“If you don’t care,” he teases, “why even bring it up?”
Shit. I don’t care. Idon’t.
“Come on Katie, I just want to talk to you.” Annoyance is clear in his voice, and he falls into step beside me, not looking anywhere but my face. I hope he can see how little I care about this conversation. “Why are you acting like you can’t stand me?”
I don’t even look at him. Did I really sleep with someone this stupid just because he waspretty? So what if he has chiseled abs and thighs to die for? God, I need to work on my standards.
I continue to ignore him as he babbles more inane questions. He’s following me everywhere I walk to, like an absolute idiot, not watching where he’s going at all. I consider saying something when I see Tony leading a heifer out of one of the side pens, but maybe if they bump into each other, it’ll be enough of a distraction that I can shake Wayne off and go about my day.
What surprises me, though, is just how oblivious Wayne is. He knocks right into Tony’s back, full-force, and is flung straightto the ground ass-first …straight into a pile of cow shit. It makes an awful squelching sound as he lands in it, and he looks up at me in absolute horror.
Bright peals of laughter burst out of me as I watch Wayne’s face go fire-truck red in embarrassment.
Oh, how the mighty fall.
“You okay, man?” Tony asks, stopping the heifer and holding a hand out to Wayne to help him up. “Sorry, I didn’t check behind me.”
“I’m fucking fine,” Wayne spits, ignoring Tony’s hand as he rights himself.
He gets up slowly as I struggle to get my laughter under control, clutching my stomach in mirth. His pants are streaked all the way down to the ankle with dung, and I won’t be surprised if there’s a swath of it over the bare skin of his back, too.
“Maybe instead of worrying about me and every other girl in town, you should find something useful to do with your time,” I say with a wide, shameless grin on my face. “You could definitely find something better to do around the farm than falling into piles of shit. Might be a good idea to start with watching where you’re going, though.”
I shake my head in amusement, still snickering under my breath as I step around Wayne and finally leave him behind. Seems like being in the city for so long has made him forget how life around the ranch goes, and I can’t deny that it’s hilarious to watch.
“Tony, let Everett know I’m in with the calves when he gets back, would you?”
I pet over the shoulder of the heifer as I pass between the two men.
“Yeah,” Tony says. “Sure thing, Doc.”
I keep walking toward the calf pens, my mood much better than it was two minutes ago. Who knew seeing Wayne Riggs eat shit would make my day this much better?
WAYNE
Ifinish my drink, smile, and raise the empty glass to my friends. Spending the night drinking is a much better use of my time than thinking about making a fool of myself in front of Katie.
I mean, Jesus, I’ve embarrassed myself plenty in the past, but falling straight into a pile of shit is more than I can tolerate.
“God, it’s good to see y’all.” I’ve only had a few drinks, since I have to drive back home later, but it’s been fun catching up with them. “Let’s keep it going. Seriously! We should take off for the weekend, go camping or something. It’ll be just like old times!”
This idea appeals to me immensely, especially if it allows me to get away from the damn ranch. We can get an unholy amount of beer, and I’m sure there’s someone in town who sells weed, even if my old connections have dried up by now. As far as a location, I’m pretty sure it was Jeremy’s family who had a cabin on the lake when we were in high school. He’s not in town anymore, but if his family still owns it, he’d let us party there if we asked. He was always a good sport.
Travis, though, shakes his head. He raises the beer he’s been nursing all night to his lips with a wistful grin.
“Nah, man, I can’t run off like that with no warning anymore,” he says. “The wife’s on a work trip, so I’ve got the kiddos. If you’re not heading back to Billings soon, we could plan something for a few weeks from now, maybe.”
I haven’t told anyone about the mess of my life back in Billings, and I’m good at redirecting conversation away from the topic. It’s only temporary, anyway.
“Jeez, didn’t realize you got shacked up,” I say with a snort, motioning to the bartender for a refill of my whiskey. “Crazy, man.”
Cody laughed. “Dude, we’re all married now. Except you.”
“Hey,” Aaron points his beer at Cody. “You’ve still got two months before you can say that.” Aaron’s trademark playboy grin is still in place, but it’s softer around the edges. “For now, you’re still engaged.”
“Aw, c’mon,” Cody whines, chuckling as he rolls his eyes. “Let me be excited.”
I tap my empty glass. Maybe it’s not so much like old times. Old times would’ve been sharing hookup stories and passing a blunt around, not talking about taking care of the kids and being engaged. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, suddenly feeling like the odd man out.
