he brought over the cattle last week? What would he gain by telling his brotherâother than trouble?
âBut Cash doesnât know about August. He still thinks Iâm interested in you.â Royal spat. âIâve never been interested in you.â
No. Just my land. Just like August. She glanced at Harrison. The last thing she needed was for Royal to expose her sham of a betrothal to the one person in town who might half care what happened to her.
âNow, Royal, this is no time to belittle others, especially your future sister-in-law.â Harrison slid in between her and Royal, his arms cocked on his hips as if heâd defend herâeven though he couldnât see his own toes. âI know you thought picking on her was fun in grade school, but I will not tolerate that in my classroom or weâll have to go outside.â
âI donât even have to touch you, Gray. All I have to do is tell the school board youâve been smooching and thatâs the end of you.â
âThat might get female teachers fired, but I doubt theyâd care so much with me. And itâs an empty threat considering I havenât been kissing anyone.â
âYou denying what Cash saw?â
âYes.â Harrison nodded, and Royal took a step forward.
She pushed her way in between them and poked Royal in the chest. âTell Cash to get his eyes checked.â
Royal jabbed her back in the shoulder. âAnd you . . .â
Thankfully Harrison couldnât see how hard Royal had poked her. She didnât know what would happen if the two of them started a wrestling match ten minutes before class. The school board might not fire Harrison for kissing, but they might for fighting in front of students.
Royal prodded her again. âI find it interesting that when I asked August if he knew where you were and what you were doing, he said youâd be at your ranch, like usual.â
She swallowed, but she didnât have to explain herself to Royal. âI donât answer to Augustâand surely not to you.â
âIâm sure my brother will love to hear that.â Royal backed up and measured her with a haughty glare. âAugust isnât going to marry you once Cash and I tell him what youâre up to. He might not be the sharpest stick in the woodpile, but he ainât so ugly he has to settlefor a woman like you.â Royal stormed away and slammed the door, which bounced back open.
She huffed, picked up the chalk and notebook paper, and stalked over to the chalkboard.
Harrison came closer, scratching his chin. âArenât you worried about August backing out on you?â
She lifted one shoulder in a half shrug and started writing. âI doubt Royal will tell him we were kissing, soââ
âBut we werenât kissing!â Harrisonâs forehead furrowed.
âRight.â The chalk cracked and fell from her hand. She leaned over to pick up one of the broken pieces. âWhoâd ever want to kiss me?â She muttered under her breath. âAbsurd.â
Why was she getting so upset over the truth? Wasnât she happy theyâd not kissed? Heâd have ruined her upcoming wedding. âWhatâd you say?â Maybe heâd misheard her.
âNothing.â
âSo youâre not worried about August?â Surely no man would be happy about his fiancée kissing another, but was Royal right? Had she not told August she was helping him? If sheâd helped him in secret because she thought August would be jealous, he wouldnât like the news Cash would surely spread.
âNo, if Royal really thought he could talk August out of marrying me with hearsay, heâd not have bothered to come hereand threaten me. I donât know how he learned that August and I were marrying, but if he thought your kissing meââ
âBut I wasnât kissingââ
âFine, you wouldnât be
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