Page 27 of Never Left You

I rolled my eyes at him, mentally crossingDid Rhett muck themoff my list and adding an imaginaryNOPE, before continuing my search for a book app.

“What are you thumbing through?” He motioned his chin towards my phone.

“I think I want to listen to an audiobook,” I answered. “I’m trying to find an app.”

“Kyla uses a few, and she’ll be over soon. She wasn’t feeling too well this morning, but she insisted I head over before Lachlan bit my head off.”

“Is she ok?” I pinched my brow and looked up at him. I had just seen Kyla the night before and she seemed fine, albeit a little quiet, but fine.

“Yeah.” Rhett shrugged his shoulder. “It’s been an odd couple of days for her, but she says she’s fine. Most likely some stomach bug.”

“Stomach bug?”

He shrugged again, raising his Thermos to his lips. “Yeah, it seems to be coming in waves. She was worried she ate something bad last night.”

“Stomach bug?” I repeated, turning back to the eggs, moving them around a few times before adding them to the mountain that grew on the plate. “And it's coming in waves?” Was my brother really that dense?

Rhett nodded again, before he turned to the stove to grab a piece of bacon from the pan. “She’ll be over soon, and then she can talk to you about books. She’s added to my collection that’s for sure,” he said.

Obviously…he was.

“Oh, I know.” I smiled. “I’ve seen her additions. I love having a book calledThe Friend Zonenext toRodeo through the Ages.”

“There’s also a few cowboy romances; she’s told me about a few fictional Rhetts.”

I scoffed. “I bet she has.” I shook my head, returning my complete focus to the task. More ranch hands would be showing up soon, plus Lachlan, and I didn’t need that bacon to burn. “What’s on your agenda?”

“The west side of the roof, and a fence out in the south pasture.”

“Stetson doesn’t have school today—”

“Oh, he let us know. He’ll be back on the roof.”

I swallowed, and that single thought pushed to the front of my mind.Is Cash helping today?

I wanted to ask it aloud, but I didn’t want to spark anything. Not that Rhett would question it. He may raise his brow at me, but he wouldn’t say a thing.

Shooting that question from my mind, I blinked. I didn’t care if Cash was going to be here or not, it wasn’t any of my business.

I cleared my throat. “I’ll send him your way once he’s awake. I bet he’ll be up that ladder the second he’s dressed. Do you think Kyla will be ok to keep an eye on him once the roof is done? I have a long to-do list today.” I forced a laugh. “It’s never ending.”

“You could delegate some things, you know,” Rhett chastised as the front door opened again and more boots hit the floor. Spurs this time too. “And I’m sure Kyla will be fine.” He turned to me, narrowing his eyes. “Do you think it’s food poisoning, not a stomach bug? Since it’s coming and going?”

I raised my eyebrows at him, not even giving him the satisfaction of an answer.

“Morning Abi!” Nick, our lead foreman, smiled as he walked into the kitchen. “What’s for breakfast!?”

Nick was a morning person. A loud morning person.

“Morning, Nick. Bacon and eggs.”

“Perfect. Where’s the boss?” he asked, reaching over to grab the coffee carafe.

Lachlan appeared. “Right here. Get your breakfast and then get your ass out on the land.”

Nick saluted. “Yes sir.”

“Don’t do that.” Lachlan narrowed his eyes.

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