Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 101778 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101778 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Lincoln nodded. “Of course.”
“Ignore it. We dated back in high school, and she’s still bitter about me breaking up with her.”
When Lincoln’s eyes went wide with shock, I almost laughed. “High school! She’s still upset because you broke up with her in high school?”
I chuckled. “Yeah.”
She rolled her eyes and let out a chuckle of her own. “Wow. That’s sort of sad.”
“It is.”
“Dad! Let’s go shoot some ducks!” Blayze yelled out as he and Billy came running up to us.
“I like the sound of that,” I stated as I ruffled his hair.
I watched him and Billy turn tail and run toward the games. Once we got there, Blayze was raring to go. He shot enough ducks to get a small prize. Then it was my turn. I shot some and got him a bigger prize.
“Miss Lincoln, you gonna try?”
She grinned. “I sure am. I used to be pretty good at this.”
I looked down at the boys and acted like I was rolling my eyes at Lincoln.
“Girls can’t shoot!” Billy exclaimed.
Lincoln arched a brow. “Is that right?”
I paid for Lincoln’s turn, and she thanked me, picked up the gun—and proceeded to shoot every single duck down.
I was pretty sure my damn mouth was on the ground.
“She did better than you, Dad!” Blayze shouted with a laugh.
With a sexier-than-sin smile on her face, Lincoln blew at the end of her fake gun and winked at me. My damn knees went weak. They actually went weak.
“My daddy taught me how to shoot.”
That southern accent came out in full force, and in that moment, I fell a little bit more for Lincoln Pratt.
“I’d say he did,” I replied with a chuckle. “I’m beginning to think you’re more on the country side than a city girl.”
Her face beamed. “Well, if you’re asking me if I know how to ride, I most certainly do. It’s been a while—a long while—but I’m positive I’m still good at it.”
I swallowed hard, trying not to notice how my dick was straining against my jeans again.
“You’re talking about horses, right?” I asked, my voice a tad shaky.
Her lips pursed tight, and she shrugged before turning her attention to the attendant, who was handing her a giant stuffed dog.
Laughing, I stepped closer and pressed my mouth to her ear. “You’re a very naughty girl for doing that to me.”
She smiled and pulled back to look into my eyes. “Payback from earlier in the truck, Mr. Shaw.”
We both fell into a lust-induced trance.
“Why are you staring at each other and not talking?” Blayze asked.
Lincoln cleared her throat while she hugged the dog a little closer.
“Where to now, buddy?” I asked.
“The merry-go-round!”
As Lincoln and I walked next to each other, I couldn’t shake the feeling I had in my chest. Was that excitement? Desire? Lust? All I knew was I was confused. I liked Lincoln; there was no denying it. But why did I like her? Because she was different from the other women in this town? Or was it because, the first time I’d laid eyes on her, I’d felt something zip through my body that I’d never experienced before?
At the time, it’d pissed me off that I’d had a reaction to her. The woman who’d bought the house where I was supposed to raise a family had moved in, won the hearts of my son and my family, and made me want to kiss her the moment I met her. The last thing I’d wanted was to let someone in.
“I want the elephant,” Blayze declared.
I reached my hand out for Lincoln and helped her up onto the ride. “Any certain one you want?”
She gave me a sheepish grin. “The pink horse.”
I laughed. “Pink horse it is.”
Blayze’s elephant just happened to be right in front of the two horses Lincoln and I climbed up on. As the music began and we started to go around, I couldn’t help but watch her. The way she and Blayze talked back and forth with each other. The way she laughed and let herself enjoy the moment. It was refreshing.
My mind drifted back to a memory between Kaci and me.
“This is stupid, Brock.”
Her words felt like a slap in the face.
“I thought you might like coming to the carnival. You used to like it.”
She scoffed. “Yeah, when I was ten. I’m a grown woman now, and I have no interest in this.”
“How about if I try to win you something?”
Her frown dropped slightly. When we’d been kids, Kaci always loved it when I won her the giant stuffed animals.
“I want the pink flamingo,” she demanded, hands on hips and everything.
“Pink flamingo it is.”
Taking her hand in mine, I guided us through the sea of people over to the ring toss.
It didn’t take long before I was handing Kaci a giant pink flamingo. Her smile was the first genuine smile I’d seen in a long time. I knew the stress of me being on the road all the time was getting to her.