I clenched my jaw and tried not to scream.Emotions don’t follow logic, I reminded myself again.And people are fucking morons.
Carter looked in my direction and our eyes locked. I couldn’t look away, even though I was physically trying to drag my gaze somewhere else. Anywhere else.
How could someone so hot be so rotten inside? In slacks and a form-fitting white button-down shirt, he looked like he was running for mayor, and people were treating him that way too. Were people so easily charmed by an expensive haircut and a dazzling smile?
Because he was charming the hell out of me despite his family being responsible for destroying my life.
Carter looked at me like he liked what he saw, and while it was flattering, it also felt like the universe was playing a joke on me. The hottest man I had ever seen walk into this town was also a wolf in sheep’s clothing. A damn sexy wolf I wouldn’t mind howling with under a full moon.
Conflicting emotions warred inside me, and all I could think to do was shut it all down. I forced my feet to take me back to the register, where Jake rang up my order and I paid. Now I just had to swing the van around back to load the feed, and I couldretreat back to my farm, away from all these judgments and complications.
Life was much simpler with just me and my hens, not giving a cluck about anything.
I headed outside at a brisk pace, eager to get away. I heard the heavy footsteps of someone hurrying to catch up to me. Carter caught me just before I could get into my van.
“Hey, wait,” he said. “I come in peace. Don’t shoot.”
With no other choice, I turned to face him. “What do you want from me, Carter Allory?”
He flinched when I used his full name, which made sense because I said “Allory” like a curse word. I hated him and his entire family.
“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” he said, flashing me the same fake smile he’d been shooting at the farmers inside. Unlike them, it wouldn’t work on me. I had seen his genuine smile before, and this wasn’t it.
“You already bought my family farm,” I said. “What else could you want from me? The shoes off my feet and the shirt off my back?”
He glanced down at my chest, and I crossed my arms and turned away from him.
“Wait, I wasn’t involved with your parents’ farm,” he said. “I had no idea until Mrs. Presley told me.”
“So you’re not out here to swindle more families out of their farms? To steal jobs from people?”
“No, although our company did send me out here to look into a couple operations that might fit well into?—”
“So nothing’s changed,” I said, swinging the van door open and jumping in.
“I’m here to make peace,” he said, almost seeming like he meant it.
“Great,” I told him. “Can you give me back my family’s farm? Then maybe I can consider peace.”
“Honestly, if I had that power, I would. Just so you’ll stop busting my balls.”
I scoffed. “Oh, I’ve been going easy on you. Now go on, git! I need to pick up my feed around back.”
He backed up enough for me to slam my door with a satisfying crash. I watched him get small in my rearview mirror as I turned to go around the building. Jake was standing out back by the open loading dock door, the bags of feed already stacked neatly beside him.
I backed up the van and got out, ready to get this over with. When I looked up, Carter was there again.
“Let me help you load that,” he said, acting as if I hadn’t just yelled at him. Either he had an evil twin or the memory of a goldfish. He didn’t know when to give up.
“I’ve got it,” I said gruffly.
Jake looked between me and Carter, a smile on his face I didn’t like one bit. “Do you two know each other?”
“No,” I said, while Carter said, “Yes,” at the same time.
I shook my head. “We met briefly.”
“What?” Carter laughed. “She’s being modest. She saved me when I was stranded on the side of the road the other day in that monsoon. She drove me to Mrs. Presley’s B & B. I’m just trying to repay the favor a little.”
