Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20430 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 102(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20430 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 102(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
Thankfully, Olivia’s Diner works hard as the only restaurant in town, and Olivia herself is a skilled and highly knowledgeable cook who can make damn near anything you want and make sure it comes out good.
I order a nice, hearty bowl of beef stew, and Cassie chooses a double cheeseburger. “I’ve never eaten here,” she says. “But I think a burger is a good bellwether of if a restaurant is for me or not.”
“How so?”
“It’s pretty basic. If you can make a good burger, I can trust you to make a lot of things. If you mess that up, I’m kind of skeptical of your skills as a cook.”
I laugh. “I’m sure Olivia will meet your expectations.”
“I hope so. She does sort of have us by lack of options. It’d be really easy for her to skate by on that and just take advantage of people who don’t want to cook.”
“Nonsense. She’s part of this community. She’s going to stand by her contributions. It’s different out here, Cassie. I get why you’re jaded and all, but Burly is way different from Tacoma.”
“Hope you’re right.”
I take her hands into mine. “I am right. You’re going to love it here, if you’re not loving it already.”
She giggles and smiles. “I do think I’m enjoying it, yes. You’re doing a whole lot of work in making moving here one of my better ideas.”
Fuck it, I decide, let’s lay it on thicker. “You know, after we’re done here, I can make you enjoy your time here a whole lot more.”
Cassie shakes her head. “You kissed me out of the blue on the dance floor, and you’ve never stopped pursuing me since. Your forwardness is impressive, Cash.”
“I see something I want, I go for it. No real point in messing around, I think.”
Dinner comes and goes, and it’s delicious, with Cassie agreeing. I avoid telling her ‘I told you so.’
“You’re kind, sweet, handsome,” she says, looking into my eyes. “Giving me horseback rides, being so sweet with my niece and nephew, and being such a gentleman. I’m just curious, Cash.”
“About what?”
“When’s the other shoe drop?”
I raise an eyebrow. “I don’t follow.”
“My uncle warned me about the Rowdy boys when I mentioned you for the first time. Says you guys have a reputation of living up to your name. What’s he worried about? Where’s the catch? No one can be this perfect, Cash. I can hardly believe you’re real.”
I shrug. “Perfection is a bit of an ‘eye of the beholder’ thing. I’ve scared girls off showing up on horseback before.”
“Come on, that’s not what I mean. Why would my uncle be concerned about your well-mannered horse, of all things?”
I let out a deep breath and think about my family and our history in this town. Of the values our father instilled in us, and that our mother wished us to carry forward. “I think maybe that the Rowdy family is known for being a bit more intense than your everyday citizen of Burly, Cassie.”
Her interest is piqued and she leans in. “What do you mean by that?”
“We don’t waste time. We don’t suffer bullshit. We do what needs to be done to get what we want, and we don’t take half measures.”
She nods. “Like when you clocked that guy outside the saloon.”
“Exactly. We’ll defend who we care for with our whole spirit, for better or for worse. I stormed some cultist compound with my cousins a few months ago with a hunting rifle and a machete to rescue a woman I didn’t even know. I don’t gotta tell you I’m not a soldier, Cassie. I like to think I got some muscle and I can throw a punch, but I’m no trained warrior. I don’t belong in a situation like that. But I went anyway. Because my family needed me. I’d take a bullet for any of them.”
She thinks about that, kind of surprised. It takes her some time to piece some words together. “I’m not sure what that all means about us.”
“It means I don’t hesitate.” I stand up, and approach her side of the table. I offer her my hand, and she rises to meet me. “I think I’m falling in love with you and I want you, Cassie. Wholly. Fully. The same intensity that makes me go do dumb shit like running into a cult compound filled with guys with guns is what makes me want to pull you close, and kiss you on the lips right here and right now.”
I hear her swallow. “Then do it.”
I happily obey. And once again I’m so absolutely filled with desire for her. She’s a hell of a kisser, but I know this is only the teaser.
My passion for her is going to drive me to do so much more, and I don’t know how much longer I can hold myself back.