Page 88 of Traces Of You

“That’s great,” Reenie said. She grabbed another tray and headed out, Lexi behind her, almost as if she was waiting to leave the same time.

“You’re fitting right in with the family,” Lexi said next to her. Yep, guess there was a motive to stand around when the dips were ready to go.

“What?”

“I said you’re fitting right in,” Lexi said. “I grew up here mostly. Picking apples, planting the trees, working where they need me to. But Brooke talks to you more like a family member than me.”

If Lexi wasn’t smiling, she’d think there was jealousy. Hidden behind the smile, she thought there was a touch of it anyway. “I work with her in the cafe.”

“I did too,” Lexi argued. “But it was never my thing. I just helped. I like being on the land or with Clay in the mill.”

“We all have to find what we like.” She caught Ford’s eyes on her and grinned. He smirked and sent her a wink, her chest pinging with the innocent flirting.

“Do you have a crush on Ford?” Lexi asked, frowning. “Everyone seems to, but it normally goes nowhere.”

“She’s dating Ford,” one customer said. They were by the table now where Lexi should be returning the food, but she was still chatting and taking her time.

“You are?” Lexi asked, not doing a great job hiding her surprise.

“Yes,” she said.

Lexi forced out a laugh. “Good luck there. These Ridgeway boys don’t stick for nothing. Nice on the eyes and to your face, but when it comes to commitment or even seeing what’s in front of them. Yeah. Never.”

She thought that was rude of Lexi to say in front of people and moved away without making a comment. It didn’t matterLexi was grinning when she said it and that someone else nodded in agreement with that statement.

It felt like a betrayal to her to say words like that when moments ago Lexi was talking as if the Ridgeways were like family.

She’d heard Lexi had a crush on someone who didn’t share the same feelings; others had said it was Clay. That would make sense and explain why Lexi was always around and even made that comment just now.

The thought that Ford might not feel the same way she did was painful.

Thankfully, she didn’t have that problem.

24

STANDING NEXT TO HIM

“That was busier than Clay thought it’d be,” Ford said two hours later.

They’d cleaned up the barn after the last person left, put everything the way it was before and counted out the tips to divide between everyone.

It was a lot more than he’d thought it’d be. Clay slipped Reenie money under the table. Ford pretended he didn’t see it, but since everyone else was an employee on the books, he was happy his brother wanted to make sure his girlfriend got paid.

She’d shaken her head, but Clay slapped it in her hand and walked away.

“I’m exhausted in the best possible way,” she said. “And I need a shower.”

“We can take one at my place,” he said. “Let’s get your stuff for the night.”

“You’re sure it’s okay?” she said.

He frowned. “It’s my house. Why wouldn’t it be fine?”

He didn’t know why she’d say that.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve been here almost a month and you haven’t offered once to show it to me. If I hadn’t brought it up, you might not have offered.”

His head went back and forth. “I didn’t want to disrupt your routine,” he said. “You’ve been working and you go in early, it’s on the property. You worked all last weekend when I was off.”