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)
The man who’s lived rent-free in my head all morning calmly strides over to me, watching me with those hot blue eyes. In front of literally everyone in my shop, he reaches over the counter and closes his hand over my throat, then leans in and plants his lips at my ear.
“Hello, wife.”
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I’m wet. Just like that. Why does that word turn me on?
“You told Bridger,” I whisper as his thumb brushes over the line of my jaw before he pulls away and removes his hand from me altogether.
“It’s not a secret, Millie.”
“No, but I’d like to tell my family,” I hiss at him. People are staring now. They’re definitely looking and starting to talk, and I shake my head. “And now I have to call an emergency meeting. Right now.”
“You go,” Candy says kindly, her cheeks red, since she heard everything. “I can handle this.”
“Are you sure?” I ask her.
“Totally. Go figure this out. And, uh, congratulations.” She winks, and I blow out a breath and stomp back to my office, Holden hot on my heels.
When I get the door closed, I pull my phone out of my pocket and send a text to the family group chat. It has everyone, including the girls and my parents, and we use it for really important things like this.
Me: Hi, gang. I need an emergency meeting right now. Like, ten minutes ago. Do not take any calls from anyone in town before you talk to me. Please tell me everyone is available.
I chew on my bottom lip, very aware of Holden standing against the wall, his arms folded over his chest, watching me with those blue eyes that seem to see everything.
Why do I suddenly feel like I need a hug? I don’t even like hugs. Sure, the one in my kitchen last night was nice, but I’m not really a hugger.
Or a toucher.
Within seconds, I get responses.
Dad: Come to the ranch.
Rem: Meet you at the farmhouse.
Ryan: Are you safe?
Okay, that one brings tears to my eyes.
Chase: Summer and I are headed that way.
Me: I’m safe. Just need to talk.
Brady: Abbi and I are at the property. We’ll meet you there.
Me: No kids, if possible. Please.
Still biting my lip, I look up at Holden.
“I hate it when you cry.” His voice is low and rough, which doesn’t help the whole needing a hug thing.
“This isn’t going to be fun.”
“I’m sorry. I really am sorry for that, Mill.”
I swallow hard and nod. I believe him. He sounds completely sincere.
After blowing out a long breath, I pocket my phone. “I guess I’ll go handle this, then.”
“No, we will go handle it.”
I scowl at him. “There’s no way you’re going out to the ranch.”
“There’s no way I’m not going,” he counters and moves forward, catching my chin in his fingers. “You’re my wife. Where you go, I go. You don’t have to do anything alone anymore.”
I raise my hand to circle around his wrist, but I don’t shove him away. His eyes narrow in on my finger, and he scowls.
“Where’s my ring?”
“In my pocket.”
“Why isn’t it on your goddamn finger?”
I swallow hard, at a loss as to why all of this turns me on. Maybe because everything Holden Lexington does turns me the hell on. “Because we hadn’t told anyone yet, and I didn’t want everyone to talk and ask me questions that I wasn’t ready to answer because we haven’t talked to our families yet, Holden. Do I need to remind you that this is a small freaking town?”
He pushes his hand into the pocket of my jeans and comes out with the ring, then takes my hand and pushes it back on my finger.
“It doesn’t come off again, Mill. That’s a deal breaker for me.”
“A rule?” I ask.
“Yep. A rule. Now, let’s go get this over with.”
“Do you have a gun in your truck?”
He smirks as he takes my hand and leads me out of my shop and to his truck, which is parked out front. He opens the door for me and makes sure I’m safely inside before he walks around and climbs behind the wheel.
I’m regretting some of my life choices right now.
Because while I knew that I’d have to come clean to my family, I didn’t really let myself think about how this was going to go down.
How can I just bring Holden onto our ranch and announce that he’s my husband?
What have I done?
As he heads out of town, Holden reaches over and takes my hand, brings it up to his lips, and kisses my skin, and it helps my stomach settle just a bit.
I mean, the murder hornets are way fired up, but this contact helps.
“I’m not really a physically affectionate person,” I whisper, watching as he places another kiss on the back of my hand.