“He does not,” she said.
“God, are you really that thick? He’s been flirting with you relentlessly. Colt even sees it, and you know you slow up on uptake he can be sometimes!”
; “Oh, Colt would egg anything on just to get back at me for how I rode him about you,” she said.
“Well, then it’s about time you got a taste of your own medicine. If you are taking me to lunch, then Michael’s the topic every time I can slip it in.”
“Well, you should be better at that now that you’ve got my brother,” she said with a big grin.
“Tif!”
“Just sayin’! Y’all been thinking I didn’t know all this time, but I’m not stupid.”
The winter chill kicked up a dangerously cool breeze, and I pulled my coat tighter around my body. The clouds in the sky turned a steely gray, threatening snow even as Michael gathered the horses into the barn.
“You think they’re gonna need an extra layer of hay?” I asked.
“Whatever they need, Michael’s got it,” Tif said.
“He’s got what you need, too,” I said.
“And what is that?” she asked.
“A good dicking and a witty personality.”
“Jesus, Cheyenne!” she exclaimed, giggling.
“Now you know how I felt every time you pushed your brother onto me,” I said.
“And look at where it got you. You’re welcome.”
I looked over at her, and all she did was wink and smile. Michael waved us off while we watched him gather the last horse into the barn, and I watched a goofy grin track its way across Tiffany’s face before she finally cranked up her car. I knew what she was feeling, and I recognized that look in her eye. It was the look I gave Colt when I thought no one was looking. It was the look of a woman who wanted something that was directly in front of her but didn’t have the courage to let herself be vulnerable enough to take it.
“I’ll help you,” I said aloud.
“Huh?” Tiffany asked.
“With Michael. I’ll help you like you helped me with your brother.”
“So, you do admit it!”
“You’re insane.”
“I got you to admit it. I got you to admit it. Now I can tease Colt relentlessly over it.”
“I’m sure you will,” I said, smiling.
We drove into town, and Tif was oddly silent. I knew what was on her mind, and I let it marinate in her brain for a second before I brought up the one question that had been rolling around in my head since I’d first woke up this morning.
“You think this is gonna work?” I asked.
“The fundraiser?”
“Yeah. Do you really think it’ll work?”
“I think you’ll be very surprised at the pull and support you have within this community,” she said. “I think you’ll get exactly what you need.”