“Could be fun,” I said, nudging Bishop’s arm. “Weren’t you just telling me I needed to get out more?”
I had a feeling Bishop would’ve hit me if Lennox wasn’t standing in front of us, and the look he threw my way only confirmed it.
With a deep sigh, he took off his hat, running a hand through his hair. “What time are we leaving?”
Lennox let out a little squeal and clapped her hands. “We’re heading out about eight.”
“We’ll be ready. I’ll try to make him pretty for ya,” I said, swinging my arm around Bishop’s shoulder with a wink.
“Thanks, Lincoln. I don’t care what Josie says about ya. You’re pretty great!” she called over her shoulder as she sauntered toward the feed room.
“Wait, what does she say about me?” I echoed back. I looked at Bishop, who took the opportunity to slip under my arm and punch my side. “Ow, shit.”
“That’s for calling me pretty, jackass,” Bishop said, pointing his finger at me. “Now, grab your fucking pitchfork because I’m gonna put your ass to work.”
josie
. . .
“You didwhat?”I said, staring at my sister as she applied the finishing touches to her makeup.
When Lennox had asked if I wanted to go to the Lone Star tonight, I hadn’t thought twice before saying yes. The three of us hadn’t had a girls’ night in so long, and I was still pissed at Ellis for what happened at family dinner last night, so it seemed like the perfect time to go dance away my frustration.
But the backstabbing little shit had failed to mention that she’d invited Lincoln and Bishop until now.
“What?” she said, rubbing her lips together. “Lincoln was with Bishop when I went to the barn. It would’ve been rude to invite one and not the other.”
“Okay… And that matters why?” I asked, folding my arms over my chest.
Lennox shrugged. “Listen, Josie, you can’t avoid him forever.”
“I don’t?—”
Cleo and Lennox spoke at the same time. “You do.”
“Two pots calling the kettle black,” I muttered. “And I didn’task either of you to meddle in my love life. Might I remind you that I have a?—”
“An Ellis?” Cleo said, raising her brow as if daring me to deny it. When I didn’t respond, she smiled and said, “I thought so.”
Even before Lincoln had come barging back into the picture, I’d rarely called Ellis my boyfriend. I didn’t know why. We were dating and had been taking all the logical steps you were supposed to take in a relationship—albeit slower than what I was used to—but I was just trying to protect my heart.
Now, I was almost glad I’d never allowed myself to make the stupid designation. The more I thought about last night, the angrier I got. Honestly, he’d been a bit of a dick a couple times, but this was different. Was it just jealousy that had him acting that way?
Or had he actually always been like this? I thought back on our relationship, if you could even call it that. He’d criticized my food choices, called me trashy for liking a mimosa with brunch, implied there was something wrong with my weight… He’d ignored all the things I cared about—he’d given meblack coffeefor fuck’s sake—and I’d written it all off because why? Because I thought he was a good guy and a safe choice?
“So, if that’s the case, you wouldn’t mind if Lincoln looked elsewhere, right?” Cleo asked, interrupting my thought spiral.
I shifted in my seat. Of course, I minded. And I knew it didn’t make sense and was a double standard, but Lincoln had always felt like mine. He was my treasured memory, firmly locked away as a favored secret. That protection shattered the moment he stepped foot on Black Springs Ranch, forcing me to share something that felt so close to my heart.
“He’s free to look wherever he wants,” I mumbled.
“Look, all I’m saying is that Lincoln is hot,” Lennox said, pulling her t-shirt over her head. She tossed it blindly onto one of the many piles of clothes on her floor. Don’t get me wrong, Iwasn’t a clean freak by any means—that was Cleo—but I didn’t know how my younger sister found anything in here.
“And your point is?” I said, falling back onto her bed.
“Her point,” Cleo said, coming over to take a seat next to me, “is that Ashwood is a small town with a limited dating pool, while Lincoln is a hot new fish that everyone will want to mate with.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Lennox called out. “Are you doing the fish talk again?”
