5:55 a.m.
You’re doing this for the experience, I remind myself. Not to drive Cole Marshall wild. Even if that might be a side effect.
I jog out of the guest house and up the sidewalk, boots crunching against gravel. Cole, Maggie, John, Luke, Nancy—clustered together like this is just another morning.
My chest tightens when I see him.
“Hey, guys!” I call, slightly out of breath.
“Hey, girl!” Maggie beams.
“You look absolutely adorable,” Nancy says, eyes warm and approving.
“Hey, Layla,” Luke adds with his easy smile.
And then there’s Cole.
His gaze snaps to me and lingers, slow, heated, unmistakable. His nostrils flare. His jaw tightens. He bites his lip like he’s fighting himself before forcing his eyes away.
And that answers it. I still have his attention.
“Mornin’,” he mutters.
I nod, smiling like my pulse didn’t just spike.
They go over the rundown of the day, my responsibilities, the flow of the spring carnival, the stations set up across the ranch. It’s the weekend before Easter, and people come from allover. The money helps keep everything running. Twelve years of this tradition. Families. Kids. Community.
We split off to our stations.
Maggie presses the camera into my hands. “You’re gonna do great. Seriously. If you need me, just holler.”
“I think I can handle it,” I say, confidence settling into place.
“Atta girl.”
I head toward my station to start setting up. People will be here by eight, thirty minutes from now.
Then suddenly, fingers wrap around my arm from behind.
“Layla.”
I spin around, brows furrowed. “What?”
Cole stands there, tension rolling off him in waves. “Look… I’m sorry for running off—”
I cut him off before he can finish. “Listen, Cole. I’m here for the summer. I just want to enjoy my time. I don’t want—or need—all this drama.”
I hold his gaze. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m very attracted to you. But I get it. You’re not that into me. And that’s fine.”
I turn to leave.
His hand grabs my arm again.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” he says low, voice rough.
It’s dangerous for me to even be having this conversation with him because all I can think about is his mouth back on mine.
My stomach flips, heat pooling low, but I keep my voice steady. “Yeah, well words don’t mean anything, Cole. I just want a good time.”
