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Sweetie rolled her eyes.“Which is why you made sure my daddy wasn’t home before you got out of your truck.”
“My mama didn’t raise no fool.”
Sweetie laughed.“Just the biggest flirt this side of the Pecos.”
Casey held a hand over his heart.“A man comes courtin’ with sincere intentions and you mock him?”
“You didn’t come courtin’.You want to get married about as much as I do.”
Casey laughed.“True.But just because I don’t want to get married, doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy courtin’ a beautiful woman.And you, Miss Sweetheart Holiday, are one beautiful woman.”
“Well, thank you kindly, Mr.Remington.But if I got with you, my daddy would have another heart attack.In fact, you need to leave before he gets home.”
Casey leaned closer to Sweetie and Decker’s hands tightened into fists.“We could sneak around.I’ve always been good at sneakin’.”
“I bet you have, but I’m not staying long enough to start anything up with a charming cowboy.”She glanced at Decker.“Or anyone for that matter.”
She was letting him know in no uncertain terms that the kiss had been a drunken mistake.He couldn’t help feeling annoyed that she felt like she had to tell him so he wouldn’t get the wrong idea.
“Don’t worry, I’m not here to see you.I’m here to talk to your grandmother.”
“Mimi?Why do you want to talk to her?”
While Decker tried to decide how much he wanted to tell Sweetie, Casey cut in.“I think I know why Deck is here.He’s here the same reason I am.To find out if the Holiday girls know about their grandmother’s proposition.”
Sweetie turned to Casey.“Proposition?What proposition?”
Casey grabbed his hat from the arm of the swing and got to his feet.“I think I’ll let Deck explain that.”He smiled at Decker.“You are the sheriff, after all.”He tipped his hat at Sweetie.“If you ever change your mind about sneaking around, you let me know.”He playfully punched Decker on the arm on the way past.“See you later, Deck.”
Once Casey was gone, Decker returned his attention to Sweetie.She had her hair piled up in a messy bun on top of her head.Blond tendrils surrounded her face like spun gold.Her green eyes were no longer twinkling and her full lips were turned down in a frown.
“What exactly was Casey talking about?”she asked.As he tried to figure out how to break the news, his gaze got stuck on Sweetie’s bare feet peeking out from the edge of her jeans.He couldn’t remember ever seeing her without boots.Her feet were petite and her red-painted toes were lined up in a perfect row.Like five glossy cherries he suddenly had the strong desire to take a nibble of.
“Well?”
Sweetie’s question pulled his gaze from her toes and he cleared his throat.“There’s a rumor going around town that your daddy will give the ranch to the first man to marry you or one of your sisters.”
“I figured as much when I got home last night and found this porch flooded with flowers and marriage proposals.I just can’t figure out where the gossip started.I thought it might be Daddy, but he didn’t know anything—” She cut off and her eyes widened.“Mimi.That’s why you want to talk to her?You think she’s the one who started the rumor?”
Decker hated to throw Mimi under the bus, but he figured Sweetie would find out soon enough.“I know she is.She texted Rome Remington and told him she’d give him the land his daddy wants if he could convince one of her granddaughters to marry him.I’m guessing she sent Casey the same text.”
The stunned look on Sweetie’s face lasted for only a second before she jumped to her feet and pushed past him.“Mimi!”
He followed her down the porch steps.“Now don’t go yelling at your grandmother.”
“Oh, I’m going to yell at her.She sat there at breakfast this morning and didn’t say a word the entire time my sisters and I were being asphyxiated by the pungent scent of roses and talking about what happened at the Hellhole last night.Not one word.”She headed around the side of the house to the garden.“Mimi!”When Mimi wasn’t in the garden, Sweetie turned to the barn.
The barn had always been Decker’s favorite place on the Holiday Ranch.The first time he’d seen the huge bright red building with its high-pitched roof and massive hayloft, a nostalgic feeling had washed over him.His daddy had loved barns—probably because he’d grown up surrounded by them—and every time he’d colored with Decker, he’d always put a barn in his picture.One that looked just like the Holidays’.
As Decker stepped inside, he was assailed with memories of being there with Sweetie.Of listening to her sing while they cleaned stalls or groomed horses.He had loved listening to the songs she’d written.She had made him a fan of country music.When she’d left, he’d never wanted to listen to it again.
“Mimi!”Sweetie yelled.The word echoed off the rafters.If Mimi was there, she was hiding.And with good reason.Having witnessed Sweetie’s temper before, Decker knew she could blow up like an explosive grenade and then regret her words later.So he stepped in front of her when she turned to leave the barn.
“Calm down.I don’t think your grandmother meant any harm.”
Sweetie stared at him.“She’s put me and my sisters on the auction block like brood mares and you don’t think she meant any harm?”
“She only wants to keep one of you here with her.”
