Page 86 of The Rancher Married the Wrong Sister
“Well, I hate to interrupt story time, but I promised Mr. Davidson I’d teach him ‘Sweet Caroline’ today.” He hefts his guitar case. “Maybe next time I can request a dramatic reading?”
“Only if you want to see Wednesday turn the color of a tomato,” Mrs. Kenner teases. “Poor thing blushes at everything.”
I do indeed turn tomato-colored, but Noel just smiles kindly. “Nothing wrong with a little modesty. It’s refreshing, actually.”
The simple compliment catches me off guard. Not because it’s flirtatious—it isn’t—but because it’s the first time in weeks someone has looked at me like I’m a person worth knowing rather than a problem to be solved.
“Thank you,” I manage. “That’s really nice of you to say.”
“Just honest.” He glances at his watch. “I better get going, but it was great meeting you, Wednesday. Hope to see you around.”
After he leaves, Mrs. Kenner gives me a knowing look. “Sweet boy, that Noel. Divorced, you know. No children. Works here because he genuinely cares about people, not because he has to.”
“Mrs. Kenner—”
“I’m just saying, dear. A girl could do worse.”
If only she knew I’m already married to a man who sees me as a business transaction. A man who—
“Wednesday?”
I spin around so fast I nearly knock over Mrs. Kenner’s water cup. Gavine stands in the doorway, taking up the entire frame with his imposing presence. He’s wearing dark jeans and a black button-down that makes his gray eyes look almost silver, and seeing him in this cheerful, pastel-decorated room is like watching a panther stroll into a flower shop.
“Gavine.” My voice comes out smaller than I’d like. “What are you doing here?”
His gaze flicks from me to Mrs. Kenner, then toward the direction Noel disappeared. His expression turns cold and sharp. “I came to collect my wife.”
The way he says ‘my wife’ makes Mrs. Kenner’s eyebrows shoot up to her hairline. I want to disappear into the floor.
“I didn’t know you were married, dear!” Mrs. Kenner looks between us with undisguised curiosity. “And to such a handsome man. Aren’t you lucky?”
If our marriage were real, sure.
But since it’s not...
“We should go,” I say quickly, standing to gather my purse. “I’ll see you Thursday, Mrs. Kenner. We’ll finish chapter twelve.”
“The good parts are in chapter thirteen,” she calls after us with a wicked grin.
Gavine doesn’t speak until we’re in the parking lot, but I can feel tension rolling off him in waves, and he only breaks his silence when we make it to his truck.
“How long have you been coming here?”
“A week.” I fidget with my purse strap. “I saw the sign asking for volunteers when we drove through town last Monday. I thought it would be nice to help.”
He’s quiet for so long I start to think the conversation is over. Then—
“And the man with the guitar?”
There’s an edge to his tone that makes me look up sharply. His jaw is tight, his hands clenched at his sides. He looks angry. But why would he be angry about Noel?
Unless...
No.
That’s impossible.
Gavine couldn’t be jealous.
