Page 30 of Here With Me

“Have ya met me? You might not care about fallin’ into a pile of horse shit, but I’d literally die if that happened to me.”

“You’re so dramatic. But who knows, you could meet someone at the fundraiser. Could be the start of your cowboy era.”

“Oh yay, arrogant men in tight jeans who think they’re God’s gift to the world. Sign me up.”

I laugh at her deadpan expression. “Guess that means Tripp’s off your radar, huh?”

She scoffs. “He was never on it.”

I roll my eyes at her blatant lie, and then lift my phone and grab some towels.

“Are you only in your bra and underwear?”

“Yes. I need to get in the shower, so I’ll call ya later.”

“I don’t think so. You need to tell me what’s goin’ on.”

“You wanna shower with me or what? I need to get back to work.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.” She waggles her brows, and I choke out a laugh at the numerous memories of us getting into the type of trouble that required joint showers.

“Fine, whatever.” I turn on the shower until it’s as hot as I can take. “No peeking. Eyes up here.”

She snorts. “It ain’t nothin’ I haven’t seen before, Noah. I went with you to your first pap smear and taught ya how to insert a tampon, remember? I’ve seen your cervix.”

“Jesus, you’re so weird.” I move my phone to the shelf that won’t get hit with water, then remove my bra and underwear.

“Hey, I offered to show you mine in return. You’re the one who nearly fainted and got all frazzled.”

I tip my head back and wet my hair. “Because you asked me to bring a handheld mirror so you could see it yourself. The gynecologist was ready to kick us out.”

“Sue me for wantin’ to know what it looks like.” Her Southern drawl emphasizing each word has me rolling my eyes and biting back a smile. Magnolia Sutherland is the definition of a wild child who has never been toldnoa day in her life.

“Yeah, curiosity killed the cat, and I had to find a different doctor. I’ve already signed paperwork to make sure you aren’t in the room when I give birth,” I tease, lathering my palms with soap and rubbing it over every inch of my body.

“You’re a liar, and we both know it. You want me sittin’ right behind you, chantingpush, push, push!”

“Please, God. No.” I groan at the thought. “My husband will be lucky if he’s allowed to witness the birth of his child, thanks to being scarred by you.”

“Speakin’ of husband. You need to talk about this farrier dude. What got ya so worked up you ended up in a pile of horse shit?”

As I work the shampoo through my thick hair, I blow out a breath in anticipation of her reaction.

“The farrier is Fisher.”

“Who?”

My fingers massage my scalp, and I wait as it clicks in her brain.

“Wait. Fisher from the rodeo? Theone-night standFisher?”

I wipe water out of my eyes and look at her shell-shocked face on the screen.

“Yes. Also,my ex’s dad, Fisher. And now, the new farrier.”

Her jaw drops. “Oh. My. God.”

“My thoughts exactly.”