Page 36 of Trick or Tease

GARRETT

W aking up with Sabrina in my arms was not something I ever imagined happening. Ever. But damn it had been good. We had gotten up, got dressed, and put away the mattress and blankets. I was hoping we would get to use them again.

She’d gone home and I had snuck into the house to shower and get ready for the day.

Billy was already at the kitchen table when I came downstairs, nursing a cup of coffee and scrolling through something on his phone. He looked up when I walked in, and I could tell immediately from his shit-eating grin that I was in for it.

“Morning, sunshine,” he said, not even trying to hide his amusement. “Sleep well?”

“Fine,” I said curtly, heading straight for the coffee pot. I needed caffeine before I could deal with whatever interrogation he had planned.

“Uh-huh.” He leaned back in his chair, studying me with the kind of knowing look that reminded me exactly why little brothers were a pain in the ass. “You know, it’s funny. I could have sworn I heard you come in around dawn.”

I kept my back to him as I poured my coffee, hoping my expression wouldn’t give me away. “Maybe I got up early.”

Billy snorted. “Right. And maybe I’m the Pope. Come on, Garrett. Just tell me what’s going on with you and Sabrina.”

I turned around and leaned against the counter, trying to look casual. “Nothing’s going on. We’re friends. We’re working together on the farm stuff.”

“Friends,” Billy repeated slowly, like he was testing the word. “Friends who disappear together every night. Friends who look at each other like they want to tear each other’s clothes off.”

Heat crept up my neck. “You’re imagining things.”

“Actually, I’m trying hard to not imagine things.” He shook his head. “Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like my big brother is sleeping with my best friend, and neither of them wants to talk about it.”

I took a long sip of coffee, buying myself time. There was no point in denying it. Billy wasn’t stupid, and apparently we weren’t as subtle as I’d thought.

“It’s complicated,” I said finally.

“How complicated can it be? You like her, she likes you. Why all the sneaking around?”

I almost laughed at how simple he made it sound. If only it were that easy. “The problem is that I live in New York. I have a job, a life, responsibilities. This is just temporary.”

Billy’s expression shifted, becoming more protective. “Does Sabrina know that?”

“Of course she knows that. She’s not naive.”

“No, but she’s got a good heart,” Billy said, his voice taking on a warning edge. “And she cares about people. Maybe more than she should.”

I didn’t like where this was heading. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Billy looked at me like he was trying to decide just what he was going to say. For a moment, he looked exactly like our father when he was about to deliver a lecture.

“It means Sabrina’s not the kind of girl who does casual, Garrett. She never has been. She’s the kind who falls hard and fast. She’s Lucy’s best friend and I love her like a sister. Don’t fuck with her head.”

“I’m not. I care about her, too.”

“You haven’t been around in a long time,” he said. “You might have cared about her back then, but things are different. You’re stepping into uncharted territory. She’s not a fling. You better not treat her like one.”

“I’m not and I really don’t need you in my business,” I said.

“Don’t let her fall in love with you if you’re just going to leave again,” he said. “You owe her that much.”

I walked to the office and closed the door. I knew it was only a matter of time before he got all righteous and protective. I wanted that for Sabrina, but it was also not necessary.

Not really. I had been honest with her the whole time. Neither one of us had exchanged any promises we didn’t plan on keeping.

An hour later, my phone buzzed with a text from Ron. Appraiser heading your way. Should be there in 20.

Twenty minutes? “Shit!”

The last thing I needed was Billy or Sabrina running into some stranger with a clipboard who’d start talking about property values and sale potential.

I grabbed my jacket and headed out, my stomach twisting with guilt.

I’d been putting off thinking about this whole appraisal situation, letting myself get caught up in pumpkin chunking and haunted hayrides like I actually belonged here.

But reality had a way of catching up, and now I had to face what I’d set in motion.

I started down the long driveway, hoping to catch the appraiser before she made it on the property. Halfway there, that same damn black cat darted across the path in front of me, disappearing into the corn maze like a bad omen.

“Okay, what the hell?” I muttered, stopping in my tracks. “Why does that keep happening?”

It had to be the fourth or fifth time I’d seen that cat since I’d been back. Always crossing my path like some kind of warning. If I believed in that sort of thing, I’d be seriously concerned about what kind of luck it was supposed to bring.

I was still staring at the spot where the cat had vanished when a silver sedan pulled up to the gate. A middle-aged woman in a navy blazer got out, checking something on her phone before looking around with the practiced eye of someone who appraised property for a living.

“Mr. Hogan?” she called out as I approached.

“That’s me. You must be Janet Morrison.”

“The one and only.”

I opened the gate and gestured for her to enter the property. She shook my hand with a firm grip, her smile professional and all business. “Thank you for meeting me on such short notice. I know Ron said this was somewhat time sensitive.”

Time sensitive. Right. Because I’d told Ron I needed the appraisal done quickly, before Billy got too attached to his expansion plans. Before I got too attached to anything here.

“No problem,” I said, forcing my voice to sound casual. “Where would you like to start?”

“Usually I like to walk the perimeter first, get a sense of the overall property boundaries and any structures. Then we can discuss the specifics of what you’re looking to do.”

I nodded, trying to keep my expression neutral. What I was looking to do. As if I had any clear idea anymore.

We started walking toward the back fields, Janet making notes on her tablet as we went.

She asked questions about acreage, soil quality, and zoning restrictions—all things I should have known better but found myself estimating.

I’d been so focused on the immediate business of running the festival that I’d barely thought about the underlying land value.

“This is prime agricultural land,” she noted, stopping to examine a section of the pumpkin field. “But given the proximity to the main road and the recent development trends in this area, I would imagine a buyer would want to develop the land instead of growing anything.”

That had me cringing. I was about to respond when I heard footsteps on the gravel behind us. I turned to see Sabrina walking up the path. She was wearing jeans and a flannel shirt that hung open to reveal a Poison T-shirt. Damn, just seeing her had my cock jumping.

But her expression said she was not happy.

“Hi,” she said, her eyes flicking between me and Janet with barely concealed curiosity. “I didn’t realize we were expecting anyone this morning. Are you here to clean out the porta potties, ma’am?”

Sabrina’s tone made my chest tighten with an unexpected surge of satisfaction. Was she jealous? The thought shouldn’t have pleased me as much as it did, but I couldn’t deny the possessive thrill that shot through me at the implied insult in her seemingly polite greeting.

Sabrina was naturally a nice person, but her expression reminded me of an angry cat. Like she was sharpening her claws in her mind.

“Sabrina, this is Janet Morrison,” I said, stepping closer to Sabrina almost unconsciously. “She’s here to do some consulting work for me. Janet, this is Sabrina Lamb. She’s been instrumental in getting our festival up and running.”

Sabrina’s shoulders relaxed slightly, though she still looked puzzled. “Consulting work?”

Janet extended her hand with a professional smile. “Property appraisal, actually. Garrett contacted my firm about getting a current market assessment.”

Sabrina’s eyes widened. “Property appraisal?”

“Just getting some paperwork in order,” I said quickly, hating the way her face had gone carefully blank. “You know how it is with business stuff. I told you about this.”

Janet, oblivious to the tension, seemed inclined to take over. “Yes, it’s always smart to know your options when you’re considering a sale. The market’s been quite strong for agricultural properties, especially ones with development potential like this.”

The word “sale” hit the air like a bomb. Sabrina’s face went pale, her eyes darting between Janet and me with a look of betrayal that made my stomach clench.

“Actually,” I interrupted, stepping forward and giving Janet what I hoped was a meaningful look. “We’re just exploring all our options at this point. Nothing concrete. We need to provide the insurance company with an accurate value.”

But the damage was done. Sabrina was staring at me like she’d never seen me before, and I could practically see the walls going up behind her eyes.

“I should let you get back to your work,” she said, her voice carefully polite. “Nice meeting you, Janet.”

She turned to walk away, and every instinct I had was screaming at me to go after her.

But I couldn’t. Not with Janet standing right there, waiting to continue her assessment of the property.

“Shall we continue?” Janet asked, blissfully unaware she had just blown up my life.