Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 114263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
Then again, my relationship with Mollie is anything but normal. How can I be normal around the girl I love to hate?
Thing is, I don’t hate her anymore. I…don’t know how I feel, but I do know I’m not about to leave this girl crying alone in a bathtub.
I could go. I probably should go. Still stuff to do at the horse barn. Have a couple of calls to return that I missed throughout the day.
But my feet don’t move. Instead, I hang my hat on the hook by the door and grab my phone—having Wi-Fi at the cabin means I don’t have to use my walkie-talkie—and call Duke, who I know will be at the New House right now, grabbing a snack.
“I’m on it,” he says when I give him instructions. “Sawyer and Ella stopped by, so I’ll get their help.”
“Give that baby a kiss for me. I’ll see y’all at dinner.”
“You all right?” Duke pauses. “I saw you leaving with Mollie.”
“I literally had to carry her out of the barn to stop her from working. Her body’s wrecked.”
Duke chuckles. “Something tells me you didn’t mind carrying her one bit.”
“Shut up.”
“She okay?”
“I’m handling it.”
“I bet you are.”
“I’m hanging up now.”
“Y’all would make a cute couple.”
“Goodbye, Duke.”
“Go easy on her, would you? We like Mollie. She’s got questionable taste in men—”
“Why? Because she ain’t into you?”
My brother chuckles. “Because she’s into you.”
“Shut up,” I repeat, even as my heart skips a beat. “She’s not into me. We’re just…we work together.”
This time, Duke flat-out laughs. “Your voice sounded funny when you said you had to stop her from working.”
“I wasn’t expecting her to bust her ass like that, is all.”
“Garrett’s daughter? Really? The one who’s been up at four a.m. almost every damn day she’s been here?”
I groan. “She’s not who I thought she was.”
“Aw, yeah. The plot thickens.”
“There is no plot. I’ll have you shoveling shit all day tomorrow if you don’t quit your talking.”
“You’re the one who hasn’t hung up.”
“I’m hanging up!”
“You have condoms at the cabin, right?”
“Fuck off.” I glance down the hall at the bathroom door. Shit, do I have condoms?
It doesn’t matter if I do, because I’m not going to fuck Mollie. Even if my dick does perk right up at the idea.
“Safety first,” Duke singsongs. “Y’all get to it. We got it handled here.”
“Don’t forget to check the front irrigation system.”
“Don’t forget to have fun. Judging by the way y’all were dancing—”
My thumb trembles as I hit the red button on my screen, ending the call. Tossing the phone on the counter, I let out a breath. Remind myself that my job is to make everyone on the ranch feel safe, Mollie included.
The clock above the sink ticks. I’m not sure I’ve ever been home this early. My end-of-day routine usually consists of me taking a cold shower and trying to stay awake past six o’clock.
I can’t shower with Mollie in the bathroom. And I’m way too keyed up to rest.
I hear her turn off the water. There’s a small splash, probably her climbing into the tub.
Naked.
The words inside my head ram together in a panicked collision. This was a bad idea. What was I thinking? What do her tits look like wet? You are a pervert. She needs comfort, not an orgasm.
But don’t orgasms make you feel better?
I shove the thought from my head. Girl’s hurt. Last thing she needs is an orgasm. Unless I gave it to her gently…
I could be gentle.
I’m opening the refrigerator and diving for a beer before I know what’s happening. I may need some of that tequila, too, depending on how well I can control my thoughts.
Sitting down at the tiny kitchen table, I start answering emails on my phone. Knee bouncing all the while. The beer cools me down, but it doesn’t do jack shit for the inconvenient thoughts that loop through my head.
Sniff.
I look up from the text I’m typing out to a local mechanic. Did I just hear something? The cabin is quiet.
Sniff, sob, sniff.
My pulse stutters, chest clenching. “Mollie?”
A beat.
Then, “You’re still here?” Her voice sounds thick. She’s definitely crying.
I’m out of my chair and at the door in two seconds flat, beer still in hand. “Of course I’m still here. Are you all right?”
“You didn’t have to stay.”
“I wanted to stay. Are you okay?”
Another beat.
“No.” Sob. “Really, I can find my way back to the house if you need to—”
“I’m not going anywhere. What’s wrong?” I put my other hand on the knob. “Answer me.”
I hear her sigh. “I know this sounds crazy, because I didn’t see Dad much. But I miss him.”
My heart crumples. Leaning my forehead against the door, a moon rises in my throat. “Not crazy. He was your dad. I miss him too. So fucking much, I…can’t even tell you.”