Page 69 of The Front Runner
This whole thing started when Billie was hired as the trainer here at Gold Rush Ranch. According to her, she spent her first night on the farm lying on a blanket by her new project horse’s paddock with a bottle of wine, a loaf of bread, and a wheel of cheese.
Now we just keep the tradition going. It’s cozy, and as someone who hasn’t had a lot of friends, I love the simplicity of it. Just good people and simple food under the open air of Ruby Creek. I hope we’re still lying here drinking wine out of the bottle when we’re old and gray.
Assuming they don’t hate me when they find out I’ve been fucking the enemy.
“What have we got here?” I ask as I approach the group.
Violet smiles softly and runs her fingers through her hair. “I said I was cold when Cole walked me down here. A few minutes later, he pulled up to the barn with lawn chairs and a fire bowl.”
Good lord. Cole Harding is such a goner.
“He carried this all down here for us?”
Billie laughs as she cracks open a bottle of wine. “Have you seen the guy? He’s built like a tank. I think he enjoys carrying heavy stuff for fun in his free time. He’s also totally pussy whipped.”
Chuckles erupt and Violet’s cheeks go pink as she rolls her eyes. “Vaughn is no better. Care to tell the class what he’s doing tonight?”
I drop into the empty chair and wink at Nadia, who looks happy but a little out of place. “Let’s hear it, B.”
She takes a swig of wine straight from the bottle, because according to her it ‘tastes better that way.’ With a deep sigh, she passes it over to me and says, “He’s planning our wedding.”
I almost spray wine out my nose. “He what?”
Trying to avoid eye contact, she rifles through the backpack at her feet and pulls out a loaf of French bread. “You heard me. He’s planning the wedding because I don’t care about our wedding, and my parents and Vaughn do. So, I told them to plan it and tell me where to be when the day comes.”
My brow furrows. “Billie, I’m well aware you’re not a weddings and babies type of person, but don’t let other people tell you what your day should be like.”
“I’m not.” She shrugs as she rips a chunk of bread off before topping it with a slice of cheese from the plate in her lap. “I just don’t care. I’d marry Vaughn tomorrow, right here in this field. And he knows that, but he has a better sense of duty than I do. He’s also my mother’s wet dream. Listening to them talk to each other makes me wish I could have fallen in love with someone who would have been a disappointment to them.” Violet snorts and Billie hits her with a grin. “Either way, he can handle her, and I can’t. So, he can taste the cakes and worry over invite fonts. I’d rather be here, doing this.”
“Cheers to that.” I hold the bottle of red wine up and then go to hand it to Violet.
She just shakes her head with a shy smile. I check to see that everyone is distracted with their food before quirking one brow at her. She nods and looks away, cheeks and chest going crimson.
Dang.Another baby Harding on the way already.
I give Violet’s knee a quick squeeze before whispering, “I’m so happy for you.”
She smiles so hard I think her face might crack open. No wonder Cole was out here setting up a whole fire and chairs for her. Papa Bear is feeling protective.
I hand the wine back to Billie since Vi obviously doesn’t want this announced. “How about you, Nadia? How’s life in Ruby Creek treating you now that we got that pesky principal off your back?”
She gives me a conspiratorial, pleased look. Her golden tresses pulled up in a messy bun make her appear younger than when her wild curls flow down to her shoulders. “That was fun.”
“It was.”
“What did you guys do?” Violet asks, leaning forward from under her blanket, looking all wide-eyed and innocent.
“We uh…” I glance over at Nadia, and she shrugs. I figure if we were going to get in trouble for this, we would have by now. “We egged her principal’s car.”
Violet gasps, and Billie cackles before asking, “Why?”
“Because he’s a sexist pig,” Nadia bites out, clearly still miffed about her humiliating ordeal.
“Yes! I knew I liked you, Nadia,” Billie says before holding her bottle of wine up over the fire in a cheer. “Here’s to taking out all the sexist pigs.”
Nadia raises her soda in response.
“Here, here!” I call as we all dissolve into a fit of giggles.
