Page 16 of Unyielding (Poplar Springs #3)

SIXTEEN

SHANNON

I stood off to the side and watched Declan work the crowd at the Bite and Brew like a professional politician.

Just as I’d suspected, he was a natural at winning everyone over.

All I’d had to do was make the introductions for him to the ranchers gathered after the Cattlemen’s Association meeting, starting off with Bob Lumley, and he took care of the rest without any help from me.

It didn’t hurt that Josh was there too, offering his take on the many gifts of Declan Morris and very visibly giving him the Cafferty stamp of approval.

That was enough to get everyone to let down their guards, and it took no time at all before Declan was chatting comfortably with the attendees, leaning into the laughter and back slapping with the confidence of a man who knew he was winning.

I’d timed our arrival at the diner based on when the ranchers would be full of grits and sausage and happy to gossip.

We were planning to have a quick cup of coffee after he’d had a chance to work his magic on them, and I found myself a little miffed at just how much the ranchers seemed to want to say to him.

While I was happy that the introduction was going well, I wanted to get to the part where I had Declan all to myself so we could talk.

Not just about how he was getting along with the ranchers…

but also about us . Because it sure felt like we were a whole lot more than colleagues.

Every time I wanted to bring it up, though, it didn’t seem appropriate.

I was amazed that I could act normally around him, given that all I could think about was his confession to me at my brother and Zoe’s engagement party.

We’d both been swept up into the party tornado shortly after he’d told me how he really felt about what had happened that December night, and it involved shots, line dances, and not a single moment of peace to figure out what the hell was going on between us.

And then when he’d come out to take care of Iris, she’d been my focus.

“Any endorsement from a Cafferty means something. I look forward to you coming out to Sweet Valley Ranch real soon,” Doug Stanley said to Declan, shaking his hand.

“Sounds like you’re a fine veterinarian, especially if you’re working with Ruthie.

That old girl knows her way around large animals.

And while I’m not far behind her, it’s good to see that she’s finally thinking about retiring. ”

I cringed at that comment. Doug was referring to Ruth Wilcox as if she were some aging cow and not one of the better veterinarians in the area. Even if she did let her freezer almost die.

Declan coughed at that comment. “Well, uh, if you don’t mind, sir, I won’t be sharing that with Dr. Wilcox.”

Doug looked at him for a moment and then started laughing. He clapped Declan hard enough on the back that he took a step forward. “Yep, son, you will fit in just fine,” he told him before walking away to talk with Harvey from the Flying Aces.

I smiled. The arrangement had felt lopsided given Declan’s nonstop suggestions to help me modernize my breeding program, which made my ideas to help him seem to pale in comparison.

But watching him now, I felt confident that I truly was helping him get what he needed.

The crowd gradually thinned out, and I asked Aurora, who was filling in as hostess while the regular woman was out, to get me and Declan a table.

Declan was finishing up a conversation with Josh and Jake Thorne, so I caught his eye and subtly gestured to the dining room. He gave me a quick nod and wink, sending butterflies careening around my belly.

Stop .

I watched the last of the men file into the parking lot and waited for Declan to join me.

When he didn’t show up after another minute, I went to see where he was and what might be holding him up, only to discover him in a deep conversation with Josh, partially hidden by the rotating dessert display that Aurora had just restocked for the afternoon crowd. I tiptoed over and paused to listen in.

“I had the exact same conversation with Eli,” Josh was saying. “Now, I don’t want to get all up in your business, but this is my sister we’re talking about.”

“Of course,” Declan replied, nodding.

“All we’ve got is each other, so I have to look out for them. Which means you need to keep your distance if you’re not serious about her.”

I nearly choked when I realized what Josh was doing.

Meddling .

“I understand where you’re coming from, and I want you to know that I don’t—” I heard Declan start to say.

I speed walked away before I could hear the rest of his answer, mortified that Josh was pulling the big brother act on Declan. Why did he even think that something was brewing between us? Sure, he—and everyone else—had seen us dance together, but that didn’t mean anything.

Unless… unless the heat I’d felt as we moved was as obvious to the rest of the room as it had been to me.

I slumped in my seat, fuming at my brother.

It didn’t matter if something was going on between us.

I was a grown-ass woman, Josh was most definitely not my father, and it wasn’t his place to interfere in my personal life.

I wasn’t a little girl who needed to be protected from her own decisions, nor was Declan some kind of predator on the prowl.

Josh should have more faith in both of us.

And now I had to sit across the table from Declan and pretend that everything was business as usual, even though it sounded like he’d told Josh that he had no interest in me.

I fiddled with the paper placemat as I waited for him to come to the table.

“Hey, making origami?” Declan laughed, pointing at the shredded mess in front of me as he sat down.

My cheeks heated. “Oh, no, just trying to keep my hands busy without staring at my phone. How do you think it went?”

“ Really well,” he said, beaming at me. “A few of the guys admitted that they didn’t like how Ruth kept sending trial vets out. They said they want consistency, and I told them that’s exactly what I want to provide.”

Relief flooded my system when I realized Declan was choosing to move past the awkwardness of Josh’s interference and focus on what we’d agreed to.

And if I maybe felt a little disappointed that he didn’t seem at all affected by Josh warning him off, as if the prospect of being with me was so unimportant to him that an obstacle to it didn’t alter his mood at all, then no one needed to know that.

It wasn’t like I’d expected him to put up any kind of fight to be with me. Hoped, maybe, but not expected.

“Fantastic!”

Declan nodded. “Dave Mullins wants me to consult on some alpacas he’s interested in buying. Luckily, I worked with a couple different breeders at my old practice.”

“Sounds like you’re off to a great start.”

Declan pulled out his phone. “Yeah, speaking of, I need to check the schedule and see when I can slot him in. Things are getting busy.”

I watched him frown and punch at the screen. I tried to ignore the fact that every time I was around him, it felt like I was in freefall.

Meanwhile, he seemed totally fine, totally unaffected. Cool, calm, in control Declan. Same as he’d always been. And still just as indifferent to me.