You buying?

Yep.

I’ll be ready in a bit.

Red whistled as he grabbed his keys and ball cap. Despite his total lack of sleep, he wasn’t the least bit tired, and looking forward to his day.

Chapter Seven

Jessie came out of the hotel twenty minutes later, and her phone chirped.

Over here.

She glanced to her left and saw Red’s Charger. She walked over and opened the door to find two Styrofoam containers.

“I thought you were taking me out?”

“I said I’m buying. Besides, this is not a date. This is work.” Red picked up the containers so she could sit down.

She climbed in and raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry, did you say work? What work?”

“Well, we need to apply the second coat of paint, and I figured while that’s drying, we can head out of town and go to Walmart for those TVs.”

Her mouth fell open at his sheepish grin. “Are you really helping me just so you can have an opinion on what TVs I buy?”

“Well, no offense, but you’re a woman. Are you really going to be looking at picture quality? Plus you need surround sound…hey!”

She had just opened the door when he caught her arm and laughed. “Where are you going?”

“You are being a sexist dumbass, and I am leaving.” For effect, she picked up the Styrofoam container with a sniff. “And taking my food with me.”

“Chill out. I was teasing you. There’s too much work for just you, and I thought I’d be your chauffeur, since you’re new to the area.”

“Even if we went looking at TVs, how are you going to fit four in the back of this thing, plus the mounting kits, and I was going to look at new countertops?”

“We’re making a pit stop at my friend’s ranch and borrowing her truck.”

“Her?” Jessie didn’t like the edge of annoyance she felt.

“Rand. She’s one of my best friends, and I already asked her if we could use her truck. She said fine.”

Jessie didn’t say anything else as they drove through town headed east. When Red pulled off onto a side road and made a left into a dirt drive with a white ranch house, Jessie couldn’t help admiring the scenery. They passed under a large sign that read the Double C.

“What do the two Cs stand for?”

Red pulled the Charger to a stop and turned it off. “Well, her last name was Coleman, but honestly, I never asked her granddaddy.”

Red got out, and Jessie followed suit, her gaze resting on a tall brunette standing on the front porch. She had a lean body with long legs, and her wide smile made her whole face shine with a natural beauty few women possessed.

Jessie didn’t like her.

She watched Red climb the stairs and wrap the brunette in a hug, kissing her temple and rubbing her belly.

Rubbing her belly?

As she took a few steps closer, the brunette that must be Rand smacked him and turned her gaze on Jessie. “Hey, I’m Rand Hansen.”