AJ shook his head and avoided looking at his cousin. “Nothing really.”
“Sure doesn’t sound like nothing. Spill.” She shoved his shoulder, knocking him off balance.
“Hey!”
“I mean it, AJ. After the stunt you pulled going to talk to Brady after the storm, you owe me. Kate is my friend and if you hurt her—”
His brows lowered. “First of all, if I hadn’t gone to talk to Brady, you wouldn’t be engaged to him now. Second, no one could stand you moping around. I was only here for a week and I wanted to pull my hair out. Third—who do you think I am? I’d never hurt anyone—let alone a woman. Mind your own business, Dakota.” He knocked back the rest of his lemonade and slammed the glass down on the counter before storming out of the kitchen.
It was only a matter of time before she cornered Kate and got her side of the story. He probably should have told Dakota what happened first but it was too late now. He’d be getting an earful the next time she cornered him.
Chapter Ten
Kate escaped down the hall toward the office. Her heart fluttered erratically and her skin felt hot to the touch. She placed cool fingers to her temples as she slipped inside and closed the door behind her. Why had she let him get to her? She had nothing to prove.
Truth be told, the problem wasn’t with him pushing her. No. It was his bare, muscled chest and his crooked, smug grin. What had she done? What once was a residual crush was now a full-fledged monstrosity. She cared for him. As an adult. As a woman.
She let her head fall back against the door. AJ would never allow her to live this down. He’d tease her mercilessly until one of them got married. And that wouldn’t be happening any time soon. She didn’t have time to date, let alone meet someone new.
Her fingers trailed along her tingling lips. The kiss they’d shared had been everything she’d imagined it could be when she was younger and he hadn’t even kissed her back. What would it have been like to have his arms wrap around her and pull her to his chest?
A lump formed in her throat. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t swallow it down. She’d ruined everything. How was she going to focus now? She squeezed her eyes shut as the nerves in her stomach unraveled and formed new knots of frustration. This had been his plan. He wanted to set her off balance so he could win the competition. But he had no idea what was really going on.
Kate let out a growl. Pull yourself together, girl!
She wouldn’t let AJ win, not after the stunt he just pulled. She was better at this job and they both knew it. She loved Hazel and Ethan with all her heart, but their son was an issue she had to tackle. He might be handsome and irritatingly charismatic, but he was still a spoiled rich kid who needed to figure out that the world didn’t revolve around him. And though her feelings for him were trying to break through, he still had some lessons to learn.
She pushed against the door and strode to the desk. The papers lay scattered on the desk just where she’d left them. Terry Hill was a well-known ranch that provided a lot of things to the community. From events to crops to animal services—Terry Hill had earned its popularity. Due to that fact, the Johnsons didn’t feel marketing was important. They may have had a point, but even a little advertising could go a long way.
If the Johnsons could see firsthand how much it would help the business, they might think differently. This was her opportunity to implement a small change that would bring about something better.
The set-up would be easy. She’d utilize social media and take out a few ads and promote the events in the towns surrounding theirs. It wasn’t unrealistic to expect their customer base to double within the next few years.
“What happened?”
Kate’s head shot up to stare into Dakota’s accusing eyes. “What do you mean?” She returned her focus to the papers in her hands.
“Don’t play dumb with me, Kate. I know something happened.” Dakota crossed her arms and made her way into the office. She collapsed into a chair and blew a strand of hair out of her face.
Kate’s brows pulled together. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about, Dakota.