“I don’t think either of them have a clue.” Delighted, Jared swiped wet hair out of his eyes.
“It’s going to be a pleasure.” Rafe hooked his thumbs in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “A real pleasure, to watch Shane MacKade take the fall.”
“Should we go inside and leave them alone?” Devin angled his head as he considered. “Or should we haul him off her and pound on him some more?”
Rafe touched his fingers to his eye. Shane’s first punch had been a doozy. He was going to need some of the ice he was sure his wife was readying.
“I wouldn’t mind pounding him some more, but she’d just get going again.”
“I don’t think we should leave them out here,” Jared decided. “They could catch pneumonia.”
“Not with all that heat.” With a nod, Devin moved forward, and his brothers flanked him. Between them, they took arms and legs and hauled Shane into the air.
“Let go. You’ve got your own women. This one’s mine.” But they had him pinned, so he could only grin foolishly at Rebecca. “Baby, you’re a mess. Let’s go take a shower.”
Eyes narrowed, Rebecca pulled herself to her feet. She knew she had mud in places best left unmentioned. With as much dignity as possible, she swiped her hands down her ruined slacks and through her filthy hair.
“Have you got him?” she asked calmly.
“Yes, ma’am.” R
ecognizing the look in her eyes, Devin grinned. “I believe we do.”
Shane knew the look, too, and tried to yank free. “Come on now, honey. Reason, remember? Violence isn’t an answer. God, you’re so pretty. I could gobble you right up. Why don’t we—”
His breath whooshed out when she clenched a fist and rammed it into his stomach.
“Good one,” he said weakly, then coughed and managed to draw another breath. “You show real potential.”
“Idiot.” With a toss of her head, she dripped her way to the house.
“Isn’t she something?” Dazed with admiration and pain, Shane stared after her. “Isn’t she just something?”
In the end, he tried flowers. After the chores were done, supper was eaten and his family had gone their separate ways, Shane calculated he needed a bit of an edge. He went out in the rain, in the dark, and picked wildflowers by flashlight.
When he came back, she was working at her computer. She did glance up; it was one of those cool, killing glances she’d aimed his way all evening.
He put the wet flowers on the table beside her and crouched down. “How mad are you?”
“I’m not angry.” She was embarrassed, and that was worse.
“Want to hit me again?”
“Certainly not.”
“It was just mud.” He took her hand, brought it to his lips. “It looked good on you.”
She would have tugged her hand away, but he was nibbling on it. “I’m trying to work.”
“Wasn’t the term you used avoidance?” When she turned her head to glare, he picked up the flowers and held them out. “I’m crazy about you.”
She let out a sigh. What was so important about dignity, anyway? “You must be crazy to go out on a rainy night to pick flowers.”
“It always worked with my mother. You reminded me of her today, when you were letting us have it. Of course, she’d have pulled us up by the scruff of the neck, and then lectured. I guess we were smaller then.”
Unable to resist, Rebecca sniffed at the dripping blooms. “She must have been quite a woman.”
“She was the best,” Shane said simply. “They don’t come any better. She and my father, well, they were terrific. You always knew somebody was there, ready to give you a kick in the butt or a helping hand, whichever you needed most.” Reaching up, he stroked a finger over her cheek. “I guess that’s why I don’t really understand loneliness.”