AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ll bring lunch,” he said, stepping back. “Okay?”
“Yeah, okay,” Tam agreed. Blaine took her all the way to the porch, where he’d kissed her before. He suddenly turned shy, ducking his head as she opened the door. “See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, sugar.” He lifted only his eyes to watch her enter her house, bending down to pat the corgis who always came to greet her. June came out onto the porch, and Blaine chuckled as he crouched down to stroke her. “You go on now,” he said to her. “Your momma’s tired.”
The dog went back inside, and Tam lifted her hand in a wave goodbye before closing the door.
Blaine practically floated back to the ranch, where he found Duke on the couch in the homestead, several peanut butter cup wrappers strewn around him. After changing out of his suit and into a T-shirt and a pair of gym shorts, he collapsed onto the couch with his youngest brother.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Duke said. He’d put an old basketball game on the TV, and Blaine stared at the moving people on the screen.
“Fine with me,” Blaine said. “You never have to tell me anything you don’t want to.” He closed his eyes and just took a deep breath.
“She said she met someone else,” Duke said.
“That sucks,” Blaine said.
“Yes,” Duke said. “It does. I mean, I get she works with a lot of guys, but I don’t get what they have that I don’t.”
“Maybe their abs are more impressive.”
Duke scoffed, and Blaine smiled though he didn’t open his eyes. “They’re just cowboys, like me.”
“First,” Blaine said. “You’re not ‘just’ a cowboy. You’re far more than that.”
“Yeah? What am I?”
“You’re a Chappell,” Blaine said, sitting up and opening his eyes. “You know every bloodline in the horse racing industry, and you book the top studs that will make sure Bluegrass continues to be the best place in the whole dang South to buy a winning horse.”
Duke turned to look at Blaine.
“If she can’t see that, it’s her loss,” Blaine said.
“Thanks, Blaine,” Duke said. Time passed, and Blaine wasn’t sure if it was seconds or minutes before Duke asked, “You and Tam next?”
Blaine smiled at the thought of waiting for Tam at an altar like the one where Spur had stood. He’d seen her face as he’d walked past her standing in the second row, and everything about this wedding had enthralled her.
Tam was as tough as women came, and she was brilliant with horses and leather. At the same time, she loved frilly things and flowers and the smell of fruity things.
“Maybe,” he said.
“What do you mean, maybe?” Duke asked. “Haven’t you known her for twenty years?”
“Yeah,” Blaine said.
“I remember crushing on her when I was thirteen.”
Blaine’s eyes widened as he gaped at Duke. “You’re kidding.”
Duke chuckled and shook his head. “Not even a little bit. She washot, Blaine. You just never saw her that way.” He reached for another peanut butter cup. “I’m pretty sure Conrad did, though. He almost asked her to Homecoming.”
“He did not.”
“He did, but someone else asked her first.” Duke’s dark eyes shone like liquid oil. “She’s fun to be around; in high school, we all thought she was gorgeous. She still is, if you like blondes.”
“I like blondes,” Blaine said, wondering if he’d really just never seen her the way Duke was talking about.
“I know you do,” Duke said. “You haven’t dated a non-blonde ever.”
