Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“Yeah,” he said bitterly. “Plenty more women, huh?”
“Fuck, Tanner. It’s not the same.”
Tanner just stared up at him.
“You cared about her that much?” Raid asked, looking pained. Even though evening had fallen, the fairy lights strewn everywhere lit up the darkness. They were in all the trees. Around the tables that were set out around the makeshift dancefloor.
Hannah and Raid’s backyard had turned into something magical. Well, that’s what he might have thought if he’d still had some softness in him.
He patted Mitch’s back lightly as the baby grumbled.
“I did. But don’t worry, I’m over it.”
Raid sighed. “We can find her.”
“No,” Tanner said abruptly.
Mitch let out another small noise. Great, the kid slept through a party, but he was waking him up with his anger.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
“I’m fine.”
“Sure, brother.” Hannah waved, gesturing to Raid. “Come out on a date with us.”
“With you and Hannah? Sounds awkward. I’m not into threesomes, man.”
“Not suggesting that. I’d never let you touch Hannah. No, a double date with her friend Carlie.”
Tanner groaned. He knew Carlie. She was a nice girl, but they had no chemistry.
“Doesn’t have to mean anything. Just friends getting together, but it will get you off the Ranch and back out there. I kept my promise not to say anything about Lilac to anyone. That means you owe me.”
It didn’t mean that at all. It just meant that for once he’d kept his big mouth shut. “If I say yes, will you shut up about Lilac?”
“Yep.”
“Fine. I’ll go. Now, you better go. Hannah wants you.”
“You sure?”
“Go,” Tanner said with a forced smile. “I’m fine.”
“It’s okay to not be fine,” Raid said.
Tanner groaned and stood, rocking with Mitch. “Just because you found a good woman doesn’t mean we need to get all touchy-feely and in touch with our fucking feelings.”
Suddenly, Raid’s eyes widened, and he took a step back.
Tanner tensed and half turned, ready to shield the baby against whatever threat he saw. However, he realized too late that Raid wouldn’t have stepped back if there had been a threat to Mitch.
Nope, this threat would defend the baby in Tanner’s arms with his life.
“Did you just swear in front of my baby?” West snarled.
“You couldn’t have warned me he was standing there,” Tanner said to Raid.
Raid grinned. “Nope. Bye.”
“Give me my baby,” West demanded.
“Ahh, no, I think I’m gonna keep him until you’ve calmed down.”
West’s gaze narrowed. “Give him to me now.”
“Hey! What’s going on?” Flick asked, walking up. She smiled at Mitch. “Aww, look he’s still sleeping. You’ve got the magic touch, Uncle Tanner.”
“He’s a good baby.” Tanner kissed the top of his nephew’s head and watched West relax slightly.
The guy was wound up tighter than usual, which was saying something since he wasn’t the most relaxed individual.
“He sure is. Come on, West. Dance with me!” Flick tugged on his arm.
West? Dance? He’d like to see the day that happened.
“No dancing,” West replied. “Tanner needs to give me my baby.”
“Why? He’s happy,” Flick told him. “If you won’t dance, you can just stand there while I dance around you. That’s what he considers dancing anyway.” She grinned at Tanner.
“He swore in front of Mitch,” West grumbled.
Flick sighed and shook her head. “We’ve had this conversation, West. People are going to swear in front of Mitch.”
“They shouldn’t.”
“It happens. I stubbed my toe the other day and I said a bad word. Are you going to punish me?”
West turned to look at her. “You stubbed your toe? You didn’t tell me!”
Flick sighed. “That’s not the point of this. The point is—”
West pointed a finger at her. “You tell me if you hurt yourself. That’s the rule.”
“Darn it, West!” Flick stomped her foot.
West swooped down and picked her up, cradling her against his chest.
“Tanner, watch Mitch.”
Flick groaned as he carried her away, scolding her. Tanner grinned.
“Your father is nuts, Mitch. Thank God the Malones pretty much always have boys because imagine him with a baby girl. That poor child would never get to leave the house. He’d probably put her in a bubble.”
Tanner shook his head at the thought. His cousin, Lottie, was the only Malone girl to be born in years.
There had to be a reason for that.
Swaying with the music, he headed toward the bar to get another soda. Seemed he wasn’t going to be drinking for a while. The bar was set around the side of the house to leave more room for everyone out back. Seemed like most of the town was here.
He froze as he spotted someone in the distance, watching from the street. There was no way he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. He shook his head and stepped farther forward. Just then, the person disappeared.
“Fuck, Mitch, now I’m seeing things,” he muttered. “There’s no way that was Lilac.”
He was definitely losing his mind.
9
Lilac looked up at the name of the bar.