She rolls her eyes and swats my shoulder.
“Now, we didn’t raise you to not show a lady kindness, Gage Hollis,” she scolds, much like a mother would. Even at my age, I’m still not immune to it. She crosses her arms. “What’s going on with you?”
There are a dozen ways I could answer that, but none of them would make sense to Aunt May. She’s been one of the few people worried about me growing old on this ranch with no woman by my side.
It isn’t for a lack of trying—life just has a way of getting in the way.
“It’s nothing.” I lean back against the counter and look at her. “I’m assuming the cobbler isn’t the only reason for your visit,” I say, just as the door opens and Sloane stumbles inside, her boots off and slick with grime from a day of ranch work.
Aunt May whips around, and it’s my worst nightmare. “Oh, honey! You must be Miss Carter,” she says, already crossing the room to wrap her in a hug.
Sloane looks at me, confused, but I don’t bother rescuing her. Aunt May turns back to me. “Now, Gage Hollis, you didn’t tell me she was a beauty!”
If Sloane’s skin weren’t already heated from the sun, I’d swear she was blushing.
“Must’ve slipped my mind.”
Aunt May looks between us. “Oh, that reminds me—you two should come to the annual Barn Block Party tonight.”
I sigh and shake my head immediately. “Aunt May, no. You know I don’t do well with people, and I’ve got to be up early tomorrow.”
She waves me off, her eyes already back on Sloane. “It’s a community get-together. All the local spots bring food, folks come out, there’s music and dancing. It’s a grand old time. And I’m hosting this year.”
Sloane nods, forcing a polite smile. “That actually sounds really nice. I’d love to go.”
Aunt May claps her hands together, leaning in. “Now if you can get him to stop being a jackass, it’ll be the perfect night.”
“I heard that!”
She turns to me with that bright, knowing smile—pure Southern charm, and she knows it. “Ah, you were meant to.”
Sloane bites her bottom lip to keep from laughing. I was right. Them meeting was a mistake.
“Well, I’d better get out of your hair. See you both tonight. Lovely meeting you, Sloane,” Aunt May says, already heading for the door.
“Aunt May, I said I wasn’t going!”
“See you tonight!” she calls back.
I curse under my breath and shut the door harder than necessary. When I turn around, Sloane meets my eyes.
“I like her.”
She turns and heads up the stairs. Watching her go, all I can think about is how awful tonight is going to be. These get-togethers are good for morale and community—but they’re also good for one thing.
Gossip.
Sloane leaves before I do, which is for the best. The last thing I need is people talking about me showing up with a woman they’ve never seen around here.
In a town this small, everyone knows everyone—and that means everyone knows your business.
Which is why, when I walk into Aunt May and Uncle Henry’s big barn and see Daisy managing the food tables,already buzzing with speculation, I know this is going to be one ofthosenights.
Daisy’s a sweet old woman, but she loves to talk. I let it slide because she makes a hell of an apple cobbler. I just don’t need the questions.
The sound of country music blares through the open barn as people dance and mingle. My eyes pan across the crowd before landing, in the far distance, on the bane of my existence.
Her long brown hair is clean and styled, catching the rope lights as she talks with Aunt May, a beer bottle loose in her hand. The white floral dress stops just at her knees, showing off tan legs, finished with pristine cowboy boots.
