Page 30 of Rope Me In

At least not like some of the people I’ve met at Night Hawk. The other night, I listened to a man named Jim tell me about how he spent all his money at the race track last week and his wife kicked him out for the night. He even started talking about the bunions on his feet until Jake saved me.

“The TV doesn’t work yet,” she says as we stand in the middle of the room, “but Gavin said he can fix it for you.”

I press my lips together when I see the old boxy TV, the kind from the ‘80s and ‘90s. I’m not really a TV watcher, so that’s not a problem.

I follow her as she strides to a small kitchen area with a fridge. “We don’t have the gas hooked up yet for the stove, but wecan get you a hot plate if you plan to do any cooking. But the microwave and the fridge work.”

“I’m not much of a chef, so the microwave is fine for now.”

“As I mentioned before, we provide breakfast and lunch. If you need dinner, June makes enough food that you could come up to the house and eat whenever you want. Honestly, if you don’t, she’ll bring you food anyway. That’s the kind of family the Montgomerys are.”

I purse my lips after hearing her statement. She’s done that a few times, referred to the Montgomerys like they aren’t her family. “June’s your grandma?” I ask, finally curious enough to voice my questions. “Or does she work here?”

Blake crosses her arms over her chest and faces me. “Did Lyla not tell you anything about this place? I would have thought she’d give you all the history and the family trees of every person in Randall.”

I shake my head. “It never came up.”

Blake stares at me as if something has finally clicked in her mind. “Gavin is my boyfriend, and this is his ranch. I’m not a Montgomery.” She says the last part playfully, which leads me to believe she will eventually be one.

I fiddle with the silver ring on my finger as I look into her friendly eyes. When I replay the information she just gave me, my blood goes cold.Oh no…

“This isn’t your ranch?” I ask, my voice high and uneven.

Blake stuffs her hands in her pockets. “It isn’t.”

“Don’t say that, Blake. This isyourdude ranch.”

My head turns toward the haughty male voice, and I can’t stop the full-blown shiver that races up my spine. Kade strides in from an open bedroom door, a grin stretched across his face as he meets my eyes. Under his attention, I swear my stomach feels as if it’s going to drop right onto the floor, like I’m on one of those scary drop rides at a carnival.

“You know that’s not true,” Blake replies, disappointment clear in her words though I can tell she’s trying to keep a smile on her face as she says it.

He shrugs, his hazel eyes not leaving mine. “What are you doing here, Lemon?”

“Lemon?” I ask, unable to stop myself.

He clucks his tongue against the back of his teeth. “Lime is a silly nickname. Figured Lemon has a better ring to it.”

I try to keep the blush off my cheeks, but I fail. My skin burns as several questions spark in my mind, like: Why does he have to keep bringing up the back-room incident? And why give me this nickname at all? Does he think I’m sour? But I don’t ask anything, because while I’m curious, I don’t want to know the answers. I also don’t want to further my embarrassment.

Blake’s voice interrupts my thoughts. “I didn’t know you were down here, Kade.”

Kade finally stops looking at me, hazel eyes meeting hers with a half smile. “Gavin told me a new hire was going to be staying here and asked me to make sure the bed didn’t squeak.”

A short and awkward laugh leaves Blake’s lips. “Such a funny guy today.”

“You know me, Blakey girl. I’m full of fun times and laughter.”

Blake’s body language swiftly changes at his words, her sunny demeanor from before now cloudy and dull, face crestfallen and shoulders tense. I stand there, unsure of what to do, as the pair silently stares at each other. A silent conversation that doesn’t look pleasant passes between them. Eventually, Blake tips her chin down, and I think I see tears shining in her eyes.

Unable to handle the tension, I clear my throat. “I can leave.”

Blake focuses on me and blinks a few times. Yeah, those were tears. “No, that’s not necessary. Kade was just leaving.”

Kade’s narrowed gaze stays frozen on Blake’s profile. But after a long moment, his face visibly softens, the furrow of his brow relaxing and shoulders drooping. It doesn’t take a geniusto know what’s going through his mind: regret. A whole lot of it. But instead of addressing it, he seems to shake it off, his attention moving back to me.

A flirty grin pops back on his lips as he sticks his hands in his jean pockets. “You’re the new ranch hand, Lemon?”

“My name is Presley.”

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