give his head a scratch. Before he could replace it, Bobbie reached for it. He pulled it away.
“Don’t bother putting that hat back on, Jace.”
“What? Why?” He frowned, his hat held above his head in uncertainty.
Bobbie leaned on the chair with one hand and propped the other on her hip. “Because I’m going to cut your hair.”
Jace finally smiled and placed his hat on his head. “I don’t think so.”
Annie came out and stood next to Bobbie. “Jace Kincaid, you will sit down in that chair and let Bobbie cut your hair or I won’t feed you tonight.” She crossed her arms as if to punctuate what she said.
He narrowed his eyes. “If this is what you girls came up with this afternoon, you’ve got way too much time on your hands.” He moved to walk around them only to have Bobbie block his path. He looked down and studied her face. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Yes, we’re serious, Jace.” Annie swatted at his arm. “You’re beginning to look like your shaggy dog. In fact I think your hair is even longer than his.”
“Well at least he’s more loyal than my sister.”
Still, neither woman budged. He surrendered with a sigh. A trim might not be so bad. Maybe. He moved to the chair and dropped down onto the seat.
“Oh, Jace, for mercy sake. Stop pouting.” Annie’s posture changed to match Bobbie’s. “Bobbie sure can’t make it look any worse than it already does.”
Jace looked back at Bobbie. “Do you even know how to cut hair?”
Stone-faced, she shrugged. “I’ll do the best I can. Besides, you have a hat to cover any mistakes I might make.”
Bobbie removed his hat and tossed it toward a bench next to the house before draping the sheet around his shoulders. She walkedaround him and ran her fingers through his hair. The breeze he appreciated earlier became a curse as it swirled around his head the smell of the rose-scented soap she used.
He swallowed hard, not sure he liked having her so close. The little imp he tried to protect from trouble was preferable to this—this feminine side. In an instant, he realized making her mad had been one way of holding her at arm’s length. Shivers raced through him and moved down his back and arms.
About to stand and put an end to the torment, he stilled when Bobbie stepped behind him and snipped at his hair. He watched some of the clippings fall in front of him. “Are you sure you’re not taking off too much?”
“It’ll grow back.” Bobbie continued cutting.
The scissors fell to the ground, and his heart fell with them. Did this girl know what she was doing? For someone so graceful in the saddle, she seemed all thumbs at the moment.
She picked up the scissors. “Sorry.”
Several minutes later, he heard “Oops.” He started to stand. “What do you mean, ‘oops’?”
Bobbie placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back down onto the chair. “You probably won’t even notice it, Jace.”
“No,
I
won’t since it’s at the back of my head. But the question is, will everyone
else
?”
“I can’t speak for when you’re not wearing your hat, but I’m sure the men around here won’t notice a thing.”
His jaw ached from clenching his teeth. Each snip of the scissors grated on his nerves like an annoying fly buzzing around his ears. He held his silence several more minutes and had decided to put this whole game to an end when Bobbie announced she was finished.
She walked around him, running her fingers through his hair, ending her examination by putting her fingers under his chin to make him look at her. He watched her gaze flash from one side of his head to the other several times, never once looking him in theeye. He wanted to grab her chin so she had to look at him. Instead, he rubbed his palms on his legs to get rid of the moisture.
Finally, with a nod of approval, Bobbie removed the sheet and stepped back. He wasted no time striding into the house, not only to put some distance between them but
“Don’t bother putting that hat back on, Jace.”
“What? Why?” He frowned, his hat held above his head in uncertainty.
Bobbie leaned on the chair with one hand and propped the other on her hip. “Because I’m going to cut your hair.”
Jace finally smiled and placed his hat on his head. “I don’t think so.”
Annie came out and stood next to Bobbie. “Jace Kincaid, you will sit down in that chair and let Bobbie cut your hair or I won’t feed you tonight.” She crossed her arms as if to punctuate what she said.
He narrowed his eyes. “If this is what you girls came up with this afternoon, you’ve got way too much time on your hands.” He moved to walk around them only to have Bobbie block his path. He looked down and studied her face. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Yes, we’re serious, Jace.” Annie swatted at his arm. “You’re beginning to look like your shaggy dog. In fact I think your hair is even longer than his.”
“Well at least he’s more loyal than my sister.”
Still, neither woman budged. He surrendered with a sigh. A trim might not be so bad. Maybe. He moved to the chair and dropped down onto the seat.
“Oh, Jace, for mercy sake. Stop pouting.” Annie’s posture changed to match Bobbie’s. “Bobbie sure can’t make it look any worse than it already does.”
Jace looked back at Bobbie. “Do you even know how to cut hair?”
Stone-faced, she shrugged. “I’ll do the best I can. Besides, you have a hat to cover any mistakes I might make.”
Bobbie removed his hat and tossed it toward a bench next to the house before draping the sheet around his shoulders. She walkedaround him and ran her fingers through his hair. The breeze he appreciated earlier became a curse as it swirled around his head the smell of the rose-scented soap she used.
He swallowed hard, not sure he liked having her so close. The little imp he tried to protect from trouble was preferable to this—this feminine side. In an instant, he realized making her mad had been one way of holding her at arm’s length. Shivers raced through him and moved down his back and arms.
About to stand and put an end to the torment, he stilled when Bobbie stepped behind him and snipped at his hair. He watched some of the clippings fall in front of him. “Are you sure you’re not taking off too much?”
“It’ll grow back.” Bobbie continued cutting.
The scissors fell to the ground, and his heart fell with them. Did this girl know what she was doing? For someone so graceful in the saddle, she seemed all thumbs at the moment.
She picked up the scissors. “Sorry.”
Several minutes later, he heard “Oops.” He started to stand. “What do you mean, ‘oops’?”
Bobbie placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back down onto the chair. “You probably won’t even notice it, Jace.”
“No,
I
won’t since it’s at the back of my head. But the question is, will everyone
else
?”
“I can’t speak for when you’re not wearing your hat, but I’m sure the men around here won’t notice a thing.”
His jaw ached from clenching his teeth. Each snip of the scissors grated on his nerves like an annoying fly buzzing around his ears. He held his silence several more minutes and had decided to put this whole game to an end when Bobbie announced she was finished.
She walked around him, running her fingers through his hair, ending her examination by putting her fingers under his chin to make him look at her. He watched her gaze flash from one side of his head to the other several times, never once looking him in theeye. He wanted to grab her chin so she had to look at him. Instead, he rubbed his palms on his legs to get rid of the moisture.
Finally, with a nod of approval, Bobbie removed the sheet and stepped back. He wasted no time striding into the house, not only to put some distance between them but
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