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And it was patently un-fucking-fair that my body would betray me by flushing when he turned that gorgeous smile on me.
I scowled at him and turned back to my task, glad Evan was here. Sweet, hot Evan with an equally brilliant smile, who I hoped made Duke jealous. If I’d had to endure him and Evangeline, it’d be nice to return the favor.
Their official story was that they weren’t together, operating under “just friends.” Our nosy town had sniffed that out right away. But the more I saw them together, the more I was convinced. They were too close for anything but fuckery.
Why that chapped my ass wasn’t beyond me, but knowing just made it worse. She was rich, elegant, beautiful, charming—the ideal. I actually liked her, and that pissed me off too.
I smiled and handed Mr. and Mrs. Wimberly a tri-fold with a bumper sticker in it, told them to head to our honey booth to get a little sample jar for free. Daisy had printed up labels for the two ounce jars with my name in blue and the year in an iteration of the Texas flag. Because if there was one thing in the world Texans loved, it was their flag.
Evan had done his part too, pitching my platform to everybody he could get to listen. Economic plans, including the continued revival of our Main Street, the creation of jobs, funding for our schools. Plans not just to keep young people from leaving town, but to bring more in, like converting a couple of ancient, abandoned spaces to apartments and bringing high speed internet to town. We hadn’t gotten into the deeper policies, like community outreach and assistance programs, but the first debate next week would rip that bandage off.
I only hoped I’d leave Duke with a few more bandages on.
Near the end of the market hours, the crowd had dispersed but for a few stragglers. Evan had started packing things up, and for a moment, I watched him as I absently stacked and bagged pamphlets. He was an absolute dream, coveted by the single, straight, female population. But he never seemed to have time, too busy saving the town from interlopers and doing pro bono work. Jo said that was why I liked him—it was safe to crush on somebody I couldn’t have. That way I would not only avoid activating the curse, but I could keep my heart safe.
It’d been locked up for twelve years, thanks to Duke.
Duke, who stood just a couple dozen feet away with an impeccable Evangeline at his side. I wondered if he enjoyed rubbing it in. Or if he was waiting for me to fail, all smug and righteous. It was easier to hate him under that assumption. But there was a moment at the calf roping that I’d wondered if I was wrong. It was as if a door had cracked, and what I saw behind it had me kicking the thing shut and bolting it.
I’d felt safe there in his arms, just like the fool I was. Resting my head against him, feeling the thunder of his worried heart, the scent of him in my nose. My body knew him so well, being held by him felt a lot like coming home.
I hated that too.
At least Wyatt had popped him in the face on my behalf. He’d always been a big gay brother to the three of us, though now he had Grant to back him up. Not that he needed it, but when the two of them stood next to each other with their arms folded, they looked like a couple of Roman gladiators ready to take out a lion.
From here, the damage to Duke’s face looked fine. Better than fine if I was being honest, which I wasn’t. But as much as I enjoyed the fact that Wyatt hit Duke, I felt a little bad about it too. I knew Duke didn’t mean for me to get hurt, at least not by a runaway calf.
But fuck him a little anyway.
I turned my back to him, which made it easier to pretend he didn’t exist. But when Evan stilled, I glanced up, then behind me to find Duke approaching.
I looked Evan over again as he glared at Duke. His opinion of Duke had drastically changed since the calf roping debacle. Was it jealousy he felt? Was he pissed at Duke platonically like Wyatt, or was he pissed like he was protecting the honor of his future wife? There was no way to know.
Glowering Evan aside, I turned to face Duke with a fake-ass smile on my face.
Duke held up his hands. “You’re not gonna hit me too, are you?”
“If I did, I wouldn’t announce it.”
He chuckled and lowered his arms. “How’d you do today?”
“Fine. You?”
“Fine.”
A long pause.
Duke finally broke the silence. “How are you feeling?”
