Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 128801 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128801 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
“Because he loves you.”
“That’s right. He does. Speaking of…” She glanced at the watch on her wrist. “I need to get to the bank. He had some meetings this morning, and he wanted me to meet him to get me on some accounts.”
I quirked a brow. “Who would have ever thought my bestie would end up with a billionaire?”
She giggled as she hopped off the stool and slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder. “Not me. Not that I care a bit about that money except for all the horses that man keeps buying me.”
She winked, then she clambered around the bar and threw her arms around my neck. “Love you, Doodle-Boo. I’m so happy for you.”
I hugged her tight. “Thank you for always knowing when I need someone to talk to.”
She edged back and tapped her finger to her temple. “Sixth sense.”
I laughed. “See you Saturday.”
“Bye.”
I watched her strut through the double doors in her pink boots and cut-offs, laughing under my breath at my whirlwind of a best friend, before I blew out a sigh, figuring I’d better go check on things in the back.
The kitchen was chaos the way it always was but done in an order that always seemed to work. Beth was back there shouting orders at the cooks.
“All good back here?” I asked.
She sent me a waggish grin. “Do you even need to ask? I have it under control, the way I always do.”
I chuckled under my breath. “Are you implying you have no need for me?”
“Just keep coming up with the recipes and we’ll be just fine.”
“I see what I’m good for,” I drew out.
She pulled one of the specials out from under the warming lamp. “It’s good all right.”
Pride pulsed, and I gave a smile before I went into my office. I quickly went through emails and returned a couple that needed to be addressed, though my thoughts kept drifting to Ryder.
To everything that had happened in such a short time.
I finished what I needed to in my office, and feeling like I was floating again, I headed back for the dining room and pushed through the swinging door.
Only I froze the second I stepped out. All the blood in my head drained, leaving me dizzy and covered in a cold slick of dread.
It was impossible to breathe.
Impossible to move.
My legs lead as I stood gaping at the man sitting in the same stool that Paisley had been sitting in earlier.
Because in a flash, I knew my life was never going to be the same.
FORTY
DAKOTA
I carefully edged up to the counter, my feet so heavy and my heart thundering so hard that everything had gone fuzzy.
Throat thick.
My chest about to cave.
I attempted to swallow it down and act like nothing was out of the ordinary as I gauged the man’s purpose who sat with both his elbows resting on the counter, his gaze wary.
It was that instant I was sure that he wasn’t there because he was interested in today’s special. Knew it in the way he looked like he was covered in a sheen of dread, too.
Like he was questioning coming, all while knowing that he had to be there.
He wore a white button-down with blue pinstripes, and the top two buttons were undone like he’d been sweating so bad he needed to loosen it so he could breathe.
Trey.
“Hi,” I barely managed when I made it opposite him.
He scrubbed an agitated palm over his face before he was eyeing me in speculation again. “Hey.”
“Can I…get you something?”
He shrugged a small gesture that affirmed the reason he was there. “I, uh, sure. An iced tea would be nice.”
My hands shook out of control while I poured him a glass, and it clanked on the counter as I passed it to him.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” I smoothed my damp hands over my dress, anxiety riding so high I was about to drown in it.
He hesitated before he blew out a sigh that spoke of his discomfort. “I think we need to talk.”
I gave him the slightest nod. “Okay.”
“You remember me?” he asked.
I choked out a disturbed sound, realizing this guy didn’t know a thing about me, only the tiniest tidbits we’d shared that night. “Yeah. I remember you.”
He nodded quickly, and he looked to the tea glass like he was reading tea leaves, searching for answers through the anxiety that weaved around us. “I…I was in town about a month ago. I’d stopped by the grocery store to grab something to drink on my way back out to Poplar. I saw you in the parking lot as I was leaving.”
He peeked up at me.
A barbed-wire ball rolled in my stomach.
I could barely nod.
He roughed a shaky hand over the top of his head. “I’m going to be honest…it took me a second to place you. Where I knew you from, but the second I did, it punched me in the gut because you had this little boy hooked to your hip, and my mind instantly started calculating.”