“What?” Katie gasped.
“He wanted to be a race car driver.”
“I’ll have you know I came in first in the demolition derby.”
Katie put her hand over her mouth to stifle a smile.
“You got a trophyanda broken arm,” Bray reminded.
“All he’s trying to tell you is that you don’t have to figure anything out now,” Hayes said.
“You can come here, though, and help build obstacles and a course in the paddock. We can test this summer about local interest,” Katie said. “Spread the news to all the ranches.”
“I’d like that,” I said, but inwardly panicked. I didn’t need the Two Rivers Ranch to hear about mehelping the Wilders set up a jumping program. It was one thing to work the family ranch because no one there would talk, but the community would talk and my father would hear.
“Hayes can bring you over,” Bray said. “Since you’re together and all.”
I blushed and thoughts of my father fled because now all I could think about was the fact that I didn’t have on panties. That I’d actually taken them off in Hayes’ truck and handed them to him. And he’d sniffed them!
“We’re not–” I began, but Hayes set his hand on my thigh beneath the table and started to slide it up. And up.
I pinched my thighs closed, but now his hand was trapped between my legs and I was sure he could feel my wetness on them. Gah!
“It’s new,” Hayes said, his voice tipped low. Yeah, he’d felt it.
“Meaning you’ll be married by Tuesday,” Bray said.
Hayes laughed. I gasped. Sage had said something really similar. Katie swatted him on the arm, gently so she didn’t wake Trace. “You’re scaring her.”
Hayes looked at me. Winked.
“We don’t know all that much about each other,” I admitted.
“You said you’re from here?” Bray asked.
Inwardly, I panicked once again. I didn’t want them to know who I really was. I had no real connection to my father or brothers other than by name and having nowhere else to go. But if Katie and Bray knew my real name was Cassidy Trout, they’d kick me off the property. Pantyless.
“My parents divorced when I was little. I went and lived with my mom until she died when I was ten. Then I went away to school.”
Hayes pulled his hand from between my legs and set it on my back, brushed his thumb back and forth.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Katie murmured.
I shrugged. “It happened a long time ago. I graduated and came back here. Heard about the job on your family’s ranch and I’m excited about the job.”
“Who’s your family? Do we know them?” Bray asked.
Shit. Shit. “Oh, um–”
Saved by the baby, because as I was trying to think of what to say–I didn’t want to lie to any of them but the truth was pretty bad–Trace squirmed, let out a piercing wail, then farted.
“They’re cute, but they don’t stop shitting their pants,” Bray commented.
“I’ll change my nephew,” Hayes offered, climbingfrom the picnic bench. Bray handed him off and Hayes looked like a pro cuddling the stinky baby like a football. He winked at me, then headed in the back door.
Bray popped to his feet. “He might do it wrong.”
After both men were inside, Katie laughed. “It takes two men to change one diaper.”
