“I know how that goes,” I grumbled.
“How is that?”
“Once you meet my friends, you’ll find out. First, let’s find you some clothes.”
Multiple outfits and an hour later, we were headed back to the car. “I didn’t bore you, did I?” she asked, elbowing me in the side.
I chuckled. “No. It’s nice to be around a woman who knows what she wants. That indecisive bullshit is what gets me.” The shopping trip had actually been pleasant with her company, which was a first for me.
“I’m not like that, well except for when it comes to ice cream. There are just too many flavors to choose from.”
I had to admit, she was different from the stars you saw on TV. “We can pick you up some when we go to the store. I need to make sure the house is stocked so you can cook me dinner when you lose the bet.”
Hadley punched me in the arm. “You are so full of yourself. Have you always been like that?”
I winked at her. “It’s part of my charm. The ladies love it.”
“I bet,” she said, rolling her eyes.
We were almost to the truck, but I took us on a quick detour. There was one more shop I wanted to take her to.
“You know, you haven’t told me much about yourself.”
I shrugged. “There’s not really much to say. I’ve been doing undercover work for years. It’s the only thing I’m good at.”
“That’s not true. You’re good with horses. I’ve seen you with Snowflake.”
“So you’ve been watching me?” I teased.
She smiled, her cheeks turning red. “Don’t flatter yourself, jackass. But in all seriousness, you have a talent. You’re gentle with them. Coming from your line of work, I never thought that’d be possible.”
We reached the shop and I opened the door for her. “It took time. I’ve had help though. Tyla, the woman who works for me, is the best trainer in all of Wyoming. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her.”
“Wow, that’s cool,” she said, genuinely impressed. She walked inside the store and I followed behind her. “Where’s she been? I haven’t seen her around.”
“She’s out of town, but she should be back soon. Hopefully you’ll get to meet her before you leave.”
“Well, I’ll be damned. What’s up, city?” a voice called out.
Chuckling, I turned around and found a short, red-headed bastard with a scruffy beard grinning at me; it was one of my good friends, Mitch Bennett. We shook hands and I slapped his back. “What’s up, cocksucker? It looks like it’s a little slow today.”
He shrugged. “It’s off season still. It’ll pick up at the end of the month. You know how it gets around here.”
I snorted. “Tell me about it.”
Tourists would come from all over the place to visit our national parks. There were also plenty of women who were interested in finding out what it was like to ride a stallion . . . and I wasn’t referring to the horses. I’d learned the hard way to stay away from the tourists. I’d had one who didn’t want to leave after I slept with her, and another one who wanted me to fuck her in the ass. I pissed that one off when I sent her packing out my front door. Needless to say, it was a learning experience.
Mitch smiled at Hadley. “I see our friend here is rude. I’m Mitch. Who might you be?”
She held out her hand and he took it, mesmerized. “I’m Anna. I’m visiting here for a few weeks.”
“Anna, it’s nice to meet you. Has anyone ever told you how much you look like that country singer?” He closed his eyes, brows furrowed. “What’s her name? Oh yeah, Hadley Rivers,” he said, opening his eyes wide.
She shrugged. “I hear that from time to time, but I don’t compare to her.”
“On the contrary, you’re much prettier. So what are you doing with this dumb ass? If you’re looking for a true cowboy, I know where to find one,” he said, waggling his brows.
I rolled my eyes while Hadley laughed. “She’s visiting me from North Carolina,” I informed him. “And she’s not here to ride the short train.”
Mitch grabbed his chest. “Ouch, that hurt. I can see when I’m not wanted.”
Chuckling, I clapped him on the shoulder. “Actually, you are. I want you to show Anna around the shop. You’re much better at explaining everything in here.”
His eyes lit up. “It’ll be my pleasure.” He held his arm out to Hadley and she took it excitedly. “Let’s go,” he said.
They strolled through the store and I watched how her face glowed every time he showed her something new. Whether it was hand-carved furniture, or paintings on the wall, her enthusiasm had me astounded. Maybe she could fit in.
“Hey sexy,” a voice murmured from behind. Her hands settled on my waist and I pushed them off.
“What the fuck do you want?” I growled. When I turned, Rayna stood there with a seductive grin. That shit wasn’t going to work with me.
“I saw you walk in and I could’ve sworn you were with someone else. You haven’t traded me in already, have you?”
“If I had, it’d be none of your business.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not going to let the other night at the bar come between us are you? Trent and I are over.”
“Like I give a shit. We had our fun and it’s done, end of story. What don’t you understand about that?”
Hadley noticed us from the other side of the store and walked over. “Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Everything’s fine,” I assured her.
Fuming, Rayna pointed an angry finger at Hadley. “Who the hell is that?”
“I’m his girlfriend,” Hadley said, snaking her arm around my waist.
Rayna scoffed. “Blake has flings, not girlfriends. Stop thinking you’re special.”
Smirking, I put my arm around Hadley’s shoulders. “Things change, especially when you find the right woman.”
Rayna glared up at me and then to her. “Well, you can have him, honey. He’s a dick anyway.”
Hadley turned my face to hers and winked. “That may be true, but he’s one hell of a lover.” She lifted up on her toes and nipped her teeth at me. I snaked my arms around her waist, pulling her in tight. I was about to kiss her but she jerked away when Rayna stormed out the door. “She’s gone.” She laughed.
Shaking his head, Mitch chortled watching Rayna marched down the street. “Damn, city, you sure do have a way with the women.”
I shrugged. “I try. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to get rid of them.”
“Looks like Jackson Hole has a Don Juan on their hands,” Hadley teased.
Mitch elbowed her in the side and then pointed to me. “Every woman in this city has tried to get a piece of him. It makes the local men jealous. But I guess a congrats is in order. I didn’t know you were a couple.”
“We’re not.” Hadley laughed harder. “I just said that to get Betty Rotten Crotch out of the store.”
Mitch doubled over. “She probably does have a stanky-ass crotch. This one should know,” he said, pointing at me.
Hadley’s smile faded and she averted her gaze.
What the actual fuck? Mitch was going to pay for that. “All right, I think that’s enough for one day.” I put my arm around Hadley’s waist. “You ready?”
She nodded. “Yep.”
“Are you still going to hang out with the guys this weekend?” Mitch asked.
“We’ll see. I’m sure once Rayna makes her rounds, everyone will know about my new girlfriend. I guess we could always play along and make the rounds about town. What ya think about that?” I said, tickling Hadley’s side.
She pinched my arm. “Don’t think so.”
We said goodbye to Mitch and once we were outside, she slapped me on the arm. “You’re supposed to be hiding me away and protecting me, not parading me around town.”