Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 114263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
“But he caused so much more pain by not doing anything,” I reply thickly.
“I hear you. As far as you were concerned, he said he didn’t want to take you away from your mom. He knew Aubrey needed you, and you needed her.”
“I needed him too.”
“I told him so. I think he finally came to that realization, but he felt like he’d done too much damage at that point to ever fix it. I’m not making excuses for him—”
“I know.”
“But he was sick over it, Mollie. I swear on my life that Garrett died loving you more than anything.”
I can only stare, eyes welling. “Cash.”
“Yeah?”
“Can I hug you?”
He laughs. “I thought you wanted to murder me?”
“I can do that too. But…thanks? For sticking up for me.”
“If I’da known you, I wouldn’t have done it,” he replies with a smirk.
I give his shoulder a shove. “Just when I was starting to like you.”
“See?” He meets my eyes, a grin on his lips. “Charming and well adjusted as fuck. You’re welcome.”
It’s then that I realize my stomach has stopped hurting.
CHAPTER 16
Cash
KEEPING UP
“Feeling full of ourselves because we did some twirls tonight on the dance floor, I see.” Mollie’s eyes shine. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, cowboy.”
“I thought we said no more nicknames.”
“Cowboy isn’t a nickname. It’s more of a…vibe.”
“A vibe you like?”
“A vibe I can tolerate, yeah.”
I hang a right, my tires meeting with the dirt road that announces our arrival on Lucky Ranch.
Thank God we’re home, or I might be tempted to do something stupid. Like reach across the cab to grab Mollie’s face and kiss her.
I got no clue what the fuck is wrong with me. How’d I go from wanting this girl gone to wanting to taste her mouth in less than, what, a week?
Why can’t I stop flirting with her?
Why won’t she stop flirting with me?
I pull up in front of the New House, my headlights flashing across the windows. Putting the truck in park, I turn off the ignition.
Mollie goes still. “What are you doing?”
“What do you think I’m doing?” I grab the handle. “I’m walking you to your door.”
“Why?”
“Because,” I say slowly, “it’s dark and there are animals around and I want to make sure you get inside okay. You forgot to turn on the outside lights.”
She looks so fucking cute when she’s perplexed like this, nose scrunched up and lips pursed. “Is this part of the cowboy vibe?”
“Sure.”
“I’m fine. To walk alone, I mean. It’s only, like, thirty feet.”
I grin, shoving my door open. “Exactly. It’s only thirty feet, so let me walk you in.”
“I’m not inviting you inside!” she calls as she opens her door.
I jog around the hood to hold the door open. “Never said I wanted to come inside.”
“Perv alert.” She takes the hand I hold out to her and hops to the ground, flashing me a whole lot of leg in the process.
Laughing, I say, “I wouldn’t’ve caught that if you didn’t say something. Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“I’d prefer not to, thanks.”
If Mollie Luck is as quick and self-assured and shamelessly filthy-minded in bed as she is outside of it—
Heaven help me.
Discreetly adjusting my jeans, I reply, “You’re trouble.”
“I know.” Offering me a smile, she looks up, and her breath catches. “Oh my God, the stars. They’re insane out here.”
Tilting back my head, I take in the wide-open sky. Because the house lights aren’t on, I can see everything with startling clarity: the half-moon, the bright stars, even the tiny, not-so-bright stars that look like specks of dust.
“Spectacular, isn’t it?” I say.
“They sure as hell don’t look like this in Dallas. There’s so much light pollution and haze, you can barely see the moon most nights.” Mollie crosses her arms. “This almost looks fake it’s so pretty. Does it ever get old? The stars, the night sky?”
“No.” I step closer to her. “It doesn’t.”
Her swallow is audible in the quiet. “I really can see why Dad loved it out here.”
I look at her. Drink in her thoughtful expression, the soft, slender lines of her neck. “Those of us who love it—”
“Really, truly love it.” Her eyes move to meet mine. “How could you not? If I wasn’t about to fall over, I’d stay out here forever.”
I nod at the front door. “The stars’ll be here tomorrow. And the next night. Let’s get you inside.”
“That mean you want me to stay?” Her eyes glitter in the darkness. “Be honest. I know you were trying to scare me off the other day.”
Smiling, I kick at the gravel. “You’re Garrett’s daughter. If you’re as good of a boss as he was…”
She’s smiling, too, as she turns and heads for the house. I shove my hands in my pockets and follow her, my footsteps sounding a hard, steady beat on the steps up to the door.