Change Rein - Anne Jolin Page 0,31
her professionally whitened teeth.
Not wanting to be rude, because I was raised to be polite—most of the time, anyway—I push off the wall and come to stand with them. “Charlotte.” I nod just as Branson drapes an arm over my shoulders.
“Is there anything you need?” he asks her.
“No, Branson—”
“Mr. Tucker,” he corrects her.
Her jaw clenches in frustration, which makes me feel a little bad for her. It’s obvious in her body language that this is something more for her, or perhaps it had been in the past and the formality bothers her. Even so, this is her job, and I imagine that, if she disliked it so terribly, she could easily find another one.
“No, Mr. Tucker. The horses are fine.”
“Very well. Have a good evening.”
I admire his professionalism and say a small blessing that he feels no need to pit us against each other.
Hank Green did that to Susie Pickler and me in the tenth grade, and Lord love a duck, I swore on that day I’d never spend time with a man who felt women should compete for his attention. That, and Hank Green ate so many tomatoes I swear it’s what turned his hair red.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
As he taps my ass, he winks at me. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
“I think I’m at my quota of surprises and letdowns for the day, cowboy. Spill.”
“Not a chance.” His playful side has been out to play today.
I’m quickly becoming fond of it. Either that, or I find it delightfully insufferable.
“I’m going to take a quick shower in the lounge and change out of these clothes,” he says. “I’ll meet you by the truck in thirty minutes.”
As per usual, he doesn’t give me any time to answer before his tight ass in blue jeans is disappearing into the lounge.
It doesn’t take me long to shower, and within the allotted thirty minutes, I’ve changed into blue jeans, a white tank top, and flip-flops. It’s casual, but it’s me. And if he wanted me to dress nicer, I assume he’d have mentioned it. I don’t bother blow drying my hair. The August heat will dry it quickly, and having been blessed with Momma’s straight hair, I very rarely need to style at all.
When I walk out of the barn, I see him leaning against the hood of his truck, talking on the phone, and pinching the bridge of his nose. As I get closer, I pick up on the distress in his voice, and the hairs on my arms stand up in response.
“That’s unacceptable. If someone doesn’t find him, there will be hell to pay. Am I making myself clear? This is a risk I’m not willing to take. Get it done.” He pounds the end button on his screen, the change in his body language startling me.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
As his eyes find mine, they soften. “It will be.”
“Is this about the break-in?”
He seems to have misplaced the knowledge of how I came to know that, so I quickly find myself stammering.
“I overheard Charlotte asking you about it,” I clarify.
After pushing off the truck, he stops in front of me, cupping my face in his hands. “It’s nothing to worry about, angel. They didn’t take anything. That was the tech calling now. It seems the system was accessed by an employee we let go earlier this week.”
“As long as you’re okay.”
Kissing me lightly on the forehead, he smiles. “I’m good. Are you and your friend ready to go?”
“My friend?” I ask, terribly confused.
He nods in the direction of my hand. “Your ass pillow.”
Ah—and the funny guy is back.
I HELP HER INTO THE truck, winking as she settles onto the ass pillow. “Comfortable?” I smirk.
She glares in response.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” I laugh, buckling her in safely before rounding the truck and settling in behind the steering wheel.
It’s as if she doesn’t even have to try. Just being around her makes me feel as though I haven’t got even the slightest of cares in the world.
In all actuality, I do. I have a disgruntled former employee breaking into my building and an upcoming sit-down with the police—something I’m looking forward to. But that is tomorrow, and here, with her, there’s nothing but plentiful happiness.
“Where are we going?” she asks, always curious.
Adjusting the rearview mirror, I back the truck up before swinging out onto the long driveway. Truthfully, we could have walked from the barn to where we are going, but with her