Page 21 of Fall or Nothing

“It’s nothing. Really.” He shoved it back into his pocket.

“Nothing, my ass. There’s a bin of gloves in both of the horse stables. The guys should have shown you where.”

“Trig was the only guy I worked with all day. Let’s just say we didn’t get off on the right foot.”

Right then, Trig happened by on his way to thefood. I shouted, “Trig, what the hell? Why didn’t you show Carter where the gloves were?”

He smirked and shrugged his shoulders, snickering with his buddies as he continued on.

“Asshole,” I muttered, hands on hips, glaring after him. While most of the men here were good guys, he’d come to the ranch recently and had yet to leave a favorable impression on me.

Carter pulled me back. “I thought I told you it doesn’t do me any favors having you stick up for me like that.”

“Are you too manly for a girl to stand up for you?”

He rolled his eyes. “I can handle these guys. Believe me.”

“Well, tomorrow, find the gloves, please. Between last night and this, that’s twice they got the better of you. Figure out how to get back at them all before they run you into the ground.”

He scratched at his jawline and the stubble there. “Thanks for the tip, but I’ll handle things myself in my way.” With that, he moved on, joining Jake at the back of the food line.

Great. I scared him off. I sauntered over to my sisters, with Daisy and Ivy eyeing me warily. In the hospital, I’d told them about how he’d ghosted me from the barn dance, and how I’d found him along the side of the road. They’d formed their own opinion of him from that. As for me? Hard to ignore the way my body reacted around him.

Everyone ate, but I could hardly touch a bite, worrying too much about him. I lost track of where he went until the sound of guitars starting up pulled my attention toward thecenter of the fire ring. Someone whooped; a few people clapped. I’d miss these Sunday nights up here until next spring or summer, whenever the weather would allow us to get outdoors without freezing again.

Little Ro darted past, grabbing Ash’s hand and dragging him toward the music. Her laughter rang out when he surprised her, hauling her high over his shoulder and carrying her. Willow joined them and leaned into Ash’s side, swaying to the music. Such a cute family.

“We can leave soon, Daisy. But I have to get at least one dance out of my cowboy,” Ivy called as Colt swooped her up in a bridal hold to join in the fun. They’d probably be next to marry and have kids.

“I need to check in with Dusty about a few of the horses,” Daisy grumbled and left me alone. Earlier today at the hospital, the way she and Knox held hands, practically glued together, their future seemed decided.

That left me and Poppy. The youngest of us Wylde sisters was having the time of her life in Bozeman at college, so outgoing, always dating. She’d have no problem finding a man.

What the hell was my problem then? Every guy I dated, I either repelled them away or found them boring as hell.

Carter was a mystery to me. But I believed in love. I wanted to be in love. I’d spent the better part of this fall watching my sisters fall head over heels in it. So why couldn’t it be my turn?

I cleared our plates into the trash bin and helped Eldon and some others clean up the food tables. Afterward, I approached Carter nearby. He leaned on the pergola post asif it’d fall without him, arms crossed, eyes up at the horizon instead of on the people, like he’d rather be anywhere else.

Maybe he would? A man gorgeous as him could have a girlfriend waiting for him at home out there somewhere, for all I knew.

With my hands in my back pockets, I took a deep breath, said a little prayer, and took a chance, approaching him again.

“You’re not going to stand on the edge out here all night, are you? Why don’t you come join in the fun with me?” I smiled sweetly.

“I don’t know. This post is pretty comfortable.” He chuckled under his breath.

“I could teach you to two-step?” I held out my hand.

He avoided it. “It’s been a long twenty-four hours, Sage.”

My hand dropped, but I steadied my smile. “Fair enough. How about just the company then?”

Ash wandered by, carrying Ro on his back. He shot Carter a hard, meaningful glare and cleared his throat. Carter straightened instantly, like he’d received a silent warning.

Before I could say anything else, Colt appeared at my side. “Thought I’d say hello to the new guy.” He extended a hand to Carter. “I’m Colt.”

Their handshake was firm, two men sizing each other up. “Sage couldn’t stop talking about you at the hospital today,” he added, lips twitching.