Page 67 of When You Blush

“Same goes, baby.” I nuzzle her cheek and then roll away before I spill all of my heart and soul at her feet. “Come on, I finally get to enjoy breakfast with you. I’ve waited a long time for this.”

She scoots up on the bed and pulls the covers over her breasts, tucking them under her arms. I pass her a mug of coffee, and she takes a sip.

“So good,” she says. “What else do we have here?”

I run through it all, and when I hold up a slice of bacon, she bites off the end and grins while she chews.

“Delicious,” she says. “I didn’t realize you were such a big breakfast lover.”

I shake my head as I settle in next to her and take a bite of oatmeal.

“I’m not. I’m a big fan of the idea of you still being here for this meal.” I offer her a spoonful ofoatmeal, and she takes it. “And I have to say, I’m hooked. Breakfast should be our new thing.”

“Wow, we have a thing.” Sleepily, she sips her coffee. “I like that.”

She pops a strawberry in her mouth.

“I want to hike with you today,” I tell her, and her eyebrows climb, her eyes brightening at the idea. “If you’re up for it.”

“I’m always up for a hike. Where should we go?”

“There’s a spot on the Wild River Ranch that’s really nice, and I have permission to hike there whenever I want to. I’d love to show it to you.”

“Sure, that sounds nice. Is that Millie’s family?”

I nod and eat some eggs. “Yeah. Most of them live out there. The only one who doesn’t is Ryan because he has his own ranch not too far away.”

She nods thoughtfully. “His wife, Polly, goes to book club. She owns the dress shop in town. She’s really sweet.”

“They’re all good friends,” I reply. “What do you think of Bitterroot Valley, sugar? Now that you’ve been here for a while.”

She chews more bacon and tips her head to the side, thinking it over. “It’s really great. I mean, I can’t find it in me to root for the high school football team here because they were our biggest rivals, but aside from that, I love it.”

I grin and lean in to nibble her lips. “That’s fair. Although we kicked your ass my senior year.”

“Did you play?”

I nod and reach for a slice of peach. “I was the quarterback.”

“Of course, you were.” She snorts, and I narrow my eyes at her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m just not surprised. You probably also dated a cheerleader and were prom king.”

My brows pull together in a frown, and she bursts out laughing.

“I knew it.”

“There’s nothing wrong with any of that,” I tell her.

“Nope. Not at all.”

“Okay, what about you? What were you like in high school?”

Harper laughs and turns to face me, bringing her legs up toward her chest. “I wasnotpopular. I was a book nerd, and I was scrawny and a little shy. Once, this idiot in my study hall decided it would be funny to shove me in a locker?—”

I growl low in my throat, and she shakes her head.