Page 115 of The Wrong Ride Home

“Duke, I?—”

“Dinner. Seven. If you’re not ready, I’ll carry you as you are to Blackwood Prime.”

She sighed. “Look, Wildflower Canyon is a small town, and if you take me out, everyone’s gonna talk about it.”

I frowned. “The ranch hands know, you really think that hasn’t spread like fuckin’ wildfire around here?”

She groaned and rubbed a hand over her face. “See, this is why I stick to one-night stands with out-of-towners. You start anything with a local, and everyone is in your face about it.”

“Florecita, why don’t you start something with me andthenworry about gossip?” I suggested. “Seven. Be ready. Oh. And this is adate. It’s not a friendly dinner or a get-to-know whatever; it’s an honest-to-God, properdate.”

“Fuck you, Duke.”

I walked away and threw over my shoulder, “Anytime, darlin’.”

“I won’t wear a dress,” she yelled at me.

Ben, who was in the stables with Copper, grinned.

“I won’t wear makeup,” she cried out.

“You don’t need makeup,” I called back.

“You sure you want to take her out, bossman?” Ben teased. “Maybe better to hang around the ranch, be easier on you if she kicks you in the nuts by accident.”

I flipped him the bird. “Just focus on Copper, yeah?”

Ben was laughing when I left the stables.

“Everyone is a fuckin’ comedian around here,” I muttered.

“Say what?” Hunt fell in step with me.

“She’s going on a date with me,” I said triumphantly.

“But she’s not wearing a dress or any makeup,” Hunt pointed out.

“You heard her?”

He snorted. “Everyone in the county heard her.”

I sighed. “Two weeks I’ve been beggin’ her. You’d think she’d relent, don’t you?”

Hunt shrugged. “She’s afraid. And speaking of afraid, I’m hearing rumors about Piper Novak working with your ex-girlfriend to finagle a way to get you to sell.”

“How’s she going to do that?”

“I keep hearing a lot about eminent domain.”

I waved that off. “I have as many politicians in my pocket as she does.Andjudges in Colorado don’t like it when the government comes after poor ranchers and farmers.”

“So, you’re not worried?” Hunt queried.

“Iamworried,” I admitted. “I’m keeping an eye on things to make sure Piper doesn’t get something past meto get the land reclassified. You know how it is. Strip the ag exemptions, jack up property taxes so high we’d be bleeding cash just to keep the damn place running.”

I got to Nash’s office in the ranch house and called Kaz.

“I’m hearing rumors,” I said to him without preamble.

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