He had to give it to her; she didn’t back off. In fact, she stepped closer, getting all up in his space. The scent of rose petals reached him. Her skin glowed, and her ice blue eyes chilled several degrees.
“Or what?”
His body stirred, and he wasn’t having that. She was the enemy.
“Or you’ll answer to me.”
She had the cheek to laugh. “Aww, now that’s sweet. The big grumpy guy is warning me off.”
The smile fell from her lips as quick as it had formed, and she jabbed a really pointy nail in his chest. Nash refused to wince.
“You don’t notice it so much in a big city, because there are so many there,” she said in a conversational tone. Those eyes told a different story. They were as warm as a glacier.
“So many of what?” He glared down at her.
“Assholes. They’re everywhere, but in small towns like this, they seem to really stand out.”
They stared at each other for heated seconds, and then she walked away, leaving him fuming. And the hell of it was, he was aroused too. Maybe he’d been too long without a woman.
He watched her say goodbye to the Robbins sisters and smile at others in the tea shop. She complimented, touched hands, and even hugged. It made his teeth grind.
“Jesus, man, lighten up. Every time I see you, you’re scowling.”
He slapped the hand of his sister’s fiancé, Fin Hudson, the Ryker Falls Head Ranger. With him were Joe and Jack Trainer. He slapped hands with them too, because it was expected.
“You know Ford? Oldest and ugliest Winter,” Nash said as his brother approached.
More hands were slapped.
“He always scowl like that?” Joe asked Ford, who was drinking coffee that he’d gotten Mandy to make him. Nash really wanted a coffee now he could smell his brother’s.
“Yeah, he’s a regular ray of sunshine. Just so much fun to be around all the time. He wakes up and greets the day like that. All sweetness and light; it’s a hard act to follow,” Ford said.
“You done?” Nash glared at him. “Because you’re no party either, bro.”
“Luke’s like that,” Jack Trainer said, tall and dark with green eyes. Maggie had said he’d been the town bad boy in Ryker for years until he straightened up. Apparently, he and Dylan had run together.
“You know who our sister is, right? Tigger used to bounce into our rooms every morning demanding we do things for her. Hardly surprising he woke scowling,” Ford added.
“Hey, that’s the woman I love you’re talking about.” Fin bared his teeth. “But just quietly, she still does that.”
“You mention our sister and a bed that you’re in again, bud, and we’ll have problems,” Nash said.
“Fair point,” Fin said. “So, we’re playing you guys in a few days, right? Is that mini tournament running over two weekends?”
The Ryker Falls boys played in the same league as the Winter family team. Sleepy River Ranch had enough hands, and with Ford’s friends, they always put out a competitive team.
“Yup, and this time he’s not holding back.” Ford elbowed Nash in the side.
“Right, like he’s been holding back. We’re just better,” Joe Trainer scoffed.
“You know about him though, right?” Ford asked.
“Discussion over,” Nash said, shooting his brother a look that should shut him up.
“What don’t we know about him, and why hasn’t Maggie told me?” Fin asked.
“He could have turned pro but pulled away last minute. Said the ranch was what he wanted. College star, scouts were all over him.”