And I turn.
And fuck me.
It’sher.
The blonde in the light pink dress. The one who pulled abutter knife on me. The one I spilled whiskey on. The one I can’t seem to stop pissin’ off—or thinkin’ about.
And now?
She’s not just her.
She’s his sister. My best friend's sister.
"Trouble, meet—" Knox's introduction dissolves as she interrupts.
“Why are you with him?” she hisses, eyes locked on me like she’s ready to start round three.
I blink—once, twice—then glance at Knox, confusion twisting in my gut. “Wait. That’s your sister?”
Knox’s brows shoot up. “You two know each other?”
“Oh, we’ve met,” she says, arms folding across that sad, soaked dress. “He felt me up and then threw a drink on me.”
My jaw drops. “Whoa, now, that is awildretellin’.”
She shoots me a glare. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
I lift both hands like I’m trying not to spook a wild animal. “Okay—technically,yes, both those things happened. But not like that. She’s twistin’ it all up.”
Knox just stares at me, blinking like he’s buffering. “Youfelt her up?”
I drag a hand down my face. “Okay, hold on—it was anaccident.” One I should regret more than I do, but still an accident. “It was the wrong… ass, alright? It wasn’t supposed to be her. I swear, Knox, I never would’ve?—”
Knox takes a full step back, rubbing the back of his neck like he wants to scrub the image from his brain. “Yeah, yeah, let’s stop talkin’ about my sister’s ass now.”
“Easy foryouto say,” She snaps, hand planted on her hip. “You’renot the one who got groped like a damn stress ball.”
Her blue eyes flash with that familiar defiance, the same spark that could start wildfires or keep the wolves at bay. And suddenly, I'm acutely aware of every inch of the spaceshe occupies, every hitch in her breath, every subtle shift of her weight on those heels she wears so well.
"Knox, you know me—I'd never just do that without permission. I thought she was the beauty queen, the one who told me to meet her in trailer three."
My brothers, who are near us now, exchange glances, each one a silent bet on how this showdown will end. But Knox, damn him, just stands there calmly, and I’m not sure what he’s thinking.
"Sawyer, what were you doing in that trailer?" he asks, only after the silence drags on.
Sawyer. Pretty name. Pretty face. Pain in the ass. Typical.
"I was cleaning my heels. Got stuck in the mud..." She points at the heels, now spotless, then turns to me. Her nose wrinkles as she says, "and a beauty queen? Cute."
"Alright, alright," Knox interjects, trying to defuse the bomb that is Sawyer. “Trouble, you touch her again and I will have to put my hands on you.” Then he tilts his head. "Sawyer, he didn't mean it, alright? Trouble here trained me at bull riding—he's my best friend, and he’s a good guy."
"Good guy," Rogue repeats, snickering, while my other brothers join in like Knox just told the joke of the century.
Sawyer takes a slow step forward, chin up, eyes blazing as she sizes me up like I’m a clearance rack she’s not impressed by. “Well if he’s such a saint, then maybe keep him on a leash while I’m in town.”
She turns like she’s done with me, but tosses one last remark over her shoulder. “I’d hate to have to humble a cowboy this early in the week.”
My brothers damn near fall out of their chairs, hootin’ and hollerin’ like they lost their damn mind. They’re lovin’ every second of this. Rogue's pounding on the table, andCharming's wheezin’ so hard you'd think he inhaled a whole bale of hay.
