her clenched.

His eyes caught hers. And yeah, he caught her looking. At least she had the good grace to blush.

Not to be ignored, Frank started pounding his head against the fence.

“You’re gonna have to stop flirting with my goat,” Hendrix said, his voice thick. “He’s getting unmanageable.”

She laughed softly. “He’s the same one then. Frank?”

“This is him. Yeah.” He grabbed Frank by his collar. “I’m sorry if he disturbed you.”

“He didn’t steal my panties this time, so I’m gonna let him off.”

“He ate half of one of my belts yesterday while I was working,” Hendrix told her. “Just wandered into the house and had a feast.”

“He gets into your house?” She frowned. Maybe she should make sure their front door was locked. She didn’t put it past Frank not to sneak up on her mom.

Hendrix shrugged, looking amused. “Yep. I figure him having a nap on my sofa is probably better than flirting with the nanny goats. The last thing this world needs is a bunch of baby Franks.”

It was stupid the way she blushed at the mention of something as natural as Frank mating. But maybe because she was thinking more about the owner than the goat.

He was stupidly masculine without a top on. His chest thick and muscled, his skin tan.

To distract herself, she walked forward and stroked Frank’s face. He let out a low bray and pressed his muzzle against her chest.

“He’s sweet when he’s not stealing clothes,” she murmured.

“He’s sweet because he’s got his face against your body.”

Actually, it was against her breasts. Frank looked delighted at their softness. When she glanced up at him, Hendrix seemed pretty transfixed by them too.

What was it with men and boobs? She’d never understand it. But that didn’t mean she didn’t like the way he was staring at her.

“I should go back inside,” she told him.

“Yeah.” He nodded, his gaze still on her. “And I should probably go put on a shirt.”

That made her smile. And then he smiled back at her and she felt a weird twist in her stomach. It went well with the shivers down her spine.

“I’ll see you around, Emery,” he murmured, pulling Frank away from her chest and walking him back to his own farm.

Her heart pounded as she watched him lead the goat into his yard, tickling him under his chin like he was fond of him.

And then she walked back into her own house.