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“Stop it!”
I pushed her away with my shoulder.
“I’m okay…honestly. It’s pretty clear that he’s happy with Mallory. I’m ready to move on.”
“Easier said than done. I know,” Corina said.
“Once you get a taste of a Parker brother, you’re done for,” Paxton added.
Amelia held up her hand. “Okay. Yuck. Those are my brothers y’all are talking about.”
Taking my hand in hers, Amelia gave it a light squeeze. “If it’s worth anything, I don’t think he loves her. It doesn’t even seem like he likes her that much anymore. I’ve never seen Tripp look so pained to be sitting and talking to someone.”
I tried not to look over at Tripp and Mallory, but my eyes wandered. They were laughing at something Jonathon had said, and I noticed that Amelia was right. Tripp looked like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was.
“If he’s not happy, why does he stay with her?” I asked.
Amelia shrugged. “Well, I don’t think Mallory is the type of girl to keep Tripp’s interest. She’s boring as hell.”
“Amelia!” Paxton, Corina, and I all said at once.
“What? It’s true. Do you know how many times I tried to strike up a conversation with her today? She sat there with her nose turned up like she was too good to be there. Don’t get me wrong, she is a nice person, but you can tell she clearly comes from a fancy background and is repulsed by what we do on the ranch.”
“But she was here…for Tripp,” I added.
Amelia rolled her eyes. “I guess.”
We got quiet as the reality set in for all of us. No matter what we said, Tripp and Mallory were a couple.
“How are things going with Toby?” Paxton asked.
Shrugging, I replied, “I think he feels like our friendship could lead to something more.”
Corina gave me a sweet smile as she pressed for more information. “And you? How do you feel?”
“Like I only see us being friends. He’s a great guy, and I have to admit he made my stomach drop a time or two and made my libido sit up, but I don’t think I’m interested in going past friendship.”
“Not even for a little friends with benefits kind of thing?” Amelia asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
“Nope. I don’t think so. It wouldn’t be fair to him. I need to get Tripp completely out of my head and heart before I can even think of moving on with another guy.”
They all nodded like they knew exactly what I was talking about.
“Like you said, Corina, easier said than done. I know Tripp will always hold my heart like no other man could. That will never change, and I have to accept it.”
Three pairs of eyes stared back at me with sympathy. Forcing a smile, I grabbed my plate. “I’m going to go check on Miss Hemi, and a calf that got hurt earlier. I’ll talk to y’all later?”
“Sounds good,” Paxton responded.
I dared to take a quick glance at Tripp and Mallory. Tripp was lost in a conversation with Jonathon and Mallory looked bored as hell. I honestly didn’t know what Tripp saw in her. She seemed like a stick in the mud. Correction, she wouldn’t do mud; that much was obvious.
As I walked down toward the barn, I thought about Tripp and Mallory. She seemed like the perfect woman for a guy who was running for mayor, and I kept telling myself that was why Tripp was with her. But I knew it was more than that. When I overheard Karen telling her friend how she had to leave the office because Mallory came over for those lunch fuck fests, I knew Tripp was into Mallory for the sex. It probably thrilled him taking her in his office.
My hand came up over my mouth to keep me from losing what I had just eaten. The memory of overhearing them made me physically ill.
“Christ above. Why are you even thinking about it again, you idiot?”
A small bark came from inside the barn. Stepping in, I smiled at Hemi running in circles inside her crate.
“You didn’t think I forgot about you, did you?”
She jumped up and whined.
“Settle down, I’m coming to let you out.”
Once I opened the gate, she took off running around me and jumping up.
“That’s a sweet girl. I can see why Chloe dognapped you.”
Picking her up, I held her in front of me. “Hemi. Should we keep that as your name?”
“Yes.”
I let out a shout as I jumped.
“Jesus, Tripp. You scared me.”
He leaned against the doorway looking hot as hell. When he took off his cowboy hat I nearly dropped to the ground. His hair was messy and he had a bit of dirt on his face. Lord, could this man look any finer? I could see his broad chest through the T-shirt he had changed into and my hands shook as I fought the urge to slip my fingers under it and feel his hard muscles. Muscles I had explored years ago but knew would be more defined than ever.
