One second, I was scraping cow shit off my boot, and the next I looked up to see my best friend with his head thrown back under the hose spray, water gliding over his muscular upper body and plastering his jeans to his thick thighs. All he needed was a Bluetooth speaker blasting “Pony” by Ginuwine, and he could sell tickets.
I suddenly wished more than anything that I could be the Wonder Twin from Saturday morning cartoons who could magically take the form of water. I would kill to be the water sluicing over that hard chest, dripping down to lick over those abs. Whoa, mama!
Of course, when he caught me staring with my tongue hanging out, I came to my senses. Thank god. Lusting after my bestie is not allowed. Even if we already shared the best kiss of my life, and I’ve felt his dick pressed up against various parts of me. Nope.
“What’s the matter? You look a little flushed,” Skye says, appearing at my side out of nowhere.
“What? Who? Me? No.” Fuck. I sound like a teenager who’s just been caught watching porn. Oh, right.
Thankfully, she lets me off the hook. This is one very good reason why we’re friends. Frankie will get all up in your business like a chihuahua sniffing for bacon on your breath, but Skye understands that sometimes a girl just needs to keep shit to herself.
“Pops looked upset. Is it the calves? How many now?”
I exhale loudly, taking in the scene around us. Fifteen mommas and their calves stand swishing their tails or napping in the paddock to the west of the barn. A water trough has been hauled over for extra hydration, one of the farm dogs drinking from it like it’s his personal water dish. “We’re up to fifteen diagnosed and still living as of last count. Haven’t lost any more since we talked yesterday, though, so there’s that.”
“If Ridge hadn’t already ripped the Kincaids a new one over their fence and crappy animal management, I’d be on Lulu’s back right now delivering a big ol’ bag of dicks for them to eat. Who the hell is running things over there anyway?” Skye is fit to be tied, not that I blame her.
“I stopped by to offer my services, but Boyd declined, of course. They’ve got a vet in OKC they bring out.”
“No surprise there. Those rich a-holes wouldn’t dare use a local vet, no matter you could run circles around any stick-up-their-ass big city doctor. Besides, they only care about their mineral rights, not the poor animals they pretend to farm.”
Since I can’t argue with her there, I get back to the matter at hand. “Hey, just thought you should know Pops was on the phone with the bank. Don’t know what was said, but I’m pretty sure the conversation explains the look on his face.”
“Shit.” Skye’s manicured brows scrunch together, and she glances toward the house where Pops must have disappeared. “Okay, thanks, Shelbs. We’ll talk later.”
I nod and head for my truck. There’s an arthritic alpaca named Weasel waiting for me on the other side of town, and the last thing I need is to hang around here waiting for more cowboy porn.
“Hey! Where you goin’?” Speak of the porn devil.
I spin to see Dallas, thankfully wearing a T-shirt now, even though his jeans are still stuck to him like a second skin. Do not look at his package, Shelby. Do not look at his… Dammit. I just looked.
I clear my throat and square my shoulders. “Gotta get to my next client.”
He runs a hand through his wet hair as he gets closer, and now we’re in the middle of a shampoo commercial. I need to get out of here. “Let’s grab drinks tonight at Knockin’ Boots. Whaddya say?”
And maybe because he’s shooting me that lopsided grin, or maybe because I can’t resist country music and a beer, or maybe because he’s my best friend in the world, I nod. “Sounds like a plan.”
Not five minutes after I pull onto Big Knob Road, my phone rings on the dash. I smile before hitting accept and pressing the speaker button.
“Hey, little brother. What’s up?” My brother, Archie, lives in Tulsa, a good three and a half hours east of Big Knob, where he works as a lawyer.
“I should be the one askingyouthat.” His voice has a frustrated edge to it. Uh oh. “Dallas? Really?”
I decide to play dumb to buy myself half a second. “You know I hate Texas, Arch. So, no, I have no plans to visit Dallas anytime soon.” I turn the steering wheel to take a back road and skip downtown.
“As much as my younger self always claimed, you’ve never been stupid, and you’re not now. Tell me why Charlene just texted me that you and Dallas are getting married?”
Why can’t Charlene—and everyone else in this town, for that matter—mind her own business? Sure, I consider pretending I don’t know what he’s talking about. What is he going to do, drive here to call my bluff? But things always have a way of coming to light when it comes to Archie and me, so, of course, I give in.
“It’s complicated.”
“So ismylove life. Explain.”
I sigh and shake my head at the rows of waving wheat stalks catching the summer breeze as I pass. “We’re not really engaged. We’re just pretending.”
“How old are you? Ten?”
“Very funny. It’s for a good reason. Well, kind of.” When he doesn’t miraculously change the subject, I’m forced to continue. “You remember Shane?”
