Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
I wait until I hear his truck start and then the engine revving as he drives away before I lower myself to the swing and drop my face into my hands, finally letting the tears come.
God, I can’t possibly entertain the notion of marrying him. My body is humming, begging for him after just a couple of hours in his presence. And I hate myself for it because that means that if I agree to this insane idea of his, I won’t be strong enough to pretend that it’s not real for me.
I won’t be able to keep my heart safe from him.
Because despite all of it, I want to give in. Over the past couple of years, Holden has softened toward me. He brings me flowers, stops into the shop to chat, and always has a smile or a wink or something nice to say.
At first, it shocked the hell out of me.
Then I started to get used to it, even though I tried my best to be mean to him in return.
There have been moments when I’ve caved and laughed at a joke or smiled at him. When he brought me roses and sunflowers—my second favorite, next to the wild roses—the day I officially took over ownership of BVCC, I thought I was going to melt into a puddle. He told me he was proud of me. His eyes were so sincere, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep it together until he left.
Damn him.
I hate what his dad did to his sisters. They don’t deserve that. And I respect that Holden is doing what he can to make that right. Because I know how much he loves his girls, as he calls them.
He adores them.
He’s protecting them.
But he’s trying to use me to help him do that.
“Jerk,” I mutter when I sit up and tip my head back as I brush the tears off my cheek. “Swoony jerk.”
The look in his eyes this morning when he told me that there’s no one else he’d consider marrying almost brought me to my knees.
There’s no one else.
I’m so fucking confused!
Without overthinking it, I grab my bag and keys and march out to my SUV before heading out toward the Lexington ranch. It just happens to be near my family’s ranch, since they have property that borders each other.
I’ve never set foot on Lexington property before, and I don’t know where Holden’s living out there, but I’ll find it.
If I get lost, I’ll turn back and come home because I don’t have his number.
I deleted that a long time ago.
I pass the turnoff for the Wild River Ranch, and about four miles later, I turn onto Lexington Ranch Road. I follow it until it curves and winds around to a small grouping of buildings, one being a big farmhouse.
But Holden’s truck isn’t parked in front of that. I can see it back a ways, in the trees, over by a smaller cabin with a tiny front porch, and I frown.
I guess he didn’t want to live in the farmhouse.
It’s not long ago that if I’d been caught setting foot on this property, I might have been taking my own life in my hands. Literally. Holden’s dad was an ass, and he made it no secret that he wished all of us Wilds dead.
What a jerk.
I park next to Holden’s truck and then stumble to a stop, staring at the second truck parked by the cabin.
The old, two-toned Ford that he drove forever. I lost my virginity in the back of that Ford, and standing here, looking at it, brings back all kinds of memories that have my nipples puckering and my thighs tightening.
“Get it together, Millie.”
Before I lose my nerve, I walk up to the door and knock.
I can hear footsteps inside, and then he swings the door open, and his face drains of color.
“We’re going to set some ground rules.”
CHAPTER FOUR
HOLDEN
Get. Her. Out of here.
I do not want Millie anywhere close to this ranch. She can’t be here, not under any circumstances.
“Let’s go back to town.” My heart is hammering as I step outside. It’s not that I’m embarrassed about where I live. I just don’t want her here. Not here, with all the ghosts that could still hurt her. “We can sit on your patio and talk.”
She scowls at me as if she’s wondering if I’ve lost my mind. “No, I’m here now, and I want to just get this out.”
“Millie, let’s go somewhere else. Anywhere else.”
“Jesus, Holden, I don’t care if your house is messy. So what?”
“That’s not it.” I shake my head. My stomach is jittery, my palms sweaty, and every molecule in my body is screaming at me to get my girl the fuck out of here. “I just don’t want you here.”