Damn the man!How dare he offer himself up like he was doing her a favor?She’d make Riley Fletcher regret tonight if it was the last thing she did.
And she absolutely would not think about that kiss again.
*
The following afternoonRiley, had a break and decided to visit his best friend Liam.The McFarland ranch was next door to the Fletchers’ and Riley had known the family since he was tiny.
Liam wasn’t in the barn but one of his hands, Bud Davis, naturally, said he was up at the house.He managed not to say anything to Davis about Letty, but it was hard to keep his mouth shut.Still, Letty was already pissed at him, and if she heard about him warning off Davis she’d be even angrier.
He knocked on the kitchen door, but when no one answered he walked in.“In here,” Liam called from the den.
He found his friend sitting on a blanket on the floor, playing with Riley’s five-month-old niece.“Babysitting?”
Liam frowned at him.“Don’t let Val hear you say that.I’m taking care of my kid, not babysitting.”
“What about your ranch work?”
“Luckily, I now have two full-time hands and a ranch manager.Gives me more time to be with my family.”He looked down at the baby with a smile.
Riley sat on the floor beside Liam and picked up the baby, holding her above him while she giggled with glee.“Who’s the prettiest girl ever?”He gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek, and she giggled again.Vivian was a gorgeous baby, not that Riley was a bit prejudiced.He laid her on her back and dangled a rattle over her while she kicked her feet and waved her hands.“So where’s my sister?”
“She went to town.Said she needed something for Thanksgiving dinner, but I think she wanted a break.Val is super excited to have a whole bunch of people coming.It’s our first Thanksgiving with the baby.”
“Who’s coming besides family?”
Liam started naming people.Riley listened for a bit then said, “Is Letty coming?”
“Letty’s family.Of course she’s coming.”
“She’s not family.”
“Tell that to Val.She considers Letty her sister as well as her best friend.”
“Well, I don’t.”
“You don’t what?”
“Letty North is not my freaking sister.”
“Not by blood.”
“Not in any way.”
The baby made a raspberry sound and started to cry.“Uh-oh,” Liam said.“I need to change her.”He rose, then squatted to pick up Vivian.“Come on.You can talk while I change her.”
Riley followed him and watched, surprised by how efficient Liam was at changing a diaper.But then, he’d had five months of practice.
“Is there a reason you’re so vehement about Letty not being related to you?”
Riley shoved a hand through his hair.“I screwed up.”
Liam finished diapering Vivian, then put her up against his shoulder before he answered.“I need more than that.What did you screw up?”
“I saw Letty at Grey’s last night.Your new hand was hitting on her.”
“Davis?”Riley nodded.“So what’s the problem?”
“Did you not hear me?He was hitting on her and she’d been drinking.”
