Page 14 of Alive and Wells

Her eyes meet mine, her knowing smile sending my heart into erratic oblivion. I did like it. Too damn much for somebody not looking to have his heart broken again.

And then she adds five words that send my head swimming, making me question every damn decision I’ve made since she got here. “I knowIliked watching.”

7

Austin

Apparently,I’vegrownaccustomedto seeing Cecily in her usual seat, directly across from mine at the far end of the twelve-foot dining table. I don’t realize how much I expect to see her until I walk into the kitchen and she isn’t there. She and I rarely talk or acknowledge each other’s presence, but it still feels off. She’s always unusually happy for five in the morning and, to my horror, I’ve grown to enjoy the cheeriness. Today’s weird vibe isn’t helped by the boys being long gone, driving the cattle out to leased grazing land for the summer. I pour myself a steaming black coffee and slump into my well-worn spot, pretending not to notice how quiet it is in here. Beryl and Kate buzz around the kitchen, while Odessa shovelsCheeriosinto her mouth.

“Where’s the city girl?” I finally can’t stop myself from asking. She busted her ass during the last eight days of branding, and I have a right to know if my employee’s sick or injured. Nothing more.

“She has a name, and you know it, you ass.” Kate rolls her eyes at me. “She’s going to town this morning.”

“If she hasn’t left, can one of you go tell her to grab the supplement order from Tate’s?”

The pair glare at me with perfectly matching contempt. Beryl lifts flour-coated hands in the air and cocks an eyebrow. “We’re up to our elbows in bread dough. Man up and ask her yourself, honey. I haven’t seen her leave yet.”

Fuck. I swear even Odessa stops mid-bite to give me a look about how pathetic I am. What I would give right now to be kilometres away, on horseback, driving cattle with the crew instead of stuck with these three. With a grunt, I push away from the table and walk to Cecily’s cabin.

I’m kicking the spare tire she still hasn’t properly replaced, when her voice rings through the humid morning air. “Checking your handiwork?”

“Wondering why you still haven’t gotten new tires like I told you to.”

“I don’t exactly make a killing as a ‘farm wife’. I’ll do it when I can afford to.” An echoing beep sounds as she remotely unlocks the doors and begins down her front stairs. Her blonde hair bounces against her shoulders with each step.

“Unless you’re driving directly to the tire shop, you’re not taking this car anywhere.”

She stops in front of me, and her sweet perfume envelops us. A white sundress swishes against her thighs, highlighting how tan her skin has become. I’ve never seen her in anything but jeans or leggings, which leaves me wondering when and where she’s been privately tanning because that golden hue certainly wasn’t achieved during working hours. A question about where her tan lines might be sends a rush to my cock. Is it her upper thigh from wearing shorts? Bikini line? Or… fuck. Maybe there’s no tan line at all. The thought of her having a hidden spot somewhere onmyranch, where she’s suntanning naked, consumes me.

And that’s when she catches me staring. It’s a miracle I’m not drooling.

Christ, get it together.

A smirk creeps onto her lips. “I repeat. Why the hell not?”

Why the hell not… what?I rack my brain, trying to remember what we were talking about, fighting to ignore the scorching heat in my cheeks and ears.

“It’s unsafe to drive at high speeds or long distances on this spare. Take a ranch truck. And pick up the horse supplements from Tate’s.” I do my best to shift back into asshole-boss mode. My eyes trained on hers because, if I risk looking anywhere else, I’ll start undressing her in my mind again.

Her foot taps the gravel impatiently. “You’re aware it’s my day off, right? The least you could do is say please if you want me to run your errands.”

“When we live this far out of town, grabbing my order for me would be the nice thing to do.” My arms cross against my chest.

“Basic manners would be nice, too. Please. Thank you. Your four-year-old niece even knows how to use her magic words. Also, just because you’re my boss doesn’t mean you control me—I’m taking my car because I won’t drive those trucks. Mock me for being a city girl all you want, but they’re too big and intimidating. Needing to park one in town makes me nauseous.”

“Then we’ll take my truck.” I start down the pathway toward my house. Sensing she’s not behind me, I spin around. Confusion floods her face. “We haven’t got all day, City Girl.”

“I feel like this is a trap. Are you going to take me to town and ditch me there? No way you’re offering to be nice when I’m pretty sure you detest me.” She smiles as if she’s joking, but the hitch in her voice says otherwise.

I’m too taken aback to dwell on why I’m willing to drop everything I should be doing today for this. For her. “I don’t detest you.”

“Well, you definitely don’tlikeme.”

I can see why she’d think that, but it still sends my stomach turning.

“That’s not—I just…” I don’t detest her. I don’tnotlike her. While everyone else seems to be completely comfortable with her at the ranch, I’m becoming more flustered by her presence with each passing day. Thanks to her, I’m as off balance as a shoddy carnival ride. “I’m sorry for making you think that. Are you coming?”

I gesture toward the truck, taking a step backward, waiting for her to follow.

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