Page 43 of Yuletide Acres

I hate that Susan is right. “What if she doesn’t want me back?”

“Dylan, I saw the way you two looked at each other last night. The fire is there, but you’d better be careful not to snuff it out with your own stupidity.”

* * *

Ipull into the shooting range, but instead of trepidation, I feel resolve.

I’m winning back the woman I love, come hell or high water.

Now that Troy is willing to step aside, I only have to contend with Poppy.

I think dealing with Troy will be far easier than convincing Poppy I’m not a total man whore. Especially after the disastrous blow-up last night.

I walk into the shooting area, my breath catching at the sight of her. Poppy’s back is turned to me as she bends over, giving me an up close and personal view of that delectable ass. Ten years ago, she was so skinny that her ass was as flat as the rest of her.

Now? Hot damn, what I’d give to peel off those jeans and lick every inch of her body.

I drift closer, unable to hold back from tracing the small exposed sliver of skin between her shirt and jeans. Susan’s words echo in my head. I do need to convince her of the reasons to still love me. I’ve given her a plethora of reasons to run away. “Good morning, Sunshine. Ready to start shooting?” I mean it as a joke but judging by the scowl crossing my beautiful woman’s face when she turns, I might be the intended target.

“What are you doing here? Where’s Troy?”

“I told him that I would take his place.”

“So it wasn’t the power tools. You’re finishing me off with a gun. That makes sense.”

I crowd her space, pressing her slight frame to the wall. I cage her in, my forearms on either side of her head, our faces mere inches apart. “You know, you keep mentioning me finishing you off. I think you secretly like the idea. God knows I’m all for it.”

A muscle twitches in Poppy’s jaw as she crosses her arms over her chest. “Is that what you think?”

“I do.”

She leans in, our lips almost touching. “Then, you’d be wrong.” With lightning reflexes, she ducks under my arm, grabbing her rifle.

For a brief second, I wonder if she might shoot me. I can’t say I don’t deserve it. Still, Poppy never tended toward violence.

With a sigh, she slings the rifle bag over one shoulder. Looks like I’ll live to face another day. “Forget it. I’ll figure it out on my own. That’s why God invented the internet.”

I grab her wrist, pulling her against me. “Poppy, wait. I was trying to lighten the mood.”

“After the way you’ve treated me? Now, you want to be friends?”

“I don’t want to be friends.”

Poppy releases a strangled laugh, shaking her head. “Yeah, I got that.”

“What I mean—”

But she isn’t letting me finish. With an outstretched finger and her sternest expression, she comes at me. “Why do you hate me?”

“I love you, Poppy. I’m completely and totally in love with you.”

“Oh, bull. You don’t love me. If you loved me, you wouldn’t have called another woman to the bar when we were hanging out. Or, was I the third wheel? I can’t quite figure out the order. Is it first come, first serve?”

Ouch. I open my mouth to retort, but Poppy is nowhere near finished.

“Then you decide to take Troy’s place? Shouldn’t I have a say in who I spend my time with?” She moves in closer, our bodies nearly touching. “Who I’m intimate with? Or does all that require mayoral approval?”

My blood boils at the mention of her and Troy together. “You want to be with Troy? Fine, go ahead. My apologies for thinking you meant what you said last night.” I turn on my heel, stalking toward the door.

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