Page 14 of Fall With Me (Sugarland Creek)

“Let’s go inside the barn for a tour, and I’ll show y’all Ranger’s new home.” Noah waves them toward the large doors, and I’m left standing in confusion.

“Shit…they do not like you.” Ruby chuckles.

“So it wasn’t just me who noticed?” I deadpan.

She giggles, giving my shirt another glance. “I bet the parents didn’t appreciate your choice of clothes but not sure why Ellie was givin’ you the stink face.”

“How uptight do ya gotta be for a shirt to insult you that much? I mean, c’mon…” I pull the hem and stretch it out, reading it again upside down. “It’s not even mine, but it’s hilarious at the very least. Woulda made for a good icebreaker if she weren’t attemptin’ to blow up my head with her devil eyes.”

Ruby full-on belly laughs. “Now that I woulda paid to watch.”

“Maybe they’ve heard about yourreputationand don’t wanna be associated with you,” Trey suggests.

“What reputation?” I ask, insulted. “That I’m a hard worker, that I’ve been helpin’ on my family’s ranch since I was five years old, or how I work sixty-hour weeks? Yeah, goddamn. What a rep to frown upon.” I roll my eyes because now I’m just annoyed at the accusations that I did something to piss her off when I’ve never even met her before two minutes ago.

“Probably the one where you’re a playboy and they don’t want you anywhere near their precious barrel racer.” Ruby pokes me in the side. “Whatever it is, I wouldn’t go out of your way to annoy her. It’s Noah’s reputation on the line, too.”

I scoff because Noah’s a saint in everyone’s eyes and has nothing to worry about. She could bring a man home twice her age and no one would blink twice about it.

“Does she have an older sister you slept with and later ghosted?” Trey asks.

“I don’t think so…” I shrug but honestly that’s the only thing that’d make sense.

“Wait, I think she’s an only child. Pretty sure that’s what Noah told me when I asked if she had a hot older brother,” Ruby says.

Well, shit, there goes that theory.

“Didn’t you and Nash just celebrate your six-month anniversary up in Willow Branch Mountain last weekend?” I ask since I’m the one who gave her that suggestion in the first place. I haven’t been there in a hot minute, but I know it’s still a hot attraction for couples.

“We did, but it doesn’t mean I’m tied down. A girl can still window shop,” she defends.

I snort. “AndI’mthe one with the playboy reputation?”

Ten minutes pass before Noah returns with Ellie and asks me to help unload Ranger while she goes over the paperwork with Ellie’s parents.

I follow Ellie to the back of her trailer, admiring every inch of her body, but when she quickly turns around, my gaze is still on her ass.

“If you could keep your pryin’ eyes off me and act professional, I’d appreciate it. I’m not payin’ two grand a month to be gawked at. Especially by you.”

The corners of my lips twitch with the urge to laugh because this is the first time a woman has ever asked menotto look at her.

“Who says I’m gawkin’ at you?” I widen my stance, straightening my spine and holding her glare with my own.

“Because I have eyes and can see with them that you were checkin’ out my ass.”

“It’s a nice ass.” I shrug because I can’t even deny it, but goddamn, she’s pressed as if I touched it or something.

“Regardless, I’m not here as your eye candy and would appreciate you not sexualizing me.”

I take a couple steps back as if she’s physically slapped me. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. I’m doing no such thing. I just glanced at your ass and complimented it. Doesn’t mean I was thinkin’ about you in that way.”

“Oh, so you glance at everyone’s asses, then?” She crosses her arms and pops out her hip. “The T-shirt has a nice touch of sexual implications, too.”

“It’s ajoke. And it’s not even mine. But either way, not like it’s forcin’ you or anyone toliterallysit on my face.”

Not that women haven’t, but I’ve never had toforcethem.

Trey must overhear our awkward conversation because he comes over at the perfect time to savemyass.

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