Page 29 of Seeking Her Studs

I see Briggs notice Kaylee stopped eating too and shame washes over me.

“Actually, on second thought, load me up,” I say. “I was saving room for lunch at the diner, but I totally forgot Lacey canceled on me.”

It’s a blatant lie, but I see Briggs’ shoulders visibly relax. Sunny’s tail starts wagging as Briggs begins moving food to my plate.

I’m relieved to see that Kaylee resumes eating again, leaning her head forward to protect the dress from any incidents.

“Okay.” Kaylee places down her plate. “Next outfit.”

She grabs a dark blue athleisure dress and a linen button-up and heads to the bathroom.

“I guess this isn’t your typical L.A. lunch?” He says when he knows Kaylee can’t hear.

I shrug. “This isn’t L.A.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” he sits on the edge of my bed and I ignore the flutter I feel seeing his big frame press into the blankets I was wrapped in less than an hour ago. His eyes meet mine. His green eyes are soft, and full of kindness, just like I remember from that last time I saw him. But there’s something new there now, a weariness. Maybe from grief or maybe he’s just had a rough night’s sleep. I don’t know him well enough anymore to guess.

“Well, I appreciate all you’re doing for her.” He says after a moment. “We do the best we can, but there are still things we can never do for her.”

I smile softly. “You’re telling me that you’re not an expert at accessorizing?”

He laughs a generous belly laugh and Sunny scoots into him close, her tail thwacking against the floor. The sight warms that giant ice block wall I’ve had up since I’ve been here.

“There is one thing you could help me with, actually,” I say in a whisper. “There’s not actually a shipment of clothes coming.”

“Yeah,” his smile creases his eyes. “I gathered that.”

“So, could you take me somewhere I could go shopping? Maybe even for things that might work a bit better around the ranch?”

His eyebrows raise in approval. “Oh, now that’s something within my wheelhouse. Eat up, you’re going to need the energy.”

I do as I’m told and take a big mouthful of fries. And the sixteen-year girl that’s still in me somewhere thinks it’s damn delicious.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Blaire

There is something surprisingly tender about watching Briggs’ large frame bent down over a rack of women’s clothes, examining them for whatever characteristics he thinks are right for me. We’re in a gigantic warehouse that seems to sell everything from tractors the size of a small airplane to women’s underwear. I didn’t even know a store like this existed and much less would never have thought to buy a whole new wardrobe from here. But Briggs insisted it’s the only worthy option. So after we said our goodbyes to Kaylee, and she drove off to camp, the two of us headed straight here.

“Nope. Not waterproof.” He puts a pair of hideous grey pants back on the rack, and I breathe a sign of relief.

Briggs was the first Rile brother I ever had a crush on. When I would visit Rile Ranch with Gram, Colt and Reese would ignore me, but Briggs was always sweet and welcoming. The summer before everything happened, Briggs and I started hooking up. It just happened one day when we were alone in the field behind their house. And then I started hanging out a lot more and getting to know all three of them. I guess that’s when the trouble began, because I realized there was something about each one of them that drove me crazy in a way I could never shake.

“Alright, B,” Briggs says, using his old nickname for me. He’s never called me Hollywood, like Colt and Reese do. But he hasn’t called me ‘B’ in a very long time. “Let’s get you a fitting room.”

I nod, trying to seem unphased by the intimacy that’s already grown so quickly between us. It’s like a weed in a garden that I thought had died, but grows more quickly than the other flowers, even when it’s not tended to. Irrational, persistent, but most definitely alive.

We make our way to the women’s fitting rooms, which are just open stalls with fabric draped on shower curtain rods for privacy. I take the thick stack of hangers from Briggs and head into one.

The first item I try on is a pair of thick canvas brown overalls. I put them on over my strappy tank top, which is likely not how Briggs intended because it looks like I’m not wearing anything underneath.

I whip open the velvet curtain and do a dramatic turn for him, showing them off.

He looks up from where he’s leaning against the wall and lets out a low whistle of approval.

“You’re gonna shovel shit so good in those babies,” he nods approvingly. “Of course, you’ll need to put a shirt on, too.”

“Small steps,” I grin and head back behind the curtain as he shakes his head at me.

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