Page 43 of Playing it Country

“Any particular reason why? It’s obvious to anyone who spends more than thirty seconds around you guys that you’re into each other,” Hank asks casually, and it still freaks me out that he’s sodomesticatednow.

“I’m fine. I’m not sleeping with Hannah.”

“But you want to,” Sorren says and it’s not a question. I pinch the bridge of my nose and pray for patience.

“You worried you’re going to fall for her and break your three-week rule?” Waylon asks with a smug look on his face.

“No.”

Yes.

Sorren snorts and we all turn to look at him. He shrugs. “What? It’s funny. That’s exactly what he’s worried about.”

“How do you know that?” Tanner asks him, but he just shakes his head.

“I know things,” he says nonchalantly.

“I can’t sleep with her. If things go sideways she’s still here for God knows how long, plus she’s Holly niece, and I’ve never lived with a woman let alone lived with a woman while doin’ whatever with her.”

“That sounds like a lot of excuses,” Hank chimes in.

“Just because a five-foot-nothin’ spitfire kicked your ass in gear doesn’t mean you know everything,” I throw back at him, but Hank’s expression doesn’t change.

“I do,” Sorren says and Waylon turns away to hide his laugh. “Seriously, man, you’re not yourself. We’re worried, and now you gotta fix it so I don’t have to be roped into this again.”

“You really know how to make a guy feel good,” I say, but his face remains expressionless and I chuckle. “Okay, fine. I’ll figure somethin’ out.”

“You do that.”

He eyes me, and I hope that at least one of us believes me.

* * *

“So that’s the plan?”Otto asks after I was dismissed from the not-so-welcome intervention and it’s just the two of us again.

“Yep.” He snickers and I groan. Myfiguring somethin’ outtook an unexpected and entertaining turn. Also, I don’t care that I’m being petty.

“I’m in.”

“You want to be an accomplice in this?” I ask, and my brother’s face lights up like the Fourth of July.

“There’s a better chance of survival if we do it together.” Solemnly, I send him the user name and password, and wait for the message to go through. It only takes a few seconds before he’s all out chuckling.

“What are the odds he’s going to find out? He’s not even on social media.”

“Yeah, but you know how he is. Guy justknowsthings. He said it himself,” Otto says with a faux shiver. I smile as I hit upload on the video I took of Sorren leaning against Waylon’s truck with his work boot braced against the tire, staring out into the distance.

“Can’t help it that the guy is thirst trap material. Besides, he wanted to be pissy this mornin’ and organizing the bet over my lack of love life, so this is what he gets.”

“Am I still the beneficiary on your life insurance?”

“What happened to us going down together?” I ask on a laugh.

“I mean, yeah, but I’m going to use Briggs as a bargaining chip. You don’t have a cute as fuck kid to offer up. I mean, seriously, he calls himUncle Wren.”

Nodding in agreement, I concede, “It’s a solid plan, honestly. Also yeah, if I meet an untimely death, use the money to send Briggs to college.”

“Will do. Also, are you going to use the one of him reading shirtless?”

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