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“You still watchin’ Netflix with my sister tonight?” Kane asks while rounding the corner in the barn.
“Yep, that’s the plan.” I drop a few bales of hay from the top loft.
On Wednesdays, we usually catch up on our favorite show unless we’re both so tired we can’t stay awake long enough to finish an episode. I offered to make cheeseburgers for dinner tonight because Kaitlyn mentioned craving them.
“I think Mr. Patrick’s pullin’ up right now,” Kane announces as I climb down the ladder.
“I got it.” I remove my gloves and shove them into my back pocket.
“Send him to the office once you get ’er unloaded.”
“Will do.” We’ve waited two hours for this horse to arrive. The owner called and said he was running late, which threw off our schedule. Instead of being idle, I’ve been trying to get ready for the evening feedings.
I move the hay out of the main entryway just as a dually diesel truck with a gooseneck trailer comes barreling down the road. The guy gets out and apologizes at least three times. I actually feel bad for him because he looks stressed.
“Had a blowout, then had to get the trailer tire changed, and roadside service took their sweet time. I woulda changed it myself, but my spare was flat too.”
“It’s not a big deal.” I offer a smile and introduce myself before sending him to Kane’s office.
After he walks away, I carefully back the horse out of the trailer. The sequestered studs run to the edge of their pastures to check out the new lady in town. I lead her to the freshly cleaned stall that will be hers for the next month, then take several pictures. I search for wounds and scarring, really anything that could be an issue just so we aren’t held responsible. She looks great, though, and seems gentle.
I poke my head into the office and let Kane know I’ve finished boarding her before completing my final tasks. As I reorganized the feed room for tomorrow, I can’t stop thinking about Kaitlyn.
What she said at the wedding as we danced has played on repeat in my mind. After learning about her future plans, I wonder if she was serious about wanting me to knock her up or if she was just tugging my balls. I don’t always know because drunk Kaitlyn is just as honest as sober Kaitlyn. I’m beginning to wonder if there’s more truth behind her jokes, and now I’m questioning everything.
I’m not sure if she remembers anything from that night, but I won’t be able to think about anything else until I confront her. There’s been a lot on my mind lately, and I’m trying to work up the courage to just put it out there.
Where do I even begin?
“Shit,” I whisper under my breath, not knowing why I’m so damn nervous.
After I finish my duties, I tell Kane I’m heading out. Knox took a half day to help with the kids, so we’ve been busting ass and running the place without him. I don’t mind, though. It’s respectable that the twins can run a successful business and still make time for their families, but I’m not surprised because all the Bishops are the same.
On the way home, I listen to country music to clear my mind. But the lyrics are a little too close to home, so I turn it off. I don’t see her truck when I park in my driveway, so I quickly go inside and shower. As I’m drying off, my phone buzzes on the bathroom counter, and I read the text.
Kaitlyn: Heading over now.
Payton: See ya soon.
She’s all of ten minutes away, so I put on some clothes and fire up the flat top grill on my back porch. I pound the hamburger meat into hefty-sized patties. By the time she arrives, they’re cooking but barely brown.
“Mmm, smells good.” She looks over my shoulder.
I chuckle, turning my head toward her and catching a hint of her flowery shampoo.
“They’ll be a few minutes.”
“I was talkin’ about you,” she taunts, then walks around to sit in the patio chair.
“I smelled like horse shit and sweat twenty minutes ago.”
“Some ladies like that.”
“I heard about a ranch hand selling his dirty, worked-in socks on the internet. Got like two-hundred bucks for them.”
“Damn, I should look into that. Or selling my panties. Bet I’d make enough to build my own house.” She chuckles, staring into the distance as the sun begins to set. Splashes of purples and pinks fill the sky as a cool spring breeze brushes against our skin. “This view should be illegal.”
I look at her, with her legs propped up on the table, thinking the same thing. I swallow hard and get back to reality. “It’s why I chose to build here. Love gettin’ up in the mornin’ and coming out on the porch. I’ve seen a few deer grazing and rabbits.”
