My tongue must’ve been stuck to the roof of my mouth because I couldn’t seem to find the words to say to end this horrible planning session. Hunter looked like he had just swallowed a bad piece of his burger. His gaze went directly to the plate in his hands, his lips pursing. I was sure the idea of pairing his best friend up with a guy wasn’t exactly at the top of his to-do list. We’d been friends for so long, he probably forgot I was a girl sometimes. The thought made me laugh dryly on the inside, even as I was dying on the outside of embarrassment.
“I’m not sure I’ll be much help,” Hunter said, smiling grimly up at Beth. His gaze flicked briefly to mine, and then back to her. “And I don’t think you’d have much luck with any of the guys around here, anyway.”
That comment snapped me to attention and suddenly my tongue was working again. “Wait—why is that?”
He grimaced and rubbed a hand over his chin. “I don’t know. You’re too pure, Char. These guys are rough. Half of them are from the Sweet Oak Boys Ranch. That’s where they send all the troublemakers, you know? Those Oakies would chew you up and spit you out.”
Indignation swept over me like a hot desert wind. So much for the sweet Hunter who’d just hugged me outside the gate. What was this about being too pure? All the stories he’d told me about his grandpa’s ranch had revolved around mending fences and doing his best to keep up in school. It wasn’t like he’d just come back from Rikers Island. If he could hang with a bunch of juvenile delinquents, then I could do it, too. I’d even date one, if I wanted. I’d do it...just to prove to him that he was wrong.
“What about Graham?” I asked, turning to Lexi and Beth. “Do you think he’s cute? Is he a good candidate?”
“Seriously?” Hunter muttered before shoving his hamburger in his mouth.
“Super cute.” Lexi tapped her lips with her fingernail. “Kind of a jerk, though.”
I ignored Hunter’s grunt of agreement.
“Maybe he just needs someone pure enough to soften him up,” I offered, shooting Hunter a sour look that made him shake his head.
“He does kind of have that whole Adam Levine act going on.” Beth’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Graham from across the yard. “Hot and dangerous. We’ll add him to the list. Who else?”
“I can’t listen to this anymore,” Hunter said, backing away from us. He pinned me with a frustrated frown. “If you want a boyfriend, Char, then take your pick. But don’t make me say I told you so when it doesn’t work out.”
I placed my hands on my hips and my nostrils flared as I watched him head toward the grill. Three whole days. He’d been back in town for three whole days and now he was judging me and telling me I couldn’t handle his friends? It stung, deep down in my core. I blinked away the tears of frustration and turned back to Lexi and Beth with a fake laugh.
“He just doesn’t understand how girls work,” I said, taking a bite of my own burger.
Beth shrugged. “Maybe that’s why your sister insisted on us being friends. She knew you’d need a little female perspective.”
“I’m telling you, girl power is what’s going to help you win this competition and put Sarah Claiborne in her place,” Lexi said, draping her arm over my shoulder. “Don’t you worry, Charlotte. We’ll find you a man and win you a crown this week. Then, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without us.”
I would’ve liked to have basked in her vision of the future, but when I glanced over at Hunter standing near the grill and found Sarah chatting him up, all those good feelings went away. She was like a turkey vulture, swooping in when no one was looking to steal what wasn’t hers. And when she laughed, tossed her head, and hit him playfully on the shoulder, all my desire for a pickle burger went out the window.
But worse than that was Hunter’s reaction to her shameless flirting. He knew what she’d put me through this last year. He knew how much I despised her. But even then, he didn’t run away. He didn’t find an excuse to go help his mom in the kitchen. He held Sarah’s eye contact, half-smiling at her in that sexy and confident way that was for sure going to have her begging for more.
And when he glanced over at me and found me watching him, it was almost as if his eyes flashed with a challenge. He arched his eyebrows for a slight second, then returned to talking to Sarah. Frustration and hurt burst inside of me, more red-hot than I could’ve ever expected.
“Do you guys mind if we hunt cowboys later?” I asked, turning back to the girls. “I think I’d better head home. My mom’s going to want to see the basket I wove in class today.”
“Sure, but don’t forget our date tomorrow morning,” Lexi said, her eyes growing wide with excitement. “Seven a.m. I’ll bring the coffee.”
I groaned. Round two of the contest was going to be a nightmare. Baking was totally not my thing. “Tell me again why I need someone to do my hair and makeup for this thing?”
She rubbed her hands together and grinned. “Because, if we’re going to win this, you’ve got to look the part of a Junior Rodeo Queen. You won’t regret it. I promise.”
With a last horrified look at Beth, I headed back through the gate to snag my woven masterpiece from Hunter’s truck and then walk toward home. It was only a twelve-minute walk, but it was long enough to repeat the scene of Hunter flirting with Sarah a million times over in my head. It was also long enough for him to shoot me five texts, asking me where
