Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
“Sorry,” she says as she gets herself together and wipes her eyes. “I’m done now.”
“You sure?” I ask with a grin.
She chuckles as she leans back in her chair. “Yeah. I’m glad you came.”
We look at each other for a long moment. “I wasn’t going to.”
“I know.”
“But then I couldn’t stop picturing you here surrounded by men and I just had to come.”
She grins. “I know.”
“This was your plan all along?”
She shrugs with a smile on her face. “Maybe.”
“You always did have me wrapped around your little finger,” I say with a smile. “I guess that hasn’t changed.”
The bartender arrives with two large mugs of beer. He’s giving me the evil eye as he places them on the table.
“Which one did you spit in?” Molly asks in a playful tone.
“This one,” he grunts.
Molly reaches over and grabs the other one.
“Eight bucks,” he says. “Plus that big tip you promised.”
I fish a twenty out of my pocket and hand it to him.
He leaves. Okay, I guess I’m not getting any change. I probably deserve that.
“Hey!” I call out. He turns. “Did you really spit in it?”
He gives me a smirk over his shoulder and then continues back to the bar.
I sigh as I slide the mug away from me.
“We can share this one,” Molly says with a smile. She takes a sip of it and then slides it over. I grab the cold handle, put it to my lips exactly where hers were, and take a sip.
“Remember when we were in grade nine and I dressed up as Belle for Halloween?” she says with a wistful smile. “That asshole kid in grade eleven told me I should have dressed as the Beast instead.”
“Yeah,” I say as I squeeze my hand into a fist under the table.
“And you grabbed him by the hair in front of everyone,” she says with a laugh. “You wouldn’t let go until he apologized to me. I thought you were going to rip his hair out. You probably took years off of his hairline. The poor guy is probably bald now.”
He’s lucky he’s not dead. I wanted to kill him for insulting my girl.
“You were always so protective of me,” she says with those gorgeous gray eyes on mine. “I guess I still have that effect on you.”
I take another sip of beer as my eyes drop to the table.
“It must have been really hard for you when I left,” she says. I look up at her and she looks like she’s on the verge of tears. “I guess I didn’t fully appreciate that back then.”
“You always wanted to become a veterinarian,” I say as a heaviness fills my chest. “And now you can become one. So, it was worth it.”
“Yeah,” she says softly, dropping her eyes. “I just wish I didn’t have to hurt you to get what I wanted.”
“You didn’t,” I say, barely above a whisper. “I would have gone to London with you. I would have gone anywhere with you.”
“I know,” she says. “But I couldn’t do that to you. You belong in the mountains, Colin. You would have been miserable in the city.”
“I was miserable without you,” I say as I look at the sweating beer mug. “I would have picked you over the mountains any day.”
I want to tell her that I’d still pick her. That my love for her runs deeper than ever. That I want to take her in my arms, kiss her gorgeous lips, and never let go.
I want her so badly. My soul is aching for her.
Should I tell her? Should I lay it all on the line?
She’s watching me with big hopeful eyes…
“No way!” a familiar voice says. A strong hand lands on my shoulder. “Colin Hill out in public! I don’t believe it.”
I turn with a frustrated grunt and see Julian and Aiden standing behind me. They walk over, eyeing Molly who’s smiling politely.
“Who is this?” Julian asks.
“Are you on a date?” Aiden asks, staring at her in shock.
“Go away,” I grunt.
They don’t. They pull up chairs instead.
“I’m Julian,” he says as he offers his hand. My jaw clenches while I watch Molly shake it. “And this is Aiden. We work with Colin on the Search and Rescue team.”
“Oh, hi! I’m Molly.”
Their faces drop.
Shit.
“The Molly?” Julian says, staring at her in shock.
“Molly Bryant?” Aiden asks.
She shifts in her chair as she looks at them with unease. “Yeah…”
“I can see why our boy is still so obsessed with you,” Julian says as he looks her over.
“Obsessed is a strong word…” I say, but they’re all ignoring me.
“You’re the reason why our boy won’t even look at another girl,” Aiden says. “Why he hasn’t been on a single date in seven years.”
“I’ve been on plenty of dates,” I lie.
Julian leans in. “You’re the reason why he’s still a virgin,” he whispers.