Page 28 of Stay With Me

I laugh because it’s true. Noah’s the youngest sibling, but she holds the reins on her brothers. Now that Fisher’s joining their family, he gets auto-protection.

After the muffins are bagged, he hands me a fifty and tells me to keep the change.

My jaw drops. “Are you sure? That’s like a thirty-percent tip.”

“Consider it a gift for everything you’re helpin’ Noah with. Especially when it involves her brothers.” He winks.

I put the change in my tip jar and thank him. “Yeah, four hot, rowdy cowboys. Definitely a hardship.”

He smirks, then takes a sip of his coffee. “This is good, Magnolia.”

“You doubted me?”

“Never. Just givin’ you a compliment. I’m sure the muffins are equally delicious.”

I put my hands on my hips and stare at him. “Why do I have a feelin’ you’re butterin’ me up for something?”

He barks out a laugh. “You caught me. I need a favor…”

I sigh. “What?”

“This is another one of those times where you can’t tell Noah.”

Rolling my eyes, I cross my arms. “Of course it is.”

“I have some items on hold for Noah, but I wanna make sure they’ll fit her comfortably.” His voice is hesitant, nervous even, and it makes me narrow my eyes. I grab my iced coffee and suck it down as he continues. “Thought you could maybe go look at ’em and if you think they’ll fit. Or if you think she’ll hate them. They’re at Lacey’s.”

Before I can catch myself, icy liquid spurts out of my mouth and spills across my countertop. I cover my mouth and choke the rest of it down.

“Shit. You okay?” He hands me a napkin from the dispenser.

“Did you say Lacey’s? As in…thelingeriestore?”

“Yeah. Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. That’s probably weird, right?”

“Well…” I dab my chin and clean up my mess. “No weirder than me knowing where Noah hides her vibrator. Did she say she wanted lingerie?”

“Yeah, we talked about it. She thought it’d be sexier if I picked it out versus someone gifting it to her from the bachelorette party. I found some sets, but I want her to love them and fit correctly. There’s so many options. And pieces. And clips. Hence where you come into this very awkward picture.”

His cheeks are red as he scrubs a hand through his shoulder-length hair. I’m pretty certain there’s a line of sweat along his forehead. It’s kind of adorable.

Noah’s a little curvier than me, but we have the same size chest. So it couldn’t hurt to at least see what he found. Might be fun to play dress-up even if no one besides me will see it.

“Alright, I’ll do it. What’s your budget?”

He snorts. “Um…a hundred bucks?”

“That’s it? That’ll get you a thong and an overpriced scrunchie.” Lacey’s is known for their luxury lingerie lines. They’re pricey, but you won’t find better quality anywhere within a hundred miles.

“Per piece, Magnolia. I’m notthatcheap.”

I chuckle in relief and shake my head at the irony. “And to thinkI’mthe one who told her to go talk to you and now y’all are havin’ hot sex while I’m”—I wave out my arm around my small trailer—“makin’ coffee and bakin’ muffins. Alone.”

He sucks in his lips as if he’s stifling a laugh at my dramatics. “Did I ever thank you for that, by the way?”

“You’re about to when I find myself a really cute set and add it to your tab. Ya know, for psychological damages.”

He slides over his credit card. “Here. Get the ones you think Noah will like that I put on hold. And nothing over a hundred for your…extras. I’m not cheap, but I’m not loaded either.”