Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
DARBY
“Tell me literally everything,” my baby sister says as she sits across from me at The Moose Café, a breakfast-and-lunch spot in Silver Springs that I haven’t had the pleasure of trying yet.
We’ve just ordered lunch, and Charlie’s sipping coffee—as usual—and studies me with sparkling blue eyes over her mug.
She’s the bougie sister, with perfect hair and makeup and French-tipped nails that wouldn’t dream of being chipped, and I have to envy the one-shoulder cream sweater dress she’s wearing.
My baby sister is a beautiful woman. “Don’t leave anything out. ”
“What do you want to know?” I ask her.
“How’s the ranch? What’s it like there? Do you like the animals, the accommodations, the people? I hear Tucker Hendrix is hot as fuck, and I want to know if that’s true.”
Oh yeah. It’s true. No lies detected.
“I’m not setting you up with Tucker.”
“I’m not asking you to. I just want to know all the things. I’m nosy, and you’re my sister, and tell me.”
I smirk as our meals are set in front of us. A burger and fries for Charlie, and a salad with chicken and huckleberry dressing for me.
“It’s been fun so far,” I admit as I stab my fork into the greens. “The views at the ranch are amazing. I know, we had good views at our place, too, but—”
“But he ruined them,” she says softly, referring to our nightmare of a father. “So a new amazing view is awesome. Do you have a decent room?”
“I have a whole cabin.”
Her eyes widen, and I proceed to tell her about my little cabin with the firepit out back, about riding Ellie and spending time with Tucker.
Of course, I don’t say a word about how I’d like to ride my boss.
I can’t get that man out of my head. The way he patiently watches me, how he so calmly helps me with Ellie.
Not to mention when he calls me Duchess, I have to press my thighs together to ease the ache between my legs, and when he smiles, all bets are off.
Yeah, I have a crush on Tucker Hendrix and his swoony way of settling my overactive nervous system. I don’t even mind it when he touches me. In fact, I like it. Who the hell am I?
“Tell me about you,” I say, stealing one of her fries and dipping it in her ranch. “Wedding season is just about upon us.”
“Honestly, wedding season never really ends around here,” she says with a smile.
“Sure, summer and fall are still the craziest, but there are a lot of brides who want a winter wedding in the snow. It’s been a slow couple of months this spring, but starting next weekend, I have four weddings a week through October. ”
“Jesus, Charlie, that’s a lot for one person.”
“I’m not a one-woman show anymore.” She grins and bites a french fry. “I hired two girls to help me on event days, to be my eyes and ears and extra hands.”
“Good for you.” She bumps my offered fist. “I’m glad you have help. And I have weekends off, if you ever need me.”
“Don’t offer that unless you mean it because I’ll rope you into helping me every chance I get.”
I laugh and glance up when the door opens, and I see Ava walk in with the guy she’s been dating since last fall, Chad. She doesn’t see me as they’re shown to a table on the opposite side of the café.
Ava’s gorgeous, with a curvy body and long dark hair, styled perfectly in beachy waves that flow almost to her waist. She’s in a red long-sleeved dress and knee-high boots, and she looks pissed.
Chad doesn’t look much happier.
I wonder what’s going on?
“Earth to Sissy,” Charlie says, waving her hand in front of my face. “Who do you see?”
“Ava just walked in, and something’s off.” I shake my head and turn my attention back to my sister. “Sorry. Okay, tell me. Are you seeing anyone?”
“I dumped Jason,” she says, not sounding upset about it in the least. “He liked to pull my hair when we were having sex, and well, you know.”
Our father tortured Charlie by pulling her hair. Cutting it. Yanking it out. Dragging her around by it. The motherfucker.
“Yeah, baby, I know.” And I’d like to kick any motherfucker’s ass for not taking no for an answer.
“So, he’s gone. And now that the busy season is ramping up, there’s no time to date. Honestly, that’s okay. Men are too much work.”
“Maybe you’ll meet someone at a wedding.”
“Ew. No.” She shakes her head. “I’m not going to be a cliché.”
“You’re cute.”
“Are you seeing anyone?” she asks. “And is Tucker Hendrix hot?”
“I’m not seeing anyone.”
I don’t say anymore, and she waits, watching me. Strike that, she’s staring at me.
“Tucker’s an attractive guy,” I finally admit, and Charlie shimmies in her seat. “And no, I’m not doing anything with him.”
“Aww, why not?”
“He’s my boss.”
She blinks at me. “And?”
“And, that’s it. That’s reason enough, Charlie. There are lines you don’t cross.”
“I hate to break it to you, but you’re just taking care of his animals. You’re not opposing counsel on a murder trial. You’re not working on insider trading, or espionage, or—”
“I get it.” I laugh and reach up to pull my hair off my neck into a messy bun at the back of my head. “But I still work there, and I have to be there for a whole year. If we had something going on for a while, and then decided we can’t stand each other, things will be awkward and horrible.”
“Or, and hear me out here, you could start something really great that you both enjoy and end up falling in love, and then you get married, and you live on the ranch with him and all of the animals and live happily ever after.” She smiles big, waiting for my reaction.
“This isn’t a movie.”
“No, it’s real life, and you get to spend every day with a hottie. Unless he’s seeing someone. Oh geez, don’t be a home-wrecker, Sissy.”
I can’t help the laugh that bursts from my chest. No one makes me laugh like my baby sister does.
“You just went from soulmates to mistress really fast.”
“Hey, both are possibilities.” She checks her watch and her eyes widen. “I have a meeting at a venue not far from here in thirty. I like Silver Springs a lot. I feel like it’s a hidden gem. It’s so cute, and not quite as touristy as Bitterroot Valley.”
“I like it too,” I admit. “Quite a lot, actually. It feels good here.”
“Then I’m glad you’re here.”
We settle our tab and then walk out onto the street. Charlie immediately steps into my arms and hugs me tight, the way she’s done since she was just a baby.
“Love you to the moon,” she murmurs.
“Love you more.” I brush my hand down her long hair. “Call me if you need me.”
“Ditto.” She smiles, and then she walks away, on heels far too high, to her car.
I have a meeting of my own, and then I want to do some baking before I watch hockey with the Hendrix family.
I love to bake. I’m not a great cook, but I can bake the hell out of a cake, or cookies, or well, anything. It’s what I do when I’m happy, sad, stressed. Pretty much any occasion calls for chocolate croissants or brownies or sourdough bread.
So, I spent some time this afternoon whipping up a strawberry cream cake, and now I’m walking to the back door of Tucker’s house to watch hockey and have dinner.
I texted Tucker a few minutes ago, and he told me to come right in. I don’t even need to knock. But that makes me nervous because his whole family is here, and does that make it look like we’re a couple? I pause outside the door and take a deep breath.
Am I overthinking this?
Yes. Yes, I am.
So, with my lip caught in my teeth, I open the back door and walk into the kitchen, where Tucker’s leaning against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest, muscles on full display, and it smells so freaking good in here that I immediately start to salivate.
Whether it’s because of the delicious smells or the delicious muscles, we don’t know.
We totally know.
But the best part is the way he’s smiling at me, with green eyes full of happiness.
“Hi,” I say shyly. “I brought dessert. And I know your dad’s diabetic, so it’s sugar-free.”
The smile falls from his face, and Tucker walks over to me, takes the plate from me, and sets it on the counter, and then his hand comes up to my cheek, and he brushes his thumb over my skin, giving me goose bumps.
“You didn’t have to do that,” he murmurs.
“I know, but I like to bake, and Greg shouldn’t be left out. Harper told me that he has a sweet tooth.”
Tucker’s jaw flexes, and his eyes dip to my mouth.
“You’re the sweetest damn thing,” he whispers before pulling back and his hands ball into fists at his side. His words are soft and lovely, but his body language screams that something is wrong.
“Are you okay?” I ask him.
“Never better.” He lets out a breath, and then we hear cheering from the living room. “I have chicken and steak fajitas with all the fixings if you’re hungry, and everyone’s watching the game. Xander’s on fire tonight.”
“Oh, fun. Okay. This looks amazing.” I quickly make myself a plate and then hurry into the living room with the others. “What’s the score?”
“You’re here!” Ava jumps up and gives me a hug, and I hold my plate out to the side so she doesn’t squish it between us. “Tuck said you might come, and I’m so glad you did.”
My eyes find Tucker’s, and he winks at me.
Damn, even his wink is sexy.
“The fajitas are the bomb,” Harper says as she shoves one in her face. “The baby likes them too.”
Harper is almost ready to pop. She looks like it could happen any second, and she’s resting her plate on her belly like it’s a table. She’s completely adorable.
“Where’s Blake?” I ask her.
“Dr. Hubby is at the hospital,” she says around her bite of fajita. “But he said to tell everyone hi, and I’m going to take him a plate of food. It might even last long enough for him to eat it.”
I smirk and glance around.