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“No!” I practically shouted. “I mean, I don’t even know how I feel, Rose. I like Hunter as a friend, and yes, I find him handsome and he makes me laugh and—I will admit to you and only you—I get butterflies when I’m around him. But it would never work. For all we know, he might find the love of his life while doing this show.”
“No chance of that. Hunter would never get involved with anyone who wouldn’t want to live on the ranch.”
Her comment made me remember something Hunter had said to Vivian yesterday. A comment that made it clear he had no intention of leaving Montana. “But he does want to settle down eventually.”
She shrugged. “He’s always been focused on team roping. He hardly dated in high school, and I don’t think he’s even had a girlfriend in college. Oh wait, he did date one girl, but not for long. She didn’t like that roping took so much time away from her. Now…” She sighed. “Something has changed in the last few months. I don’t know if team roping is his passion anymore. Blayze said Hunter mentioned wanting to come straight to work on the ranch after college.”
I nodded, not sure what else to offer. “That could change too. He seems to like Kimber.”
“Please,” Rose said with a huff. “She’s a dancer who lives in New York. It would never work.”
“It might.”
She looked at me, her face serious. “He might like her for a few dates, but that would be it.”
I was almost positive that meant “he might like to sleep with her, but that would be it.”
“Aunt Lincoln said he mentioned liking Sarah as well.”
Forcing myself not to clamp down on my jaw or ball my fists again, I replied, “They both seem nice.”
Rose brought the Bronco to a stop in front of her uncle’s house and turned to face me. “Are you sure you’re going to be able to do this, Kipton?”
“Do what?” I asked.
“Host this show and watch him go on all these dates?”
I nodded. “Of course, I am. Rose, haven’t you ever been attracted to a guy and just remained friends with him? This is my job right now. I need this money for…”
My voice trailed off, and Rose lifted her brows.
“I need the money. And I’m not going to be bothered by Hunter going out on dates. I’ve barely even started to get to know him myself. I’m fine. It’s fine. Everything is good.”
“In my experience, when someone says it’s fine, it is never fine. Look at Ross.”
“Who?”
She stared at me. “Ross, from Friends.”
I crinkled my nose. “What?”
“You’ve never watched Friends? Oh my God. We need to have a marathon session and watch all ten seasons!”
I blinked a few times and said, “When am I going to have time to watch ten seasons of a TV show?”
“We’ll find the time.” She paused for a moment, then said, “I like you, Kipton. Aunt Lincoln really likes you. Hell, the entire family likes you. And I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I appreciate it, and whatever it is you think you saw today, it wasn’t like that. I can think a guy is hot without being jealous that he’s giving other women attention. Hunter doesn’t owe me anything. We’re friends, and he knows I’m here for him if he needs to blow off some steam.”
Her eyes went wide.
“No! Oh my God, no. I don’t mean like that. As a friend. I’m here if he needs to talk.”
Rose waggled her brows. “If you say so.”
I folded my arms over my chest once again and said, “I say so.”
It was time for me to put the silly little crush I had on Hunter to rest. I had a job to do, and from this point on, I was going to focus on that and only that. I couldn’t jeopardize my feelings over the payout from this position.
