Most Eligible Spy by Dana Marton Page B

yourself. You use as little force as absolutely necessary. They’ll get the message, believe me.”
    Logan beamed. “Yes, sir.”
    “How about you call me Mo? All right, let’s try the moves a little faster,” she heard him say as she went into the barn to do the milking.
    She started with Nellie, since she was the fussiest one. She had a tendency to kick over the milk bucket when she was in a temper. But she did all right this time, looking back toward the door as if listening for Mo’s voice outside.
    He did have a nice voice, deep-timbered and masculine. His tone could cut in the interrogation room, but she was beginning to wonder if that was a learned skill. He hadn’t talked like that to her since, and he was extra gentle with Logan.
    She moved her milking stool over to Holly, disinfected her udder then went on with the milking. By the time she finished with all the cows, Mo and Logan were coming into the barn.
    Logan was grinning from ear to ear, eyes wide with excitement. “Mom, want to attack me from the front?”
    “Ah, how about a little later?”
    “Why don’t we give her a hand first?” Mo reached for the pails.
    They processed the milk then Mo helped with the rest of her evening chores.
    “You don’t have to do that,” she told him as he collected the eggs with Logan. “Although I do appreciate the help.”
    She was used to doing it alone. Dylan had too many businesses to give a hand with the day-to-day operations at the ranch.
    “Actually,” Mo said as they walked inside through the back door. He waited until Logan rushed off to the laundry room to wash his hands, before continuing, “I didn’t just stop by to quickly check on you. I’d like to do a stakeout at the ranch tonight, if you don’t mind.”
    A stakeout? “Did something happen today?”
    Logan ran back. Mo stayed silent.
    “Sure,” she said after a moment. She wanted him to catch the bad guys so Dylan’s name would finally be cleared. “Thanks.”
    “I’ll be around, then.” He turned to leave.
    “Would you like to have dinner with us?” she asked on impulse as she moved to the sink to clean up. He had helped her so much today. And not just today, really.
    “You don’t have to feed me.” But he was smiling.
    He was sexy when he smiled. She used to think his torn eyebrow made him look fierce and threatening. Now she thought it just made him look interesting. Added character.
    “It’s just a couple of burgers. And we have plenty.” Why was she nervous all of a sudden? It wasn’t as if she was asking him on a date.
    “Love a good burger. Thanks.”
    Her fingertips tingled from nerves. Okay, this was way crazy. He was helping her out, and she was feeding him in exchange. No big deal.
    Since she didn’t want him to see how flustered she was, she turned from him and busied herself with making dinner.
    He came to help.
    He sure had a way of filling up the kitchen.
    “So how did you lose that eyebrow, anyway?” she asked, then couldn’t believe she had.
    He ran his finger over the uneven skin. “I can’t really talk about that. Sorry.”
    “No, I shouldn’t have pried,” she apologized. Then wondered just what kind of work he did. But she didn’t bring up the subject again, not in front of Logan. And there wasn’t really another moment of silence for a long time anyway.
    During dinner, Logan entertained Mo with stories of the animals around the ranch. And how once, when he was little, he’d found a lizard in the yard, was afraid the chickens would get it while he had to take his nap, so he put it in his pocket, then hid it in the microwave.
    Mo paid rapt attention and laughed at all the right places in the story, melting her heart little by little.
    Then they discussed video games at length. Pretty much sounded like another language to her. The only thing she understood was that her son was way impressed with Mo’s gaming knowledge.
    When Logan asked if he could read to Mo instead of her before bed, she