her first period, it was Elaine’s mother who instructed her on how to use a tampon. Her own mother, while sweet-natured, had her hands full with tending to Ryan and the farm. And her father, who’d managed the pecan farm with only Ryan for help, just didn’t have a whole lot of time for his daughter.
It wasn’t an unhappy life, really, but Verity had grown up feeling strangely lonesome. She had a good friend, parents who made sure she had all the basics, and a brother who followed her around like a puppy. But she didn’t have an older brother. Not in the conventional sense. Not in the way her heart had been promised, by virtue of their birth order. Not in the sense of someone who looked after her and protected her and made sure the other boys treated her right. Despite their biological birth order, Verity was the older child in her family, and because of it, she would long for an older sibling for the rest of her life.
So to meet Colton, and for him to help her, to be kind to her, to defend and protect them, and give them a place to stay? He had no idea, of course, but his actions today had inadvertently fulfilled a longing—a visceral need—deep inside Verity’s heart, and it made her attachment to him quicken. He was older by a few years, she guessed, and sexier than any man had a right to be, which meant he was way out of her league, but she couldn’t help the furious fluttering of her heart when she looked at his face across the table.
“My new bedroom has planes on the wall,” said Ryan, breaking the silence. “I never been on a plane, but I still like them.”
“It isn’t your new bedroom,” said Verity gently, giving Colton an apologetic look. “We’re just here for a day or two.”
Colton shifted his eyes from her to her brother. “Glad you like the room.”
“Was it used t’be yours?” asked Ryan.
Colton nodded before taking a large bite of his sandwich.
“Ain’t had my own room since we left Strawberry Road,” said Ryan. “And Ver’ty says I snore like a loco—loco—uh, a loco—”
“—motive.” She nodded at Ryan, then grinned at Colton. “It’s true. Just be glad your bedroom is downstairs.”
“Oh, gosh!” exclaimed Ryan, suddenly leaping up from the table and knocking over Verity’s can of pop. “You got rabbits here. Ver’ty, look! Our new house got rabbits!”
She righted her can and looked across the neat square of green grass in the backyard to see a small group of rabbits at the edge of the lawn, their gray fur soft-looking in the lavender tendrils of light from the dying sun.
With surprising grace, Ryan approached them, stopping several yards away and mumbling unintelligible words of reassurance. Though they noted his giant presence, not one of the bunnies hopped away in surprise or fear, and Verity smiled.
After a moment, Colton’s body shifted back around, but Verity kept her gaze on her brother, who squatted down on the grass, in quiet communion with the four little beings who looked up at him curiously, maybe even ready to adopt him and invite him into their burrow.
You’re good with animals, Ryan. Always have been. Please let them see it tomorrow.
Finally, when she could no longer ignore him staring at her, Verity shifted her eyes to Colton’s, gulping at the brooding annoyance she found under his hooded gaze. In an instant, she saw herself and Ryan as he must see them—an oafish man-child and his helpless slip of a little sister, who couldn’t take care of themselves, as weak and vulnerable as those bunnies in the corner of his yard.
And with what could only be described as crushing disappointment, she saw clearly the frankness of their incompatibility. He was a modern-day Viking Knight who could break a man’s leg with a single blow. Sexy and strong, he surely had his pick of gorgeous women who could match their beautiful bodies to his. Colton hummed with electricity, with energy, with barely restrained intensity, and Verity, with her plain face, tiny build, and train wreck of a life, was likely the least appealing woman Colton Lane had ever met.
“I promise we won’t stay long,” she murmured. “I’ll talk to Ryan so he knows that this is just temporary. I’m sorry if he made you uncomfortable.”
Colton didn’t say anything. He just continued to stare at her, his eyebrows furrowed together with annoyance, which made her continue babbling.