Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Main Street is busy, but I find a parking spot at the end before hurrying around the vehicle to help Taylor out the passenger door. She doesn’t wait for me—a sign her father was far from a gentleman—and I gently chastise her. “You’re going to make me look bad, little muffin. You gotta wait for a cowboy to help you out of any vehicle or off any horse, you understand?”
Taylor nods and she’s blushing by the time we’re walking side by side down the street.
By rights, I should hold her hand as we walk and show the world she’s mine, but she stuffs her hands into the pockets of her black joggers.
There aren’t many clothes shops in town, so I take her to the biggest one first. It has a decent range of practical clothing. No little black dresses or high-heeled strappy sandals here.
“So, it’s not exactly Calvin Klein, but take a look around and grab whatever you want.”
Taylor remains frozen at my side, the rails of women’s clothing close enough for her to touch. It’s like she doesn’t know what to do. I step forward and grab two tank tops, one in a shade of green that will suit Taylor’s complexion and make her eyes pop and another in black. “How about these?” I hold them out to her.
She touches the price tag, and I shake my head. “We’re not looking at those today, muffin. Just choose what you like. How about these?” I hold up a pair of light-colored jeans that will hug her rounded ass nicely. I don’t wait for an answer, just pick a whole bunch of clothes from the rails and hang them over my arm.
I’m bending to pick up a new pair of plain white sneakers from the floor when a familiar voice drawls my name.
“Maverick Clancy. I thought that was you. What are you doing in the women’s section?”
I straighten up to find Mindy standing slightly in front of Talyor with her hand on her cocked hip. Since I last saw her, she’s bleached her hair almost white and taken to painting her lips an almost luminous shade of pink. She’s stunning in a way that stabs you in the eye with its brutality.
“Mindy.” I nod curtly. We have history together: a drunken fuck behind the local bar, which I’ve regretted ever since. She hasn’t stopped using that hookup as leverage for more.
“Since when do you shop in the women’s section? Something I should know?”
“Nothing you should know,” I mutter. I hold out the sneakers to Taylor. “Are these your size?”
Mindy swivels and stares at Taylor down her sharp nose. It wrinkles when she takes in Taylor’s shabby, shapeless clothes and her tight posture.
“Yes.” Taylor glances at Mindy with uncertainty, and, finding no friendly smile, looks away.
“I’ll take all these to the fitting room. Okay?”
“You want me to try them on?”
“Yep.”
Before Mindy can try to engage me in any further conversation, I stride to the back of the store, hanging the garments inside the small booth, and wait for Taylor to follow and close the door.
When I turn to search for some leather boots for Taylor, I find Mindy almost directly behind me. “Who’s that?” she asks loudly. “One of Clint’s trailer cousins? She looks like she needs more than a few new clothes.”
She glances down at her own toned body to illustrate the contrast between herself and Taylor. What she doesn’t realize is that Taylor wins hands down exactly as she is. There’s nothing uglier than a person with no empathy for others. Mindy’s brand of grandiosity could wilt even the stiffest boner.
“Quit tryin’ to raise my bristles, Mindy.”
Her pink lips are thin, but I stride past her before she can respond. There are some cute boots in the corner that I want Taylor to wear with the denim skirt I picked out already.
It’s Jesse’s birthday in a few days and I need to buy him a gift. Taylor will be busy for a while, so I tell her I’m going next door, and I’ll be back in a few minutes. Before I leave, I search for Mindy, who’s browsing the accessory section. She got the hint.
It doesn’t take me long to buy a bottle of Jesse’s favorite whiskey. I’m back in the clothes store after only five minutes. I assume Taylor’s still in the dressing room, but as I approach, I find Mindy with her back to me. “He’s not a good man,” I overhear her saying. “He likes to fuck around, and he always goes for blondes. He has a thing for women like me. That’s why I was his girl. You don’t stand a chance looking like that….shapeless and plain.”
I clear my throat, and Mindy swings around. Her eyes narrow on me, and behind her, Taylor’s eyes are wide as a frightened rabbit.