Fall With Me (Sugarland Creek, #3) (62)

Noah presses a hand to her chest and exhales. “I swear to God, one of y’all better start explainin’. But let’s start with why Harlow and Delilah texted me that you two are gettin’ married.”

“Calm down before you pop a blood vessel…” I taunt, then tighten my grip on Ellie’s waist. “Some douche was harrassin’ her at the store, claiming they met a few weeks ago at one of her races and hit it off. When he got aggressive and persistent, I stepped in and told him I was her fiancé. I only said it to get him to back off.”

“Aggressive how?” Wilder asks.

“Kept gettin’ closer and insistin’ she knew him, then once he started shouting at her, I threatened him with my fist if he didn’t back off. After mentioning my dick-shootin’ skills, he finally walked away.”

Magnolia rolls her eyes with a smile. “You and that story.”

“I’m pretty sure he followed my truck out of the store parking lot and tailed me most of the way here,” I continue.

“Who is it?” Tripp asks. “Someone we know?”

“His name is Gage and he works for my dad,” Ellie explains. “But I don’t remember him and when I tried to explain my injury, he called me a liar.”

“Where did Harlow and Delilah hear it?” I ask Noah.

“They were shoppin’ downtown an hour ago and some man was talkin’ loudly on his phone saying that Ellie and Landen are engaged.”

“Oh my God…he coulda been talkin’ to my dad.” Ellie blows out a frustrated breath.

“Well, safe to say most of the town’s heard it by now,” Noah says, reaching for something in the fridge.

“You should tell your dad anyway,” I tell her. “He needs to fire that lunatic.”

“What if that pisses him off even more?” Ellie asks. “He probably knows where I live.”

“Maybe you should call Sheriff Wagner and give him a heads-up,” Dad suggests. He’s been quiet this whole time, so I wondered if he had any opinion on this. “Better to keep a paper trail now in case he does something else.”

Ellie looks at me in a panic, and I pull her closer. “Don’t worry, I won’t let that happen.”





Once we sit to eat dinner, and I answer all of their annoying questions about Ellie and me, we move on to dessert and then scrapbooking. Tripp and Magnolia leave early to get Willow to bed and then Waylon and Wilder bail to go finish chores.

“So you do this every Sunday night?” Ellie asks when she looks at all the supplies dumped on the table.

“Yep, and we probably have an album for everything you could ever think of,” I say, then find a photo of me and my dirt bike.

“You ride that?” she asks.

“Yeah, I rode it to the stables that first day we met. Again…you weren’t impressed.” I smirk when she rolls her eyes. “Noah yells at me when I ride it too close to the stables, so I’ve been ridin’ it around the mountains and one of the ponds we have out there. There’s a nice trail.”

“That sounds fun,” she says. “I’ve never been on one…I don’t think.”

Leaning in so only she can hear me, I whisper, “I’d love to be the first to give you a ride.”

My fingers squeeze around her thigh and she swallows hard. Then I flash her a wink and go back to the photos.

“I should dig out my family’s albums and make one. Maybe it’ll spark some memories or at the very least, be a fun little project so I don’t die from boredom.” Ellie watches me flip through the pages of a completed one.

“Do you like to cook or bake?” Gramma Grace asks her.

“I dunno. I’ve never really tried. My mom cooks every night, so I’ve never had to learn.”

Gramma Grace smiles wide, and I know what she’s about to do.

“I’ll teach you. I have dozens of family recipes I could share with you.”

“Wait a minute…” Noah blurts. “I couldn’t get my favorite peach cobbler recipe until my bridal shower because Mama said it was tradition.”

“It is,” Mom confirms, reaching for more stickers and floral pieces.

“Well, if they’re engaged, there’ll be a bridal shower soon…” Gramma Grace defends. “I can still teach her without giving her the recipes.”

“Did you miss the part where they said it wasn’t real?” Noah arches a brow.

“I don’t wanna be a bother,” Ellie says.

“You’re not, darlin’. We’d love to teach you,” Mom says. “Since my own daughter hardly visits anymore, it’d be nice to have you around.”

“Sorry for havin’ a job, a husband, and takin’ care of your granddaughter.”

I chuckle at Noah’s annoyance. “Aww…is someone feelin’ left out?”

She kicks my shin underneath the table. “With you around, I’m used to never gettin’ attention anyway. You and the twins are always loud and obnoxious.”

“Me? I’m just sittin’ here.”

Ellie giggles, and I glance over at her.

“What’s funny?”

“The way y’all bicker is cute. I never knew family time could be like this. I got so serious about racin’ so early in my teen years that it took over my life ever since then. We never did stuff like this. Everything revolved around my career.”