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“Don’t mention it,” he says, but I can barely hear him over the screaming. “I’ve got to go, Ryder. More of my family just showed up…”
“Good—”
He hangs up before I can get the word luck out. I click off my phone and realize that I’ve not been on the phone anywhere near an hour. I immediately put my earbuds in, then and thumb through my phone to find some music and turn it all the way up.
So far today has been great. I’m not going to take a chance on ruining it by hearing my parents having sex.
I don’t think that’s something I could recover from. It might make my dick stop working permanently and now that I’ve found Tillie, that can’t happen.
Tillie
“Hey, Tillie.”
I look up as the door to the store opens. Standing there is Tucker looking every inch the cowboy in his worn Stetson, faded jeans, and shirt that has snaps instead of buttons going up. It’s a mixture of checkered blues and it brings out the color in his eyes. Tucker always was the best looking of all the Monroe brothers. It’s just that Ryder had this energy around him. It never ceased to draw me in, and it trapped me. Other men failed to exist when Ryder was close.
“Hey,” I murmur, wondering why I’m suddenly nervous around him. I never have been before. Still, there’s something about the way he’s looking at me. It instantly puts me on edge. I watch as he takes his hat off and brings it in front of him. I do my best to shake off my trepidation and give him a smile. “Trouble at the ranch?”
“Why do you ask that?” he says, and his face is unreadable.
“Well, it’s the middle of the day and you are usually knee deep in work there unless you need supplies or something here, I never see you.”
“Oh,” he says and nods.
Tucker walks further into the store. His steps are hesitant and there’s a tension inside him that I don’t quite understand. I feel like I need to brace myself, because his demeanor is not the carefree man that I’ve come to know and like.
“Are you okay?” I ask, because obviously he’s not, but I have no idea what else to say or do.
Tucker clears his throat. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you, Tillie.”
“Okay…” I try to steady my nerves and catch my breath. I get the impression that whatever Tucker has to say, it’snotgood.
“I was hoping to take you out for lunch.”
“Oh. Well, I’m the only one in the shop right now.”
“You have to eat, right? Close for lunch. We can go to the diner in town.”
I look around the store. I don’t have a lot of work and today is one of our slowest days. What could it hurt to have lunch with Tucker? Maybe it will pull me out of this lustful haze I seem to be sinking into when it comes to Ryder. Tucker has told me before that Ryder is a player. He probably wants to warn me away from his brother and that’s exactly what I need to hear today. I need the reminder so that I don’t give him my heart in whatever we’re doing together. I need a reason to hold onto the fact that this thing with Ryder is just sex.
I smile. “Okay, lunch it is. Can you give me a couple of minutes to lock up?”
“I can do that,” Tucker says with a smile, looking relieved.
I spend the next few minutes securing things and hanging a sign on the door. Tucker stands by, waiting. I don’t know why I’m nervous, but I am.Immensely so.It’s silly. Tucker and I have been friends for a long time. I like him and he’s a great guy.
“I’m ready,” I reply with fake enthusiasm.
“Me too,” he responds. He puts a hand on my back and guides me outside. I moisten my lips by rubbing them together when he reaches down and takes the keys from my hand and locks the door to the store. He hands them back with a small smile. He seems nervous, so I mostly smile back and try to hide my inner freak out that is currently going on. IthinkIsucceed when he relaxes.
“It’s a beautiful day outside,” I remark when the silence does nothing but make my nerves better.
You know a conversation is bothering you when you resort to talking about the weather.
“True enough. I don’t think there’s anything prettier than a Wyoming day in the summer, unless it’s you, Tillie.”
I bite my lip with his compliment.
Oh crap.
