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“Damn, do I need a cold beer. You boys want one?” he hollers back as he walks into the hallway, where there’s an extra fridge to store cold beverages.
“I’ll take one,” Cash says.
“I’m gonna shower first,” Sterling replies, walking out the back door toward the bunkhouse, where he and Cash sleep. Duke, Dolly, and Holden stay in the main house with Pops.
Holden is the only one who doesn’t answer the question. I resist the urge to glance back at him.
“Y’all smell awful! Everyone has to shower before dinner!” Dolly announces when she returns to the kitchen.
I nod in agreement. “Please.”
Duke returns with two beers, handing one to Cash before popping his open and leaning up against the counter next to me. He’s smirking, bright blue eyes sparkling with mischief.
“So, after your little display at Old Harry’s, I’ve been getting texts and DMs, asking if we’re together or if you’re up for grabs. I wasn’t really sure what I should say.”
My hand stills over the cast-iron skillet. I chew on the side of my lip, debating my response in light of our present company. Small-town rumors are rampant, and it seems since my employment here, people aren’t sure what to make of my relationship with Duke. I never date anyone.
Would it make Holden more accepting of me if it looked like I was dating Duke again?
“Hmm, what did you want to say?” I say, leaning closer toward him.
Duke tries to hold in a laugh, tipping his beer back over his lips. I lick my thumb before reaching up to wipe off a smudge of dirt from his cheek. A shuffling sound from behind us draws my gaze. Holden disappears into the pantry, returning a moment later with a bottle of Gentleman Jack, pouring himself a generous amount into a glass. He lifts it to his lips, his gaze focused out the window over the kitchen sink.
“You two need to chill with that PDA. I’ll have to wash my eyes out with soap,” Cash grumbles.
Dolly laughs from the other side of the kitchen, where she’s slicing the tops off strawberries. “Are you ditching me on braless Friday, Rosie? For my brother no less?”
I look over at her with wide eyes.
Are they really that committed to this ruse?
I shrug, turning back to the stove. Maybe this will work. Maybe Holden will get over his hell-bent desire to fire me. Maybe he’ll drop his accusations that I’m spying on him for my father.
“Nah, she’s not ditching you. Not until she’s ready for bed, that is,” Duke says. He brushes my long copper-red hair out of my face, plants a kiss on my cheek, and stalks out of the kitchen and into the living room.
14
HOLDEN
He’s my little brother, the youngest of us boys.
I love him.
I care about his well-being.
I would sucker-punch a motherfucker for having the violent, unhinged thoughts about him that I’m currently having.
Duke and Rosie are a good couple. They make sense. I’m irrational for not being happy that they’re rekindling their relationship.
My limbs are tingling the same way they would when a fight broke out in the prison, one I knew I wouldn’t be able to avoid. The sensations coursing through my body are similar, but I know the situation is a much more dangerous one.
Why the fuck am I stressed about my little brother fucking his ex-girlfriend?
Three fingers of whiskey aren’t enough, so I pour another glass, tossing it back just as quickly as the first. I can feel the heat of Cash’s gaze on my face. I turn to meet his eyes. He raises a dark brow, clearly wondering why I’m suddenly drinking like this after three and a half years sober.
“You good, brother?” he says.
I tip my cowboy hat back, raising the glass of amber liquid. “Never better, brother. Never fucking better.”
