The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [231]
“She’s not shallow!”
Just as Gabe had ignored Sawyer’s annoyance, Sawyer ignored Gabe’s. “I have a question for you.”
“You’re getting on my nerves, Sawyer.”
“Have you let Elizabeth know that you’d like things to continue past the summer? Or is she maybe buying into that awesome reputation of yours and thinking you want this just to be a summer fling?”
The rustling of big doggy feet bounding excitedly through the grass alerted Sawyer and Gabe that they were being joined, and judging by the heavy footsteps following in the wake of the dog, they knew it was Morgan and his massive but good-natured pet, Godzilla. Gabe twisted to see his second-oldest brother just as Morgan snarled, “Let me guess. Sawyer is giving you advice on your love life now, too?”
“Too?” Gabe lifted a brow, then had to struggle to keep Godzilla from knocking him over. The dog hadn’t yet realized that he was far too big for anyone’s lap. Gabe shoved fur out of his face, dodged a wet tongue and asked, “Sawyer gave you advice?”
“Hell, yes.” Then: “Godzilla, get off my brother before you smother him.” Morgan threw a stick into the lake and Godzilla, always up for a game, scrambled the length of the half-built dock and did a perfect doggy dive off the end. All three men watched, then groaned, knowing they’d get sprayed when Godzilla shook himself dry.
“That damn dog has no fear,” Morgan grumbled. Gabe made a face.
“He must get that from you.”
Morgan returned his attention to Gabe. “Sawyer fancies himself an expert on women just because Honey walks around with a vacuous smile on her face all the time.”
Sawyer’s grin was pure satisfaction. “Just because Misty prefers to give you hell instead—”
“She gives me hell because she loves getting me riled.” Morgan chuckled. “She claims I’m a wild man when I’m riled.”
Gabe muttered, “You’re always a wild man,” then had to jump out of the way when Godzilla ran to Morgan and dropped the stick at his feet. Morgan was wearing his uniform, but the shirt was unbuttoned and his hat was gone. He quickly threw the stick again, this time up the hill toward the house and dry land.
“So what’s the answer here, Gabe? Does your little redheaded wonder know you’re in this for the long haul?”
Sawyer leaned around Gabe to see Morgan. “He told her he loved her.”
Morgan raised a brow. “Is that so?”
Gabe wanted to punch them both, but instead he muttered a simple truth. “She’s never returned the sentiment.”
“Hm.” Morgan and Sawyer seemed to be putting their collective brains together on that one until Morgan’s cell phone beeped. He took it off his belt and flipped it open. “Sheriff Hudson.” He grinned, and his voice changed from official to intimate. “Hi, babe. No, I’m just trying to straighten out Gabe’s love life. Seems he’s not going to finish my dock until I do.” Morgan waited, then said, “Okay, I’ll tell him.”
To Gabe’s disgust and Sawyer’s amusement, Morgan made a kissing sound into the phone, then closed it and clipped it on his belt. “That was Misty.”
Sawyer laughed outright. “I never would have guessed.”
“Gabe, it seems your little woman is headed over to see Jordan, only Jordan told Misty he had to make a house call for an injured heifer and would be away from the office for a bit. Jordan wants you to go over and make his apologies for him.”
Sawyer looked at Gabe. “Why is Elizabeth hanging around with Jordan?”
With obvious disgruntlement in every line of his body, Gabe shoved himself to his feet. “Lizzy has some hare-brained notion that Jordan is different, somehow nicer than the rest of us.”
Morgan and Sawyer looked at each other, then burst out laughing. Gabe ignored them and snatched up his dirt-and sweat-stained T-shirt before Godzilla could step on it. Sitting on a large rock, he shoved his feet into his unlaced sneakers. His brothers were still laughing. “It’s not that funny,” he told them, then grinned when Godzilla threw himself into Morgan’s lap, his tongue hanging in doggy bliss. Morgan made a face, resigned, and rubbed the dog’s shaggy ears.
Sawyer wiped his eyes,