Page 90 of Saddled in Secrets
What started as Bianca acknowledging feelings for me quickly became her exposing our relationship. That already had me reeling. Then she went and spelled out what’s to come. Bianca might’ve tried to keep her voice down on the ride earlier, but I overheard every word. She’s got plans for me. A smile curls my lips as I admire her posing in that unflattering Dirty Dicks tee.
Brody shakes his head. “Bianca has you wrapped around her manicured pinkie.”
“And?”
His phone rings before I get a response. A glance at the screen has him muttering a curse. “I’ve gotta take this.”
The door bangs shut behind him, signaling that I’m free to ogle his sister to my obsession’s content. She must feel my stare, twisting to wink at me over her shoulder. The temptress takes it one step further and wiggles her ass in my direction. I straighten off the wall with every intention of making a scene that’ll get us kicked out.
Brody storms back in like a dark cloud. “Time to leave. Now.”
Paisley pouts at his demand. “But we just got here.”
“Sorry, wife. Duty calls. The business needs me. You can screw off with Bianca later.”
She’s still glued to her friend’s side. “What about the food?”
“Change it to takeout. You can eat in the truck.” His authoritative tone has the bartender barking the adjustment to the cook.
Paisley is slow to approach. “We need to get the horses.”
“Dammit,” he groans. “I don’t have time for this.”
A calm washes over me, the kind that keeps my head on straight during a crisis. “How can I help?”
“There’s nothing you can do.” Brody tugs at his collar, slipping into professional mode. “One of our grain manufacturers had an incident at the factory. Several machinesmalfunctioned to the point of being out of commission for weeks. It sounds like a clusterfuck. He’s our biggest feed supplier and this will cause a ripple effect if we don’t get a handle on it.”
“What about all the storage?” I ask. “Don’t we have enough feed to last us a while?”
“That’s the thing. Apparently, our stockpiles are almost depleted. There might be enough to last the weekend. We’ll need to scramble to get ahold of a replacement vendor because all our normal deliveries are canceled.”
“Shit.” I scrub over my thick stubble. “There must be an easy solution.”
“It’s not your problem.” He grunts and slaps my back. “Keep my sister happy. Don’t give me the details on how you manage that. I’ll text you later.”
“We’ll bring the horses home sometime this week.” That generous offer spills free from Bianca as she balances a burger basket in one hand and a bag of cardboard containers in the other.
“Princess,” I clip under my breath.
She blinks her long lashes at me while discreetly transferring the takeout to her friend’s arm. “It’s safe to make a quick stop, right?”
“I’d rather not risk it.”
“But we’re going to Haunted Harvest Haze. It’s tradition.”
Paisley gasps while Brody grunts. Even I comprehend the importance of that festival. Marion Benson and her slew of charitable foundations sponsored the annual event. This is the first time she won’t be in attendance. Defeat slides my eyes shut.
Delicate fingers walk up my shirt. “We’ll be extra careful, Stalker. And after Halloween, we’ll hit the road for the next jackpot or rodeo. See some other sights. Avoid the trouble chasing us. Stay in hiding a bit longer.”
“Fine,” I grit through clenched teeth.
Brody makes the sound of a whip cracking. “Say goodbye to your balls, Colt.”
My eyes don’t stray from the woman who owns a lot more of me than that. “She’s had them in her possession for five years.”
Bianca’s grin is the bratty version that brings me to my knees. “They’re in very good hands.”
“For fuck’s sake. Why are we still here? Dad!” Brody bellows across the small space. “Haul ass.”
