“Okay. Let me rephrase that: no girl ever expects more from me.” I raised my mug, cheering myself, accepting that’s just who I was.
“Ain’t that the truth.” A Southern drawl came into the kitchen, and with it, my soon-to-be brother-in-law. Cash Callahan removed his hat, his black hair untouched, as he made his way over to my sister, his hand slipping over her waist ashis lips met her temple. “Why are we talking about Wyatt’s love life?”
I raised a brow and tilted my head. “I wouldn’t call it a love life,” I muttered.
“Did you not see Melanie leave?” Abi looked at her fiancé, arching her back a little.
Cash raised his brow and gave a slight frown before shrugging his shoulder. “What’s wrong with that?”
Thank you, Cash.
Hard to believe that six months ago, I couldn’t stand this man after he all but vanished from our lives after Abi’s husband—his best friend—died, hurting my sister in the process. Then here he was, marrying my sister and taking my side. Shortly after he moved to Hartwell Hills, Abi shoved a paintbrush in both of our hands and practically forced us to paint her stables. It took a week just being him and me, but thankfully, it broke the dam. He apologized for screwing up when Sylas died, I apologized for holding a grudge, and slowly, the man became a friend. Dare I say, a best friend?
Not that I would admit that aloud to Abi. She could think I still hated him.
“She’s local. He never brings local girls back here.” Abi raised her hand at me.
“He can bring whoever he wants here, as long as they stay in the apartment and Stetson doesn’t see.” Cash defended me.
“I’d rather he gets back to work, not just laze around all winter.”
“I’m not lazing around. It’s only eight. I’m awake and here,” I said. “When I see Lachlan, I’ll go do any job he wants me to do, and I can help Cash.”
“I told him to call Hawkins,” Abi said softly, looking up at Cash.
“Any luck there yet?” Cash turned to me.
I shook my head, looking down at my boots.
“Ah, well, it’ll happen. Until then,”—Cash took a step, reaching over me to the carafe, still full of coffee—“I have a job you can do.”
“What’s that?” I asked. “Time your clients?”
“Well, yes.” He nodded, filling his own mug with coffee. “But after that, Quinn’s arriving tonight. We need all the brawn to get her moved in.”
Quinn?
Quinn Compton?
I still thought about Quinn Compton. I thought about all the ways her body moved with her horses as she rounded those barrels. I thought about the way her eyes would meet mine, the perfect shade of emerald to get lost in. And I thought about the way she called me off.You’re a playboy, you’re childish, all you care about is who is keeping your bed warm and how soon you can announce at the NFR…
“She hates me, you know that, right? She’d probably kick me out of her place if I showed up.”
“Well, you did hit on her one too many times,” Abi mumbled under her breath, yet still clear as day.
“Twice. I hit on her twice.” If you’d call that hitting on her.
“And asked her out,” Cash added.
“Which she promptly told me no,” I reminded him.
“She’s not overly fond of you, I’ll admit that, but she didn’t have much help packing her trailer, so I want to make sure she has helpunpackingher trailer. Lachlan and Rhett are coming; it would go faster if you would, too.” Cash walked back over to Abi, pulling her close to him again.
“Where is she staying?” I asked, not knowing of any place that was for rent around Alpine Ridge.
“The Richards had their condo open up; she paid for the year up front.”
“Damn.” I raised a brow. “The entire year?”
