Page 59 of The Brothers at Horseshoe Ranch

“Oh. Thanks,” I said feebly. Had he forgotten that I didn’t like mushrooms?

“Are you super hungry or do you want to swim first?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t have a bathing suit with me.”

“Do you really need one?” He laughed and I couldn’t tell if he was flirting with me or not. I just stared at him, trying to figure out if he was trying to get me to go skinny dipping, and he seemed to realize that that was something that was not going to happen.

“So, Lucy, who’d you like for the playoffs this year?”

“Um, what?”

“You into baseball?” He cocked his head to the side and stared at me. “I was a pitcher in high school and college.”

“Oh, no. I don’t really know much about baseball. Sorry.”

“Oh, okay.” He handed me a sandwich and then bit into his own. “So did my mom show you my grandma’s ring yet?”

“Um, no.” I looked down at the sandwich, thankful that it was just plain ham, cheese, and lettuce. I didn’t really know what to respond to his question about his grandma’s ring. Why was he even asking me that?

“It goes to the first woman to marry into the Hamilton family,” he said as if he had read my mind.

“Oh, how nice.” Was this his way of flirting with me? Was this his way of saying that he wanted to marry me?

“So, Lucy, are you into ice hockey? Any kind of sports?”

“I’m not really. My friend, Olivia, is much more into sports than me.” I didn’t want to add that I was bored as hell whenever I had to watch or hear about sports. “Do you enjoy watching movies?” I asked hopefully.

“Not really.” He shook his head. “I’m all about being active and outdoors and working out and stuff.”

“Okay.” I took a bite into my sandwich and munched on it.

Beau was a handsome, friendly man, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that he wasn’t an ideal match for me. And I wasn’t sure what I should do with that information. I didn’t want to have to leave and go back to New York right away, but I didn’t think a marriage between Beau and me would ever work, no matter how much I loved his family.

Chapter Seventeen

“Olivia! Oh my gosh, I had the weirdest day. I just got back from riding.”

“Oh, are you back from the stables with Mr. McHottie now?”

Olivia’s voice sounded weird, and I wasn’t sure she was being sarcastic or serious. “Yeah, it was a really fun day, but I’m so confused.”

“Oh, why?”

“So, Beau had to go and do some work earlier and so Austin took me riding. We went to this cool log cabin that they have, and … he kind of kissed me again.”

“Oh my God. Again?” Olivia gasped. “Lucy, what is going on here?”

“I wish I knew,” I sighed.

“You don’t think they’re some sort of freaky-deaky cowboys, and they’re trying to share you or something, right?”

“Ew, no!” I laughed. “That’s gross.”

“It happens, Lucy. You know that.”

“Well, I don’t know that personally, but sure, it happens in New York, not here in Montana. Definitely not here in Horseshoe Ranch. There’s just no way.”

“You’re really drinking the Kool-Aid, aren’t you, Lucy? You barely just got there.”

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