“This fine ass?” Christian continued, examining his own butt. “Nah. It’s impenetrable. Rock hard, baby. Wanna feel it?” He turned around, showing off his ass to Sage. It really was a nice one. The chaps always helped.
“Ew. Gross. No, thank you.” Sage inched away from Christian, holding out her hands for the drinks being passedover the bar by the bartender before Christian practically pushed his rear end in her face.
I took a bottle from Sage, sipping it. The wheaty, refreshing taste hitting the back of my tongue. “You’re saying you haven’t even been tempted to touch it?” I teased my friend. “Not even a little bit? He does have a nice ass. You’d be lying if you didn’t think so.”
“Thank you, Lina.” Christian nodded at me appreciatively.
“Any time, buddy. Besides, I thought for sure the ice would have broken after a few months of watching Arlo.”
“You know our Sage. She’d hate to admit she wants me, but I’m growing on her.” Christian winked her way.
“I’m notyours, and there’s no part of me that wants you.” But her eyes shifted away like she was trying to cover up the lie.
I attempted to hide a smile behind my drink. There was nothing I’d want more than to see my two friends finally hook up. I knew Sage. She was the yin to my yang, complete opposites. She needed time to think and feel safe, andthenshe needed even more time. But in the last few years that I’ve known her, I’ve never once seen her date or heard her mention anyone she was interested in. Sage spent the majority of her time either in her art studio she hoped to one day turn into a gallery, or working her ass off at The Rooster. I was thankful she now had Arlo. It got her out more, and she seemed less lonely than she had been.
“We’ll see about that. Listen up!” Christian hollered at the near-empty room, his arms outstretched, the full beer sloshing foam over the edge. About a dozen patrons turned to stare.
“Oh, God.” Sage ducked her head, her hand covering her face. Her freckled, bronze cheeks pinkened.
I wasn’t hiding my smile anymore. I loved this!
Like one of those sports announcers calling Jude’s fight, Christian belted, “I vow that by this time next year, not only will this woman”—he pointed at Sage, who was now trying to hidebehind me—“touch my ass, but she’lllikeit. And not only will she like it, but she’ll beg to do it again.”
“Oh, my fucking God,” Sage whispered, shrinking even more behind me.
“You sure you don’t want to fuck that?” I asked over my shoulder, stifling a laugh.
“No,” she groaned.
“Oh, this is pure gold.” Kale had his arms crossed over his chest, a smug look on his face.
“Fuck off, Kale!” Sage stepped away from me, glaring at her brother. “And you,” she said, thrusting a finger in Christian’s face. “Embarrass me again, and your dog-sitting duties are over.”
Christian dropped his arms, hiding his own grin behind his beer as he took a gulp. “Aw, we can’t do that to our baby. He’d miss ol’ paw too much.”
“Ugh! He’smydog, and I’m pretty sureyouwould be the one who would miss him. So don’t act like this is some joint-custody arrangement.” Sage spun on her heels, grabbing the rest of the drinks like she was working a shift to take them over to my dad and Reed.
“You know how to get under her skin,” I told Christian.
He bit his knuckle like it was slowly killing him as he watched Sage walk away. “It’s just our foreplay.”
Kale patted his buddy on the shoulder. “My sister’s a hard nut to crack, so the fact that you can get any reaction out of her is a stroke of genius.” He chuckled. “Keep it up, and I bet you’ll eventually break down her defenses. She might even like you one day.”
Christian sighed like a lovesick puppy. “I’m never giving up.”
“You know I got your back.” I winked at him, leaving the boys to head over to where Dad and Reed were hunched over thetable, looking deep in conversation now that Sage left them to peruse the jukebox.
Dad’s back was to me and Reed’s eyes flitted up, noticing me, then shot Dad a warning glance.
“… drought.”
I halted right behind Dad at the dreaded D word every rancher feared.Oh, he was in trouble now.My eyes bore into Dad’s back.
“She’s right behind me, huh?” he asked Reed, knowing full well that I was looming with my hand on my hip behind his chair.
Reed only nodded before taking a sip of his soda.
“Come on, Dad, what the fuck? When were you going to tell me?” I blurted out.
