Page 75 of The Back Forty
Because he’s seen you naked, dumbass.
My phone buzzes face-down on the table, and I glance at it, noting a text message from the guy I only temporarily stopped thinking about.
Lawson:Hey, I know you’re meeting with the new guy and I’m sorry to interrupt but I need a favor.
I glance at Luca. “Just one second. I need to answer this.”
I stand and step away from the polished wood table at the brewery, ducking into a quieter corner by the wall of fermentation tanks. I hit call. Lawson picks up on the first ring, sounding out of breath and entirely too sexy.
“Hey,” he says, voice warm and a little winded.
“Hey,” I reply, trying not to let the sound of his voice melt my spine. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Wasn’t expecting you to call me. Thought you'd be busy.” He exhales hard. “Sorry. I was running around the property, let me catch my breath.”
And now all I can picture is Lawson, shirtless, sweat-slicked, muscles taut, jogging through rows of oak trees and pasture like some cowboy fitness fantasy. He runs on the road when we travel, usually hits the hotel gym, but around here he’s more low-key.
I can’t help but wonder if this little impromptu cardio session has something to do with his desire to avoid the awkward tension buzzing between us like a neon sign.
“No problem. What’s up?”
“Eh, so, I hope this isn’t asking too much, but my dad’s birthday is tonight. We’ve got a Marshall family dinner.”
“Oh, okay.”What does that have to do with me?
“He specifically asked for you to come.”
“Oh.”
“Will that be a problem? If you had plans already, I can let him know.”
“No. Of course not. I love Kent,” I say quickly because I do. The man’s a gem I just didn't realize it was his birthday today and I'm wondering why he wants me, a non-Marshall, there. “I didn’t get him anything.”
“Don’t worry about a gift. The old man doesn’t need anything.”
“Yeah, but I’ll feel like crap showing up empty-handed. I’ll grab something after I leave here.”
“Don’t get him a gift, Dani,” he says, voice low and gruff in that way that sends a little thrill down my spine for no good reason. “I’ll pick something up. I’ll say it’s from both of us. You don’t need to spend your money on this. It’s last-minute and this isn't a work thing.”
And there it is. The cool shift. The you’re-a-colleague-and-nothing-more boundary that he’s trying so hard to enforce because I asked him to. Or maybe it’s a jab because I told him that's all I wanted from him and here he is, inviting me to a non-work thing. Either way, it makes me feel sad, except I know I deserve it.
You chose this, Dani. You told Lawson to back off.
“Okay,” I say. “Text me the time.”
“Okay,” he echoes, and then he hangs up. Just like that. No goodbye. No see you later. Just a cold, clipped disconnection. I stand there for a second, staring at the dark screen, my stomach turning.
So much for getting him off my mind. So much for pretending this is no big deal. Guess we’re just going to white-knuckle our way through tonight and tomorrow.
Chapter 30 – Lawson
“Hey, Dani!” I hear my sister Regan shout just as I swirl the last of the ice in the bottom of my glass.
I’ve already downed one whiskey, and I’m halfway into the second. I didn’t think my day would end like this, sipping bourbon alone in the corner of my dad's kitchen, pretending like I can go back to the way things were between us before where I hadn't known the way she tasted and how easily she comes when her body is taken care of properly.
After stewing all afternoon, wondering what the hell she and Luca were up to, I dragged my ass over to the egg farm to help Cash with fall cleaning. It’s molting season, which means the hens aren’t laying much, so most of the staff take the season off to recharge and spend time with their families.
Cash and I tackled the barn chores ourselves, hours of mucking and hauling, my shoulders burning, sweat soaking through my T-shirt. Still, it didn’t feel like enough. Like I hadn’t punishedmyself sufficiently for whatever mess I’ve created with Dani and the way she ripped my heart in two.
