“We’ll talk later,” Gail replies as she guides her daughter toward us. “This is Billie, Walker’s sister, and his nephew, Quinn.”
When Tally blinks but still says nothing, Gail sighs. “Manners, Tally. Introduce yourself.”
Tally shakes her head, and the long, thick caramel waves of her hair shift with her. She’s gorgeous. “Sorry, I didn’t expect anyone to be here. I’m Tally. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” Billie says.
“Billie is going to be helping me with the weddings,” Gail continues. “And her son will be starting first grade at Gardener in the fall.”
Tally’s eyes widen again. “I’m helping you with the weddings.”
Gail frowns. “I thought you were only here for a few days. Don’t you have to get back to Vermont?”
Tally steps farther into the dining room. “I left my job, Mom. This is my job now. Penny asked me to come back for wedding season.” She glares in my direction as she says it.
My sister shakes her head nervously. “Oh, I didn’t realize. I don’t want to step on any toes.”
“You’re not,” I grind out. “Like Gail was saying, Tallyisn’tstaying.”
“I am,” she retorts.
“Does that mean we can’t play in the fields today?” Quinn questions.
My fists clench as Tally stares him down silently.
“Of course you can,” Gail tells him. “Tally, we’ll talk logistics later. But for now, are you joining us for breakfast or not?”
The woman’s eyes flutter shut as she tries to regain some composure. “I need to shower.”
“About that,” Gail starts as I push back my chair. “Your father and I had started renovations on the bathroom before—” She doesn’t finish the sentence as she stares out the window. The only other full bath in the house is attached to my bedroom.. “You’ll have to use the one in the cottage. But there’s no hot water.”
“You didn’t say anything.” I cut in. “I can take a look at it later.”
“It’s fine,” Gail replies, brushing me off. “The cold water is good for your skin.”
Tally sighs. “Well, I guess I need a shower more than hot water.” She points to the door and then does a little wave. “It was nice meeting you,” she tells my sister and then makes a point to look at Quinn. “Enjoy the fields today. The one in the back where the wildflowers grow was always my favorite.”
I follow her to the door, reaching for her arm and snagging it before she can escape. “You can use the shower in my room—it’s working just fine—and I’ll go look at the heater in the cottage.” I know it’s a mistake before she even turns, because with her this close, the sugar-like scent of her invades my senses and my whole body tenses..
“My room,” she spits out, her head whipping around to me. “It’smyshower inmyroom.”
This damn woman. Try to give her an inch, and she takes back the whole house.
I’ve still got her elbow in my grip, and this close, the tiny specs of gold are visible in her amber eyes. She shakes me off, and I can see her pulse thrumming as we go toe to toe. Fuck, why does that thrill me?
“Just use the shower,” I clip, annoyed that everything is a fight with her. But even more annoyed that I can’t stop staring into those damn eyes.
“I’d rather take a cold one.” She storms back toward the cottage, and I stare after her, my own pulse racing.
“I like her.” My sister’s voice startles me from stewing. I snap back to reality as I catch Quinn in the background, laughing at something on Gail’s phone. She must be showing him the pictures of me on the farm’s social media.
I glare at Billie. “There’s nothing to like.”
“She doesn’t take your shit.Of coursethere’s something to like. And it looks like you don’t need my help, after all.”
My sister walks toward the kitchen with the dirty plates she picked up from the table, and I follow. “She’s not staying.”
“That’s not what she says.” Billie’s soft voice calms my pounding heart. I haven’t felt this way in a long damn time, and I’m not sure I like it. “Does she know?”
