Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 85270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Me: Headed to the gym.
Declan: Headed to the shop.
Orrin: I’m in.
They’re the only two who reply, but that doesn’t surprise me. Usually, we go in the evenings because we all work, and getting motivated to work out at 5:00 a.m. so that you still have time to shower and head to work isn’t exactly our idea of a good time. However, sometimes on my days off, I go in the mornings.
I toss off the covers, and my feet hit the floor, and that’s when I remember I don’t have a truck. “Fuck,” I mutter, running my hands through my hair. I debate on what to do and settle for calling Orrin.
“What’s up?”
“I need a ride to the gym.” I close my eyes, waiting for the inquisition to start.
“Where’s your truck?”
There it is. “Palmer has it.” I’m greeted with nothing but silence on the other end.
“Palmer?”
“Yeah, you know Palmer, Deacon’s little sister, Ramsey’s best friend?”
“Why does Palmer have your truck?”
“Her car broke down. She needed wheels while Dec fixed hers. I was off today, so I offered.”
“How did you get involved?”
“Does it matter? Can you pick me up or not?”
“Yes, and yes. My girl is going to want to know all the details, so I’ve learned to ask these things.”
“Stop hiding behind your girlfriend.” Orrin and his girlfriend, Jade, have only been dating a short amount of time, but my oldest brother has conformed to being in a serious relationship with ease. I don’t give it long before he’s dropping to one knee, asking her to marry him. I like Jade. She’s sweet, and she’s good for Orrin.
“I’m not. I’m simply being a good boyfriend. Trust me, one day, you’ll understand.”
I ignore him. “I’ll be ready.”
“I’m heading out now.”
I end the call and drag my ass to the bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for the gym. In the kitchen, I mix us both up a pre-workout shake, grab my phone, and go to wait for him on the front porch. It’s not two minutes later, he’s pulling into the driveway.
“Here.” I hand him the pre-workout shake through his window before making my way over to the passenger side and climbing in.
“Thanks. Talk.”
“There’s nothing to say. I was driving by and saw her car broken down on the side of the road, so I stopped. She was on the phone with Deacon. He had court. I was off, so I offered to take a look and ended up texting Declan to tow her to his place.”
“And now she has your truck. Your baby.”
“She does.”
“And you’re chill as hell right now. Spill it.”
“There’s nothing to spill.” I barely avoid rolling my eyes. “She needed wheels. I was there, I was off today, and it made sense. Declan will have her car fixed today. She’ll call me when it’s ready to swing by and get me, and we’ll go to Dec’s place to pick hers up.”
“Aren’t you just the good Samaritan,” he jokes.
“Can we not do this?”
“Fine,” he quickly concedes. “What’s wrong with her car?”
I sigh heavily, letting my head drop back against the seat. “Her alternator.”
“Easy fix.”
“That’s what I just said.”
“What did you get into last night?”
“I went to Harris for dinner and did some meal prepping.”
“Who went with you?”
I grit my teeth. “Palmer.”
Deep belly laughs come from my oldest brother, and if he wasn’t driving us, I’d probably punch him. Not to hurt him, but maybe in the arm so he knows he’s annoying as fuck right now. “Why is that funny?”
“Because it is. It’s like pulling teeth to get information out of you. Why can’t you just admit you’re into her?”
“Who said anything about me being into her? We’ve been friends with Deacon for years. She’s Ramsey’s best friend, Deacon’s little sister. Why wouldn’t I stop to help her? I’d like to think… no, I know for a fact that if it were Deacon who was driving by, and it was Ramsey, he would have stopped.”
“Of course he would have. That’s his fiancée.”
“You know what I mean, jackass. If they weren’t together, he would have stopped and offered to help.”
“Do you think he would have given her his truck and taken her to dinner?”
I shrug. “Probably.”
“So, the two of you went to Harris for dinner, the next town over. I just want that to go on the record, and then what? She drops you off at your house and takes your truck?”
I should have stayed home and in bed. “No. She came inside for a while.”
“Wait until I—” he starts, but I turn to look at him. I’m glaring at the side of his face, and I know he can feel me.
“No.” My voice is gruff and a tad bit menacing. “You will not run and tell your girlfriend anything. I was helping her out. We went to dinner. She stayed to watch how I meal prep, and then she went home.” I don’t tell him how my cock was half-mast most of the night or how I offered her to stay over. I never let women stay over. Hell, I never bring them to my place. I’m not one of those guys who has a new woman every weekend. I’ve had the occasional hookup, but they’re never at my place. Other than Ramsey, my mom, and Jade, my house is a woman-free zone.