Cade Eaton is thirteen years older than I am and barely looks my way. Until I get him into the hot tub one night for a game of truth or dare. Then all bets are off—and so are our clothes. Rhett: You know Medusa? Willa: Not personally, no. Rhett: Remember the part about not looking her in the eyes? Willa: I’ve always kind of liked Medusa. If I were her, I’d wanna turn men into stone too. Rhett: Pretend Talia is Medusa. But a version we don’t like.” Cade Eaton is thirteen years older than me and barely looks my way. Until I get him in the hot tub one night for a game of truth or dare. Then all bets are off – and so are our clothes.

Have you tried talking to him?” I blink at her. “Talking?” “Yes. You know . . . where you use your mouth to create words that describe what’s going through your head.” “Sounds weird. Sounds awkward. Don’t like it. Not approved by me.” Cade Eaton is thirteen years older than me and barely looks my way. Until I get him in the hot tub one night for a game of truth or dare. Then all bets are off - and so are our clothes. Working as a nanny for the world's grumpiest single dad should have been simple. Except I can't keep my eyes off him. And he can't keep his hands off of me. That’s fine. I can take care of myself.” “I know you can, but you don’t have to because I’m here to help.” He says it so matter-of-factly. Like doing this for someone is the most obvious thing in the world. And I wonder if, for him, maybe it is. He stepped in to take care of his siblings in the wake of tragedy. He stepped up to be a single parent to his son. Barfing babysitter? That’s a perfect job for him too. At his core, Cade is a caretaker. Selfless. With such a big heart I almost can’t wrap my head around it.”He's gruff, a little rough around the edges, and it turns out broad-shouldered ranchers with filthy mouths are this city girl's kryptonite. So who am I to resist? What I want to say is wholly inappropriate. You’re beautiful. How was your night out? I’m sorry I haven’t been leaving enough coffee for you in the morning. Words that lodge in my throat. Turn to cotton batting on my tongue. Words and feelings I don’t know what to do with anyway.” Did I let you watch the bulls get turned out with the heifers too much as a child, boy?” I groan. “You got something against condoms?” “Dad.” “Some sort of breeding kink I don’t know about?” I throw an arm over my eyes. “Never talk to me again. That you even know that term is altogether too much information.” Working as a nanny for the world’s grumpiest single dad should have been simple. Except I can’t keep my eyes off him. And he can’t keep his hands off of me. He’s gruff, a little rough around the edges. But broad-shouldered ranchers with calloused hands and filthy mouths are this city girl’s kryptonite. So who am I to resist?

But in our quiet moments together, he softens, and I start to realise his hardened exterior is just a facade. Someone once convinced him that his best wasn't good enough. Yet I've never felt more cherished than I do in his arms. Grumpy cowboys and steamy romance... Welcome to Chestnut Springs: the big-hitting, small-town series from TikTok sensation Elsie Silver. But it’s in our quiet moments together that he softens. It’s when he takes care of me that I realize his hardened exterior is just a façade. It’s when I watch him go all sweet with his little boy that I really fall for him. Rhett: I think my brother’s words were: she’s clueless that a bunch of dumbass cowboys keep humping her leg when she walks past. The angle of his face and the darkness of his beard make it hard to see, so I squint a tad, jutting my chin at him to get a closer look. I’m not sure I can call it a smile.Grumpy cowboys and steamy romance . . . Welcome to Chestnut Springs: the big-hitting, small-town series from TikTok sensation Elsie Silver. Perfect for fans of Devney Perry, Lucy Score and B.K. Borison.

He’s gruff, a little rough around the edges, and it turns out broad-shouldered ranchers with filthy mouths are this city girl’s kryptonite. So who am I to resist?Someone convinced him once that his best wasn’t good enough. But I’ve never felt more cherished than I do in his arms. But in our quiet moments together, he softens, and I start to realise his hardened exterior is just a façade. Someone once convinced him that his best wasn't good enough. Yet I've never felt more cherished than I do in his arms.