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He already knew it was hard to insult Piper. The woman had the hide of an elephant.
“Now, Ford. We’re just welcoming you into the community, and with that comes well-meaning concern.”
“I don’t need your concern, Piper. I am not the next Ryker Falls community project just because I’m single.”
“No need to get defensive there, big guy, just friendly concern.” Her eyes switched to Autumn. “You okay?”
“Sure. They were just young idiots.” She waved a hand at the now-empty table. “Ford intimidated them, and I spoke in my schoolteacher voice.”
“Nice. I’ll take your order in a minute.” Piper leaned closer to Ford. “Luna thinks you’re tired and not getting enough sleep.”
“What did she do, take out a full-page ad in the local paper?” He didn’t snap the words out, but it was a near thing.
“Facebook.” Piper gave him a cheeky smile as she straightened.
“Excuse me a minute.” Ford got out of his seat and pulled out his cell phone. Finding the number he wanted, he waited for his brother to pick up.
“Bro.”
“I need to speak to Luna.”
“Not with that tone you’re not.”
He didn’t sigh because he wouldn’t give his brother the satisfaction. “Please,” he added nicely through his teeth.
“Ford wants to speak to you, honey. You go on and put some clothes on now.”
“You are a shithead,” Ford muttered.
Nash’s chuckle made Ford want to drive over there and punch him.
“Hi, Ford, and I wasn’t naked.” Luna had a soft, lilting voice, unlike Nash’s gruff one.
“Good to know. Luna, stop telling the people of Ryker Falls that I look tired or you think something is off with me.”
“I didn’t.”
He liked his brother’s girlfriend very much, liked that she stood up to Nash and was successful in her own right, liked how she’d fit into his family with minimal fuss without taking his brother from him. But he would not put up with her meddling.
“Then why are people coming up to me and asking why I look tired and what is off with me? Why I have smudges under my eyes? And I include that idiot next to you in that.”
“I definitely have not told everyone, I assure you. I had a conversation with Mr. Goldhirsh while out running last week and said that ranching is long and tiring and that you sometimes looked tired, as does Nash.”
Ford pinched the bridge of his nose. “And that’s it? No post on the local Facebook page?”
She laughed. “That’s it, I promise.”
“I seem to be everyone’s favorite cause at the moment, which is just plain off-putting when no one has bothered with me before.”
“Nash and I did talk about you because he’s worried, Ford.”
“I’m okay, Luna, and sorry if I came at you.”
“No, don’t be. I know what this town can be like. You need to talk anytime, I’m here.”
Luna shushed Nash. “He knows you’re there for him. I was just giving him another option, Nash.”
He barely made out what his brother was saying.
