Page 24 of The Cowboy's Off Limits Option

There's only a few feet of wall behind the front door that separates the tiled entry leading into the front room from the country kitchen just beyond it.

It's enough to give me time to button up, but there's no hiding the fact that Archer's shirt is all I'm wearing. Well, that, and my panties. Thank God I put my panties back on.

Archer is hardly any more dressed than I am, standing shirtless at the kitchen island in nothing but a fresh pair of sweats and a trickle of syrup at the corner of his mouth that I had just been about to lick clean for him.

At my brother's intrusion, I jump clear of Archer, even as he steps closer to me.

"Oh hey--" Rowan rounds the wall and immediately sees us, our breakfast plates side by side on the island counter with us standing behind them.

Like always, Row's phone is in one hand and his eyes barely flicker between me and his friend before he returns his attention to it to tap out a short message.

Archer's left hand dangles at his side, his fingers reaching out to brush mine below the counter and out of Rowan's sight.

"Cool, you're here. Rowdy called this morning asking if you were okay today. Said something about you showing up out at the Tollhouse? What the fuck, sis?"

Rowan pulls out one of the stools on the other side of the island and slides my plate across to him.

"Mom and Dad said you still weren't home, and neither of you assholes were answering your phones. Figured maybe Arch must have dropped you off with Ginger or something."

"Thanks for taking care of her, man."

I feel like I don't know him. I just stand next to Archer and watch my brother shovel the rest of my breakfast into his mouth like he hasn't even noticed the fact that he walked in on us together.

Arch and I exchange a confused look. Then Archer shrugs his shoulders and we both relax some.

"These are good. Did you make breakfast for Arch, Cal?"

"Yeah, she did." Archer answers on my behalf. "And why the fuck does Rowdy Ralston have my personal phone number? You know anything about that?"

Rowan shakes his head. "No man, I'd never give out your personal, you know that. Glad he does though, if he'd called me, I'd have torn that dump of a bar to the ground. What the heck were you thinking, Calla Lilly? I've told you before to stay out of that place."

"I--" But Archer interrupts again.

"Why the fuck does Rowdy haveyournumber?"

Rowan shrugs, slipping his phone into his back pocket.

"Business, man. The Mayes got no history with the Flying R. They grow damn good alfalfa and they sell it for a reasonable price. They pay their invoices on time when they need something in return. I'm not gonna turn away good business over old news."

"Damn. Mom and Dad must be worried about me then?"

It suddenly dawns on me that my phone must be dead, I haven't gotten any notifications this morning and last night...well. I wouldn't have noticed if it went off.

Rowan looks annoyed by my question.

"Nah, they reminded me that you're a grown woman and told me to mind my own business," he grumbles.

Beside me, Archer smirks.

"Ralston said you left your car out there?" Rowan slides off the stool and picks up his plate, casually heading toward the sink on our side of the counter.

As he rounds the island, I tense, realizing he might not have been able to see that I'm only wearing Archer's shirt and expecting him to come unglued.

Instead, he rinses the sticky syrup off the plate and checks the dishwasher to see if it's clean or dirty.

"Well, go get dressed and let's go get it. I sold those heifers this morning and I need to square things out at the farm so I can have the calves I bought brought in."

From this side of the room, Rowan can plainly see that neither of us are dressed.

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