Page 26 of Winning His Wager

“I will tell you a secret, but you have to keep it to yourself. Especially in front of my parents. Quade and I are not reallydating.We’re just friends. He needs friends who aren’t after what money he has, you know. And it’s really fun to pretend with him. Especially in front of my dad.” She gave another wicked laugh that had Fletcher’s gut tightening. “That’s the best part. Well, and having a friend who actually understandsmeand everything. I don’t have many of those.”

“Why not? People like you.” Everyone talked to her. And she talked to them. Made them feel…special. Fletcher had spent a lot of time over the last two weeks watching his housekeeper. Trying to figure her out. Somehow.

Dylan likedpeople.Even though he thought they scared her sometimes. Where she fit, mostly. She hid some insecurities—probably not even half as well as she thought she did. At least not from him.

“Well, do they? Or are they just talking to me because they think I am a real Talley?” she asked almost absently.

“Youarea real Talley.”

Her face tightened.

“Who said you weren’t?”

“A few people. I heard them talking at the inn. Behind the desk. They didn’t realize I was there. Maybe,” she shrugged. Like it didn’t matter. “Maybe they did. But they said thatweare just the fake Talleys. Oh, well. No big deal.”

“Who?” Fletcher wanted to find them and kick their asses for the hurt in those big green eyes. “Did you say anything to them?”

She shot him a Dylan grin. “Of course, I did. Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.”

But the words still hurt. Because she already felt it. She said things sometimes. He wasn’t stupid. She was still confused and hurting, where her family was concerned. Trying to figure out where she fit.

Fletcher wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. Until they were eye to eye and she was dangling off the floor again. “You are arealTalley.You are just as maddening as the rest of them. Just as beautiful too. Don’t ever forget that. No matter what some idiots have said. Just because you didn’t know you were doesn’t mean you aren’t. Any more than Bruce’s daughters aren’t Tylers because we didn’t know they were out there. That’s just ridiculous.”

Green eyes stared into his. Fletcher wanted nothing more in the world than to pull her against him, kiss the hell out of her, and find out what was beneath the red dress tonight. To show her…that he didn’t give a damn if she was a Talley or not.

She was Dylan.

And she mattered.

“Fletchie, dude, you cannot keep lifting the housekeeper like this. It just isn’t done.”

“It is. By me anyway.”

But he lowered her to her feet, damning himself yet again. He had to remember to keep his hands off. No matter what.

He helped her over the snow in the driveway—he’d kept it salted, but it was still a bit more dangerous than he wanted. In the end, Fletcher just hooked an arm around her waist and scooped her over the last six feet of sidewalk or so. She laughed.

He loved to hear her laugh. Even when she was laughing at him. He sat her on her feet briefly, opened the truck door, and lifted her in. She watched him when he climbed in the other side. How on earth was he supposed to deal with her?

15

Fletcher was acting…weird.Not that she really knew what normal was for him or anything, but he was acting differently than he had before. Mostly, he was quiet. The drive to the community center was short. And silent.

“Why no date?” she asked him. It had surprised her. The ladies of the inn really liked Fletcher. They had been chattering about him all week. It had driven her crazy. “I know the ladies like you. Something about the clips that have been circulated fromGretta.Tall, hot, sexy fairy warrior dude? I can’t believe you did that. Were in the movie. Of course, my sisters were and my cousins.”

“Bowles can be pretty persuasive. About half of us Tyler guys were too. I needed the money at the time. And it sounded like fun. So I did it. I did not know I was going to end up wearingthat.”

“Would you do it again?” Leather pants, no shirt, all shiny and oiled and muscled. So, so pretty as a fairy warrior. She had had to watch. Repeatedly.

“Depends. I used the money to pay down debt. To buy mytruckthat someone came along and stole. And I’d do it again if Hunter and Nikki needed to me to.”

Well, no surprise there. He would do anything his family asked—she had seen that for herself. It was one of the man’s top five qualities.

“Still, I have seen the clips. It’s amazing what they can do with special effects these days. You almost looked all ruggedly, dangerously handsome and hot. Shocked me completely.”

“Very funny.” Yep, there was her favorite grouchy scowl. He was so predictable sometimes.

“I’d do it. Be in a movie. If I ever could. But I’d want to do a kids’ movie. Like Quade. He really likes doing children’s entertainment but doesn’t get much opportunity.”