Sea Breeze 03 - While It Lasts

on their screwed- up relationship.
    A movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. Grabbing Eva’s shoulders , I shoved her behind me and faced down the big ass cows standing a few feet away from us. They were out of the fence . How the fuck had they got out of the fence?
    “What are you doing?” Eva squealed slapping at my back as I pinned her against the tree with my b ody . I wasn’t much of a barrier between her and the cows but at the moment this was the best idea I had.
    “Stop hitting me!” I demanded. “And tell me how the hell I get these big ass mother fuckers back in the gate.”
    Eva stopped slapping me only to sh ove me hard. “Oh for crying out- loud, Cage. They aren’t going to charge us.” She pushed her way out from behind me and shot me an amused smirk. “They aren’t bulls.”
    Who the fuck cared if they were bulls are not? They were freaking huge.
    Eva walked toward them without an ounce of fear and began hollering at them to go on. She stomped her feet causing them to back up and then they slowly began to move toward the fence that had been left open. She glanced back at me over her shoulder and rolled her eyes , “They’re ferocious beasts aren’t they?”
    I was torn between feeling like an idiot and laughing at how damn cute she looked herding cattle.
    Once she had the last one back in the fence she closed it and put the lock in place. “Might help if you lock them up next time,” she chirped in a playful tone.
    “You’re enjoying this just a little too much,” I replied.
    She shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms in front of her chest . “I gotta admit your gallantry at attempting to save me from the big bad mean cows was noble in a moronic sort of way.”
    “Moronic, huh?” I liked seeing her playful and amused. So far , all I’d seen was the uptight version of Eva Brooks.
    “You can’t be a very good cowhand if you’re scared of the cows.”
    I let out a sigh, “Well, damn there went my future plans.”
    What looked like the tugging’s of a smile played on her lips but vanished just as quickly. The playful glint in her eyes disappeared as well. What had I done to put her back in a bad mood? I liked the Eva I’d just gotten a glimpse of , not this sad snarky one that had reappeared.
    “We’re not engaged. Jeremy and I a re friends. Very good friends.”
    Confused, I dropped my eyes to the ring on her left hand just to make sure I hadn’t imagined seeing it. The diamond was still there professing to the world that she was an engaged woman. Who the hell was she engaged to? The only guy I’d seen her with was Jeremy.
    “You wear that ring for fun?” I asked jokingly in hopes of getting the fun Eva back but instead her face fell.
    “No. I don’t wear it for fun. I’m not engaged to Jeremy. I’m engaged to his brother.”

    Eva

    I’m engaged to his brother? Why had I said it like I was still engaged to Josh? He was going to find out the truth. I’d darted away so fast that he couldn’t ask me any more questions but he would ask someone. Not that I thought he was real ly curious about me but because he was confused. I didn’t want him curious about Josh. I didn’t want him to know about everything that had happened.
    I wanted him to still look at me with that appreciative sexy gleam in his eyes. The gleam I would continue to ignore. I liked having someone look at me with something other than sympathy. Once he knew , those sexy smirks and strip teases he did outside for my benefit would all end. He’d feel bad for poor Eva.
    Until he’d shown up, I hadn’t realized that everyone looked at me differently. They were careful with me. Cage didn’t look at me like I was breakable. Ten months ago , I hadn’t been ready for someone to look at me differently. I’d wanted them to remem ber Josh when they saw me. N ow I needed someone, anyone , to just see me. Not the tragedy. Just me.
    Cage didn’t know my past. He didn’t know the pain I’d suffered. He didn’t measure every word he spoke to me and he didn’t hold back punches. He treated me like he did everyone else. With him, I felt normal again. It was about time I felt like a human again.
    The screen door slammed behind me and I jumped.
    “Damn Charles North thinks he can just go on up to my hunting camp whenever he damn well pleases with a bunch of banker friends of his,” Daddy grumbled as he walked into the kitchen.
    Charles North was my mother’s sister’s husband. My