Page 112 of Butter My Biscuit

My plane lands, and I grab my suits and duffel and walk through the airport, feeling like a different man.

On the way back to Valentine, I stop at a jewelry store and pick out a ring I know Stephanie would like based on what she’s always enjoyed. Once I’m in my truck and on the long road home, I decide to stop by the barn. I know Beckett is still there, and right now, I need a distraction.

I walk through the barn, and Beckett comes out of a stall with a bridle in his hand.

“Well?”

“Well what?” I ask.

“I heard a rumor,” he tells me.

“And how much did you bet, and which side did you bet for?” I look at him, crossing my arms over my chest.

My brother looks at me, smirking. “I bet five hundred dollars on Grace.”

“Shit, you lost then.”

“Bullshit,” he says.

I pull the wedding ring from my pocket and show him.

His expression hardens. “What’s that for?”

“I’m proposing to Stephanie.”

He shakes his head. “Have you lost your fucking mind?”

I laugh. “I think I have. Grace isn’t an option, and I made it very clear that I have to move on. Steph is the only other woman I think I could see myself spending forever with.”

He takes a step toward me. “So, that’s it? You’re giving up?”

“You do when love doesn’t go both ways.”

“You really believe it doesn’t?” Beckett shakes his head and moves to the tack room. He hangs the bridle on the hook and then grabs a brush. Before he passes me in the doorway, he stops. “You need to cowboy up, little brother, or you’re gonna fuck around and find out real fast. And this is going to blow up in your face.”

“This is the exact talk I needed,” I tell him. “Thanks.”

“You’re still proposing, aren’t you?”

“You know it.” I walk out of the barn, tossing the ring box in the air, feeling like I’m losing my mind. Knowing that I love Stephanie and maybe, one day, I will be in love with her again. I’m stubborn to a goddamn fault, and I’m angry. “You’re just pissed because you lost five hundred dollars.”

“I’m pissed because you’re a dumb fuck who can’t see what’s right in front of you.”

“You don’t know the details,” I yell back, giving him a wave.

Beckett flips me off, and I laugh.

Once I’m home, I send Stephanie a text, and she’s at my house in ten minutes. I answer the door, shirtless, wearing a pair of jeans on my hips. Her eyes slide over me, and I lean in and kiss her.

“Did you have fun?”

I laugh. “Yeah.”

When I turn around and walk to the kitchen, she follows behind me. “Nice scratches.”

“Huh?” I look over my shoulder and then go to the bathroom to see the nail marks. I shake my head and move back to the kitchen to grab a cup of water.

She lifts a brow, and she studies me. She’s a fox, cunning, one of her best qualities if you ask me. Smart women are sexy as hell.

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