“No.” Steven chuckled. “I was going to say old.”
Old?
One little word. Three little letters. They struck their target with much stronger force than expected. Hayden felt as if a gauntlet had been tossed to the ground by Steven.
Thirty-eight isn’t old.
Hayden’s pride protested, sprinting through his veins at a fighting man’s pace.
“Steven,” Eve hissed. “You’re thirty-two. You’re not exactly a spring chicken either.”
Either? She thinks I’m old too?
Blood pounded at Hayden’s temples.
At least I’m not too old to be her fake fiancé.
That was little consolation. Evie needed some payback.
“Listen up, Steven,” Hayden began coolly, choosing to fight one battle at a time. “You’re only as old as you feel. And with Evie by my side, I feel young.” At least, that wasn’t a lie. Evie had made him laugh back in the day, bringing sunshine wherever she went.
Sunshine Hayden had appreciated when his grandfather knuckled down on him that last year he’d been home.
“Hayden, are you searching for the Fountain of Youth for your second marriage?” Steven laughed, seeking Evie’s approval with a slick smile.
Hayden frowned. This dude was like a gnat, buzzing around without a purpose other than to annoy.
Meanwhile, Evie clutched an odd little heart-shaped pendant to her chest. “That’s enough, Steven. Wish us well and go back to Missoula.”
Not yet. I’m not done with Steven.
“Hang on, Steven. This is my first marriage.” Hayden pressed a kiss to the top of Evie’s head instead of popping a fist in Steven’s face the way he might have in his teenage years. “And this will be my last marriage. You can bet on that.”
Evie’s cheeks turned an attractive shade of pink. Hayden may not be interested in love, but he was still a man with eyes in his head. She’d grown up to be a looker.
“You see, Steven,” Hayden carried on, warming to his topic. “Evie and I are old friends. We have a long-standing bond. A ten-year age difference doesn’t matter to us.”
“Definitely,” Evie echoed, smiling wanly and staring at a display of cake pops in the pastry case.
This probably wasn’t going as she’d planned. But then again, when did one of Evie’s plans go off without a hitch?
Steven crossed his arms over his chest and tried to intimidate Hayden with an icy stare. “You should know I’m not buying this whole engagement thing. Eve isn’t wearing a ring.”
Who is this guy? The marital police?
“We’d have a ring if Evie could make up her mind,” Hayden fibbed. “We’ve been to every store between here and Missoula. She wants the ring to be perfect. Right, snuggle bug?” Hayden gave Evie a series of punishing side hugs. She was lucky he was playing along.
She’s lucky I took an instant dislike to her ex and take issue with being called old.
Steven’s eyes narrowed. “Do you live in Bentwood Creek?”
“Yes,” Evie said quickly. “He owns a ranch. He’s got roots here.”
Evie’s ex-husband frowned, casting his gaze around the coffee shop as if searching for another pin to pop their fib-filled balloon. “When did you say you were getting married?”
“Soon,” Evie assured him.
Soon?