Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“There’s good places away from Pine Ridge,” I rumble. I know exactly what his game is and I don’t like it.
“I guess you found one in the city. But some people aren’t cut out to live in the city, Ryder. Some of us need wide open spaces. Of course, I suppose it’s good that you don’t. It’s clear you’re more comfortable living with bright lights and small homes. You’ve forgotten how to live here, I think. Well, except for your hat. Tell me, why do you wear that Stetson everywhere, Ryder? Seems to me you should trade it in for a baseball cap,” Tucker says. As the waitress brings our food. She delivers the burgers and fries and Tillie’s salad with a smile and a wink at Dakota and then leaves without a word.
“I'm still a cowboy. I just happen to be extremely good with my bat. And it's a really big one,” I counter.
Tillie gets strangled on her drink and struggles to contain her coughing. Tucker gets up immediately, before I can do much more than move my hand across her back. He starts clapping against her spine, just above my hand. I shove his hand away, pissed.
“She's not a damn horse. Stop before you hurt her,” I snap as I turn into her, grabbing a napkin to dry her eyes that have watered. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” I question softly, rubbing her back encouragingly.
"I'm fine," she whispers, waving me away.
I lean in to kiss her temple. “There, all better now.”
“Ryder,” Tucker thunders. “Can I see you outside?” He's biting his words out, clearly pissed off. I look at him, knowing we might have it out over Tillie, and I'm okay with that.
“Fine by me,” I tell him, leaning over to kiss Tillie softly on the lips.
“Ryder, everyone can see,” she whispers harshly, her eyes wide with surprise making me grin.
“I'm kissing my girl. I want them to see,” I say, my eyes rolling to my brother as I give him a smirk. “I'll be right back.”
I let Tucker lead the way, following as he walks out the front, stomping around the brick building. I know now we are about to come to blows. I don't give a fuck. My brother needs to stay away from Tillie.
She’s mine. I’m addicted to her. The more I have, the more I want. She makes me feel alive again.
Hell, leaving her this morning made me feel miserable. I know myself enough to know that means what I feel for Tillie is special, and I'm not going to let her go.
Despite my nickname, I've really only ever wanted to be a one-woman man. I don't like dating. I wanted to have a woman in my life who's my partner, a woman I could care for, spoil, and build a life with. Those were things my parents instilled in me growing up on the ranch. While the ranch itself isn’t inside me, those things always have been.
I used to try to see Emily in that role—a very long time ago. But she never fit. If I'm honest, she never fit in the mold, no matter how I tried to imagine it. Tillie? I can see her in my life easily—more with every day that passes. I may not have been looking for her, but she hit me like a ton of bricks, and I know there's no turning back now.
Tucker and I go back to the alley between the diner and the bank. Tucker stops walking, abruptly turning to face me. I look at him, watching and waiting for him to either hit me or get shit off his chest. I don't know which one is coming first, but I know for sure one of them is.
“Bastard,” Tucker growls out between his teeth.
That's the only warning I get as he lunges toward me. I try to sidestep, but Tucker nails me in the gut. Shoving him back away from me, I throw a right cross, catching him in the jaw. We trade jabs, with Tucker getting a few good punches in. One splits my lip and a bitter metallic taste blooms across my tongue. I spit it out, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand, breathing hard at this point. Tucker isn't faring much better. He’s holding his ribs, already sporting swelling under his eye. At least I gave him a shiner.
We stare at each other, both breathing hard.
“You had no reason to touch Tillie! She's not like the girls you normally bury your dick in,” Tucker growls. “Tillie has substance with a tender heart. You're going to hurt her.”
“I know she's different. I'm not planning on hurting her.”
Tucker laughs sarcastically. “Do you really expect me to believe that?”
I glare at my brother, showing him my patience is wearing thin. “I don't have to tell you shit about what's going on between Tillie and me. That's private, but I'm not trying to hurt her. I want her.”