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The man threw him an easy smile. “Might want to be careful. Saying such fighting words when there’s a woman in your presence isn’t a very good idea.”
Wade stiffened. He’d been so in the throes of the argument that he hadn’t noticed anyone arrive on the ranch. But now the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He didn’t want to turn around, but he knew deep down that Tad wasn’t bluffing.
Slowly, he faced the one woman he wasn’t prepared to speak with.
Bri’s face was a mask of utter unreadability. She was dressed ready to work, from the worn Stetson on her head to the boots on her feet. She had her hands on her hips, and she was staring at him like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Tad chuckled and headed past them both. “I’ll just go look for something to do in the barn until you’re ready to put me to work.”
Bri’s eyes remained locked on Wade. “Seriously?”
“What?” he mumbled.
“I don’tbelongto anyone. I don’t know what is wrong with the men in my life. None of you seem to understand that I’m the one who controls what I do. And not a single person is going to change that.”
“I just wanted him to—”
“I don’t care what you were trying to do. He’s here for a month, and you’re going to have to get used to it.”
Wade moved closer to her carefully, expecting her to go on the defensive. “What would you say if I asked for the same deal?”
Her brows lifted. “What?”
“Yeah. What if I got a month to win you over, too?” He reached for her hand, surprised when she didn’t immediately yank it away from him. “I want to show you what a life with me could be like.” He held his breath. After what he’d been through when it came to Brielle, he wouldn’t be surprised in the least if she turned down his request. She didn’t really seem to feel she had a choice with Tad. But Wade was different. There was nothing tying them together.
Finally, she pulled her hand free and then rubbed her arms up and down as if she were chilled. “Okay.”
His heart hammered harder. “Okay?”
She shrugged. “Why not?” Her eyes darted away, then lifted again to meet his. “Besides, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to spend much time alone with him. Not yet, anyway.”
Wade glanced toward the barn. “Yeah, I get that,” he muttered under his breath.
Bri smiled. “Then I guess that’s settled.”
“I guess it is.”
7
Brielle
Had Brielle finally lost it?
It sure felt like she was heading down that path. She glanced at Wade out of the corner of her eye as they headed for the barn. She didn’t need to be back at her family’s ranch for a few hours, so she figured she’d help Wade with some of the stuff he had to work on.
Was Tad’s presence something that aided in her decision to be here?
Probably.
She wasn’t sure how she felt about Tad’s sudden arrival. The fact that a guy would just show up and want to win her over was kinda romantic. With all her struggles to figure out what her future should be, it was nice to have someone in her life that was willing to take charge.
And now she had two.
Okay, so this wasn’t putting her in the best light. The fact that only Wade and Tad knew about her plan showed just how far she’d fallen. Once upon a time, she wouldn’t have cared what happened. Yes, she’d be worried about her dad. But this went beyond that.
Now, she was concerned about the reputation of their family’s ranch. She worried about her father’s feelings. And a small part of her just wanted to finally have what her sisters did.
Tad’s arrival had to be a sign that she was on the right track. She might finally get to find her happily ever after without dealing with additional drama.
