Toby could finally call it a day, he rounded up the kids and told them it was time to head home.
“Why don’t you let Brian and Justin spend the night here,” Galen said. “I think I’ll camp out in that tree house for old times’ sake. And it would be nice if the boys kept me company.”
Before Toby could respond, Stacey chimed in. “And Piper would like to have her very first sleepover. Why don’t you let Colton and me take Kylie home with us?”
“A sleepover?” Toby asked. “Piper is only nine months old.”
Stacey smiled. “You’re right. She doesn’t stay up past seven. But then I’ll get a chance to play with Kylie.”
What was going on? Galen and Stacey were offering to keep the kids?
“I don’t know about that,” Toby said. “They don’t have their pajamas or toothbrushes.”
Galen elbowed him. “Come on, Toby. Real cowboys don’t sleep in jammies. They sleep in their boots and clothes. What’s the matter with you?”
Stacey edged forward. “Kylie can sleep in one of my old T-shirts. I also have a brand-new toothbrush she can use. What do you say?”
He didn’t know what to say. The offer stole the words right out of him.
“Come on, Toby.” His little sister gave him a wink. “You deserve a good night’s sleep.”
It took him a moment to realize what his crazy family was up to. And he didn’t know if he should kill them or kiss them. But when he took a look at Angie, when he spotted the wide-eyed wonder, the look of surprise...
Well, it wasn’t just the kids who were whooping it up and begging for the night to come.
Toby’s hormones were right there with them.
As Toby’s pickup headed down the county road that led to the Double H Ranch, Angie bit down on her bottom lip and stared out the windshield. It was the first time they’d actually been alone, and for some reason they both seemed to be at a loss for words.
Sure, they’d had a few stolen moments before, but this was different. There were no children to worry about walking in on them, no job to hustle out to, no errands to run.
It was just the two of them.
The silence in the cab was almost overwhelming, and if that weren’t enough, Angie’s heart was zipping through her chest, racing around as if it wanted to beat her and Toby back to his place.
But then what? Things were sure to be more awkward there.
Would he tell her good-night the minute they got out of the truck? Or would he invite her into the house?
He hadn’t uttered a word since they’d left, so she had no idea what he was thinking. But whenever she stole a glance across the seat, the expression he wore suggested that he felt just as on edge and nervous as she did.
She’d like to put him—or rather both of them—at ease, but she was so far out of her element that she didn’t know where to begin.
What she could really use was an icebreaker, but she couldn’t seem to come up with anything clever to say or do. So she just sank into the leather passenger seat, trying to keep her eyes off the handsome rancher who’d been captivating her thoughts more and more each day.
When they finally turned down his drive and neared the ranch house, she spotted her car parked right where she’d left it. The old Toyota looked a little sad and lonely sitting there, and Angie was going to feel the same way if she drove off in it.
Think, girl. Say something.
“So,” she finally said, the sound of her voice breaking into the silence. “What are you going to do with an evening all to yourself?”
At that, Toby turned, glanced across the seat at her and smiled. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a night without the kids that I have no idea.”
Angie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and tossed him a carefree grin. “Then if I were you, I’d turn on the TV, choose a channel that doesn’t play cartoons and eat ice cream straight from the container.”
Toby shut off the ignition. In the dim light of the cab, she caught a glimmer in his eyes and a flirtatious tilt in his smile.
Now there went a definite zing.
He stretched his arm across the seat, and his smile deepened. “If you were me, would you invite someone in to watch television and help you eat the rest of the chocolate ice cream?”
“Actually, that’s exactly what I’d do. But instead of the ice cream, I’d offer her wine because she probably avoided anything alcoholic at the barbecue for fear she’d slip and say something that your sisters might misconstrue. But I’d also promise to let her control the remote.”
Toby laughed. “The wine, I can do. But I’m pretty territorial about my remote.”
Not bad for an icebreaker, huh?
Angie smiled, then reached for the door handle and let herself out of the truck. They walked together to the porch, and when Toby opened the front door for her and flipped on the light switch, she stepped inside.
The house was quieter than it had ever been, at least since she’d started coming to visit. Only now, the solitude made things awkward again. Without the kids around to act as buffers, she and Toby had to face each other and whatever they were feeling.
He led her to the kitchen, where he opened the fridge and pulled out the bottle of wine for her and a longneck beer for him.
“I had a lot of fun tonight,” she said, as she removed a goblet from the cabinet. “Your family knows how to have a good time. And they’re down-to-earth.”
“If by ‘down-to-earth,’ you mean ‘meddling,’ then, yes. They are.” Toby filled her glass. After popping the top off his drink, he leaned against the counter in a sexy cowboy slant.
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