Her expression saidduh. “Do you know why she won’t look at you?” She shoved my arm. “Hello? She likes you.”
My doubt held firm. “That doesn’t give you the right to embarrass her.”
She leaned in. “I don’t hear you saying you don’t like her.”
“Why would I say that?” I liked her more than I should. I’d written off marriage after my divorce, but a woman like Scarlett Breen could make a guy think.
Her answering smile was triumphant. “Before you ask—and I know you will—we pooled the cash.”
“Who?”
“Me and the others.”
“How many of the others?”
A smile played over her lips. How could someone so petite jerk a big guy like me around? She’d done it since she’d arrived on my family’s doorstep. “Autumn, Wynter, and June. Tenor and Teller threw in some cash too.”
My brothers had probably contributed the most, knowing I couldn’t get mad at my sisters like I could with them. “Why the fuck would you do that?”
“First, it’s a tax write-off.” She held up two fingers. My diminutive sister had never been intimidated by me, not even when she’d first come to the ranch as a traumatized little girl. “And second, because you’ve been a moody recluse since you moved here.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Chance needs a woman in his life, or he’s going to be scratching his balls and peeing by the mailbox every day.”
“I only did that once.”
Her look said she didn’t believe me. “And I happened to drive up at that exact time? Sure.”
“Chance has his mother.”
“Who gave you custody because she travels too much for work.”
True. “He has aunts.”
“Autumn is the only one who lives in town, and Junie travels a lot.”
“It’s enough.”
“Not for you. You don’t need to grow into an old, cranky man all by yourself in the mountains.”
“I like it that way.” If I couldn’t be in the city doing the job that had become my identity, then I was fine as a moody recluse.
“We don’t. It’s breaking Daddy’s heart.”
Summer was a crafty pain in my ass. She always knew what to say to get me to do what she wanted. Dad didn’t like that I’d upended my life to move home and help him. Nothing said sick more than giving up his ranching duties and his work in the original Bailey Distillery in Bourbon Canyon. “Fine. Say I do this?—”
“For charity. Twenty grand, Tate.”
I ignored her. Ultimately, the decision to fulfill my duties wasn’t up to me. “What if Scarlett doesn’t want a date with me?”
“She does.” She put her hand up when I opened my mouth. “Trust me. A woman knows.” At my dubious look, she dropped her hand. “Pretend she does have a thing for you. Would you go on a date with her?”
I wanted to do more than date her. I wanted to know if the sweet teacher had dirty thoughts. I wanted to find out how creamy her skin was under her layered clothes. I wanted to bury myself inside that soft body and stay that way until the sun rose.
“Yeah,” I said gruffly.
Autumn popped her head in the doorway. “I couldn’t hold on to her. She’s walking home.”
