“Yes, you can handle yourself. You’re all tough and feisty, but Wyatt could be high, there could be other gang members with him or who knows what,” Bernie explained. “There’s too many unknown variables. And you—”
“I don’t need you watching my every move at every second of the day. Besides, won’t going with you make Wyatt suspicious that I’m not honoring our unbetrothed betrothal? Like, in a very obvious way,” I countered.
Ford and Bernie glanced back at each other, once again a silent conversation passing between a simple exchange of chuckles. “Kit Kat, you’re going with Wyatt. As I had tried to say before you cut me off. While I will be bringing this big oaf right there.” Bernie tossed a thumb at Ford lounging casually against the kitchen island.
“You swear you’ve never doneanythingwith him?” I cautiously questioned.
“Again, he’s not my type. But for the evening, I shall wine and dine and schmooze the numbnut so nobody gets suspicious that I’m fucking the farmer’s daughter,” Bernie explained and then snickered to himself. “Isn’t that a song?”
“Rancher. My dad is a rancher.” I pursed my lips and crossed my arms.
Bernie snickered again and raked his fingers across my thigh. “Close enough.”
I smacked the back of his hand.
And the reality of what he’d said slammed into me as if I’d been struck by a car.
“Hold on though. Wouldn’t it be smarter to not have me around at all? If I’m just simply not there…”
Shaking his hand as if he’d skimmed across hot coals, he nodded. “While that is a valid point, Sawyer mentioned Wyatt is already a little suspicious. He knows something’s changed. So, if you go as his date, that’ll hopefully be a buffer to throw him off the scent for a little while longer. Plus, I have to go to prom, and if he just happens to lose control of his temper and try to put his hands on you…” He trailed off, giving me a dashing grin.
“No. You heard your buddy! If you start something—”
“I wouldn’t be starting anything.” He reached forward and brushed some hair away from my face. “Time can’t magically stop, Kit Kat. Which means Saturday comes whether we want it to or not. That’s inevitable. I promised Sawyer, and I promised myself I’d keep you safe. Not a single scratch on that beautiful body of yours will happen while you’re with me.” His eyes slid down my figure, sending a rush of heat up my veins.
Ford cleared his throat behind Bernie, and I glanced over his hair. “Pretty sure stopping someone from hitting a woman or whatever the fuck he might try once he finds out that your parents know he’s dealing isn’t starting anything.”
“Since I can’t take the fight to them, I’ll let it come to us. Sort of. Possibly. Only if Wyatt is that type of guy. Which he may not be. Which I know would be the preferred thing, but I mean…” Bernie finished with a shrug of his shoulders.
Inhaling deeply, I shook my head. But the logic sounded solid. At this point, Wyatt had no idea that Bernie knew. That I knew. And technically if Bernie happened to be around if Wyatt tried some shit with me depending on when Sawyer told my parents or when he found out I’m involved with Bernie… I lifted the ball cap from his head and tugged it over my hair, pulling my ponytail through the hole in the back.
“But what are you going to do if Sawyer doesn’t tell my parents? I can’t tell them, or they’ll just think I’m making it up to get rid of Wyatt. You can’t tell them, or they’ll think the same thing,” I asked.
Bernie tipped his head. “Why do you think I’m trying to get all of the intel on the gang that I can? Their habits, hideout, whereabouts, all of that?”
“You’re going to run a sting on an entire gang by yourself?” I cried out.
His chuckle reverberated deep within his chest. “No, Kat. Just Wyatt.”
Studying the two men, something rolled in my stomach that shocked me. Excitement? Was I actually a little thrilled to be involved in whatever might happen? The worry or fear that should’ve been thick in my veins was absent. Something told me that as long as Bernie was around, I’d be safe. That no matter how desperate the situation became, he was my sanctuary.
I nodded reluctantly. “Bernie, I’m only agreeing to all of this because nothing will most likely happen. But are you sure you want to come with…a guy? This is a small town, remember?”
Bernie shrugged. “Can a guy not have friends that are guys?”
I slapped a palm against my forehead. “I’m sorry. I just—”
“Kit Kat, it’s fine. I’m gonna give you shit ’cause that’s what I do.” Bernie flicked the brim of his baseball cap still sitting on my head and then tipped his own. His eyes narrowed, curiosity twisting across features that ignited a fire within me. “So, I recently learned about the cowboy hat rule. Does that apply the other way around too? Say, if a guy takes a girl’s hat?”
Raising a brow, I couldn’t stop the smile from stretching my lips. “Want to find out?”
He nodded his head yes so vigorously, his jowls flapped up and down. “Yes, please!”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” I replied, and he pursed his lips. “I should go, though. Before my family gets suspicious about why I’ve been gone so long.”
“Speaking of family, as just a reminder, you’ve gotta play it like you’re not into this ruggedly handsome redhead,” Bernie said, brushing his thumb across my lips.
“I know that,” I said and clicked my tongue.