Page 18 of The Rancher's Code

“I was just checking in with you and—” I pointed towards the stranger.

“Alex,” he answered, with a bright smile. “I’m the flower guy.”

“Oh, so you brought all these in?”

“Isn’t it lovely?” Alex smiled again. “I’ve always loved flowers, but I love weddings even more. And it seems like your sister’s wedding is shaping up to be something truly magical.”

Alex nodded over at Dylan. “Not to mention the work of her incredible wedding planner… it’s such an honor to get a peek into Dylan Reid’s head. He’s brilliant.”

Alex paused for a moment before he added, “It’s… incredible that you’re single, Dylan. I just mean…with everything you do for others… Assuming that you are single. Sorry. My information might be outdated.”

Is Alex fishing for information? Why the hell does he care if Dylan’s single?

“Being single is pretty easy, actually.” Dylan chuckled, his attention back to his screen. “Precisely because of everything I do for others. I have a lot on my plate.”

“Right.” Alex beamed. “Not to be too forward… but speaking of plates… there’s this Italian place in?—”

“Amber! Can you come over here, please!” I was panicking but I didn’t know why, my heart beating a little too fast inside my chest. “Sorry, I just think she really wanted to catch up with you Alex?—”

“Oh, no worries.” Alex politely nodded before he headed over to my sister, ready to meet her halfway. “Anything for the bride.”

“What was that?” Dylan pressed.

“What was what?”

“He was obviously going to ask me out.”

“And what? You were going to say yes?”

“It doesn’t matter what I was going to say. Why do you even care?” Dylan gave me his full attention. “You wouldn’t say a word to me this morning.”

“He doesn’t get to ask you out. Not right in front of me.”

“Why not?”

“Because!”

“Oh, my God!” Dylan threw up his hands in frustration. “Do you want me to set you up with one of Amber’s assistants? Because I swear, it’d be easier for both of us. If you just need to get laid?—”

“It’s not about that.”

“Then, what is it about, Cole?”

“I… don’t know.” I let out an exasperated sigh. “I just… I don’t know.”

“Right. Of course, you don’t.” Dylan sighed now, too. “I need to get back to work, okay? I’ll see you around, Cole.”

He rolled his eyes before he stepped away from me, joining the conversation between Alex and Amber. And I stood in that same place, feeling like an idiot, my head hanging in my hands.

“You’re jealous.”

“What?” I turned to see my uncle sitting amongst the flowers next to me. “How long have you been sitting there?”

“Long enough to see what I needed to see.” He grinned. “So, a fight isn’t about a fight, and flowers aren’t about flowers.”

“I don’t really need this right now, Virgil?—”

“It’s always a worthwhile use of time to look beyond the surface, nephew,” he continued. “To stop and smell the roses, so to speak.”

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