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Ridge filled a bottle with water. “Couldn’t sleep, so I worked out. Had to get the gym ready for its spring cleaning.”
Everly stood, and Blake followed, stretching his arms above his head. “Tomorrow. It’s past my bedtime.”
“You were asleep before the sun went down,” Ridge joked.
“I need my beauty rest,” Blake said.
Everly tucked her laptop under her arm and waved over her head on her way to the stairs. “Good night.”
“Night,” Ridge and Blake replied in unison.
Once they were alone, Ridge asked, “You okay?”
This was an acknowledgement. Ridge knew Blake had it bad for Everly, and keeping his distance wasn’t going too well. The push and pull was exhausting.
“Fine.”
Wasn’t that the universal code word for “not fine?” Either way, Blake was determined to handle this alone and as maturely as possible. He wasn’t a lovesick teenager.
“Good.” Ridge chugged the water and headed out of the kitchen toward his bedroom. “See you at sunrise.”
Blake leaned against the counter in the kitchen and stared at the tile floor. He could handle this. It was a temporary arrangement. Everly had an offer on a house. Once she was out of here, he could have the talk with Ridge.
One of the talks with Ridge. They still needed to figure out how to tell Everly why they moved here in the first place. She’d come willingly, determined to support her brother, but what would she have done if she’d known the truth?
She would have made the same decision. Blake was sure of it… or as sure as he could be when the truth had been kept secret.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Everly
Everly sat next to Stella on the steps outside the check-in office. It was just after suppertime, and the guests were standing in groups, mostly chatting about what they wanted to do next. The ranch always had plenty of after-dark activities, mostly to keep the guests from venturing out too far. Wyoming wildlife refused to be contained after the sun went down, and Everly had taken the warnings to heart from her first day at the ranch.
“Hun, that foot might get up and go if it keeps bouncing like that,” Stella said.
Everly stilled her nervous jittering and rubbed her palms on her jeans. “Sorry. I just haven’t heard from the realtor about the house yet.”
Stella patted Everly’s knee. “Patience. I’m sure they’ll get back to you. Do you have a plan for what you want to do, depending on what they say?”
“Yeah, I have a little wiggle room, but I don’t want to get in over my head. The editing pays well, and I stay busy, but those paychecks are never certain. I get a regular check from the ranch every week, but it’s not much.”
Stella hummed an agreement. “That’s true. I don’t need much, but I also haven’t had to pay a mortgage since Chuck died.”
“The house isn’t big, and that’s what I like about it. I don’t need much either.”
The Robertsons, an older couple who never made a fuss over anything and seemed to be content just to walk beside each other, waved at Everly and Stella as they passed. “Nice evening,” Mr. Robertson said.
“It sure is. Y’all headed to the creek?” Stella asked.
Mrs. Robertson patted her husband’s shoulder. “I think we’ll head on back to the cabin. We rode the Jackson trail with Blake today.”
“Yeah, it was more than I’m used to,” Mr. Robertson agreed.
Everly’s phone buzzed in her pocket, but she didn’t want to seem rude while talking to the Robertsons.
Stella waved at the couple. “Y’all have a good evening. Don’t miss breakfast. Vera’s making her famous gravy tomorrow.”
Everly’s heel began tapping again. She loved the Robertsons, but what if the realtor was calling?
