She bit down on her lower lip and whispered, “Okay, maybe fifteen…give or take one or two.”

Then, I really started choking.

“Are you okay, Reed?” she asked before she started laughing.

“Holy shit, Court. I’m going to die on elk stew here.”

“What? What did you just say?”

“I said, I’m going to die from choking on the stew. Fifteen times?”

“No! You said, elk stew. Oh God! Oh God! Am I eating elk?” She began flailing her free arm all around.

“Um…yeah, I got it from Layton’s freezer and heated it up.”

“Eww-uh! Oh Christ!” She jumped up, leaned over the rail, and started spitting.

Lulu, the chocolate lab, came running over to check out what was going on. I almost fell out of my seat when I saw Courtney put the bowl down, and the dog started eating the stew.

“No, Lulu! No! Bad dog,” I said.

I went to get up and grab the bowl when Midnight came running over to get his piece of the pie, and he knocked me off-balance. I stumbled and tried to grab a hold of the rail. Courtney screamed and reached out for me.

Oh hell, this is going to hurt. I tumbled over the rail and landed on my side with a thud. I was pretty sure that if I hadn’t broken a rib, I sure as hell bruised it.

“Reed! Oh my God!” Courtney yelled as she came running down the steps and up to me.

I held up my bowl of stew and smiled. “Look, I didn’t even spill any!” I said.

She busted out laughing and then stood there with her hands on her hips. “Jesus, you idiot! You scared the hell out of me.” She turned and started to make her way back up the stairs. “For the next three weeks, I’m in charge of all meals. No more elk or deer or rabbit or whatever the hell you Texas boys eat.” She reached down and picked up her bowl but not before scratching Lulu and Midnight behind their ears and kissing them both.

I watched as she started to walk into the house with both dogs following her.

“I’m fine! Really, I don’t need any help!” I yelled out.

She waved her hand and disappeared.

Yep, the next three weeks are going to be either pure heaven or pure hell.

The last four days had been pure heaven. Reed would work around the ranch during most of the day. By the time he’d come back, I would have dinner cooked, and he’d take a shower, eat, and then head to bed because he was so exhausted. I’d fought the urge to head up to his room on more than one occasion.

Stupid good-looking cowboy in his stupid Wranglers and stupid tight-ass T-shirt, coming in all sweaty and hot-looking.

Whenever he’d taken off his cowboy hat, I’d swear I could have an orgasm just from looking at his messy brown hair.

Ugh. I closed my eyes and shook the image from my head. Stop this, Courtney. You don’t need a man in your life. The last one turned out to be no different than all the others ones, and Reed Moore has been nothing but trouble. He’s certainly not your Prince Charming. Nope.

Liar. He is so my Prince Charming.

I looked back down at my computer screen and tried to concentrate on the book I was editing. Fuck this shit. I need a break. I saved my work and closed my laptop, and then I reached for my Kindle. I opened up the book I was currently reading, and I slowly began to lose myself in the story as the sound of the pool water relaxed me even more.

I heard someone clear his throat, and I looked up to see Mitch standing in front of me.

I quickly stood up and said, “What are you doing here? If Reed sees you here—”

“I came to get a few things I’d forgotten at the foreman’s cabin because I left in such a hurry.”

I sat back down and looked away. “Oh. Well, I don’t know where Reed put the keys, and I have no idea where he is or when he will be back.”

He let out a laugh. “It’s all right, Court. I can jimmy the door open and get in.”

I shrugged my shoulders and went back to reading. I really didn’t want to see him right now.

“Courtney?” he asked in almost a whisper.

“What?” I said, trying to sound unaffected by his presence.

I wasn’t even sure why I was feeling upset. I was glad we were over.

During the last few days of spending time with Reed, I’d realized that I had just used Mitch to hide my true feelings for Reed. Although, right now, I was not anywhere near ready to admit those feelings to myself, let alone to Reed.

“I’m really sorry for what I did to you. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

I sat up and looked him in the eyes. “Really? You admitted that you’d only dated me to keep me away from Reed, and you fucked around with your ex for six months. And you’re sorry? Well, go take your sorry and shove it up your cheating ass.”

I sat back and acted like I was reading. He turned and walked away. I let out the breath I had been holding, and I quickly wiped away the tear rolling down my cheek.

I hate all men. I hate them.

I was sitting in the little nook in Layton and Whitley’s room, reading The Marriage Bargain for about the twentieth—plus ten—time. There was no way I would ever let Reed know how many times I’d actually read this book.

When I heard a knock on the bedroom door, I called out, “Come in.”

I smiled when I saw Reed walking in. Every time he entered a room, the hairs on my arms would stand up, and I’d get the silliest feeling in my stomach.

“Court, you’ve either been reading, or you’ve been on your computer for the last week. You need to get out. Want to go for a ride with me?”

I set my Kindle down and pulled my knees up to my chest. “Where are you going?”

He smiled the biggest, goofiest smile I’d ever seen, and I couldn’t help but giggle.

“My place, up the road,” he said.

The look in his eyes held me captive for a few seconds.

Reed had bought the fifty acres Whit had wanted when she first moved here. At the time, neither one of them had known that they were bidding against each other. Reed had won out, and it was for the best because Whitley would have just ended up selling it.

I jumped up and said, “I’d love to see your place.”

We drove in silence for fifteen minutes on the way to his property.

Reed looked over at me and asked, “What were you reading?”

I shrugged my shoulders and lied, “The Lost Soul. I just finished editing it and was reading it on my Kindle.”

He laughed as if he knew I was not telling him the truth, and he shook his head. “Really? ’Cause you have that same goofy smile you had on your face the other day.”