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Hunter swings his leg over and hops off the wall, way too gracefully for a man of his bulk. Once on solid ground, he nods his head towards the battered piece of metal he calls a truck and utters the longest sentence I've heard from him yet. “I've got my stuff with me. I can start right now, if you want.”
“Oh.” I didn't think it was possible but Lu's smile grows. I get another look, this one saying'see? Fate.'“Even better. Eliza!” She yells the last bit over her shoulder.
Comically quickly, Eliza's head pops out the kitchen window, where she's been lurking and oh-so-discreetly creeping on the new addition to the ranch. Grace is somewhere in there too, for some reason doing her college work at the kitchen table instead of at the perfectly good desk in her room. Even Lottie stopped being a brat long enough to gawk. I'm grateful Luna was on the phone with Pen when Hunter arrived, because otherwise she'd probably be gaping too and I'd like him even less.
“Can you show Hunter to his cabin?”
God, if my sisters keep smiling like that, their faces are going to split in two.
“Of course I can!” Eliza disappears, reappearing less than a second later as she barrels out the front door, almost breaking her neck in her quest to get to us as quickly as possible.
With a smile like butter wouldn't melt, Eliza grips Hunter by one huge bicep and drags him away, already babbling a mile a minute. I think, for the first time, I see an emotion cross the cowboy's face; surprise. I'm convinced I even see a hint of a smile but it smoothes out too soon for me to confirm my suspicions.
My youngest sister is helping Hunter get his meagre amount of belongings from his truck when a horn honks, dusk kicked up by the wheels of a car rolling down our driveway.
Before she even gets out of her car, Caroline’s blush is visible, her wide eyes clearly latched onto Hunter.
I groan. God, this guy's gonna be a fucking hazard.
Smoothing down her sundress, she pastes on that signature Caroline smile before approaching the newest addition to the ranch.
I can't hear what they're saying but I hazard a guess that she's introducing herself when she holds out a hand for him to shake. Even from a distance, I can see Caroline's face drop when Hunter shakes her hand—probably begrudgingly because I think that’s his default setting—but does absolutely nothing else, not the least bit interested in participating in the conversation she's trying to start.
She dithers unsurely for the briefest moment before she shakes her head and heads towards Lux and I. “Sheesh,” she mutters when she gets within earshot. “I thought cowboys were supposed to be nice.”
Lux snickers. “Don't need to be nice when you look like that.”
A soft sigh escapes Caroline as she glances over shoulder, dramatically wistful. “I'm so jealous you get to stare at that all day. You think that shirt's gonna come off when the summer heat hits?”
Lux copies her sigh. “A girl can only hope.”
“What're we hoping for?” A hand slips into my back pocket as a lithe, warm body presses against my side.
Lux simply nods toward Hunter as if that’s explanation enough. And apparently, it is. The guy is fucking miles away yet my girlfriend’s eyes go wide, lips pursed as she whistles quietly. “Who's the hot cowboy?”
When I clear my throat pointedly, blue eyes roll. “Baby, I love you,” Luna croons, rising on her tiptoes to peck my cheek, “but I have eyes.”
“Close 'em,” I grumble back, slipping a hand around her waist and yanking her closer.
Luna doesn't immediately melt into me as she usually does. Instead, she leaves a sliver of space between us as she smiles softly, almost apologetically, at Caroline. “Hi, Caroline.”
To her credit, Caroline doesn't look the least bit phased. “Hey, Luna.” They share a weird moment of intense eye contact before Caroline breaks it, her attention shifting to Lux as she hip bumps her gently. “Ready?”
Lux nods, jerking a thumb towards the house. “Just needa get my bag.”
“Where are you going?”
“Line's gotta go to the flower market before it closes and I said I'd help.” I open my mouth, but Lux cuts me off before I can even begin to form a protest, narrowing her eyes and giving me a warning look. “And before you start, yes, my swollen ankles will be able to support my weight for a few hours.”
Luna laughs quietly and Caroline's gaze flicks back to her. “You wanna come?”
Lu glances between her and I, seeming to ask both of us, “Do you mind?” When we both shake our heads, Lu breaks out in a smile. “I'd love to.”
Caroline and Lux head towards the former's car but Lu lingers beside me, wrapping her arms around my waist and propping her chin on my chest. “You sure you don't mind if I disappear for a while?”
“Nah, go for it.” I lean down to brush my lips against hers. “Keep an eye on Lux for me?”
She hums against my mouth. “If you're lucky, I'll bring you back a present.”
