Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
He reached for the tie, loosening it. “Hey!”
“Sorry,” Kent said.
Clint glared at him. He could tell he didn’t mean the apology. “Shouldn’t have let you play with my toys as a kid. It’s made you ungrateful.”
Kent rolled his eyes. “You were a selfish brat as a kid. You didn’t share anything.”
Clint turned to look at himself in the mirror. Black suit, cream vest and a black shirt and dark blue tie.
“Well?” Kent asked.
“Yeah, it’s okay.” He’d probably never wear this again. Unless…
“Guess it will also work for when I’m best man at your wedding. Get more bang for my buck.”
“Like you’re short a buck.” Kent shook his head. “You just offered to pay for my wedding.”
“Because you won’t tell me how you’re gonna propose!” He hated not knowing things. “I still say we should have just eloped. All this fuss for one damn day. And I wouldn’t have to wear a damn monkey suit. Think about it, quick trip to Las Vegas, some Elvis look-alike then a honeymoon. Done.”
Kent gave him an exasperated look. “I know you don’t really mean that.”
“How do you know? These past few weeks, I’ve barely seen Charlotte even though we live in the same damn house. We’ve both been so busy. It’s crazy.” He couldn’t even remember when she last had some Little time. “I remember Bear warned me it was gonna be madness but I scoffed at him. Damn bastard was right.”
He started pulling off the tie. These things should be illegal.
“It will all be over soon,” Kent reassured him.
Thank God for that.
2
She knew he didn’t mean it.
Most of the time Clint was filled with bluster. He had the hugest heart. He took care of everyone on Sanctuary ranch like they were family. She loved him. He was everything to her.
But it still kind of hurt to hear him say he’d rather elope than go through with the wedding she’d meticulously organized. The day she’d dreamed about for years.
Her hands shook as she pulled on her jacket and boots and stepped into the cool, winter air. All her life she’d dreamed about the big, white wedding. It had gotten her through a lot of bad times. Growing up with an abusive aunt, she’d never received any affection or love.
She’d only had her daydreams. Didn’t all little girls dream of the big, poofy dress, a carriage and handsome guy in a suit staring at them adoringly?
But maybe most of them grew out of that. Perhaps she’d gone too overboard. She’d pushed Clint into something he didn’t want.
Guilt swamped her.
You should go tell him he doesn’t have to wear that suit if he doesn’t want to. That you don’t need any of it if it’s not what he wants as well.
Did he even want any of it?
She should probably tell him that she’d overheard his conversation with Kent. Then she’d likely get her butt roasted for eavesdropping.
She deserved it.
Turning, her mind made up, she was caught by surprise as her head spun. She leaned a hand against a tree until the dizziness faded. That was weird. She took some slow breaths to calm the nausea bubbling in her stomach. When she was certain it was under control, she looked around. Well, shoot.
She’d walked off the path. Clint would kill her if she got lost. She wouldn’t need to worry about the wedding, because she’d be dead.
Okay, she knew she could make her way back. This wasn’t like the time she’d gone chasing after that bunny and Jed had to rescue her. Rambo to the rescue.
She grinned.
She started walking back the way she’d come. She quickly found the path she’d been following earlier. Soon she found herself stepping out of the trees and behind the large barn. Thank goodness she hadn’t gone too far. She let out a relieved breath then moved around the barn, shivering slightly. The air was growing even colder. Was it going to snow?
“Charlie?”
She startled at the familiar voice, turning with a smile as she saw Linc, the ranch manager, coming towards her. But she must have moved too fast. Her head spun. Dark spots danced in front of her vision. She heard her name shouted just as the ground rushed up to meet her.
Then nothing.
3
“What the hell is wrong with her? Is she sick?”
Clint’s bellow stirred her.
“Clint, shut up, you’re waking her,” Kent said.
“Don’t we want to wake her up? We shouldn’t let her sleep, right? What if she hit her head?”
“I don’t think she did,” someone else said. Who was that? How many people were here? “Think she just fainted. You’ve called Doc?”
She groaned at that. Doc? Someone called Doc? She didn’t need him. She felt fine. Well, she was nauseous and she wasn’t that keen on moving just yet, but she was certain she’d be fine soon. Doc would want to examine her. Which meant things getting stuck up her butt.