Barrett shrugged. “Mom probably told her to do it.”

“Pretty hot out here today.”

“She’s tough. She can handle it. Besides, she loves mowing, even though she grumbles about it. If you ask her if she’d rather do dishes or mow the lawn, she’ll take mow the lawn anytime.”

Nathan cracked a smile. “Is that right?”

“Yeah. I think that has to do with growing up with four older brothers. We were always fighting over running the tractor and Mia often got the short end of the stick. As soon as she was tall enough to sit on the tractor, Dad let her start mowing and driving the trucks around the property. Then we got stuck doing dishes.”

Nathan laughed. “Sucks for you.”

“For sure.”

The door opened and Harmony stuck her head out. “Babe, I need you.”

Barrett looked over at him. “Saved by groom duties.”

“Later, Barrett.”

Barrett disappeared inside, and Nathan finished his glass of water and set it on the table by the back door. He thought about finding the guys to see what they were up to, but for some reason he found himself wandering toward the front yard.

Mia had mowed most of the front area and looked to be about ready to finish up. He circled around back, grabbed his glass and took it inside.

Lydia was in the kitchen, along with Diane. They were heads together creating some centerpiece decoration thing and barely noticed him, so he refilled his glass with ice water, along with a second one. He slid out the door without anyone asking him questions. Once he was out the door, he realized he was acting all stealthy for no reason at all.

Everyone was busy and no one was paying attention to him, so he walked out front in time to see Mia pulling the tractor toward the barn. He followed her in there.

She shut off the tractor and turned to him.

“You following me?” she asked.

He handed her the glass of water. “Thought you might be thirsty.”

“I am, thanks.” She downed half the glass in a couple of swallows, kind of like he had with his first glass. She took off her ball cap and her hair was stuck to her head. Sweat glistened all over her arms and neck, and her T-shirt clung to her breasts in a way that was more attractive than it should be, all things considered.

“You’re all wet.”

“No shit. It’s hot out here. I need a cool shower. This is one of those days I want to go whine at my dad about never putting in that swimming pool I always begged him for.”

He laughed. “I grumbled at Barrett about wanting to surround myself with water.”

She leaned against the tractor. “How was weed pulling?”

“It’s my dream job. I’m thinking of giving up football just so I can pull weeds every day for the rest of my life.”

She laughed. “I want to be at the press conference when you announce your retirement before the season starts.”

“No one will miss me. My dad will come out of retirement and lead the Sabers to the championship game again.”

She took another long swallow of water. “Thought about all this while you were weed pulling, huh?”

“It’s good to have a long-range plan in mind.”

“You’re an idiot, Riley.”

He gave her a half smile. “That’s why you like me.”

“No, I only tolerate you.”

He looked around the barn. It was filled with farm equipment, from mowers and tractors to accessories for those. Then there were hoes and rakes and hoses. He also noticed there was storage up above accessible with a ladder.

“What’s up there?” he asked.

“An old-style hayloft.”

“Oh, like the kinds you see in old movies?”

She frowned. “What?”

He shifted to lean against a wood column in the barn. “Come on, Mia. Haven’t you ever watched old movies, where the couple climb into the barn hayloft and make out?”

She looked up at the loft, then back at Nathan. “Apparently not. And there’s no hay up there. Though we have storage and horse blankets.”

“Sexy. Let’s go up there and make out on the horse blankets.”

She laughed. “I don’t think so. Horse blankets aren’t comfortable. Besides, I’m sweaty.”

“So am I. Let’s get even more sweaty.”

“It won’t be romantic.”

“Wanna bet? I can make anything romantic.”

“Are you throwing down the romance gauntlet?”

“Yup.”

She stood. “Fine. But if I end up with hives or fleas from the horse blankets, it’ll be your fault.”

He cocked a grin and grabbed her hand. “Aren’t you just full of adventure today?”

“No. I’m hot and sweaty and I need a shower.”

He followed her up the ladder. “You’re very sexy when you’re grumpy.”

“Shut up, Nathan.”

This might not be ideal, and Mia might be cranky as fuck, but he’d change her mind about being up here. And it might be his only chance to get her alone. So even though it was hot and they were sweaty, they were together.

He’d make this work.

MIA WANTED NOTHING MORE THAN A NICE, COOL shower right now to rinse off the grass and sweat. Instead, she was climbing into this airless, hellish loft with sweat pooling between her breasts and every bit of clothing she wore sticking to her skin. Her hair was plastered to her head and neck and she felt disgusting.

So. Not. Sexy.

She got to the top of the loft and turned to wait for Nathan. He made it up there and looked around.

“Hot as fuck up here,” he said.

“See? It’s not like the movies. There’s no springtime breeze flowing through the opening. No birds singing. It’s like hell up here. Can we go now?”

“I see your point.” He came over and wrapped his arms around her and it suddenly got twenty degrees warmer. “But we’re alone. Doesn’t that count for something?”

“I can think of better places to be alone. Like my nice cool shower in my bathroom.”

“You’re ruining my fantasy here, Mia.”

“And I’m about to pass out from the heat.”

He gave her a look of concern. “We can’t have that. Let’s go.”

She tilted her head back to meet his gaze. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. Your face is bright red. Come on.”

He held her hand as they made their way back down the narrow staircase. She actually felt a little dizzy, which she would not admit to Nathan. But when they hit the barn floor she was happy as hell to be out of that hot loft.

He didn’t hesitate once they got there, just took her by the hand and led her toward the house. They went in the front door and he marched her up the stairs and right to her room. Fortunately, they didn’t run into anyone along the way. He went inside with her and shut and locked the door.

She was so happy to have her own bathroom, because what she needed right now was privacy. And a shower. She really wanted a shower.

She turned to Nathan. “I’m stripping and getting in the shower. You coming with me?”

“You sure about that?”

She pulled her top over her head and dropped it on the floor. “I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t sure. Can you unhook my bra?”

“Yeah.” He undid the clasp and she pulled it away from her sticky body and let that drop, too. “Yuck.”

She went into the bathroom and turned on the water, shimmied out of her shorts and underwear, then stepped in the shower.

Oh. Heaven. She tilted her face back and let the lukewarm water rain down over her.

She heard the shower door open but she didn’t move. Nathan could just wait his turn.

“I’m hoarding all the water for a minute,” she said. “At least until I rinse all this sweat off of me.”

“I can handle standing in my sweat while you cool down. Take all the time you need.”

She sighed in happiness and let the refreshing shower continue. When she felt like most of the sweat was off of her, she stepped out of the way and let Nathan move in. He rinsed off and took her body wash and did a quick once-over on his body. Then he grabbed her shampoo and poured some in his hand.