Page 20 of More Than an Ex-Girlfriend

“Yeah. Long wooden table with benches on each side. Makes it feel like family.”

Her hair is longer now than when we broke up. And she has it pulled up like the day we moved. It’s all I can do to keep from reaching for one of the loose strands. I know from experience how silky it is.

She must read my mind because she tucks the strands behind her ear. “I’m happy you found a family, Archer. You deserve that.”

“Thanks. Listen, I should probably go.”

When the wind gusts, she crosses her arms. “Thanks for chatting with me.”

“Sure thing.” I slip inside, hoping that between here and the ranch I can shove aside thoughts of Lettie.

I wanted to clear my head while having coffee, but instead the opposite happened. The woman is a perpetual distraction.

How in the world am I going to get used to living next to her?

* * *

Headstill under the tractor’s hood, I shout, “Start it.”

“Don’t!” Grayson startles all of us with his order. The guy barely talks, and he never gives orders.

“What?” I am in no mood for nonsense.

“Get your arm out of the engine.” Motioning for me to follow, he walks to the far corner.

I’m a bit shaken by how close I came to serious injury. Rubbing the back of my neck, I say, “Thanks.”

“Everything okay? You’re usually the safest one out here.” His voice is low.

Grayson and I have a bit of history. We grew up in the same small town and went to high school together. He knows Lettie, and if he knows she’s living here, he hasn’t mentioned it. Since he was busy with his wife Daisy on move day, he didn’t see Lettie. And I’d rather not bring it up.

“Just tired after the move, and I haven’t slept well the last few nights. Adjusting to the new place, I guess.” I haven’t slept well since seeing Lettie at the donut shop, but I don’t want to explain all that to Grayson. I also don’t want to tell him that I can still smell her shampoo from when she was standing next to me early this morning.

His brow furrows, and he opens his mouth but then closes it again. He walks back to the tractor and takes over my spot. “Fire it up, Tyler.”

After standing awkwardly in the corner for a couple of seconds, I check my phone. It’s only a ruse so that I can leave without making a scene. “Since y’all have this, I’m going to go check in with Clint.”

“Sounds good.” Tyler waves.

Grayson nods.

And I beeline out of there.

Outside, I stop and breathe in the cold air. The bright sunlight penetrates my haze, and I climb into my truck.

Clint’s truck isn’t at the main house, so I drive to the horse barn. Even if Clint isn’t there, Parker always seems to know where to find people. And worse case, I can text Clint. But he isn’t always the fastest to respond. We joke that if we need him right away, we get his wife, Joji, to shoot him a message. Her texts must have a different chime.

Parker’s truck is outside the barn, but he isn’t inside.

As I’m about to leave, Anderson strolls in through a side door, whistling. “Hey, Archer. What’s up?”

“Just stopped in to see if y’all know where I can find Clint.” I glance at the bench but don’t sit because I might fall asleep after two heartbeats.

Anderson shoves his hands in his pockets. “He and Beau are out working on a windmill or something. Parker is out riding one of the new horses. If you have the time, you could help me feed the horses.”

“Sure.”

He picks up a bucket and tosses it to me. “I heard you moved.”

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