“You don’t even know me,” she states.
I study her. “I know enough.”
She swallows hard with her eyes locked on mine, but too quickly, she lowers her gaze and breaks our contact.
“It’s embarrassing to live with my parents at my age,” she blurts out. “I just turned twenty-five and still sleep in my childhood bed.” Maize groans, then shrugs. “But until they can marry me off, I’ll stay here.”
Bringing a hand to my chin, I scrub my fingers over my beard as I remember a similar conversation we had at the bar. “Marry you off, huh? To who? What happened to becoming a nun?”
Maize blinks hard, then shakes her head as if she has to remind herself not to react. “What? No, not like an arranged marriage or anything. But when you work on the ranch, it doesn’t make sense to move away. Especially when I work as much as I do,” she explains, leading me back toward the staircase. It’s amusing she ignored the nun part and is still playing her little game.
“Doesn’t hurt that it’s cheap rent.”
“That’s definitely a perk,” she says as we enter the kitchen, and when she checks the time on the wall, she adds, “Crap, I gotta go to the B&B and set up the desserts.”
“Let me help. It’ll go faster,” I offer, not giving her room to argue.
She sighs. “Alright, fine.”
After Maize announces we’re leaving, they tell us they’ll meet us there in twenty minutes. It will give me more alone time with her.
Since the B&B is only half a mile from her house, she leads me to a side by side, and we climb in. The silence slices through the air on the way over, and once we enter the kitchen, she gives me orders, and I quickly step into action.
“Pies over there, cakes and cookie bars on the other table, then fruit on the third one.” She pulls items from the fridge, and my eyes widen at the assortment of desserts laid out.
“Shit. You feedin’ an army?” I grab two pecan pies and inhale the sweet aroma.
“Just wait till you see all the Bishops together. There are a lot of us…” she says. “Then add in the ranch hands too.”
As I help her move tables around the dining area, I wonder how everyone will fit in here, then remember the rocking chairs and tables on the back porch.
Once we’ve set the desserts out, Maize puts the serving utensils in each dish and directs me to find the dessert plates. Then I grab the whipped cream and start the coffee maker as ordered. Once I’ve done what she’s asked, I head out of the kitchen and hear her talking to someone.
“Elle! It feels like it’s been forever.” Maize hugs her, and I immediately see the Bishop resemblance. Elle has long, dark hair and features similar to Maize.
“Came to see if you needed help, but I see now that I’m interrupting…” Elle looks me up and down, and Maize quickly turns around.
“No, no. Gavin’s training horses with Jackson and Kiera. Mom invited him to dinner.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Nice to meet you, Elle. I’m Gavin.” I hold out my hand, and she quickly takes it.
“A pleasure. I’m Elizabeth, but only our grandmother calls me that.” She smiles.
I chuckle. “Noted.”
“Elle works with Dr. Wallen,” Maize explains. “Which is why I hardly ever see her anymore.”
“I met him shortly after I started here. Seems like a nice guy. I bet you’re learning a lot from him,” I say to Elle.
“Yeah, well…” She inhales sharply. “We don’t call him Dr. Dickhead for nothing.”
My eyebrows raise in curiosity.
“Speak for yourself,” Maize chimes in. “The rest of us call him Dr. VetDreamy.” Maize chuckles, giving Elle a hard time, but the thought of her thinking he’s good-looking annoys the fuck outta me.
“Do not call him that,” Elle warns. “Just because he’s good-looking doesn’t take away the fact that he makes my work life miserable.”
“It can’t be that bad.” Maize waves her off.
“Not for you, maybe. You have a great view.” Elle smirks at me, and Maize gives her a dirty look.
Deciding to play along, I step next to Elle and wrap my arm around her. “Glad to see someone appreciates me ’round here.”
“Is Maize being rude to you?” she asks.
“If by that you mean she ignores and tells me off, or straight up groans any time I speak, then yeah, I guess so.” I shrug, giving Elle my best puppy dog face.
“Maize Bishop!” Elle scolds, folding her arms over her chest. “I know your mama taught you better than that. Be nice to the new trainer. He seems sweet.”
Maize perks a brow, and her nostrils flare with rage. “I’m plenty nice.”
“That’s you being nice?” My eyes widen with a grin. “Shit, I’d hate to get on your bad side then.”
“Keep talkin’, and you will be,” she snaps.