Page 23 of Worth the Chase

“The smoker is a work of art. I’m in love with it—don’t tell Patrick.” She closed her eyes and looked so happy. “I think I’m going to name it.”

“The smoker?”

“Yeah. I love it. He needs a name so I can talk to him and tell him how pretty he is. Or yell at him when he’s naughty,” she explained, and I giggled. “Any thoughts?”

“On what you should name your new toy?”

“Yeah. What’s he look like to you?” she asked before dragging me out to the back, where the monstrosity lived.

“He looks expensive,” I said, and her eyes shot to mine.

“Oh, he was. But he was worth every penny.” She grinned again, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen someone so filled with joy.

“You should call him Butch,” a deep, masculine voice said.

Addi and I both spun around to find where the response had come from.

Damn. That is one fine man.

“Oh, Dustin, you scared the hell out of me,” Addi said before greeting the man.

Right then, another guy appeared. He was even better-looking than the first one, which was saying something.

What was it with men in these mountains? Did the water make them so handsome?

“Bella, this is our meat guy, Dustin.”

“Meat guy?” he repeated with a gruff laugh, and I noticed the wedding band on his finger.

Addi had spent the last two weeks driving to various towns within three hours to meet with the local ranchers in order to find the perfect meat supplier. When she’d settled on a rancher in Heartbreak Ridge, I hadn’t really paid much attention. I was definitely paying attention now.

“Well, you are!” Addi laughed back. “Bella’s my bar manager. She makes a mean cocktail. And bymean, I mean perfect,” she complimented, and my cheeks warmed.

“Oh, and this is my cousin, Weston,” he said before Weston interrupted.

“No one calls me that. It’s West. Nice to meet you both,” he said, but he was only staring at me.

I felt that look all the way down to my toes.

“Are you a rancher too?” I asked West, but he and his cousin started laughing so hard that they coughed.

“Him?” Dustin thumbed toward West. “He’s too pretty to be a rancher.”

Can’t argue with that logic.

“Well, what do you do then, Mr. Too Pretty to Be a Rancher?”

Am I flirting?

“I’m a fireman,” he said.

I grinned. “Makes sense.”

“’Cause he’s so pretty, right?” Dustin asked. “He has the day off, and he wanted to go for a ride. I have your first delivery, Addison.”

The two of them slipped into business conversation, and West grinned at me.

“Want to go inside and make me one of your famous cocktails?” he asked.

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