Free Rough Ride by Keri Ford Page A

flashed her a smile. “All the way on the top shelf too. I figured you had to stand inside the refrigerator or get a chair to get it back there like you had.”
    “Didn’t hide it well enough.”
    “Nope and I’m not a damn bit sorry either. I am so ready to get a fork and dig in.”
    “I sent you home with two others the day before. I know you haven’t eaten all that already.”
    “Just some of each. But I wasn’t at home. I was at your house and coming straight here.” Flora turned and stepped back as a couple of people walked by and headed toward the diner’s front. “I know this thing is playing heck with your mind, but to be honest, I’m loving it. You are on a baking roll trying to figure him out. You’ll have the pie I stole replaced by lunch tomorrow.”
    All right, fine. That was true. It was easy to bake when she had a lot on her mind. Measuring forced her mind on something else. She could admit that the sweet, juicy, creamy goodness all covered in a mountain of cream had a moan rumbling up her throat. “At the moment, I’m glad you stole it too.”
    “I knew you would be.”
    She stopped at Lane’s table. “Here we are. Sorry about the extra wait.”
    A chorus of ‘no problems’ sounded out and she and Flora called out items and handed them out.
    Jacob leaned back as Flora put his plate down. “Thought you were ignoring me.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Hard to ignore what I didn’t know was here.”
    “Oh, baby, you’re killing me.” He reached for her, but Flora popped his fingers with round tray.
    “I’m not your baby either. Or your darling or your sweet-pea.”
    Snickers came from the brothers and Gretchen was thankful all eyes were off her for once. All of them, except for Lane’s.
    “Aw, honey—”
    “Give me one more pet name and I’ll tell your brothers how you stuffed your kitchen sink with rolls and ribs as a last ditch effort to get a woman in your house.” She grinned and winked at the table. “Whoops.”
    Jacob cursed soundly at that and loud laughter erupted from the table. Flora walked off and Gretchen followed. “That was mean.”
    “Bullshit. He was playing with my leg under the table.”
    Gretchen shook her head. “I don’t think I get it.”
    Flora laughed. “I know I don’t, but I’m having a good time trying to figure it out.”
    A red-faced and big grinning Tonya caught them as they started in the kitchen. She wrapped them both in a tight hug. “Thank you.”
    “Anytime.”
    “I’ll let you pay me back next week when I have to dig up a septic system.”
    Tonya grimaced. “Does that mean I get to keep your tips tonight?”
    Flora shook her head. “Well, I don’t know about all that. Point me to the sangria and somewhere to put my feet up and I’ll say we’re square.”
    Tonya grinned. “That’s what I’m here to do. The others can finish up. I’ll get the drinks.”
    “I got the pie!” Flora called.
    Tonya watched her go. “We have pie? I would have sat us down already if I’d known that.”

 
    Chapter Nine
    For the last hour Gretchen had been sitting with her two friends, just a table over from him. They started with a big, full pitcher of some red, fruity drink, a pie in the middle and the three of them with a fork each working on their own side.
    In no time only crumbs were left in the pie pan. It took a little longer, but then only a few chunks of fruit laid at the bottom of the pitcher. All that was left was a lot of laughing and carrying on. Lane had watched and listened enough that he expected to lay awake all night long, hearing Gretchen’s laugh as she slapped the table, mouth wide open, cheeks flushed. Then he’d imagine her soft body against his, sans clothes.
    Not that any of that was new. He thought of those things a lot, but he’d only been able to imagine it. Now, he knew. Between the kiss on his couch and watching her, he had a clear picture of what she’d look like under him. He shook his head and turned back to his