Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
I didn’t think he would have a problem with it, but how would everyone else feel?
Emeline
I was positive that once we got back to the barn, everyone would know Levi and I had kissed. Hell, my lips still tingled, and my heart rate hadn’t returned to normal.
As we rode up, Levi looked my way and winked. I couldn’t help but smile back at him.
Marshall approached us, along with Caden and Lilibeth. When my eyes met hers, she attempted not to grin but lost the battle.
“Trail okay?” Caden asked as Levi dismounted.
Levi nodded to Marshall as he took the horse’s reins. “Thank you, Marshall.”
“Everything was fine,” I replied, sliding off and quickly walking my horse toward the wash station.
“We can take care of the horses, Emeline,” Marshall said with a smile. “I’ve got Tommy here to help out.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” I asked.
Marshall chuckled. “It is my job.”
I squeezed his arm. “Thank you, Marshall.” Turning to face everyone, I couldn’t help but notice how Caden was glaring at Lilibeth. “Is everything okay?”
Lilibeth grinned. “It is. We had a bit of a situation earlier, but everything’s fine now.”
Caden made a grunting sound.
I took in my brother…and noticed he was soaking wet. “Caden, why are you wet?”
He shot a look toward Lilibeth, who covered her mouth with a hand to hide her smile, and that seemed to make Caden even angrier.
“She,” he dramatically pointed toward Lilibeth, “made me look like an utter fool.”
“You did that all on your own, cowboy,” Lilibeth retorted, hands now on her hips.
Levi glanced between the two of them. “What happened?”
Caden shot Lilibeth yet another dirty look.
She motioned for him to tell the story. “Please, do tell them what happened. I don’t think I could do it justice.”
Caden rolled his eyes, then sighed. “One of the kids got stuck.”
“Stuck?” I asked. I knew it wasn’t anything bad because Lilibeth’s shoulders were bouncing in her sad attempt to keep from laughing. “Stuck in what?”
Now the corners of Caden’s mouth twitched as he fought not to smile. “A flowerpot.”
Levi and I both said at the same time, “A flowerpot?”
Lilibeth burst into laughter and turned her back on us, walking away some.
Caden cleared his throat. “He thought it would be fun to try to sit inside that big terracotta pot that Grams has had for years.”
“He?” Levi asked. “Please tell me it wasn’t Rhett.”
This time, Caden covered his mouth…and turned away slightly.
“For fuck’s sake,” Levi muttered. “Did my kid get stuck in a damn pot?”
Caden nodded. “He did. But I got him out.”
Lilibeth was bent over, crossing her legs. “I’m going to pee!” she cried out as she fell into another fit of laughter. I couldn’t help but giggle, and I wasn’t even sure why. Although the picture of little Rhett stuck in the flowerpot was kind of funny.
Caden lost the battle to stay mad and finally chuckled.
“All right, so if he got out and he’s okay, what’s so funny? And, Caden, that doesn’t explain why you’re wet and why you seem pissed at Lilibeth?” I asked.
As if remembering he was supposed to be angry, Caden stopped laughing and glared at Lilibeth again. “Because I had it all under control, and she was trying to micromanage the situation.”
“The situation of my son being stuck in a pot?” Levi clarified.
“Yes. I knew how to get him out.”
It was Levi’s turn to smile. “Because you have experience with being stuck in pots?”
Lilibeth positively screamed in laughter. “I said the same thing!”
“No, I just knew how to get him out, and this one started to argue with me in front of Rhett’s entire cabin, and then…well…it doesn’t matter. I got Rhett out.”
“He tried pulling Rhett out. But he lost his grip, stumbled backward, and landed in the water trough!”
My hand flew to my mouth, and I started to laugh. “That explains why you’re wet.”
“I would’ve been fine if Lilibeth hadn’t been trying to ‘help’,” he finger-quoted. “She tripped me.”
Lilibeth gasped. “I did not trip you! You stumbled back, then tripped over a bucket. I didn’t have anything to do with it.”
Caden glared at her again, which only made her laugh harder.
“But Rhett’s definitely okay?” Levi asked.
“He’s fine. I’m going back to my side of the ranch now,” Caden said before turning on his heels and stomping away.
Lilibeth looked at me and shrugged as another small giggle slipped free.
Levi shook his head at Caden’s retreating back, then turned his focus on me. A smile spread on his face, and for a moment, I totally forgot that Lilibeth was even there.
“Thank you, Levi, for joining me on the ride.”
“It was my pleasure.” He walked up, kissed me on the cheek, then turned to my friend. “See you around, Lilibeth.”
We both watched silently as he walked in the same direction as Caden.
When he was out of sight, Lilibeth turned and grabbed my hands. “Okay, what happened between the two of you?”