Tempting the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch 8)

"Meet me later for what?" Payton inconveniently strolls over.

Fucking hell.

Does no one eat at home anymore?

Like I should talk.

I scratch my two-day-old scruff along my jawline. "Some paperwork stuff."

He shoots me a confused look, and I beg him with my eyes to go along with whatever the fuck I say. "I don't remember you tellin' me anything."

"Maybe you didn't hear me then," I grit out, lowering my tone so he gets the goddamn message.

He shrugs. "I guess. Text me when you wanna meet up then."

"I will." Then he goes to the buffet, and I grab a container to fill.

Without looking too suspicious, I try to fit as much as I can into one box.

"Jesus, Kane. You feedin' an army or what?" Maize goads, peeking around me as I add a second scoop of potatoes, then set it down before it gets too heavy.

"Can't help myself when it's your food," I taunt, then pat my stomach. "I'm a growing boy."

She snorts, shaking her head. "Y'all are the reason I need to double everything."

"And we appreciate it so much." I flash her a grin.

“Put any more shit in there, and you won’t be able to close the lid,” she warns, then walks off with an eye roll.

Once I've filled it to the brim, I grab another box and add in desserts I think Ivy will like. A variety of pies, bars, and cakes.

"You're gonna puke your guts out eatin' all that." Hadleigh gawks as the Styrofoam threatens to burst.

"Nah."

"Kane Bishop, I know you can eat a lot, but I don't think I've ever seen you eat that much." She stares me down.

My heart races at her suspicious tone. She knows me well enough to realize when I'm lying.

"It’s hangover food, whaddya expect? Don't worry. There'll be no food wasted. Grandma taught me better than that." I smirk because it’s actually the truth.

"If you say so," she drawls, putting Hendrix in the car seat so Grandma can eat.

"I'll see ya guys later." I kneel to give Hendrix’s little fist a bump. "You too, little man. Be good for your mama."

Once I give Hadleigh and Grandma hugs, I drive home.

"That smells delicious," Ivy says as soon as I walk in.

"Hadleigh was there with Hendrix and Grandma," I explain, setting out two plates. "Maize too. They all gave me shit for how much food I was getting."

"Oh no. What'd you say?"

When I repeat how it went down, Ivy laughs. "Well, I hope you don't expect me to eat half of all that."

"Don't worry, I'll devour whatever you don't." I flash her a wink, and she blushes.

We take our plates to the couch, and I grab two glasses of sweetened tea, then sit next to her.

"So have you read any new books lately?" I ask as I dive into the beef tips.

"Yeah, I've been bingeing a Beauty and the Beast retelling fantasy romance series. I'll read in bed and get sucked in, and then before I know it, it's after midnight." She chuckles, angling her body toward mine as she eats.

"I can't remember the last time I read for fun. You'll have to give me some recommendations. Maybe a reading fantasy for dummies manual."

She beams. "I’m gonna give you a thousand recs, so I hope you're ready."

"Well, prepare for it to take me a year to finish one book. I can't afford to stay up late when I gotta be up at five the next day. And I definitely can’t read as fast as you," I admit. “Miss I can read a book in a day Callaway.”

"It comes with practice." She shrugs. “But there are always audiobooks.”

"That’s true. What got you into reading so much?"

Swallowing hard, she lowers her gaze as she plays with her food, and the silence lingers.

"You don't have to tell me, Ivy." Guilt creeps in as she brings her eyes to mine.

"It's just kinda embarrassing," she admits. "I've had a speech impediment since the first grade and got teased in elementary and middle school. It made me not want to talk very much because I'd get super frustrated when the words would get stuck in my throat. Eventually, my therapist suggested reading out loud to help me rewire my brain. She said the more I practiced, the easier it'd get, and I'd eventually grow out of it."

"Did you?" I ask, somewhat shocked because I've never noticed it.

"For the most part, yes. It got significantly better in high school, but at that point, I was still shy and reserved. Most of my asshole classmates were the ones who picked on me, so I didn’t want to be their friends anyway. However, if I'm anxious or nervous about being in a situation, the stuttering and stammering are more noticeable. Over the years, I've learned how to trick my brain and merge words or use different variations so I don't get stuck. The thesaurus and I became good friends in high school." She nervously giggles.