Page 7 of Huckleberry Hill
I cleared my throat. “If we’re going to be friends, we should set some ground rules. For instance, friends don’t walk around topless in front of each other.”
“We could start a new trend.”
I pointed to his bedroom. “Shirt.”
“Bossy women turn me on by the way,” he quipped.
“Do not make me middle name you,” I said, trying not to laugh.
“You don’t know my middle name,” he reminded me.
“I’ll make one up.” I sighed. “That coffee really does smell good.”
“There’s homemade vanilla on the counter and half and half in the refrigerator,” he taunted. “Come on, you know you want a cup.”
“Caffeine peddler.”
“So, friend,” he said as he ducked into the bedroom. “Let’s get to know each other a bit.”
“Hmm. What do you want to know?”
“Age. For starters.”
“Twenty-three,” I said as I went to the cabinet. “You?”
“Thirty-two.”
I didn’t make a barb about the age gap between us. It would’ve been too easy.
“How long have you been a wrangler?” I inquired.
“First job doing it, actually,” he stated. “I was a calf roper on the rodeo circuit until about six months ago.”
“Rodeo, huh?” I asked as I went to pour myself a cup of coffee. “You quit? Why?”
“One too many injuries. Thought I should quit while I was ahead. What about you? What’s a small-town Idaho girl doing in New York?”
“Livin’ the dream, man. Just livin’ the dream.”
He laughed.
“How long does it take for you to put on a T-shirt?” I asked. “It feels weird having this conversation when I can’t see you.”
Declan stepped out of the bedroom. He’d changed out of his gray sweats into jeans, and he’d put on a black and purple flannel. He was missing the boots and cowboy hat, but thanks to counting Declan-in-chaps in bed last night I was able to visualize the full picture.
“Crap,” I muttered.
He frowned. “What?”
“Never mind. My turn to change. Then I really do need to get to the house.”
My phone lit up with a slew of incoming texts. Before I had a chance to reply, it vibrated with an incoming call.
“Someone’s popular,” Declan jested.
“My sister,” I explained.
“She doesn’t know you’re here, does she?”
