Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 143842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 719(@200wpm)___ 575(@250wpm)___ 479(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 143842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 719(@200wpm)___ 575(@250wpm)___ 479(@300wpm)
Seized by the dread of the choice I had made, constantly worrying I had done this all wrong, the rubbing at my soul urging that I was taking the easy way out. Guilt clotting the flickers of joy I’d already found here.
But I hadn’t heard a word from Pruitt, not since my father had mentioned him, and I was standing on that.
I just had to make sure my daughter was safe first, then I would make the choice of how to proceed, how to handle the burden of this knowledge.
As if I didn’t have enough to fret over, I’d spent an inordinate amount of time trying to ignore the presence of my new neighbor that seemed to follow me everywhere, both at my house and at work, the man’s aura so distinct that I swore I could sense his footsteps wherever he went.
He was always tossing out easy hellos. Texting me to ask if I was okay and if I needed a hand. Acting like we were long lost BFFs and he owed me the time and the effort.
It would be a whole lot easier to dismiss the man if I wasn’t subject to the energy he emitted whenever he was in his house, this magnetism that’d had me peeking out my window too many times to count, then feeling guilty the second I’d give in.
The way my eyes couldn’t help but search him out whenever I roamed the grounds of the resort, drawn to an entity that would destroy.
Cody Cooper was nothing but a black hole.
A stupidly hot black hole that threatened to suck me in.
Shaking it off, I backed out of my parking space and took off down the long drive that wound out of the resort.
A ton of cars passed me coming in. The resort was booked to capacity for the weekend, which was typical since people flocked here for weekend getaways.
I was halfway down the drive when my phone rang from my Bluetooth speakers. A surprised smile stretched across my face when I saw the name on the screen.
Eagerly, I touched the button on the dash to accept the call, my voice full of wonder, “Oh, my goodness, if it isn’t Paisley Dae.”
She shrieked from the opposite end of the line. “Tell me it’s true, and your gorgeous ass is back in Colorado.”
Warmth flooded my chest. “I’m here!”
I made it to the end of the drive and carefully made a left, Paisley’s excitement in my ear. “Oh my God! I can’t believe you’re actually back. I heard some murmurings going around town, but I had to call to find out for myself.”
“The rumors are all true.” I grinned.
“Huh, who’d have known that rumors could be good?” she teased.
A tiny sliver of laughter rumbled out.
“And you’re back in town, too?” I asked.
The last I’d talked to her, she was moving to Arizona with her boyfriend. That was years ago, and we’d lost touch after that.
Honestly, I hadn’t known her all that well, the two of us more acquaintances than friends, though that’s what I really had considered her.
A friend.
Someone who shared my same interests when my best friend had been terrified of horses.
My spirit clutched with the errant thought of Brooke. A sheering of sadness. I squeezed my eyes closed for a beat to block the vision that tried to take possession of my mind.
I forced myself to listen to what Paisley was saying, refusing the way my thoughts kept threatening to spiral.
“I’ve been for almost two years now. Back home and engaged to the love of my life,” she said.
“Jeremy?” I hoped she couldn’t hear the way I cringed when I asked it. I’d only met the guy once, but I couldn’t be considered a fan.
Paisley exaggerated a gag. “God, no. My fiancé’s name is Caleb and he’s the hottest man alive. Wait until you see him. But don’t look too close because that man is mine.”
Mirth covered every word, and there was no stopping my giggle. Paisley Dae had a way of spreading joy wherever she went.
I’d met her on my father’s ranch when she’d come to purchase a couple of his horses when she’d been starting her own training facility in Time River. I’d only been sixteen at the time, and she was a couple years older than me. She’d strutted in, wearing cutoffs and boots and a cowgirl hat, so confident and wild and free that I couldn’t help but want to be just like her.
“Don’t worry, I won’t look too close,” I ribbed, then sobered. “It’s so good to hear you’re doing well and are happy.”
“What’s good to hear is your voice. I’m sorry it’s been so long.” I could almost see her pout from across the line.
“Don’t even apologize,” I told her. “Life has a way of doing that, and I’m sorry we lost touch, too. But I am back and living in Hendrickson with my little girl and my grandmother.”