Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 60933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
I ran my hand through my short hair and groaned. This was why I hated small towns. The gossip. There was never any privacy. Unless your father was beating the shit out of your mother. Somehow he could get away with that and no one would figure it out. The reminder put a sour taste in my mouth, and I stood up. “One of the many reasons I wanted out of this place,” I said.
“It’s got just as many pros as it does cons. Maybe more. Hell, we added a pro today. History teacher is smoking hot,” Nash drawled. I knew he was saying it just to rile me, but I still scowled at him.
Nash started laughing and took a drink. “Go on and take that job in Georgia. Leave Ezmita Ramos here in Lawton. I might not make a move, but someone will. Next thing you know you’ll come to visit and she’ll be married with a kid. Sleep on that, why don’t ya.”
“Jesus, Nash,” Ryker muttered. “You’re fucking harsh.”
I wanted to ignore the image in my head, but thanks to Nash it was there. It wasn’t going away, either. Damn him and his meddling. He wanted me in Lawton for his sake, and I knew that. However, he was right. One day Ezmita would get married. She would have a family.
Was I ready to see that? Would I ever be?
CHAPTER TEN
EZMITA
I had spent the past two days cleaning house, moving in, and shopping at the local consignment stores for things to make this place look like mine. Now, I stood in the living room. The pretty teal afghan I had bought thrown over the faded tan sofa brightened it up. Pictures of my family and me with my friends back in Nashville sat on the mantel. A large slightly faded and overstuffed red chair now had a brightly colored throw pillow on it. I had moved it to the left of the sofa and turned it slightly so it was facing the fireplace.
I had made it mine, and I loved it. Wrapping my arms around my waist, I spun in a circle to take it all in. Sure, there was more I needed to buy once I could afford it, but for now I had all I truly required.
A knock on the front door interrupted my happy moment, and I hoped my momma hadn’t decided to bring those awful throw pillows she had tried to make me take yesterday. Walking to the door, I began preparing my speech as to why they wouldn’t work with my décor. There was a good chance she would force me to take them and I would have to keep them in the closet and only pull them out when she was visiting.
I took a quick peek out the window to the right of the door and when my eyes found the back of Asa Griffith’s tall, muscular build I froze. That was the very last person I had expected it to be. Letting the curtain fall back into place before he turned and caught me looking at him, I took a deep, calming breath and then went to straighten my hair when I realized it was in a bun. The same bun I had slept in last night. Groaning, I glanced down at my dirty work clothing and wanted to cry. The cutoff jeans and once-pink tank top were old, and I had dirt, dust, and, I was just noticing, some cookie batter across my boobs.
Another knock on the door, and I sighed. It didn’t matter what I looked like. It was Asa. He didn’t care. I was no longer the young girl trying to get his attention. I was an independent woman who didn’t need the appreciation of a man to feel good about myself. With that mini pep talk, I opened the door and put a smile on my face.
“Hello,” I said in greeting.
Asa’s grin made my stomach flutter, and I felt like in that moment my stomach was a traitor to the rest of my body. “Hey, I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he replied.
I glanced down at myself. “Nope. Although it looks like I could use a shower. I’ve been cleaning most of the day.”
“Need any help?” he asked.
My cheeks heated because I knew he meant cleaning, but still it put other images in my head and I wished they would go away.
“With the moving, that is. I assume you can handle the shower on your own.”
A nervous laugh bubbled out of me, and his grin broke into one of those big smiles that made my knees weak. Damn, my knees were traitors now.
“I, uh, no thanks. I think it’s all done,” I replied, then stepped back from the door. “You can come in if you would like.” Why was I inviting him inside? What was I doing?