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)
We’ll have to arrange for a girls’ night out soon.
Suddenly, someone laughs to my left, and I’d know that laugh anywhere.
I turn my head, and sure enough, there he is. Holden, drinking a beer and laughing at something another guy has said. He nods and takes a pool cue to the table and takes a shot.
And misses.
He already looks a little drunk. He also looks delicious in a black Henley, sleeves pulled up his forearms, showing off the tattoos on one muscled arm that he didn’t used to have, and tight jeans.
Of course, he’s wearing dark cowboy boots. The man is always in boots. And tonight, rather than a cowboy hat, he’s in a backward baseball cap.
Fuck me.
Why does he have to be so…beautiful? Just why?
I set my untouched second drink aside, already deciding that I’d be helping Holden get home tonight. I would usually scoff at him and call him an idiot for being out and acting like a moron.
But his dad recently died, and they had the reading of the will today. It was likely hard on all of them. And while the Lexingtons aren’t my favorite family in town, I don’t hold the ill will for them that my ancestors did.
The rivalry is just stupid, if you ask me.
Of course, Holden is my least favorite, but I don’t wish anything horrible for him. Maybe he could lose his dick to a flesh-eating bacteria, or he could trip and fall and break his nose, ruining all that handsomeness, but I don’t want anything catastrophic to happen.
I snort and turn back to Brenda. “You know what? Let’s switch to Coke.”
“You sure?” She lifts an eyebrow, and I nod.
“Yeah, a Coke will be fine. Thanks.”
She fills a glass and passes it to me, and then I turn to watch Holden some more. He’s pounding another full glass of beer, and in the past ten minutes, his steps have only gotten sloppier. It’s almost as if getting hammered was his whole goal in life tonight.
Not that I can blame him. It was going to be my goal, too. No judgment here. And I really try to judge Holden Lexington as much as humanly possible.
Because he’s a first-class ass.
And he has a first-class ass.
“For fuck’s sake,” I mutter before drinking my Coke. With one ear on what’s going on in Holden’s corner, I turn back to the bar. I’ll just sip my drink and hang out until he’s ready to go home. Because there’s no way in hell that he’s driving out to his ranch like this.
I would hope that he’d call one of his sisters, but I want to make sure.
Why do I feel responsible for him? Why do I have this ridiculous soft spot for him?
Because I’m a masochist, apparently.
“Millie?” I turn and frown at the sight of Bridger Blackwell. Not because I don’t like him, but because what is he doing here? “I thought that was you.”
“You never come out,” I say as he takes the stool next to me. “What are you up to? Where’s Birdie?”
“My mom’s with her,” he says on an exhale, and when Brenda approaches, he orders a beer. “She and Dad are in town for a couple of days, and I needed an hour away.”
“I get it.” I clink my glass to his when Brenda slides his drink to him. “How is she?”
Bridger’s young daughter has had a lot of medical issues over the past year, and I know it’s been really hard on him. For quite a long time, I helped him out by staying with her when he had to work at night.
“She’s doing better. I’m not really sure that they’ve figured her out completely, but the new medication seems to be working.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that, for both your sakes.”
Bridger nods and swallows his beer. He and I have been friends for a long, long time. There’s never been anything besides friendship between us, which is too bad because the man is hot as hell, and on top of that, he’s the fire chief.
I mean, hello, hot man in uniform.
But it’s just never been like that for us. He’s one of my best friends.
“What are you doing out?” he asks, making me sigh.
“I just needed a drink and didn’t want to be in my apartment alone. Which sounds really, really pathetic.”
“No, it doesn’t.” He grins over at me and then nudges me with his shoulder. “It sounds pretty normal. Next time, call me. I’ll go with you.”
“You have a daughter. I’m surrounded by a bunch of parents.” I sigh into my Coke and ignore the feeling of longing as my biological clock lets out a little gong. “You’re no fun.”
“I will have you know that I’m a lot of fun,” Bridger replies with a mock scowl. “Just ask my daughter.”
I laugh at that, and then the hair on the back of my neck stands up when I feel eyes on me.