Page 94 of The Rogue

“Yeah, Tess,” Pepper starts. “Don’t tell me there’s nothing going on with you and Levi. We’ve all seen it—and been seeing it since I came back to town.”

That does it.

I move to sit on Noah’s other side, watching the screen like a private investigator.

Tessa grins and it’s too hazy to tell if she’s blushing. “Okay. I won’t.”

The other girls erupt with cheer and giggles.

Tessa puts up a hand. “No, no. None of that. There’s nothing going on. And whatever you’re pickin’ up is coming straight from me. Not him. He’s focused on his kid, the farm and their future. He’s not looking for a woman.”

I wasn’t looking for a woman. Till she showed up at my door.

Chase looks up from the screen, mocking me for my pet peeve. “She called Hideaway Ranch afarm. Let’s lock her up now.”

“Asshole,” I mutter.

Pepper cocks her head. “So you got a thing for him?”

“I’m shuttin’ this down.” I reach over, but Chase snatches it from Noah first.

“Hold on, Cowboy. You might not be curious, but I am.”

“They’re having aprivateconversation. Or did you want to end up in the dog house again?”

Noah curses. “He’s right. Chase, shut it off.”

There’s faint mumbling that neither of us catch until we all freeze at Tessa’s words.

“He doesn’t trust me and he’s right not to.”

Chase grins, scrunching his nose. “You’re right. This is wrong. I’m shutting it down.”

“Don’t you dare,” I grit. “Give it here.”

Chase hands it over. There’s not much to see since the screen is either frozen or the girls are quiet in response to what Tessa’s admitted.

Charlie finally speaks, but it’s low. “You can tell us anything.”

I run a hand down my face. “I’m goin’ to hell forthis.”

“Well, you know how I go a little rogue sometimes? The library fees, the traffic violations, the hardware store…even Jackson’s old nanny.”

“I didn’t hear about the hardware store one.” Pepper perks with interest.

Noah frowns, leaning in. “Yeah, me neither.”

Tessa waves her tattooed arm like it’s nothing. “Oh, I stole money from the cash register to pay the delivery boy the owner refused to settle up with. It was two years ago. He was a high school kid who ran Larry’s deliveries for several weeks during the summer. I watched the man come up with excuses week after week to avoid paying him, until one day he fired the kid for being late and refused to pay altogether. The poor kid couldn’t defend himself…so I did.”

“How?” Charlie asks while Pepper lets it fly with a bunch of cuss words.

“Told the kid to wait up. Rang open the register, cleaned it out, and handed him all the cash. Then I turned to Larry and dared him to call the police.”

“He wouldn’t do it,” Pepper says flatly.

“’Course not. He knew he was wrong.” Tessa shrugs and laughs. “Tell ya this much, I sure as hell didn’t get paid that week after he threw me out.”

Chase looks at Noah, who sighs. “Yeah, I’ll pay Larry a visit tomorrow.”

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