Page 26 of Tempt Our Fate

Straightening my spine, I look around the room to see if anyone else noticed. No one seems to be paying any attention to us. Tucking one hand in my pocket, I slide my other through the crook of Pippa’s elbow.

“Any other undiscovered talent here I should know about, shortcake?”

I stop us, turning around so we’re almost chest to chest. It isn’t lost on me that I could easily drop my hand. She doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, so I don’t need to keep hold of her. My fingers stay in place. The thrum of her pulse beats underneath my fingertips. Or is it mine?

“You know you just changed his life, don’t you?”

“No. That was all you.”

16

PIPPA

“ShouldI be concerned that you’re going to murder me and hide my body where no one will ever find me?”

I laugh, turning into the long driveway that leads up to my family home. “As tempting as that is, how could I torture you if you’re dead?”

“Fair point.” He looks out the window, and I wish I knew what he was thinking. What does he see when he looks at the place where I grew up? I don’t know how you could look at the rolling hills, the mountains around us, and not fall in love with Sutten Mountain. There’s not a better view in this world than the one at the place I called home growing up.

I drive through the gate to the ranch, watching Camden look at the large “Jennings Ranch” sign that hangs over us.

“A ranch?” he questions. “What are we doing here?”

I keep driving, marveling at all the work that’s been done already to prep the land for winter. I try and help my dad and my brother, Cade, out as much as possible, but with my own business, I can’t be out here as much as I’d like to. After my mom passed, I spent a lot of time here trying to do whatever I could to help my dad and my brother. After some time, I couldn’t handle being around them. I couldn’t handle being here, being reminded that I lost my mom, so I threw myself into work. All I did was eat, breathe, and sleep the bakery until I realized it was out of control, and I got Kitty to force me to get some work-life balance.

I had no idea what was going on with my brother, my dad was a shell of the man I knew growing up, and I didn’t know what to do about it except to distract myself by working.

“Is the guy walking up to us going to help with your murder plot?” Camden teases. He seems looser than when we first started our day, more carefree. That might change once he figures out what I have planned for us.

“The guy walking up to us is my brother. And while he can be a dick, I doubt he has any intention to murder you.”

“That’s your brother? Is this your family’s ranch?” He seems a little shocked as he looks around. It reminds me of how little we know each other. I don’t know much about his family dynamic or his life outside of being here at all, actually. It’s strange to spend an entire day with someone and not really know anything about them.

“Welcome home,” I say with enthusiasm, stopping my truck. Cade holds a saddle over his shoulder, looking at me with a confused expression.

I may have forgotten to mention to him that we were stopping by. He’s been a disaster since Mare, my best friend and his girlfriend, left for work. She’s currently in Chicago writing a book and in constant meetings. I don’t hear from her a lot, and while he might hear from her more than I do, I know he won’t get that depressing scowl off his face until she’s back here in Sutten. If she comes back to Sutten. It’s all up in the air right now.

“I should’ve known you grew up somewhere like this.” Neither one of us makes a move to open the door, even though my brother stands in front of the truck with an even deeper frown on his face than he normally has.

“Should I be offended by that?”

For a fraction of a second, his gaze lingers on my lips. If I blinked, I would’ve missed it. But I didn’t miss it, and I can’t help it when my tongue peeks out and traces the spot his focus was just on.

He clears his throat, making both of us jump. “I didn’t mean it as an insult.”

“I’m shocked.”

“I just meant that I should’ve known we grew up so differently. I grew up being scolded if I had a wrinkle in my clothing. You probably ran around the house with mud on your boots, and no one said a word.”

For a moment, I feel sad for the child he must’ve been. It’s only a tiny crumb of information about his life, but it tells me enough. We grew up very differently, and maybe if I got to know him a little more, I’d find out that there’s more to him other than just being a grumpy asshole.

Before I can say anything else, the driver’s-side door is ripped open. I almost fall out in front of both of them.

“Cade!” I yell, adjusting my butt in the seat. “What was that for?”

“What are you doing here, Pip?”

Camden snickers from the other side of me. “Pip?”

---