‘Great, thanks,’ I say, moving toward the front door.
‘And Bailey, honey?’ I pause, waiting for her to continue. ‘You should probably speak with Ash Callahan too.’
‘Who’s he?’
‘She’sa neighbour—lived across the road all her life, ran around like a wild thing with Beau most of that time too. They’re close—she’ll have some good stories for you. Let me know if you need her number.’
Those icy fingers are back, tightening their grip on me, making it so all of a sudden I can hardly breathe. It’s Kirk’s fault. This is one of the ways he’s shaped me, making me suspicious when I don’t need to be. Besides, what does it matter that Beau has a neighbour who’s also a close friend? ‘Oh, okay. Yeah—I’ll let you know.’
Chapter Twenty-Two
Beau
Idon’t find Bailey until that afternoon, and I’m not gonna lie—knowing she’s been shown around the ranch by Austin sticks in my craw. For right now, she’s mine, and if anyone should be teaching her the ropes, how things work out here, it’s me.
I hate the thought that she’s seen it all through his eyes. No, that’s not it. I hate that he got to see her see it, enjoying the way her lips curve in an appreciative smile, fielding the intelligent, insightful questions she undoubtedly had, because Bailey’s nothing if not curious. I hate that it was him and not me, and that should be a big fat warning sign, because I have never, in my whole life, felt jealous of my brother. Not of any of them. Not even Cole, who was clearly Dad’s favourite, the prodigal son. We’ve all got our roles in life; that’s his, this is mine. I keep in my lane, no drama.
But I’m cranky as all get-out by the time I finally track them down to the stables, where Austin’s watching Bailey feed a carrotto a horse. She jumps back as Gaston, Cassidy’s horse, sniffs at her open palm, then laughs, tilting her face to Austin’s. I stay where I am, in the shadow cast by the afternoon sun, just watching. Watching the way her whole body relaxes when she laughs, the way her ponytail swings as she turns back to the horse, the way her jeans look so fucking great on her my palms itch to feel her, cup her ass, just like I did last night when she rode me underneath the moonlight.
I breathe out, forcing myself to focus on last night alone. To remember that as far as these Donovan men go, Bailey’s not interested in anyone but me. Reminding myself that tomorrow we’ll be back on the road, driving down to Phoenix. Her and me.
And then?a voice inside my mind prompts, reminding me, even when I don’t really want to think about it, that after the weekend’s events, Bailey will be moving on, back to her real life.
Just like we agreed.
And thank god for that, anyways. If she stuck around even one week longer, I think those few little warning signs would turn into a whole sea of them, and everything I’ve always banked on to keep myself safe could go up in smoke.
‘Hey, bro.’ Despite the fact I’m loitering back by the door like some kind of stalker, Austin’s clocked me. His boots crunch over the dirt as he walks my way, a slight limp in one leg from the injury he doesn’t like to talk about. ‘Just showing Bailey here how to train a dragon.’ He grins, standing beside me, thumbs hitched in his belt loops. Bailey glances our way, cheeks flushing a little when she sees me.
‘I’m definitely not a natural at this.’
‘You could be,’ I say, surprising myself, and probably her. ‘If you wanted to be.’
The relaxed pose of her stance is gone; in its place are straight lines and tension.
The carrot disappears into Gaston’s mouth and Bailey wipes her hands on that perfect round ass, then starts to walk toward us.
‘So?’ I ask, when she’s close. ‘You know just about all there is about me, or what?’
Her smile is slow to spread, and even though Austin is right beside me, it feels as though we’re in our own little world, just her and me, like down by the creek. ‘Just about, cowboy.’
‘And? What’s the verdict?’
She wiggles her brows and my lips twitch into a smile, but deep down they ache to kiss her instead. ‘You’ll have to buy the paper to find out.’
‘Brutal,’ I tease, and if Austin wasn’t there, I’d have reached out and dragged her against me, held her tight to my chest, felt her soft, sweet frame, that moment she gave up fighting this thing and surrendered herself to me completely. Suddenly I can’t fucking wait to get her back to the Silver Spur, to be up in that room, just the two of us. ‘I came to see if you needed a lift back to the hotel.’
‘Almost.’ Something shifts across her features. ‘I wanted to see some of the ranch with you, have you talk me through your favourite places.’ Her voice is so professional, it’s almost impossible to think she’s making up a reason to be alone, to walk around the property with me, rather than one of my brothers. Almost. But I can see the way that tiny pulse point at the base ofher throat is fluttering, and her hands tremble slightly when she tucks her hair behind one ear.
‘Sure.’ My own voice is gruff, my breath caught in my throat.
‘And there’s one more interview I want to do, but that shouldn’t take long. I was hoping to try thepozole.’
‘At the Spur?’ Austin chimes in, reminding us both he’s there.
Bailey’s gaze slips sideways. She nods.
‘Best you’ll ever taste. Why don’t I head to the house and see if the others are keen to join us?’ he offers, and it’s like the banging of a door, right on my fingers. I want to tell him to fuck right off with ‘the others’. I had visions of eating in Bailey’s room again, buck naked if I have my way, and definitely just the two of us.
