Page 23 of Melt the Ice

I step forward, eyes narrowing. “If anyone here’s a stray, it’d be you. Considering I own the rest of the ranch.”

The blonde and I are locked in a staring contest, one that has Sammy shifting on his feet beside me. “Damn, I don’t know who would win this fight. But I’m scared to find out,” he hisses, yet she doesn’t even blink.

“Knight, this is Lettie.” He takes a deep breath. “Lettie, this is my best friend and our team's physical therapist, Abby Knight,” Lucas says.

“Like the Lettie?” Her eyes widen as she looks back and forth between us. It’s unsettling that they know about me, and I know jack squat about any of them.

“Play nice.” Is all he gives her before he wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me inside with him.

“Not sorry, I’m overprotective!” Her voice follows behind us.

The house is gorgeous. I didn’t get a chance to soak it in the last time I was here. Large exposed oak beams line the ceiling, drawing my eyes to the stone wall that houses a fireplace. It’s warm and inviting, and so him. It's also currently swimming with the most beautiful men I’ve ever seen. Like, honestly, there isn’t a single one here who doesn’t look like a four-course meal.

I’m greeted by a high-pitched squeal and arms being thrown around my neck. “I don’t know why I didn’t think to ask you to come when I was here last time,” Hannah squeals from behind me

I turn my head, looking at her over my shoulder. “I’m not exactly a people person.”

She gives me a soft smile, one that only comes with seeing more than she should. Nana used to give me the same look. “I don’t buy that for half a second.” She winks before skipping away to the island that’s stacked with enough food to feed an army.

“Guys, this is Lettie,” Lucas yells, effectively freezing most of the people in the house with the deep timbre of his voice. Not gonna lie, it’s freaking hot.

“Lettie, these are my teammates, Brett Wilson, Nate Andrews, our Captain, Maverick Reed, and you already know Wilder and Sammy.” He leans down, “unfortunately,” he whispers in my ear.

“And you all go by your last names, too?” I get a chorus of yesses in various forms before they jump back into piling up their plates.

He points to a broody man in the corner. “That would be Tate, Wilder’s little brother.” Ah, that would explain why he looks so familiar. He and his brother have the exact same shade of blue in their eyes.

“We call him Baby Wilder. He sucks most of the time,” Abby yells, making the man’s eyes narrow on the side of her face. She blows him a kiss, winking before she turns toward Hannah, who mouths, “Sorry.” In his direction.

Lucas leans down so he can whisper in my ear, “They hate each other, well, they say they do. I don’t know that I buy that.”

My eyes slide to his, he shrugs, and then I look back to Tate. His eyes are still on Abby, and I totally see it. They don’t hate each other at all.

Lucas grabs two waters and slides one across the island to me. I take a sip before he disappears for a second, only to make me jump when his voice comes from behind me. “Are you still a mozzarella stick fan?” His warm breath caresses my ear, head resting cautiously on my shoulder, as if he’s testing just how much he can get away with.

I don’t remember the last time anyone, let alone a man, asked me if I still liked something. Maybe that’s why I cling so tightly to my independence, or why I have such a hard time believing people actually want to be friends with me. It’s only ever been a two-way street with Nana and the man behind me.

I nod, a small smile tugging at my lips. We used to devour mozzarella sticks to the point that Nana would have to take them away. In fact, the last summer we spent together, she made us go on a scavenger hunt for them. I can’t help the little laugh that escapes me at the thought.

“What?” he asks as he moves to my side.

“Remember when she made us go look for them? She had us running all over the ranch, only to find out they were still in the oven.”

His eyes glaze over as he thinks for a second. Slowly, a wide smile stretches his face, causing his eyes to crease at the corners. “She loved sending us on endless hunts the last summer we were here, didn’t she?”

His whole face lights up as he puts his next thought in air quotes. “Said they were good exercise for the body and the mind.” He chuckles as he picks up a plate and loads it up with mozzarella sticks, a cucumber salad, and some type of pasta. All the things I loved to eat here because my mom wouldn’t let me have them at home.

I wonder if he still eats all these things because they’re guilty pleasures of his, or because he was hoping I’d be here.

Really? You’re not that important, Scarlett.

The thought threatens to sour my mood, but before it can pull me any deeper, he asks. “You okay?” He hands me a plate that looks fit for a teenage boy, and my eyes widen as I feel the weight of it in my hands.

“What? I like a girl who can eat, plus you haven’t had dinner. Probably skipped lunch, too.”

I don’t know what kind of twilight zone I’ve fallen into, but my heart swells a bit. Maybe it’s the fact that a man cares enough to put food, a lot of it, on a plate for me. Only to hand it over with a shrug, and sheer satisfaction that he could provide something for me. “Thanks,” I choke out, hurrying to the chair the furthest away from everyone else. Of course, that doesn’t last long because Reed takes the spot on my right, followed by Wilson on my left.

I would have thought Lucas would riot, but as soon as he sees who's next to me, he simply smiles, raising a questioning eyebrow, silently checking in like he used to. I nod as I take a bite of a mozzarella stick, fighting the urge to groan like a deranged animal.