Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
“I agree, I’ve never—” He broke off, his stomach rumbling loud enough to be heard over the wind whistling through the trees above them.
Yasmin laughed. “Maybe we should cut the tour short and head back to the kitchen? I’ve got some leftover spring rolls you can munch on while I boil the noodles.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” he said. “I was so busy hunting patio furniture I missed second lunch.”
“Second lunch?” She arched a brow.
“It’s like second breakfast, but it happens between lunch and dinner.” His boyish grin was completely charming. “Fast metabolism.”
“Lucky. Mine slows down if I even think about…” Her words trailed off, sticking in her throat as the deck, and the surprise waiting at the base of it, came back into view.
She cursed, shaking her head in disbelief.
“What?” He followed her gaze, tensing as he spotted the threat. “Is that—”
“Sampson the third, out of his pen again,” she confirmed, bracing herself to run. But so far it looked like the rooster had yet to spot them. “And it looks like he won top cock at the festival. See the blue ribbon around his neck?”
“So he’s come to show off, is that it? Engage in some sibling rivalry? Rub it in that he won a prize at the festival and you didn’t?”
She stifled a laugh. “Don’t. If I laugh, he’ll hear, and we’ll never get inside to our dinner. He’s perfectly capable of blocking all entrances.”
Noah stood up straighter, rolling his broad shoulders back. “Oh, hell no. That bastard isn’t keeping me from my Chinese-Texan food. I’ve been looking forward to that shit all day. This is going down. I’ll take him out ninja style.”
She snorted and the rooster’s head cocked in their direction. As soon as he spotted Yasmin, his breast feathers puffed up and a low, menacing gurgle sounded from his throat. “Shit,” she hissed. “Now you’ve done it, ninja style. I haven’t had a chance to heal from my last run in with him yet.”
“He’s not going to touch you,” Noah said, fingers wrapping around her upper arms as he moved her behind him. “I’m taking this for the team. You just head for the back steps. I’ll keep him away from you.”
“But don’t hurt him,” she said, heart beating faster as they crept cautiously forward, each step mirrored by Sampson, who had clearly entered stalking-his-prey mode. “If you do, my mother will never forgive you.”
“Is this the face of a man who would hurt a rooster?”
She glanced up at him, but before she could ask what the face of a man who would hurt a rooster looked like, Sampson charged.
“Go, go, go!” Noah yelled flapping his arms as he turned to meet the rooster head on. With a squeal, Yasmin made a break for the back deck. She sprinted hard, taking the steps two at a time, and dashed into the kitchen, grabbing the first non-lethal weapon she could get her hands on.
Back out on the deck, she took aim with a granny smith apple and let it fly, hitting the ground in front of Sampson just as he lashed out, nearly taking a chunk out of Noah’s knee.
“Now, O’Sullivan!” she shouted. “Run for the deck; I’ve got you covered.”
Noah turned and ran, Sampson in hot pursuit, but a few more carefully aimed apples and oranges kept Sampson out of pecking distance. Thankfully, just as she ran out of fruit basket, the stairs slowed the rooster down, giving her and Noah time to escape into the kitchen.
“Jesus,” he said, breath coming in harsh gasps. “That’s it. We’re moving to the other side of town. I looked at a ranch house with ten acres today. Already fully fenced, but we can add an electrified option. I’m not going to spend my life running from a rooster.”
Sampson, who had arrived on the deck, pecked the glass window at the bottom of the door in response.
Yasmin burst into giddy, relieved laughter. Noah tried to hold out, but soon he was laughing as hard as she was until they were both leaning against the kitchen table for help remaining upright.
“You should have seen your face,” she said, panting for breath. “You were so serious. Like you were facing down a wild bull.”
“You should have seen your face,” he countered. “You looked like you’d seen a ghost.”
“He’s scarier than a ghost. Ghosts don’t have beaks or claws.”
“Or the heart of a killer,” Noah said, making her break out into giggles all over again.
“Stone cold,” she gasped. “Stone cold killer. If he were bigger, we’d both be dead right now.”
“So dead,” he concurred, pulling her into his arms until their laughter-sore bellies were pressed tight together and suddenly Yasmin wasn’t in the mood to laugh anymore.
“Thank you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “For being my hero.”
“Anytime, baby,” he said, eyes glittering with humor and something hotter that made her insides feel soft and gooey. “Anytime.”