Page 112 of Falling for Her

Everleigh greets me with a smile. “There is my matcha-loving queen,” she teases. “I just made a brown sugar matcha latte.”

“Ooh, that sounds delicious, I’ll take one.”

“Coming right up.” I pay and, as I wait to the side, the door opens, and a woman with long brown hair walks in.

“Hey, McKenna,” Everleigh greets her over her shoulder. “What can I get you?”

“Can I have three boxes of donuts, please?” I smile at her. “They aren’t for me,” she says, defending her order. “Mom is doing chemo today, so I like to take them in for the nurses and staff.”

“That’s a very thoughtful thing to do,” I say softly.

“Finley, do you know McKenna?” Everleigh says, setting my drink on the counter. “Finley just moved here,” she explains to McKenna, then turns to me. “McKenna grew up in Montgavin. She went away for college, but she’s back to help her mom.”

“Good to meet you,” I say as we shake hands.

The door opens, making the bells on the door chime, and Hudson walks in, and McKenna smirks at him.

“Well, isn’t this a coincidence?” he says loudly, and McKenna’s face turns beet red. “Hey, McKenna, how are you doing?” Everleigh looks between them as she fills the boxes.

“I’m fine,” McKenna replies, her jaw tight. “Thank you for asking.”

“Hey”—he looks at me—“look who it is, Burke’s woman.” He winks at me, making me laugh. He’s been over a couple of times to check on Lincoln and me since I’ve been home. When he got too close to me once, well, not really close, but too close for Lincoln, he told him to stay away from his woman. So now he calls me that every single time I see him.

“Burke’s woman? What is this, 1925? She has a name,” McKenna hisses at him, and I roll my lips.

“Most people do call me Finley.” I hold up my hand. “But I answer to either.”

“Isn’t today a good day, McKenna?” he says. I can feel a spark oozing off them.

Before she has a chance to say anything, Everleigh sets her boxes on the counter.

“Thank you so much.” She pays Everleigh, picks up her boxes, and then turns to me. “Finley, it was really nice to meet you.” She turns, and it looks like she’s going to ignore Hudson, but ends up meeting his eyes.

He smirks at her. “I’ll see you later.” He tries to hide the grin that forms on his face when she walks out without answering him.

“Well, that was something,” he states.

Everleigh laughs. “Didn’t the two of you date in high school?”

“That we did.” He nods, looking out through the glass door. “That we did.”

I grab my matcha as they talk about the past, and slide away from them.

I make my way over to Charlie’s barn, pulling into the employee parking lot where he told me to park last week when I came to ride.

I slam the door and see Emmett and Charlie walking out of the barn.

“Hey,” Charlie says, coming over to me. “Look at what we just got.” He motions with his head toward the fenced arena, and I see four bay horses and two pintos, white with brown spots.

“They are gorgeous.” I walk over to lean on the fence.

“Was hoping you would say that. Was wondering if maybe you would be willing to work with them.”

“Work with them?”

“Yeah, Monday to Friday, come in and ride them. Break them in, sort of.” My eyes go big. “Lilah usually does it, but she sort of can’t right now.” That’s right, I remember him saying when we met that she’s pregnant and can’t ride now.

“Are you serious?” I ask him. It comes out more like an enthusiastic shriek.