Saving Her Billionaire Cowboy Hero - April Murdock Page 0,44
would have been her own darn fault. A tear slipped from beneath her lashes and trailed down her cheek.
“Hey,” he said, his voice suddenly full of concern. “What’s the matter? Did I read everything wrong again? Dakota, I’m sorry if I overstepped, it’s just—” Brady lifted her chin so she’d look at him. She turned her chin, fighting the blush that crept along her neck and was slowly encroaching across her cheeks. This was so embarrassing. Why couldn’t she just allow herself to believe him? He’d done nothing to her to prove otherwise.
“Dakota. Talk to me. What can I do?”
She forced a laugh and wiped the tear on her cheek with her palm. “It’s not you, honestly. It’s me. I’m just going to have to work through a few things.” She hesitantly met his gaze. His brows pinched together, jaw rigid.
“I promise, Dakota. This is different. I can feel it. I won’t be walking away any time soon. I feel it right here.” He brought his fist to his chest.
“I know,” she offered. “I’m just going to need some time to ease into this.”
“Take all the time you need.”
She gave him a smile she hoped would satisfy his own need for security. Her voice was unsteady as she spoke, and she hated it. “Are you ready for lunch?” She stared at the buttons on his shirt he hadn’t yet fastened. As if on their own accord, her fingers trailed up the fabric and she slipped each piece of plastic through their slot.
“Famished.” He watched her with a half-smile touching his lips.
Dakota patted his chest twice, then stood back and looked him up and down. “Are you sure you’re up for it? Maybe you ought to get some more rest. If nothing else, we need to find you a better makeshift sling.”
He twisted and retrieved a large bandana from his bedside table. Handing it to her, he answered her question. “I can get plenty of rest in the next couple of days. For now, I want to spend some time with you.”
Dakota’s heart fluttered wildly in her chest. She let out a slow breath. “You keep saying things like that and you might not be able to get rid of me.”
They were on their way out the door and Brady paused. He turned to stand in front of her, preventing her from leaving. He lifted his hand to cup her cheek. “Then I guess I’ll just have to keep finding the right things to say.”
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, but warmth spread through her. Yep, she was a goner for sure.
He grabbed the book and blanket and they headed downstairs. Dakota retrieved the bag of food on their way out the door. “Do you have an idea of where you’d like to eat?”
Brady winked at her. “I have the perfect place.”
He guided her to one of the larger stables that overlooked the property. There weren’t any horses in it at the moment. “Why aren’t you keeping any horses in here?”
“When we can, we rotate them so we can make sure each stall is in good condition. We clean them out and restock. We just got done with this one right before the storm hit.”
“Which one is scheduled next?”
Brady grimaced. “The one that’s currently charred firewood.”
Dakota matched his expression with one of her own. “How long do you think it will be before you rebuild it?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s hard to say. Probably not for a while. There are other projects more important at the moment.” Brady stopped at a wooden ladder and jutted his chin up. “Up you go.”
Dakota raised her eyebrows and snorted. “You’re kidding.”
There was a gleam in his eye. He shook his head and pointed. “I’ll toss the blanket up after you get settled.”
She blew some hair out of her eyes and shrugged. “May I remind you, if you murder me, my cousin knows exactly where I am.” She took a few steps up the ladder.
“Oh, sweetheart, if I wanted to murder you, I’d blame your disappearance on the fire.”
Dakota froze and stared down at him with wide eyes.
Brady burst out into laughter. “Dakota, losing you is the furthest thing from my mind.”
She climbed the rest of the way up to the barn loft. It was filled with loose hay and a few tools. At one end, a large open window faced the west side of the property.
“You ready?” Brady’s voice called up to her.
“Uh huh,” she called back. The blanket