Stay With Me: A Best Friend’s Brother Small Town Romance (Sugarland Creek Book 2)
Stay With Me (Sugarland Creek Book 2): Chapter 9

Since I haven’t been able to sleep much the past few nights, I’m up earlier than I need to be and decide to stop at The Lodge for breakfast. Usually, I stick to a protein drink or a granola bar, then load up at lunchtime. But I need the distraction.

It’s been two days since Magnolia’s last text and the longer I go without responding, the more awkward it’s going to be the next time I see her. She’s always flirted with me in a casual kind of way that I never took for more than that’s just how Magnolia is, but when she saw Lydia hanging on my arm, something in her eyes flared with a level of jealousy I’d never seen before.

I was more than happy to get Lydia away from me when she and Quinn announced they were leaving. Though I was ready to leave, I had to wait for the birthday boy and our brothers so I could drive their wasted asses home.

The next day when I got up for work, I was shocked as hell to see a text from Magnolia. It was clear she drunk texted me, but I decided to respond anyway. I didn’t expect her to actually reply hours later, but she continued the conversation like no time had passed.

It was silly and fun until she hit me with her last text—guess it’s time for you to knock me up, cowboy.

How do I even respond to that?

I tried like twenty times to think of something witty and nonchalant, but that’s never been my style. It brought on a different type of anxiety than I was used to and that gave me anxiety about feeling anxious. It was a never-ending cycle as I attempted to get my head on straight.

Once I told Landen, he came up with a bunch of inappropriate and lame responses.

Doggy or cowgirl?

Don’t threaten me with a good time. When and where?

My place or yours?

As long as you wear those high heels while I bend you over my bed, I’ll knock you up twice.

Along with many more cringy ones.

Yeah, I wasn’t about to send any of those and have Noah show up at my door with a knee to my balls for inappropriately sexting her best friend.

After eating, I drive to the family barn to get started on morning chores. We have four new family check-ins today, so cabin call will be extra busy this afternoon.

Noah works with the competitive horses, and we manage the other boarders who need basic work and exercise. Last year, she nearly killed herself doing trick riding when a snake in the arena made the horse freak out. It dragged her around before stomping on her ribs and making her break a few of them. She fractured her foot and had to stay off of it for six weeks. During that time, Landen and I took over her clients, but since she’s more qualified—or rather gifted—some of those horses would only listen to her no matter what we tried.

But it’s why most of us are equipped to do several tasks around the ranch and retreat so we can easily take over for each other if we need to.

I take Sydney and Franklin out first but put them in separate pastures so I don’t have to deal with them biting each other. Since we muck their stalls daily, I could easily pick up their droppings with them still inside, but it’s good for them to get out.

Once I grab the wheelbarrow and shovel, I blast some music to drown out my thoughts.

At some point, Landen walks in, overly cheerful and singing the wrong lyrics to the song currently playing.

He raises a curious brow. “You’re early.”

“You’re late.”

“Hardly. I didn’t even get the chance to stop for coffee. You should go to Magnolia’s and grab us some since it’s Tuesday.”

My shoulders tense at the mention of her name, but I know what he’s doing. He’s not good at hiding his amusement.

“You just want me to embarrass myself.”

He dramatically gasps. “I’d never.”

I ignore him and continue working. He grabs fresh straw and spreads it out in each one as I finish. He fills up their food buckets and I refill their water. We work like a well-oiled machine for an hour until we have each one done.

“Be good, Franklin.” I pet him goodbye before we jump into my truck.

Landen’s glued to his phone with a smirk on his face, which means he’s talking to a chick.

“So now that Quinn’s out of your contacts, who’s makin’ you giggle like a middle schooler?” I ask as we drive to the stables.

He snorts. “Magnolia.”

My gut turns at the mention of them texting. I know they’re just friends, but I hate that he’s closer to her than I am. Though according to Landen, I have no one to blame for that but myself.

And I hate even more that he’s right.

When we get to the barn, Landen hops out and gets on a call. Then he mumbles something, walking away.

Weird, but not out of the norm when it comes to him.

Noah’s talking to one of the ranch hands, Ruby, and I notice a large pink box on the table behind them. Gourmet donuts.

Hell yeah.

I slide in between them, grab one with Oreo crumbs dipped in frosting, and shove it into my mouth.

“Oh. My. God.”

Noah and Ruby go silent as they stare at me.

“Can you keep the moanin’ to yourself?” Noah scowls, her brows pinching together in disgust.

“That was hot. Do it again.” Ruby smirks.

Noah nudges her and wrinkles her nose. “Gross.”

“Did someone say donuts?” Landen shouts, yanking one with Cap’n Crunch pieces on it.

“The good kind too,” I confirm.

“What’re we celebratin’?” he asks around a mouthful.

“My birthday, thank you very much.” Ruby smiles.

Landen obnoxiously sings her happy birthday as we each grab a second donut.

“Boys…watch the sugar.” Noah smacks our stomachs with the back of her hand. “Y’all need to fit in your tuxes in a couple of weeks.”

“Rock-hard abs, baby! Rock. Hard. Abs.” Landen lifts his shirt and dances around like he’s on a horse.

“This is why I show up to work every day…” Ruby playfully fans herself, staring at Landen.

“Should I tell Nash about your little crush?” I tease her about her long-time boyfriend.

She waves her left hand. “Until there’s a ring on this finger, I’m leavin’ my options open.”

“You couldn’t handle me, Ruby.” Landen drapes his arm around her. “I’m still sowin’ my wild oats.”

“I don’t think you can say that at your age anymore,” Ruby argues.

“Can’t tame me, baby!” Landen lassos his arm over his head and skips down the center aisle.

The dumbass is so insufferable he doesn’t even realize when his phone falls out of his back pocket. He’s still hooting and hollering as I grab it off the ground and immediately see his messages with Magnolia on the screen.

I shouldn’t look. I’m not looking.

MAGNOLIA

Thanks again for having lunch with me yesterday and talking to me about Thor. I was thinking of texting him later, but I’m worried he’ll think I’m an obsessive psycho.

LANDEN

Nah, no more than usual. And you’re welcome, Maggie Magpie.

MAGNOLIA

Sometimes I really wonder why I’m friends with you.

LANDEN

Because I’m the brother you never had and the only one who tolerates you.

MAGNOLIA

Noah tolerates me just fine.

LANDEN

Then why aren’t you bothering her with any of this?

MAGNOLIA

Because she’s in full wedding mode. The last thing she needs is me distracting her with my boy problems. Plus, she’s too goddamn happy and will ruin my self-loathing mood.

LANDEN

Wow, I’m glad I could be your second choice.

MAGNOLIA

Technically, Thor would be if he was an option…

LANDEN

So I’m your THIRD? What the fuck? In that case, I’m about to go tell Thor everything…

MAGNOLIA

Landen Michael, you wouldn’t!

LANDEN

LaLaLa…can’t hear you.

MAGNOLIA

Real mature.

LANDEN

I’m very mature. Have you seen my eight-pack?

MAGNOLIA

Oh look, Ellie’s coming for some coffee. Hope I don’t accidentally let any of your secrets spill out…

LANDEN

Woman. I am begging you…

Goddammit, who is Thor?

Her mentioning Ellie must be why he was so quick to call her when she didn’t respond.

But what does she know about Landen that I don’t know? I was under the impression we told each other everything.

Then again, there’s a lot I haven’t told him recently.

Ellie’s a professional barrel racer that our sister’s been training for the past couple of years. She’s even younger than Noah, so this is an interesting discovery.

But I still can’t get my mind off who the fuck this Thor guy is and why Landen wouldn’t tell me who he was when I asked him the first time.

“Hey, Skippy!” I shout, grabbing his attention as I hold up his phone and shake it.

He pats himself down, realizing he dropped it. “Shit. Thanks.”

“I’m gonna ask you one more time…who’s Thor?”

His face splits into a shit-eating grin and it pisses me off. “Again, it’s nobody.”

When he reaches for the cell in my palm, I grip it tighter and pull away. “Then why don’t you tell me about Ellie? Or should I ask her for myself…”

“Dude, what the fuck? What’d I do to you?” He quickly yanks it from my grip, and I let him keep it this time.

“I wanna know. She talks about him with you, so he must be important.”

Landen gives me a look that resembles pity, and I hate it.

“Yeah, he is important to her,” he clarifies.

My heart stops. “Oh.”

“Why don’t you finally tell her you like her instead of being a little bitch?” Landen crosses his arms, pinning me with a stare I don’t like.

“Sounds like I’m too late.”

“For fuck’s sake.” He rolls his eyes, then shoves me back. “Go ask her out. She’s parked at the retreat until three. Tell her you’re doing guest services this weekend and managin’ the Halloween party. And don’t forget to wear a costume.”

It’s Landen’s weekend, so I guess that means we’re swapping. All of us siblings and some of the ranch hands rotate karaoke and square-dancing nights for the guests at The Lodge, but since Halloween is Friday, we’re doing a special themed dance party for the kids with lots of candy surprises. At first, I was relieved it wasn’t my turn, but I’ll take any opportunity to spend time with Magnolia.

“And what if she laughs and says no? Or goes back to Travis? She already saw me freak out in the tux shop. Why would she wanna be involved with someone like that?”

And what if I’m no good at dating? Hell, I’ve never really done it.

Or worse, I fuck it up and ruin everything.

Landen pulls me in for a hug, something I hadn’t anticipated, and my shoulders tense before they relax against him. “Anxiety attacks aren’t a freak-out, Tripp. She’d never think less of you for them. You gotta know that. She’s liked you for a long-ass time. She told me after our date. That’s why we agreed to be just friends.”

“She did?” Their date was over three years ago.

“You’re the one who’s been pushin’ her away and giving her mixed signals. Not the other way around.”

I blow out a breath and nod because yeah, he’s right about that too.

“So you really don’t have any feelings for her anymore?”

“Nope. As soon as she told me she wanted to ride your dick to pound town, all my feelings immediately vanished.”

“Dude.” I bark out a laugh and push away. “So wait, who’s Thor, then? It ain’t Travis, is it?”

He shakes his head at me as if I’m missing the punch line. “You are, dumbshit. It’s your secret code name. In the event you saw our messages”—he shoots me a glare—“or overheard a conversation, you wouldn’t know we were talkin’ about you. But hey, now that the cat’s outta the bag, you can finally go ask her out, Thor.”

I almost choke when I think back to what those messages said.

“So those texts about the lingerie and you teasin’ her about being too chicken shit to tell Thor were actually about me?”

“Yep.” He smacks my shoulder and squeezes. “Guess I was being your wingman all along.”

“And hers.”

“That’s true.” He brushes off his hands before he starts walking toward the tack room. “Y’all owe me. Landen Michael would make a great name for your firstborn considerin’ y’all already talkin’ about gettin’ her knocked up!”

“What?” Noah squeals from somewhere behind me.

“Thanks, asshole.” I wave my middle finger at him.

“What was that about?” She walks up and shoves me with her elbow.

“Nothin’. Landen being intolerable as usual.”

I’m not about to tell her a damn thing. She’s just as loud and gossipy as he is.

“You good to exercise some of the horses today? I’m dealin’ with a new boarder, who’s a handful and a half. Kinda like you.” She pats my arm with a smirk.

“Cute.”

“I know. Then tell Landen he can deal with the new mare. She’s a spitfire.”

“Oh, kinda like you?” I throw her words back in her face and she laughs.

She punches her fist in the air. “The one and only!”

Rudy, Ayden, and Trey are the ranch hands for the stables, so they’re in charge of mucking stalls and feeding. Luckily, Landen and I can swap and rotate if we’re needed elsewhere.

For the next hour, I lunge June in the corral and ride her to the training center and back, all while trying to ease the nerves settling into the pit of my stomach.

After she’s groomed and back in the barn, I decide it’s now or never to go visit Magnolia. The lunch rush will keep her too busy and the longer I wait, the more time for my anxiety and self-doubt to talk me out of going.

I freshen up in the bathroom so I don’t completely smell like a barn, but at least she’s used to it. Once I’m in my truck, I think of a memory that makes me happy. One of the coping mechanisms I found online when I feel anxious is to think back to a time when I wasn’t.

Most of those memories revolve around my family and friends, so it’s usually not hard to focus on one, but right now all I can think about is doing something I’ve wanted to do for years.

But I always made excuses.

Landen likes her.

Travis being in and out of her life.

Suffering from anxiety and the fear of not being good enough for her.

But not today.

Today, I’m breaking those barriers down and pushing through the wall of self-doubt.