Page 93 of Thaw My Heart

“Different,” Blake agrees, assessing me. “Calmer. And he actually said, please.”

Ryker nods. “Yeah, and he never says, please.”

“The goddamn number. Now,” I bark.

Blake pulls out his phone and texts it to me. “Just sent,” he smiles. Wandering off with a chuckle under his breath.

Ryker slaps me on the shoulder. “Finally, Kit. Fuck, I was beginning to worry you were gay or something. I mean, two years?” He shakes his head, tsking as he goes.

“You’re fired, Ryker.”

He laughs and continues walking. “I love you too, brother!” He shouts without looking back.

After spending the last hour on the phone with the pissed-off driver, apologizing profusely for my error and getting back in his good graces, I still have no idea how there was such a mix-up. The destination on the log was somehow changed to Crowe Ridge Ranch. Our biggest competitor. But the only people with access to that data are Cole, Annie, and now me.

It doesn’t make any sense.

Cole waltzes into his office with a steaming cup of coffee. I’m currently sprawled out in his chair, papers spread all around me. He greets me, sitting in a leather seat in front of his desk. Despite my crazy morning, he looks unbothered. Calm. Which is the complete opposite of the man I knew from my childhood.

“Are you tracking all this?” I point to the papers.

He smiles. “Not trying to give our competitors a leg up, are we? Did they give you a better offer than I did?” His dark brows playfully rise.

I huff a laugh, leaning back in the chair. “No, but…” I run my calloused hands along my face. “I don’t know how this happened.”

“When is the fuel truck coming?” he asks.

“Tomorrow.”

“Well, it looks like you’ve got it all handled,” he sips from his mug, glancing at his watch. “And it’s only nine in the morning.”

“I guess so—” My phone lights up with messages from Ryker and Sadie. Naturally, I check Sadie’s text first. “Excuse me,” I murmur to Cole.

There’s a picture of a suitcase sitting on my bedroom floor, asking me if I’m still okay with her staying with me. Which, of course, I am. But only if she’s comfortable.

Kit:

There is a bedroom upstairs. I don’t use it.

Sadie:

No, thanks. But I do call the top bunk.

Kit:

I don’t have bunk beds.

Sadie:

Stop pretending you don’t get what I’m saying, Cowboy.

I laugh, louder than I mean to. Totally forgetting that Cole is sitting right in front of me, trying to have a conversation. “Sorry, what were we talking about?”

An amused smile is plastered on his face. “I’d like you to invite Sadie over after the bonfire tomorrow.”

“What?” I clear my throat.

He continues to smile, gesturing to my phone. “That is who you're texting, is it not?”