Page 15 of Fall With Me (Sugarland Creek)

“He checks mine out all the time,” Trey says. “Have you seen it?”

Trey does a little twirl and shows off his tight Wranglers showcasing his own ass.

This whole thing just got fucking weirder.

Ellie’s nose scrunches and her brows pinch together in annoyance. She’s not amused in the least.

“Ignore them.” Ruby marches over, shoving herself between Trey and me. “Something you learn hangin’ out here regularly is these cowboys are…well, they’re a little unhinged. They work twelve-hour shifts, are usually hungover, and have no filter or common sense most days. The only way to survive being around them is learnin’ to ignore their stupidity.”

Not sure if I should be offended or give her a high five. Either way, Ellie’s not buying into it.

“I’d rather just be left alone to train and work,” she says. “I’m not here to fool around.”

“Totally understandable.” Ruby smiles at her, but when she glances at me over her shoulder, she gives me her narrowed-eye stare down. “I’ll help you get Ranger into his stall.”

Trey and I step back to allow Ruby and Ellie to get him out. He has a gorgeous chocolate brown coat with white down its nose.

“Damn, she doesnotlike you,” Trey muses as we follow the girls into the stables. “You offended her before even sayin’ a word.”

“That’s a new record for me.”

Once Ranger’s in his stall and Ellie meets back up with her parents in Noah’s office, I lean against the door and let him sniff me. He’ll see a lot of me, so it’s best he gets used to me now before I work with them.

“He likes you at least.” Ruby stands next to me and then leans in closer, lowering her voice. “She’s the most uptight city girl I’ve ever met, so you better keep your distance.”

“I’d hardly call her a city girl.”

“She might be a barrel racer, but she’s never lived on a ranch,” she clarifies.

“Neither have you,” I remind her.

“I’ve worked here since the summer after high school, so that counts for something.”

I chuckle because Ruby’s the same age as Noah and only graduated a few years ago.

“Red alert…” Trey murmurs as he walks past us. Behind him are Noah, Ellie, and her parents, and they’re walking right toward me.

“So I went over everything for Ellie and Ranger. Their official trainin’ will begin on Monday with a session every day through Friday except when they’re traveling. I’ll work him in the corral for a while each morning and when Ellie arrives, we’ll take him to the trainin’ center and set up the barrels.”

“When do ya want me to come watch?” I ask, forcing my gazenotto drift toward Ellie.

“Just a couple times a week for now.”

I nod. “Alright.”

“We look forward to seein’ her progress,” Ellie’s mom says.

“She’s in good hands,” I promise her and since she’s the only one who hasn’t glared at me, I smile for extra reassurance.

Noah walks the three of them outside toward their truck, and I’m left wondering what the hell I just got myself into.

I continue petting Ranger, appreciating he’s not giving me a hard time, at least not yet. Maybe he can put a good word in for me with his owner.

Noah returns a few minutes later and smacks me upside the head.

“What the hell?” I rub where she hit.

“Whatever you’re thinkin’, don’t. Ellie’s off-limits.”

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