Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 58727 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58727 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
My God, I’ve never wanted that before. I’m not selfish and always putting my needs first, but as far as women are concerned, my MO has always been to fuck and forget.
Before now. Before Sadie.
Now it’s not just about sex—although that’s the most amazing thing—but the whole package. I care about Sadie, and seeing her hurting hurts me.
“We’re going to need to meet in my office first thing Monday morning,” Peterson says.
“Are you talking to me or to your partner?” My voice isn’t kind.
“Both of you. Chance and Sadie. You and Austin are cleared. Nine a.m. sharp, Monday.”
Chance grunts and narrows his gaze.
“I’ll be there. No way Sadie’s handling this alone,” I tell him.
“My lawyer Shankle’s not as pretty as Sadie, but he’ll be there, too,” Chance adds. “He’ll be representing her as well.”
Damned straight. Sadie isn’t rolling in cash like the Bridgers. Or like we will be. No way is she getting anything but the best. Shankle might be annoying, but he knows his stuff.
With Austin and me off Peterson’s list, I can focus better. Honestly, though? My biggest concern right now is Sadie.
That body is her brother. Was her brother.
Her fucking brother, dead on our property. Is there no end to what my esteemed father was capable of? The havoc he wreaked? He has to be the one responsible for this mess. But why? How? How was he connected to Sadie’s brother?
These are questions Peterson is smart enough to figure out, or we’ll have to do it for him.
I walk Sadie out of the pool hall, my arm around her securely. I click the key fob, and we head toward the flashing lights of her car.
Sadie drives a green VW Beetle. I don’t know why, but that simple fact makes me smile, even though I know my long legs are going to be scrunched up in that front seat.
I open the passenger side door and help her get in, and then I enter the car on the driver's side. It’s a manual transmission.
Sadie drives a stick. That’s really cool. A small thing, but I fall even harder for her in that moment.
The drive to her place only takes a few minutes since Bayfield is so fucking small, and I help her out of the car. Lead her into her apartment, unlocking the door with the keys I didn’t give back.
“What can I do for you?” I ask once we’re inside her apartment.
It looks just as I left it this morning. When I left in anger. When she held off on telling Peterson about us until she was forced to.
I take a deep breath, realize I’m a fucking hypocrite. Chance obviously knows I’m into Sadie after the pool hall. I still haven’t told him, even earlier when both he and Austin asked what’s between us.
I suck at relationships. Or do I? I’ve never actually had one to suck at. But yeah. This is one, even if I’m doing a really good job of fucking it all up. Again and again. First by getting pissed she wanted to keep us a secret. Then by letting my past with Rhonda get in the way. If the tables were turned and Sadie told me she was pregnant because of a past fling, I’d be pissed too, even if it happened before I knew her. Pregnancy mistakes happen, man or woman.
Then there was my jealousy and how I thought she moved on to Jake. Her gay friend.
I need to get my head on straight. Stop fucking up. Sadie was hurt. Surprised. Stunned. I can’t be a dick—even unintentionally—now.
She lifts her dark gaze to mine. “I don’t know. But don’t go. Please. I don’t want to be alone.”
“Absolutely. Would you like me to make you some coffee? Tea?” I’ve never made tea, but how difficult can it be to dunk a bag into hot water?
Her dark hair slides over her shoulders as she shakes her head. “No. Maybe just some water.”
I walk into her small kitchen, search the cupboards for a glass, and fill it from the tap, adding a cube of ice from the freezer. I take it to her. She’s seated on her loveseat, so I settle next to her and hand her the glass. She nods her thanks and then takes a long sip.
“I’m so sorry, baby.” I lift my arm to wrap it around her shoulders.
“It’s weird.” She stares blankly toward her bookcase. “I don’t really know how to feel. We were estranged. When my parents got divorced, Joey was already eighteen, and he went off with my father, supposedly to work construction for his company. I haven’t seen or heard from either of them in…years.”
“Still, he’s your brother.” I temper my voice to be as gentle as possible.
“Was my brother.”
I wish I could take every ounce of sadness out of Sadie and bear it myself. I’ve only had brothers for a couple of weeks, but I sure as hell don’t want to lose one of them.