Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
“He’s there. And I will be sure to feed you.” He closed the door. If he could sneak her past his momma. He planned on sneaking her into his place and introducing her later in the afternoon. After he’d explained how his parents could be…a lot.
He could handle Alyssa fine since she worked as an accountant at the meat packing plant. The one his fathers owned, along with their business partners.
What Nicole didn’t know was how much this town was reliant on his family for jobs, for economic development. If his father had wanted to, he could have burned this town to the ground when they’d tried to reject Abigail Moore. Instead she’d become Abby Barnes-Fleetwood, and over the years she’d made a place for herself here. There were some people—most of them had been standing on the church lawn a few minutes ago—that still referred to her as “that woman,” but his mother sometimes seemed to revel in it.
Like Nic had a few moments before. She hadn’t seemed angry or embarrassed. She’d seemed annoyed.
He shut the truck door and started around the back, ignoring the looks he received.
“Shameless,” someone muttered under his breath.
Yes. He was utterly shameless since he didn’t think he’d done anything to be ashamed of. They could all bite his ass, and it looked like Nic was on the same page.
Of course she thought they had a time limit. She’d told him the night before she was planning on leaving. It was why he had to rush this courtship thing along.
He had no intentions of her heading off to some other job. She didn’t need a job at all. He and Grim could take care of her. He slid in beside her, something still roiling through him.
He started up the truck.
“I don’t remember you waking me. I sometimes sleep pretty hard,” she murmured as he started down the street. “Most of the time I don’t sleep. I have trouble with it so when I finally do, I tend to be out of it.”
“Yeah, you seemed to be having a nasty dream last night.”
There was no way to miss the fine flush crossing her face. “Did I say anything?”
She’d said a man’s name. Michael, maybe. But it wasn’t said like she was missing the bastard. No. She’d begged him to stop. In the dream she’d been trying to get away from him.
It was his first real clue, but he didn’t want to push her about it. Not now. “You tossed and turned and seemed scared. Once Grim got his arms around you, you settled right down.”
She stared out the front windshield. “That’s good to know. And it explains why I slept so hard.”
“Your eyes came open and everything.” She’d looked soft and sweet. “We had a brief conversation. I’m sorry. I thought you would remember. I wouldn’t have left you at all if we’d had another car.”
“No, it was good you went with him,” she said with a nod. “I’m sure he could use another set of hands. I’ve never been on a ranch before. You said you lived in one of the outer buildings? But Olivia lives with your parents?”
“Yeah, Grim and I moved into the guest house when we came home from college,” he explained. “It’s small, but it’s pretty nice.”
“I’m sure it is. So your dads work on this ranch, too?”
She really didn’t know. She had no idea how wealthy his family was. Olivia had mentioned it the night before. His sister had approved of Nicole and said something about finding one who wasn’t either impressed or turned off by their family. Impressed by the wealth they’d accumulated or turned off by their lifestyle. Nic hadn’t seemed to know anything about he and Grim. “Yeah. They’ve worked there for most of their adult lives. Dad and Pops did. Mom didn’t come around for a little while.”
How much should he tell her and how much should he let her discover?
“Ranching is hard work,” she said, watching the café go by as he headed toward the highway.
“As we were reminded this morning. Every day, really,” he replied. “I don’t remember a time when I didn’t ride fences with my dads. I was born and put straight into a saddle.”
Josh couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t ridden. He’d followed his dads around as a kid, waking early to get to spend time with them before his mom would drive he and Olivia to school out at the resort.
It had been a great childhood. One he wanted for his own children someday.
Yeah, that was probably a good way to scare her off, so he wouldn’t mention he was already long-term life planning around her.
He could be intense, or so he’d been told.
“Do you like horses? We could take a ride this afternoon.”
“I’ve never ridden before,” Nicole admitted.
“Then I’ll have to teach you.” He would enjoy the lessons.