“I’m not afraid of him. I was thinking my feet aren’t all that clean.”
“They’re clean enough.” He bent down and lifted a foot into his lap. The prosthetic motor whirred softly as both thumbs massaged the muscles on the bottom of her foot. Soon she was dissolving into a relaxed puddle.
She groaned her appreciation. “My right foot is getting jealous.”
“We can’t have that.” He gently placed her left foot on the floor and replaced it with the right one. From his pleased-as-punch expression, she realized he was simply the kind of guy who enjoyed doing nice things for people. Her dad was like that. As a teenager, she’d often woken up to a tap on her door as he brought a cup of hot tea to her bedside.
“We should move to the couch before you slide onto the floor.”
“Too late—my bones have turned into Jell-O. Walking is out of the question.”
“Then I’ll carry you.”
Before she could blink, Cole had scooped her into his arms, ignoring her protests.
“I was kidding. Put me down!”
Pressed into his chest, she got a whiff of something wonderful—probably some fancy men’s cologne that cost a thousand dollars an ounce. Whatever it was, it made her want to bury her face against him.
She didn’t tell him how surprised she was that Shrek could support her weight. He seemed awfully sensitive about it. And if he’d been repeatedly teased by his classmates, she could understand why.
With no sign of strain on his face, he carried her to the couch and eased her onto it. Gus lifted his head to observe them, but never moved from his place by the door. Soon Cole was working his magic on her feet. “You could have a foot rub like this one every night, you know. All you have to do is agree to marry me for a few months.”
She sighed with pleasure. Maybe he wouldn’t be so awful to live with, after all. And she’d be saving him a million dollars, so she wouldn’t have to feel guilty if he made a donation to Hayward Home.
Three short raps on the front door had Cole bounding to answer it. Gus sprang to his feet, his tail wagging.
“Hey, Mack. Come on in.”
The man who steamed in must’ve gotten his name from a Mack Truck. About six inches taller than Cole, with a thick neck, his shoulders were so broad he was bursting the seams out of his black t-shirt. His entire head was shaved, but he sported a dark, close-cropped beard.
Brooke sat up straight, with her feet on the floor. She didn’t want it to look like they’d been lounging on the couch together.
“You already got ‘em cleared out.” He bent to give Gus’ head a rub. “I was looking forward to chasing them off.”
“They ran when they heard you were coming.” Cole clapped him on his brick-wall back.
Mack gave a sharp nod. “What’s the plan? Are we moving her out or making this a safe zone?”
Cole opened his mouth to answer, then glanced at Brooke and snapped it closed. He tilted his head in her direction. “Talk to Brooke. It’s her decision.”
Mack moved toward her and stuck out his hand. “I’m Mack Shaeffer, head of security.”
“Brooklyn Ponzio.” Her hand disappeared in his huge one. Thankfully, he tempered his grip.
“But don’t call her Brooklyn,” said Cole, with a wink. “She prefers Brooke.”
“Mack can call me anything he likes,” she said, in a challenge.
“Oh, I see what’s going on here. You prefer Mack over me, huh?”
To her surprise, Mack turned about fifty shades of red and backed away from her like she had the plague. “I’m just here to work, boss.”
Cole laughed. “You know I’m teasing you. Don’t worry. Brooke’s not that kind of woman.”
“I’m certainly not.”
She’d hoped her broad smile would put him at ease, but it seemed to do the opposite, judging by his shifting stance and the way his hands searched for a place to rest.
“Tell Brooke what her options are,” said Cole.
“For the weekend, you could stay in Cole’s complex. Our security team has an apartment on the floor below Cole. That would work if you guys want to stay in town. My personal preference would be for both of you to spend the weekend at the ranch, because no one can even get close to you. As for a permanent place, we could locate a new apartment and have all your things moved over by the time you come back Sunday night.” Back in his comfort zone, Mack’s posture relaxed. “Andrea’s prepared to spend the night with you if you insist on staying here.”
“I don’t need anyone with me. Besides, there’s no comfortable place for her to sleep.”
His bushy brows drew downward, obscuring his eyes. “If Andrea’s here, she’ll be on the job. She certainly won’t be sleeping.”
“Why don’t you come out to the ranch?” Cole’s eyes danced like an excited kid. “I’d love to drive you around and show you everything. If it rains tomorrow, like they’re predicting, I can take you mudding. Plus we have a lot of newborn calves right now.”
Mudding! For some crazy reason, she’d always wanted to go. And who could resist seeing baby calves?
“It sounds fun,” she admitted, “but leave all my things here. I haven’t agreed to move.”
“That’s fine.” Cole offered his hand. “Pack a bag with your clothes and bathroom stuff. That’s all you need for now.”
“But boss, I thought you wanted her moved to a safer place.”
“It’s what Brooke wants that matters,” said Cole. “Can you make this place secure so that nothing will happen to her things?”
