Awkward silence hits our group. Until Macey—God bless her—says in her sweet Texas drawl to Raquel, “Boys. If they don’t have an instruction manual taped to their body, they don’t remember anything.”
She’s being a good friend as usual and trying to help Blake off the massive-ass hook he set up for himself to hang by.
Raquel laughs, and the tension ebbs.
But as the four of us walk out of the bakery a while later, I pull Blake aside. He and I aren’t just cousins—we grew up together, and our friendship is for life. His father and mine are brothers and have been simultaneously at each other’s throats and there for each other in ways I don’t think we even know of.
The official family ranch names are Wild Ranch and Wild Ivy Ranch after Blake’s mama, but that’s just for legal reasons and tax purposes. Blake and I have always looked at our family businesses as exactly the same, and neither of us is keen on continuing our daddy’s legacy of full-time cowboy life.
Blake’s more of a brother to me than my own are. Doesn’t mean I love everything he does, like the way he dates.
“If you’re not feeling it with Raquel, dude, cut her loose,” I tell him. “Don’t string her along for another week or a month—whatever it is that you do.”
He grins at me, the kind of wicked smile only Blake can pull off. Devilish and well-meaning at the same fucking time.
“You’re one to talk, cowboy.”
15
“What’s that mean, dumbass?” I ask him.
Macey and Raquel turn around from where they’re walking a few feet ahead of us, and Blake lowers his voice. “It means that you’ll date bunches of girls, but if her name doesn’t begin with an M and end with a Y and she doesn’t work next door to your daddy’s ranch, you couldn’t care less about them. So don’t come preaching to me about settling down because you’re preaching to the goddamn fucking choir.”
“Screw you,” I say to him.
“You’ve been screwing somebody, but it sure as hell ain’t me. How was your night by the way? You look pretty fucking satisfied, Wild.”
I wrestle him across the walkway and into the wall of Darcy Bridal Salon, but nothing shuts up Blake. My cousin is a pain in the damn ass.
“You two may think you have everyone fooled, but you can’t fool me.” He loosens his arms from where I have them pinned and manages to point at the hickey I know is on my neck. “You and Macey are so transparent it’s hilarious.”
I shove him harder against the wall, but he gets me back in a headlock.
“You want her, Logan,” he says as I try to fight him. “I mean, you want her for more than a night. Why don’t you just fucking admit it?”
“What Macey and I have works for us. And why do you care?” I ask him.
“Because I’m a nosy asshole who also wants to see his cousin happy, so sue me.”
We’re so busy fighting I forget whose shop we’re in front of.
Tap, tap, tap.
Blake, who’s currently facing the large window of the bridal salon, glances past my shoulder at the sound. “Oh, fuck a duck. Eloise is knocking at us.”
He releases his hands from my shoulders, and the two of us turn and straighten up.
“Good afternoon, ma’am,” we both say as the owner of the bridal salon steps out of the shop door.
“Boys.” Eloise heaves a heavy sigh. “What are y’all doing playing up against my store window? You rattled the display.”
“I’m sorry,” I say at the same time that Blake points at me and says, “It was Logan’s fault.”
“Shut up, Blake.” I put on my most charming smile for Eloise. “We’ll get out of your way.”
“Well, you better…” She trails off as Macey and Raquel walk up to us.
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Macey says, smiling sweetly at Eloise.
