Page 163 of Holiday Hire

Her expression hardens. "Phoebe, do you really think you're leaving?"

"Yeah. Your parents will be done with their mission trip. I-I don't know." Tears fall faster at the thought of leaving the ranch and the Cartwrights, but especially the boys and Alexander.

Willow rubs my back. "Babe, I can tell you one thing. I know my family. There's no way you're going anywhere unless you escape us." She wiggles her eyebrows.

I laugh through my tears, but it's short-lived. I admit, "Alexander would have to want me to stay."

She insists, "He does."

"How can you say that? You didn't even know what was going on between us."

She smirks. "You two were under the staircase, and both of your shirts were untucked. Your hair was a mess, and there was lipstick on Alexander's cheek. Do you think I don't know what all that means?"

More goose bumps pop out on my skin. I gape at her, and embarrassment floods me.

She takes another sip of beer and then gets up and grabs two more. She sits back down.

She leans closer. "It's okay, you can confide in me. I won't tell anybody else."

"So you knew but you didn't tell anyone?"

She scoffs. "No. Do you think I'm like Jagger and Mason? You obviously didn't want anyone to know, and Alexander went in the bathroom and cleaned off the lipstick before he got in front of others, so"—she takes a sip of beer—"your secret's still safe."

"Mason and Jagger know," I blurt out, my pulse skyrocketing.

She arches her eyebrows. "Those two know, and they kept it a secret? How did that happen?"

"I don't know. They saw Alexander kiss me the night we went to the racetrack. He made them promise not to say anything," I confide.

She snorts. "I'm shocked they kept a secret. They always spill the beans somehow."

"But they didn't?" I fret, once more worried about others knowing. Alexander is going to kill me when he finds out Willow knows.

She shakes her head. "No, not that I'm aware of. Nobody has said anything to me. I just knew because I saw you two. Plus, I see the way my brother looks at you. He's in love with you."

"He's not," I insist.

She scoffs again. "Like hell he's not. I've never seen him so happy."

"You haven't?"

"No. Plus, he's daydreaming half the day."

"What are you talking about? He never daydreams."

"Sure he is. I see him glancing across the corral instead of yelling at Mason and Jagger. Trust me, he's in love with you," she declares, as if it's a sure thing.

My heart swoons, but then I remember our situation. I shake my head, asserting, "No. He thinks things are still going on between Lance and me. And it's not my fault. I told Lance it was over, but he keeps calling, and your brother just got mad at me about it. Oh, and I'm pretty sure Lance is in town, and I'm scared he might come here. Alexander will go nuts if he does!"

She tenses. "Where was my brother going?"

I shake my head. "I don't know, he wouldn't tell me. He got a phone call. I don't know who it was, but I think it was one of your brothers because I heard, 'Bro.' But that's all I heard."

She reaches for her purse. "Well, let's find out."

"He won't tell you if you call him. And if he knows you know about us, he'll be mad at me."

She waves her hand. "Oh, shush. I'm not saying a word to him, nor am I calling him."

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