Page 48 of Winning His Wager

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

“Let’s get this finished and get you back inside. Finley Creek is a lot warmer than Texas. We’ll go down there and enjoy it.”

“All right. This will be my first time sneaking off with a man, though. Even though there isn’t that whole man-woman thing between us. We can pretend, right? At least in front of my poophead dad? I do so love giving him a hard time, after all.”

No man-woman thing between them?

How did she keep missing it? Then he realized the truth: Dylan was probing. Trying to gethisthoughts. Because she was nervous. “You sure about that no man-woman thing?”

“Well, no. Actually, I am not. I’m still figuring that out, you know.”

He was going to take her to Finley Creek. Meet with Travis. And then he was going to show this woman that there most certainly was a man-woman thing between them.

And was going to be for a lifetime.

He just looked at her and knew. Like his dad had said before, when it was right, a Tyler man justknew.

“Well, here’s some more evidence.” Fletcher just scooped her right off her feet and kissed her, fast, furious, and hot. Then he put her on her feet. “I have work to do, woman. Best get inside first. You need to pack.”

“Yes, boss. Don’t spend too much time out here with your horsies. I’m making dinner, after all.”

Fletcher just watched her hurry inside. Victory. He was going to win her, for a lifetime.

He just needed a plan to make it work.

30

Dylan was really trying notto act like a dork here. She’d done just fine on the plane. Maybe she’d grabbed Fletcher’s hand during takeoff and landing, but she’d made it through her first flight just fine. He had let her squeeze his hand like that and then had wrapped one strong muscled arm around her and just held her close. Told her everything would be okay.

He had that whole strong protector thing going on. No surprise. Like Meyra said—most Tyler guys did. Tylers were strong, protective, honorable, brave—Meyra insisted on it. All Daisy did was sigh in longing, that girl. And fan herself repeatedly. At least when their father was around. Daisy liked to yank his chain too, after all.

Dylan privately thought Fletcher was the most Tyler-y of the Tylers if that was the case. He was just a little cranky too.

But she had figured that out, at least.

The man was tired. He worked too hard. Was pushing himself too hard to succeed. She suspected he felt he had to compete with his older brothers, and everything. Dylan was making it her job to help him do that.

She was taking her Fletcher-keeping duties seriously now. She had told her parents that, just that morning. When they’d shown up at the inn, just as she and Fletcher were meeting Ben. Ben had been their ride to the airport.

Dylan had told her parents to behave themselves, no making even more sisters than Dylan knew about or anything, and to not leave Dorie anywhere unattended for even a moment, as Dylan’s baby sister had been caught kissing Ridge Hauffman in the alley behind the diner just that morning—and everyone knew Hauffmans were just as dangerous to women as Tylers were.

And, oh yeah, Dad, Fletcher was taking Dylan to Texas, just the two of them.

Her father had almost popped a vein. He’d yelled at Fletcher right there in the lobby of the inn.

It had been wildly embarrassing. He had accused Fletcher of taking advantage of her. Well, Dylan had told her dad that she was the one taking advantage of Fletcher. Getting a free vacation out of her clueless boss and everything. That she intended to seduce Fletcher while they were staying at the actual Barratt-Finley Creek Hotel and everything.

Thathad sort of just popped out—but well, she had been thinking of that very possibility ever since that seriously hot kiss in the barn. She’d been so addled after that kiss, she had barely noticed that the ghost dog had opened half the kitchen cabinets and all the bedroom and side doors inside again, once she made it inside the house.

There had been lots of people to witness her father telling Fletcher to keep his dirty Tyler hands off Dylan or else. It had not been one of her poophead father’s best moments, that was for sure. Sage had even threatened to arrest him for being a poophead again. And interrupting her breakfast plans, and everything. Dylan really liked Fletcher’s sister-in-law. The woman was awesome.

Sage had been to that hotel in Finley Creek before. She’d told Dylan to have lots of fun, and had suggested taking extra condoms. Because Tyler men werereally healthymen, very robust and virile. Sage was living proof of that and everything. And to check out a diner called Mamaw’s Place. Charlotte’s good friend owned it, apparently.

Devaney had told their dad to sit down and shut up. That it sounded like a lot of fun and he didn’t get to ruin the adventure for Dylan. And Devaney said Dylan got her vote in the seduce-Fletcher-fast election.

Then her father had tried to argue with Devaney. Well, he wasn’t very good at arguing with Devaney and never had been. Her sister really enjoyed driving him crazy by not reacting. Devaney knew just how to push his buttons.

It was really frustrating to argue with someone who never rose to the bait. Devaney had just looked at their father like he was a dim child again. And waited.