Page 9 of A Sunny Sweetheart for the Cowboy

Weston nodded back then averted his gaze. Maybe they finally understood each other.

“Wow, what’s with him?” Cadence angled her head toward Weston as Darrell embellished the skunk story.

If Paisley’s memory served, that had been the day Cadence and Graham had admitted their feelings for each other. She hadn’t heard the end of the mushy stuff since, though the couple had been dancing around their growing feelings for months by that point. Weston didn’t have any feelings, so it was going to take a greater act of God than skunk stench to push him toward Paisley.

Now she shrugged. “You know Weston, always surly.”

“You just like a challenge.”

“Duh.” Sometimes Paisley wondered if that’s all it was. If she’d focused on Weston Kline because he was the least likely guy on the guest ranch to reciprocate. If the relationship never began, then Paisley couldn’t fail at it.

That couldn’t be the reason. Weston was sweet and gentle with the horses and the barn dogs and cats. Didn’t that mean he’d be kind to a woman he loved?

He was also a hottie, with those gorgeous brown eyes and his barely contained muscles. He carried himself confidently and didn’t seem to care what people thought of him.

Paisley cared all too much.

“He’s watching you.”

But when Paisley glanced toward Weston, she found him focused on a nearby tree. “Woodpecker,” he said.

Several of the milling group pivoted toward the rat-a-tat-tat sound.

Paisley turned away. She’d seen a million birds. What she really wanted to see was a genuine smile out of Weston Kline, preferably when he was looking directly at her.

“Maybe I should get Graham to ask Weston to be his best man.”

Paisley scowled at her roommate and best friend. “You’re crazy. They barely know each other. And, also, are you telling me Graham hasn’t chosen anyone yet?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“But…”

“He’s not super close to any of his cousins. More than he used to be, though.”

Paisley’s mind raced. “How about Tate? They work together, after all. Graham probably hangs out with him than anyone else besides their grandfather.”

“You’d think, but Tate is so wrapped up in his family that they really don’t see each other outside of the office. Which I don’t blame Tate for. He and Stephanie haven’t been married for an entire year yet, and they spent most of that time building their house. Not only do they have Jamie, but also a newborn, so they’re busy.”

“Graham and Bryce are nearly the same age, right?” Yeah, Paisley had studied the Sullivan family tree. Whatever. Complain to someone who cared.

“Bryce doesn’t take anything seriously and rubs Graham the wrong way.”

“Maxwell? He’s quite focused.”

“They’re just not close.”

Finished his story, Darrell pointed the group up the trail, and the horses began filing after him.

Any minute now, Cadence would edge Mirage into place in line, but before she did, she flashed a grin at Paisley. “He’s at least as close to Weston as the other guys.” Then she clicked her tongue, squeezed her knees against the mare’s flanks, and edged her into the queue.

Nice parting shot. And now Paisley’s mind brimmed with the image of a hunky Weston Kline in a tuxedo. She hadn’t thought he could look any hotter than in his flannel and Wranglers, but her imagination could totally kick him up a notch.

“What’re you staring at me for?” he growled.

“Oh, was I?”

“Yeah. Don’t. It weirds me out.”

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