Page 20 of Fall With Me (Sugarland Creek)

The happy memories with her are what helps me through the rough times when my mental health isn’t at its best.

“Why am I never invited?” Landen’s exaggerated gasp has me rolling my eyes.

“Because you’re neither a woman nor a Taylor Swift fan,” Noah informs him, then pats him on the shoulder. “I doubt it’d beat your nights out gettin’ your clothes stolen byunsatisfiedladies.”

Landen’s jaw drops as if he hadn’t expected his sister to call him out. She snickers as she walks away, leaving me alone with himagain.

I stand in front of Landen and twist my arms behind my back. “Sulking. Your best look yet.”

He leans down, imitating my stance. “Gloating…is not yours.”

“Comical you think your opinion matters to me.”

Landen’s jaw clenches as he steps back. “Your attitude is gonna be a problem if you expect me to continue helpin’ you.”

“Correction,youhave a problem with my attitude, and that isyourproblem, not mine. Also, I never asked for your help. Ranger and I would do just fine with Noah.”

For the first time since he walked into the training session an hour ago and ruined my day, he lifts his backward baseball cap and scrubs his fingers through his thick brown hair.

I gulp at the intense way he keeps his gaze on me while he does it. Then he adjusts it back on his head and closes the gap between us, leaning down into my personal space.

“I’ll see ya tomorrow mornin’ at seven. Bring your runnin’ shoes and have your singin’ voice ready.”

He walks off before I can tell him to his face he’s lost his damn mind, but if Landen Hollis thinks he can continue barging into my life after my not-so-subtle hints of my hatred for him, I’m not going to make it easy for him to be around me.

In fact, he’s going to wish we never met.

Chapter Four

LANDEN

PRESENT DAY

FOUR YEARS LATER

Iwish I’d never met Ellie Donovan.

Lies.

Well, maybe not, depending on the day.

After years of knowing her, the woman is nothing but a complete mystery.

She’s ruthless, unkind, and downright mean.

But only to me. She’s halfway pleasant to everyone else.

And I haven’t a single clue as to why.

Since the first day we got introduced, she’s had it out for me although I was nothing but nice to her. Hell, I ran with her five days a week for three months. All while listening to her sing Taylor Swift songs and giving me the cold shoulder.

Not once during our runs did she speak to me or thank me for coming along in case she passed out or needed encouragement. She did make me hold her water bottle, though.And like the sap I am, handed it over every time she reached for it.

I was basically her butler running buddy. The only thing left would’ve been to bow at her feet and chantLong Live the Queen.

She qualified for the National Final Rodeo after her first full year and placed third after the ten-consecutive-day competition but didn’t take home the win. Overall, I think it was a great experience for her after winning the Southeast regional championship. Once the next season started, she traveled on and off for ten months, but I went to a few with Noah to watch her race in the local pro rodeo circuit events.

She’s now in her fourth year and training harder than ever to win first at this year’s NFR. The past few years, she’s consistently been in the top three but lost first place by mere microseconds. Since then, she’s had more media press and sponsorship opportunities, which has only helped get her name out there more.

---