Chapter Two
He looked stunned, as if he’d never thought of her in that way.
She wanted to punch him. There Riley sat—all calm, dependable, and damn it, gorgeous—acting almost…
jealous. Which was ridiculous. Riley had made his feelings about her clear years ago when he’d rejected her in no uncertain terms. All these years later she still wanted to kick herself for throwing herself at him.
But she’d been young, stupid, and thought she was in love.
She’d spent the intervening years putting Riley Fletcher out of her mind as anything but an old friend.
She’d done a good job of it, too. Riley had been nothing more than a friend for many years now.
Any romantic feelings she’d had for him had died long ago, or so she’d told herself.
Oh, she’d held out hope for a few years, until she’d seen him with yet another of those tall, model-thin blondes with long hair, and finally accepted that the two of them were never going to happen. She simply wasn’t his type.
He’d been fine with that too. But in the past several months—since Val and Liam’s wedding, in fact—she’d gotten some different vibes from him. She’d decided she was imagining it until tonight.
Riley had kissed her. If she were honest it hadn’t felt at all like a pity kiss.
In fact, it had been pretty damn good. For a moment it had felt like she could lose herself in him and not come out until they were both replete.
But then she’d remembered who she was kissing and the fact that he’d never been interested before.
Not to mention, the crushing rejection he’d given her when she was eighteen.
What had changed besides they were both older?
He was still staring at her, not saying anything. “What? It’s never occurred to you I might have needs? Sexual needs?”
“I—it’s not something I think about. No.”
“Because you never think about me at all, do you? Not unless I’m right in front of you.”
“Damn it, Letty, that’s not true. I think about you all the time. Far more than I should.”
She snorted. “Right.”
With a sigh of frustration, he shoved a hand through his hair. “If you’re so determined to have sex tonight, I’m right here.”
Her mouth fell open. Did he mean—No, he couldn’t mean what it sounded like. “So you’re offering yourself for the job?”
“I wouldn’t put it that way.”
“How would you put it?”
“Instead of taking a risk with some dude you don’t even know, you could be with me.”
Be with him? Have sex with Riley, just to do it? To forget? No way, no how. God, what a nightmare that could turn out to be. “Why? Most of the time you don’t even know I’m alive.”
“Not true.” He reached for her hand, and she was so flabbergasted she let him. “We’ve known each other a long time. We respect each other. We’re both single. Why not see where it goes?”
“Oh, my God, Riley.” She yanked her hand away to cover her heart. “I’ve never heard a more romantic declaration.”
“Really?”
“No, you idiot.” She got up, grabbed his coat, and threw it at him. “Get out. Get out right now.”
He stood. “I didn’t express myself very well. I’ve been thinking about you for a long time. It just never seemed like the right time to say anything.”
“And you think now is? You think we should have sex and see where it goes?”
“Uh—”
“You must be freaking kidding me.” Standing on one leg, she yanked off one boot and threw it at him. It hit him in the chest.
“Hey! Watch out!”
She took off her other boot, grabbed it by the heel, walked over to him and began hitting him with the upper part. “Go away!” She punctuated each word with a slap of the boot. “I mean it, Riley. Get out.”
“I’m going. I didn’t mean to make you mad.”
“I’m not mad. I’m furious.” She shoved him until he was backed up against the door.
He stepped forward and opened the door behind him, pausing on the threshold. “We’ll talk about this when you’re not so upset.”
He shut the door before she could speak. She threw her remaining boot at the door, then yanked it open and yelled, “It will be a cold day in hell before we talk about this again, Riley Fletcher!” She slammed the door, rattling everything in her small apartment.
Damn the man! How dare he offer himself up like he was doing her a favor? She’d make Riley Fletcher regret tonight if it was the last thing she did.
And she absolutely would not think about that kiss again.
*
The following afternoon Riley, had a break and decided to visit his best friend Liam. The McFarland ranch was next door to the Fletchers’ and Riley had known the family since he was tiny.
Liam wasn’t in the barn but one of his hands, Bud Davis, naturally, said he was up at the house. He managed not to say anything to Davis about Letty, but it was hard to keep his mouth shut. Still, Letty was already pissed at him, and if she heard about him warning off Davis she’d be even angrier.
He knocked on the kitchen door, but when no one answered he walked in. “In here,” Liam called from the den.
He found his friend sitting on a blanket on the floor, playing with Riley’s five-month-old niece. “Babysitting?”
Liam frowned at him. “Don’t let Val hear you say that. I’m taking care of my kid, not babysitting.”
“What about your ranch work?”
“Luckily, I now have two full-time hands and a ranch manager. Gives me more time to be with my family.” He looked down at the baby with a smile.
Riley sat on the floor beside Liam and picked up the baby, holding her above him while she giggled with glee.
“Who’s the prettiest girl ever?” He gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek, and she giggled again.
Vivian was a gorgeous baby, not that Riley was a bit prejudiced.
He laid her on her back and dangled a rattle over her while she kicked her feet and waved her hands. “So where’s my sister?”
“She went to town. Said she needed something for Thanksgiving dinner, but I think she wanted a break. Val is super excited to have a whole bunch of people coming. It’s our first Thanksgiving with the baby.”
“Who’s coming besides family?”
Liam started naming people. Riley listened for a bit then said, “Is Letty coming?”
“Letty’s family. Of course she’s coming.”
“She’s not family.”
“Tell that to Val. She considers Letty her sister as well as her best friend.”
“Well, I don’t.”
“You don’t what?”
“Letty North is not my freaking sister.”
“Not by blood.”
“Not in any way.”
The baby made a raspberry sound and started to cry. “Uh-oh,” Liam said. “I need to change her.” He rose, then squatted to pick up Vivian. “Come on. You can talk while I change her.”
Riley followed him and watched, surprised by how efficient Liam was at changing a diaper. But then, he’d had five months of practice.
“Is there a reason you’re so vehement about Letty not being related to you?”
Riley shoved a hand through his hair. “I screwed up.”
Liam finished diapering Vivian, then put her up against his shoulder before he answered. “I need more than that. What did you screw up?”
“I saw Letty at Grey’s last night. Your new hand was hitting on her.”
“Davis?” Riley nodded. “So what’s the problem?”
“Did you not hear me? He was hitting on her and she’d been drinking.”
Liam walked with Vivian into the other room. “Was she blowing him off, and he wasn’t having any?”
“No. She was flirting with him.”
Vivian began to fuss. “She needs a bottle,” Liam said and went to the kitchen.
Riley followed, more irritated the longer he thought about the night before.
Liam handed him the baby while he washed his hands and got her bottle ready.
Riley’s irritation faded. It was hard to remain annoyed when you held a sweet baby girl in your arms. Liam took the baby and the bottle from him so he could wash his own hands.
After drying them off, Liam gave him the bottle and Vivian, and Riley sat down to give it to the baby. “I thought Val was nursing still.”
“She is. That’s breast milk.”
“Oh. Doesn’t it feel kind of weird to be talking about nursing and breast milk?” Not to mention, giving the baby a bottle full of breast milk.
“No. Why? We raise horses. We’re ranchers. We have animals. They all have babies and nurse.”
“I guess.” He watched his niece drink. “Vivian has a good appetite.”
“Back to your screw-up,” Liam said, leaning against the kitchen counter. “Why did it bother you to see Letty with Bud?”
“She doesn’t know him. And she was drinking. Letty never drinks a lot.”
“How do you know?”
He ignored that. “I got rid of him and made her leave with me.”
“Bet that went over well.”
He snorted. “Not really. She was pissed as hell.”
Liam studied him for a moment. “When did you start having a thing for Letty?”
“I don’t. I’m just looking out for her.”
Liam laughed. “Oh, man. This is rich. You’ve totally got the hots for Letty.”
“Just because I didn’t want her going off with some dipshit she doesn’t even know?”
“How long has it been since you got laid?”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Vivian had finished her bottle, so he handed her to Liam. “You burp her. I can’t do that.”
Liam took her and put her on his shoulder, patting her back. “You can’t even remember, can you?”
Well, shit. He really couldn’t. Six months?
More? The last woman he’d been with was Piper Manning.
An old friend he hooked up with from time to time.
Piper wasn’t any more interested in a serious relationship than he was.
After the last time, she’d asked him if he’d been seeing someone and when he’d denied it, she said, “But you want to.” She’d patted his arm.
“You should go for it and quit messing around with me.”