One Night Stand-In (Boyfriend Material #3) - Lauren Blakely Page 0,55

not a pain in the ass. Or a softie.”

“But maybe I am,” he offers, a little quiet, a little vulnerable.

“Are you? Both?”

He doesn’t say anything at first, then he answers me with vulnerability in his eyes. “I know I’m a pain in the ass, so no argument there. But the soft side—you tell me. You said I was falling in love with a llama . . .”

I study his handsome features, from the square jaw, to the carved cheekbones, to the dark eyes. His hair too. All that lush hair I love running my fingers through. This man who hates clowns, who can’t stand rudeness, who embraces directness, who picks up after his brother, and who thinks and feels and listens.

Is he a softie? Is he a pain in the ass? Does he love halfway?

I sidestep, finding a better way to address the questions. “I think Rowan would say he’s damn lucky you’re his brother.” I’m proud of Lucas, of what he’s done and of the life he’s leading.

He feeds Frick the rest of the snack, then says, “And I bet Luna would say Cassiopeia brought her a terrific sister. She didn’t even have to wish upon a star for you.”

My heart slams against my chest, pounding mercilessly, desperate to get closer to this man. I’m tempted to reach for him, touch him, wrap an arm around him, hold him, and kiss him.

And there’s nothing halfway about that feeling.

But something rubs against me. A soft, fuzzy head jutting up against my cheek. And it’s humming.

It’s Frack.

I laugh, nuzzling him now.

Lucas glances at the creature, then at me. “Maybe he’s falling in love with you,” Lucas says, soft and tender.

I pet Frack’s head as I gaze at Lucas, my stomach flipping, my heart hammering. I no longer know who’s falling for who, or if we’re sliding together into a wildly dangerous new territory.

Davina returns, a wide grin on her face. “I see they’ve won you over. I may have to enlist you on the farm.”

Lucas smiles. “I think Frick and Frack already have. And I can see why Luna and Rowan come here. I can see why they’d want to support this place too. Question though,” he asks, shifting to a more serious tone. “Did you think it odd that their landlord came here with their clothes, wanting to leave them here as a way to get back at them?”

She laughs, waving a hand dismissively. “Harrison? No. He made a donation when he asked me to hold on to the clothes. His donation went toward that hay right there.” She points at the bales near our feet. “Was it odd? Sure. But life is odd, and I’m not in a position to turn down a donation, so holding on to a few items seemed a small price to pay. Plus, he took a tour of the farm too.”

“Is that so?” Lucas’s eyebrows shoot up.

“I like giving tours and showing off my lovelies. He got a kick out of them.” Her eyes swing to the acres of land beyond the barn. “Said something funny about writing a scene where a couple of alpacas chase a guy down the street. I asked if he’d consider reframing it. I said alpacas don’t chase people, so maybe the man would try to get along with them instead. He said, ‘Good point. Glad I checked with you.’”

“I’m glad he checked with you too. And I’m glad we came by,” Lucas says, then reaches into his wallet and hands Davina several twenties. “Thanks for taking care of these animals.”

She takes the money and clasps her heart. “You’re one of my lovelies now too.”

After we board the train, Lucas flops into a seat with a loud harrumph. “Four out of five,” he says, tossing the bag of clothes at our feet.

“Only one left,” I say, wishing it were two, three, or four.

“Only one,” he echoes, and his eyes lock with mine. In them I see a hint of longing.

A question mark.

What if we had a reason to keep doing this?

I don’t want us to fall out of each other’s lives again. I want to stay in his orbit, and vice versa.

“Hey, Lola,” he says thoughtfully as I sit next to him.

“Yes?”

“I don’t think this is just payback for Harrison.”

“I don’t think it is either.”

“Seems to be some sort of project.”

“That’s what Amy thought from the start—that he was testing out a concept. Maybe for a show or something. And it sounds like it, from what Davina said.” I