Page 28 of Resisting Isaac

Colter side-eyes me. That one’s smarter than he looks, too.

Elena pinches my side. Hard.

I turn to give her a what-the-fuck look, but she only smiles sweetly up at me.

“Be nice, cowboy.” She turns her attention to the hands. “I appreciate the help,” she says, pulling her wallet out of her purse. “Hang on, I have cash for a tip.”

“Not necessary,” I tell her. “This is a ranch, not a five-star resort. These guys don’t accept tips for doing what they’re told. And they’re both in a hurry to get back to work.”

Colter arches a brow at me. I stare pointedly.

“Are you boys struggling with your hearing today? I’m pretty sure I said ‘get back to work.’”

They grin at each other, then tear off in the truck, leaving me to deal with an amused looking actress on the porch.

“What?”

She shrugs. “Oh nothing. Except you said no one would know what happened between us, then you did everything except piss a circle around me just now.”

She’s not wrong.

I try to make light of my out of character behavior. “If that’s something you’re into, we can definitely discuss it.”

“How about we agree never to discuss any of it ever again? I’m an actress,” she reminds me once more. Or maybe she’s reminding herself. “I’m good at pretending. I doit for a living. So how about we pretend last night never happened?”

I nod then tip my hat. “Sure thing, darlin.’ What did you say your name was again? Irene? Elaine?”

She scrunches her beautiful face at me. “Cute. Now cool it, cowboy.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The smellof leather and hay hits me the second I step into the stables after helping Elena settle into the cabin. Even the scent of horse manure grounds me in a way only this place ever has. The sounds serenade me. Horses shifting in their stalls. The creak of halters. A soft snort from the newest gray gelding as I pass.

And then there’s Wyatt—leaning against the far wall, arms crossed, jaw tight.

Shit.

This isn’t casual Wyatt. This is big-brother-we-need-to-talk Wyatt.

I pause a few feet away, sighing. “You waiting here to jump me, or are you just basking in the smell of horse shit?”

He doesn’t smile. Doesn’t move.

Just stares me down.

“Ivy’s worried.”

I nod slowly. “About?”

“How did dropping Elena off at the cabin go? Because it seems like it took”—he pauses to check his watch—“about twenty minutes longer than it should have. Tell me you didn’t do anything inappropriate.”

I force a grin. “Brother, nothing inappropriate I do with awoman takes less than an hour. Ever. Ivy can rest easy. It went fine.”

“It better have been just fine, Isaac. My wife’s entire career, that actress’ career, your training camp, and a significant amount of income that this ranch badly needs are all on the line. Make damn sure you’re keeping everything between you and that actressjust fine, little brother.”

There’s a long beat where neither of us speaks. Just the hum of tension and the scrape of metal as a horse kicks at the stall behind us.

Wyatt finally pushes off the wall, expression unreadable. “I need you to listen to me, Isaac. And I need you to really hear what I’m saying.”