He shrugs. “Wes is family to us, which means you are too.Don’t let those guys get to you. And, if it helps, I’ll set things straight with your brother.”
I hold up my hand. “Don’t. I’ve got a reputation to uphold with my family.”
Dallas flicks his gaze between Wilder and me with uncontrolled amusement. “So .?.?. this all happened Friday night?”
“You got someplace else you could be?” Wilder growls.
He rubs his chin. “I suppose. See you back at the house .?.?. or not .?.?. that’s cool too.” He turns and climbs back over his dark horse, riding off.
Wilder picks up my hat and two of the stone buckets I filled, while I’m trying to figure out why Dallas was being so weird.
My eyes widen when I put it together. “Oh my God, he knows?”
“Grab the other one and follow me to the shed.”
I’m frozen in place when he glances back at me. “That’s an order.”
23
Wilder
I’m not thinking straight. Rose is in pain and hot and I’m having her lift a bucket of rocks.
If I’m not going to hell for fucking my best friend’s sister, I’m going to hell for forcing hard labor.
I hold the door open for her, watching her lug the bucket with two delicate hands wrapped around the metal handle.
The moment she’s within reach, I take it from her and set it down. She nearly tumbles from exhaustion, and I catch her. Then I shut the door, closing us in the dark shed with nothing but the light seeping through the siding.
I move her to a wall beside the door and cage her in between my arms. Goddamn, she’s a sight. Fiery, stubborn green eyes, dirt on her chin, forehead, cheeks.
I want to hold her, bury my nose in her hair and breathe her in. But all I can do is press her against the rough wall—and growl. “You trying to make me mad?” My tone is harder than intended.
“Why would I do that? You’re already mad at me.” Her voice cracks a little and it nearly breaks me in half.
“What are you talking about?”
“I saw the way you strode up here. I worked really hard today, I’m tired, I hurt everywhere and you’re nothing but scowls and orders, and—”
“You knew I didn’t want you out here today, and yet I hear you insisted on the bigger field, settled for no help, and let Randy talk to you like you’re trash?”
She frowns up at me.
“He’s been texting me updates. Said you’re a pretty little spitfire who thinks she can handle it all. Now I trust Randy as far as I can throw him, so I rode over here and heard him with you just before Dallas showed up. You know what I didn’t hear?”
“What?” she mutters like a teenager with attitude.
“I didn’t hear you telling him where he can shove those rocks. I didn’t hear you stand up for yourself and tell him he had every part in this.”
She rubs the tip of her nose with the back of her hand and sniffs. “I don’t need special treatment just because I’m a girl.”
“You’re not a girl. You’re a woman.”
You’remywoman.
“So act like it,” I snap. “Then you pull that shit with the apology? What the hell you tryin’ to do to me, Rose?”
“I suppose that pissed you off too?”
