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By Saturday morning, Sandy had convinced herself that something would go wrong. Heff would change his mind, his car would break down, a freak tornado would rip through the fairgrounds, zombie apocalypse ... something would rise up and bite her on the ass because that was just how things worked.
Some might call that pessimistic, but Sandy felt it was more realistic, based on her real-life experiences over the last fifteen years or so. When things appeared to be going too well, she worried. The higher her spirits rose, the farther they had to fall, and these days, between how well the ranch was working out and Heff’s parking lot visit, they were soaring precariously high. It was only natural to feel as if she were reaching the limits of whatever good-luck quota the universe had allotted.
Nevertheless, she and Kevin were ready and waiting bright and early. Apparently, she still had some funds left in the good Karma bank because at eight fifty-five, Heff pulled into the driveway in the same sleek black SUV she’d seen Matt driving at the ranch.
Sandy discreetly released a breath in relief. Kevin stood up, shifting his weight from side to side in excitement.
“Hugh!” he greeted enthusiastically as Heff slid gracefully out of the vehicle.
Heff looked beyond delicious in his well-worn jeans, black T, and black combat-style boots. “Hey, bud. Ready to go see some animals and have some fun?”
Kevin nodded excitedly and held a phone out to Heff.
“What’s this?” Heff asked, accepting the phone as he climbed the two steps to the front porch.
“Tunes,” answered Kevin.
Heff looked questioningly at her.
“We made a playlist for the ride,” she explained.
Heff grinned widely. “You did, huh?”
“Yep.”
“The Sooouuulll Train,” Kevin crooned, mimicking the intro to the popular seventies music and dance show.
“He’s channeling the spirit of Don Cornelius this morning,” Sandy told him. “But I made sure there was some Kansas and Boston on there too.”
Heff’s eyes grew almost as wide as his smile.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Lenny said, stepping out onto the porch. “Did I just hear Kevin speak?”
“He did,” Sandy confirmed with a big smile.
Lenny’s expression turned hard when he spotted Heff. “What’s he doing here?”
“We’re going to the farm show,” Sandy answered.
“With him?”
Heff’s expression hardened, too, but he was better at hiding it. “Yeah, with me.” His eyes dropped down to Lenny’s feet and back up again. “Nice treks.”
The tension in the air grew thick. Even Kevin picked up on it, his back-and-forth movements getting faster, indicating his anxiety. Sandy wasn’t feeling too comfortable either. The way those two were glaring at each other was far from friendly.
“Well, this is awesome, but we’d better get going,” Sandy said, impatient to be on their way. Ignoring Lenny’s scowl, she held a bag out to Heff. “Put this in the car, would you? I packed some snacks, antibacterial wipes, extra sunscreen, and bug spray. I think I remembered everything.”
Heff broke the staring contest he and Lenny had been having and accepted the bag. He turned to Kevin, his features warming once again. “Ready to get this show on the road, big guy?”
The two of them headed toward the car, and Sandy was just about to follow when Lenny grabbed her arm.
“What the hell, Sandy?”
She pulled her arm free. “What is your problem?” she hissed.
“You going anywhere with him is my problem.”
“Well, get over it because Kevin is really excited about this.”
“Kevin is? Or you are?”
“I’m not doing this with you right now.”
Sandy turned away before Lenny could say any more. Heff, who had gotten Kevin settled in the backseat, was now leaning against the vehicle, his arm slung beside the open door, watching the scene with undisguised interest. His stance appeared casual until she looked at the intensity in his eyes.
She’d seen him laughing. Seen him in the throes of passion. Seen him charmingly shy. But she’d never seen that look. The one that somehow managed to make her feel protected. Safe. And his.
A shiver—the best kind of shiver—ran the length of her spine, even as she told herself she was being ridiculous.
As she made her way toward the car, Heff straightened and, in a gentlemanly move, rounded the front to open the passenger door for her. Through the windshield, she saw Lenny standing on the porch, legs wide and arms crossed, glaring their way.
Heff climbed into the driver’s seat. “Someone’s not too happy,” he commented, shooting a glance at the porch. “Is there something I should know about?”
“No! Nothing like that. Lenny and I are just friends. Have been forever. I mean, we grew up in the two halves of a house, kind of hard not to be friends.”
His hand brushed her shoulder as he slung it along the back of her seat, twisting his upper torso to look behind the vehicle before backing out. The contact was too little, too brief. She wanted more.
“Does he know that?”
“Yeah. He just gets a little protective sometimes. It’s the cop in him, I think. What was that comment about his shoes all about?”
Heff flicked a sideways glance her way. “They’re nice hikers. Top-shelf.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, nothing. Thinking of getting a pair myself.”
“Hmm,” she hummed. Her bullshit detector was sounding loud and clear, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to press the issue and start off the day on a bad note.
“Now, how about we start cranking some of those tunes?”