“You mean that’s all it will take to get rid of you?”
A smile played on his lips. Why was he smiling?
“It’s cute that you don’t even know how big of a brat you can be.”
She slammed on the breaks. “Excuse me?” Had he just called her cute and a brat in the same sentence?
“Everyone caves to you, don’t they?” He draped his arm over the middle console next to her. “I bet your boyfriend, Mack, would agree.” He said, pointing to Maizie’s bracelet.
The blood drained from her body and she fought the overwhelming urge to shove him from the truck. How dare he talk about Mack.
“Hey!” Jayce pounded on the back window. “Go.”
Maizie ripped her eyes from Christian and stared straight at the road. He knew nothing about her.
“I’m not a brat,” she said, picking their fight back up. “If anyone should be apologizing, it’s you.”
“Me? Why is that?” He asked, his big blue eyes portraying nothing but innocence and charm.
What were we talking about again?
“For the record, I am sorry I didn’t shake your hand yesterday.” His sincere smile shifted to a smirk. “I didn’t realize how much you wanted me.”
Maizie slammed on the brakes again, and this time Jayce’s body flew against the window.
“Ow!” Jayce yelled.
Maizie started driving again, this time slower and with concern for the human life in the back. “I do NOT want you,” she said through clenched teeth and sent Christian a glare that could curdle milk, but he appeared to be immune.
She pulled in next to the pens and Christian hopped out.
“Whatever you say, princess.”
* * *
Okay,so maybe he had gone too far. But Christian couldn’t help it. Maizie irritated him with all her city boy jabs. It was also irritating how pretty she was. No one was supposed to look that good wielding a shovel and picking up baby calves. Actually, it was pretty hot. And it had totally screwed with his brain.
They finished the remainder of their chores quickly, and Maizie left them at the farm, speeding away in her little white pick-up truck.
“Dude, what’s your problem?” Jayce said as Maizie’s truck disappeared around the bend in the road.
“I don’t have a problem,” Christian said.
“Cut her some slack.”
“Who?”
“Don’t play dumb. You only act like that around girls who intimidate you.”
Maizie didn’t intimidate him. He could toss her like a sack of bricks if he wanted to.
No. She didn’t intimidate him.
“It’s going to be a long summer if the two of you can’t get along.” Jayce pulled off his boots and left Christian alone on the porch.
Ha! He was great at getting along with people. What he didn’t have patience for was bossy, beautiful women.
It was already two in the afternoon, and Christian hadn’t eaten anything since his morning doughnut and banana, but he traded his jeans and rubber boots for a pair of shorts and running shoes and took off in the dead heat.
