Page 24 of The Brothers at Horseshoe Ranch

“That’s cold, Olivia.”

“Just a little bit,” she giggled. “Now tell me more. I’m dying here.”

“So I met this guy, and in fact, he was actually very good looking—though, I would never say that to his face because he’s an asshole.”

“Whoa, sounds like there’s feelings there already.”

“Oh hell no, girl! There are definitely no feelings there. But let’s just say he gave me a quick kiss and I maybe kissed him back for like two seconds, that’s it. I didn’t think I’d ever see him again.”

“Okay, but I’m guessing there’s a twist to this story.”

“Of course there is, Olivia. Of course there is.”

“Well, get on with it, Lucy!”

“Fine. So anyways, I drive to the house and I go up to the ranch.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And the dad answers.”

“Oh my God, and it was the guy that you kissed?”

“I already told you I didn’t kiss the guy. I mean, I didn’t kiss the dad. Don’t get it twisted, Olivia.”

“Don’t talk to me about twisted. You’re the one that’s kissing random guys in bars before driving up to meet your fiancé.”

“He’s not exactly my fiancé. Do you see a ring?”

“No, I don’t see a ring, but maybe you’ll be getting one soon.”

“Trust me, I don’t think so,” I laughed. “Anyway, I get there and the dad, Ranger, really nice guy, has no idea who I am.”

“Oh, no way. Are you joking?”

“No, I’m not joking. He has no clue who I am, and I’m just standing there on the doorstep like a fool and I’m thinking, okay, do I have enough money to get a flight to go back to New York City?”

“Okay, and I’m guessing the answer was no because you’re still there?”

“No, I have enough on my credit cards, but then I kind of said, ‘Look, I was speaking to your wife, Amelia, about coming to get married.’ And there was this strange look on his face and he suddenly remembered, I guess. His wife had some crazy idea a couple of months ago.”

“Oh man, this is juicy. So she never told her husband?”

“I guess not, I don’t know. She said she told him, and he said he didn’t remember, but you know how guys are.”

“Oh yeah,” Olivia groaned. “Trust me, do you know how many stories I’ve told my dad and my brothers and boyfriends and they don’t remember a word?”

“I know, I guess guys just do not listen. It’s a universal thing.”

“I think so,” Olivia said. “So tell me more.”

“He gets Amelia, who is the mom, the lady I was emailing with, and she greets me and she’s so sweet and so nice. I just think you’d absolutely love her.”

“Well, I don’t really need to love her, but as long as you like her.”

“Yeah, she was cool. So anyway, I come inside and I have some lemonade and some cookies.”

“Lucky. I want lemonade and cookies.”

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