Kaitlyn: Well, shit. I’m gonna have to get back to the stables. Rain check? I expect more than one time then to make it up to me.
Payton: You’ve got yourself a deal.
I lock my phone and shove it in my pocket, begging my boner to disappear. I grab the lead rope hanging by the door on my way to meet the customer outside.
As soon as she hops out of her truck, she roams her eyes up and down my body, then licks her ruby lips like I’m hot chocolate on a cold day. Her mouth curves into a devious smile, and I politely greet her with a nod.
“Howdy. Is this Gypsy Moon?”
“Sure is,” she drawls, eye-fucking every inch of my body.
Jesus fucking Christ.
She opens the trailer door and out backs a beautiful gray Appaloosa with black and white spots.
Moments later, Knox comes out, and luckily, every bit of her attention focuses on him. Until she sees the gold wedding band on his left hand.
“Ma’am, if you could follow me, we’ll get your paperwork taken care of,” Knox tells her as I take the horse.
She glances at me over her shoulder, but I ignore it as I lead Gypsy Moon into her stall. As soon as she goes into Knox’s office, she giggles, and it’s obvious she’s a flirt, even with married men.
I check the horse’s hooves, teeth, and walk around her hind quarters to make sure she has no scratches or scars. She’s in perfect, healthy condition, and I appreciate how unbothered she is by my presence.
Once I’ve completed my checklist, I let Knox know she’s settled and good to go. I’m tempted to text Kaitlyn and tell her to meet me at the house, but I know her schedule has been hectic as hell lately. Instead, I head out to the pastures to check the fences. It’s busy work or, rather, a way for me to avoid everyone inside.
An hour passes and when I return to the barn, Knox hands me a sticky note. I look at it and see a phone number written down.
“What’s this?” I ask.
“Gypsy Moon’s owner. She asked if you were single. I mean, unless you want to finally admit you’re datin’ my sister.” He crosses his arms over his chest. He’s grinning like a fool, so I know it’s a trap.
“I’m not datin’ your sister,” I confirm.
He lifts his brow as if he doesn’t believe me. “So you’re just fuckin’ her, then?”
“Don’t talk about your sister like that. It’s not my responsibility to prove shit to you, and I really don’t give a shit whether you believe me.” I bark out, ignoring his last question.
“I don’t want this.” I hold up the note, but he holds up his palms as if he’s not touching it either, so I begrudgingly shove it in my pocket to trash later.
Kane walks up with my Brazilian nuts in his hand, and I quickly snatch them away. “Get your own damn nuts.”
They both burst into laughter, but the jokes on them because they have no idea what these things do. Good thing Ivy’s already pregnant.
The rest of the day passes by quickly, but I’m counting down the minutes until I can leave. On the way home, I get a burst of energy, remembering what I'm planning tonight. When I walk in the door and find Kaitlyn in the kitchen, she’s pulling food out of a to-go bag.
“Mm, smells good,” I say, removing my hat and scrubbing a hand through my hair.
“Maize made chicken fried steaks, macaroni and cheese, and Southern green beans. Oh, and I got us a slab of cornbread. I know I’ve been strict lately with the carbs, but I couldn’t say no to this.”
“Don’t blame ya.” I empty my pockets, then sit on the stool next to her at the breakfast bar. After she plates our food, we dig in.
“What’s this?” she asks, grabbing the crumpled note next to my keys.
“Some chick’s number who dropped off her mare today.”
“Are you gonna call her?”
Her tone shifts as if she’s worried. “No.”