Page 32 of Barbed Wire Hearts

“Girl, I knew you wouldn’t have anything for tonight, so I came to the rescue,” she announces with a grin. She also holds up a bottle of wine. “Also thought we could start the party early.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” I tell her, inviting her inside. “Seriously.”

She nods and dumps her pile on the couch. “I know you prefer black, so I brought some darker things, but unfortunately for you, I’m like a literal rainbow of color, so I had limited supply. Luckily, we seem like the same size.” She holds up a dark blue denim pantsuit. “Though I think your hips might be a bit too bangin’ for this thing. I’d kill to have those hips. My momma used to call ‘em child bearing hips. I just call ‘em a good time,” she says with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

I laugh before taking the wine bottle she passes to me. It’s been so long since I’ve had something like this. Naomi immediately treated me like family since I got here. She’s been a delight the entire time, and now she’s literally saving my life.

“We gotta make sure you look drop dead gorgeous,” she muses as she digs through the pile of clothing. “Especially since I’ve seen the way Wiley looks at you. That man would lick gum off your boot.”

“Are we supposed to be casual for tonight or dressy?” I ask. “I’ve never been to a country bar.”

“Whatever floats your boat,” she answers. “You wanna be comfy, wear cut off shorts. You wanna have easy access to your hoo-ha so Wiley can flip up your skirt, wear a sundress.”

I flush. “Comfy is probably okay.”

She winks. “Comfy it is.” She pulls out a pair of cut off shorts. “You got a tank top?”

I nod and move over to my closet to find a black one. She tosses the shorts to me and I catch them. Moving into my room, I pull them on and come back out.

Naomi nods and taps her lip. “Now, we just gotta country you up.” She reaches for a large sparkly belt and loops it around my hips. “Wear your boots and your hat. But to make it better. . .”

She reaches for a bandana and shoves it in my back pocket, leaving it to hang out. “There!” she declares. “Now you look like you’re ready. And with that badonkadonk, you’re gonna have men eating out of your palm before the end of the night.”

“Is this what you’re wearing?” I ask, looking at her jeans and button-down shirt.

“God, no,” she laughs. “I gotta go change real quick. I’ll be wearing a sundress.” She winks. “Easy access is important.”

And then she takes another swig of the wine and flounces out of my cabin, leaving me to stare after her with a silly grin. I’d felt like an imposter before. Now, I feel like I fit right in, but I’m definitely gonna have to get some more clothing if this is going to be a normal thing.

Once I’m ready, I pat William goodbye and reassure him I’ll be back later before stepping outside. Dakota and Wiley are already waiting by Dakota’s large pickup truck. Wiley is leaning on the hood and Dakota is leaning against the door. Both of them are wearing clean jeans and nicer button-down shirts rolled up to reveal their forearms. Both sport their cowboy hats and boots. They look damn good, and it makes me self-conscious of what I’m wearing. Maybe I should have gone with the dress after all.

“Is this okay?” I ask with a grimace, gesturing down to my own outfit.

Wiley grins. “Lookin’ like a witchy woman in a country bar like a spooky snack!”

Dakota tilts his head. “I like it.”

I flush and smile at the both of them. “Is it just us three?”

“Levi’s coming, too,” Wiley muses. “He likes to sit in the corner and drink beer.”

As if he summoned him, Levi appears and, without saying a word, hops in the back seat of the truck. Dakota frowns over at him but shrugs and climbs into the driver seat.

“Hop on up in the front, Kate,” Wiley instructs before opening the door for me. “I’ll ride in the back with Grumpy McGrumperson.”

“Fuck you,” Levi shoots, but he doesn’t argue. He simply settles into his seat and stares out the window.

I climb into the front seat. Wiley helps me up into the tall truck, his hand helping lift and adding in an extra grope of my ass as he does it. I glare at him as he winks and closes my door before going to the backseat with Levi.

I haven’t been into town often enough to know where everything is, but I’m still surprised to find that the Boot Scoot is on Main Street, and it’s already packed when we arrive. Cars are parked everywhere, along the street, filling up the parking lot at the court house on the other side, and any other spot they can find. Luckily, there’s a parking spot right in front of the courthouse that Dakota squeezes his truck into. He backs it into the spot with expert precision and smiles as we all climb out.

The front of the building is unassuming, just a wood façade with neon lights claiming it’s the Boot Scoot. Once we’re inside, I blink around at the inside. It’s all completely done up how I’d expect a country bar to look. There’s a large dance floor in the center of the building, wooden railings separating it from the tables and bar that surround the edges. As soon as we walk inside, some of the other ranch workers wave to us where they already claimed a table in the back.

At first, I’m not sure where I fit into everything. They’re a family and I’m just the city girl they hired to help out, so I linger back. Wiley loops his arm through mine though before I can wander too far and drags me forward.

“Don’t be nervous,” he whispers. “It’s just a bar.”

“It feels more important somehow,” I admit, looking up into his eyes.

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