Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 84871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“Thank God for women. Us males would be so fucked without you.”
She rolls her eyes at me. I’d expected things to be cringy as fuck after our last encounter, but she’s pretending it didn’t happen. I can definitely play along with her.
When we reach the car, Gemma climbs out of the front seat. “I’m going to sit in the back with Kaden.”
Sloane doesn’t argue or beg to sit with her nephew, so I take it as a good sign. I wait for Sloane to take Gemma’s vacated seat and then shut her inside. Gemma discreetly gives me a thumbs-up as I pass by her window. My sister is an idiot.
Everyone’s chattering by the time I get back into the driver’s seat. Sloane sitting next to me feels good. Really damn good. Like I could almost pretend we’re a couple and going on a real date.
Nah, she’s doing that later.
With someone else.
The ache inside my chest hurts so fucking badly.
Will it ever stop hurting?
“Keep going,” I bark out to the three people trailing behind me. “We’re almost to Park’s Peak.”
“The coffee shop?” Sloane asks hopefully.
“Later, princess. I’ll reward you for your efforts later.”
She flips me off and this sets both Kaden and Gemma into a fit of giggles. When Sloane kneels to tie her boot, I motion for my sister and Kaden to keep going while I wait.
“I’ve never seen you exercise or run or anything,” she grumbles. “How are you not out of breath right now?”
“Like I said, woman, I’m full of mysteries. Be a good girl and I’ll tell you all my secrets.”
“You’re relentless, Demps.”
I hold out my hand for her to take. Surprisingly, she does. The small touch of her sweaty hand in mine sends jolts of awareness down my spine and straight to my dick. She releases my hand once she’s standing upright, but I don’t miss the pink on her cheeks.
“Water break?” I don’t wait for an answer and instead fish out a new bottle from my backpack. “It’s hot. You need to stay hydrated.”
“I need a shower and a nap.”
“Definitely both if you plan on enjoying your date.”
She laughs as we continue our hike. “Enjoy? Your mother damn near forced me into it.”
The tightness in my chest eases at knowing she’s not exactly eager for her date.
“Come on, Officer Do-Good. I bet the dweeb will take one look at you and fall in love. Free food and a fan for life. Sounds like a good time if you ask me.”
Before she can respond, Kaden yelps up ahead. I pick up speed and make my way to a rocky landing where Gemma looms over where he’s seated.
“What happened?” I demand.
Sloane squats down next to him, eyes flickering with worry. “Are you injured?”
“I’m fine,” he utters, a clear lie considering the slight quaver in his voice. “We can keep going.”
I notice the blood dotting his jeans at his knee and realize he must’ve tripped. On his other side, I drop down next to him and fish out a small first aid kit from my backpack. Sloane watches me with interest and allows me to do my thing. Carefully, I roll up Kaden’s pant leg to reveal his scraped-up knee.
“Let’s get this cleaned up first and then we can go,” I assure him. “I’ve fallen more times than I can count on this trail. Sucks ass when you hit this gravelly patch.”
“Totally sucks ass,” Kaden agrees.
“Don’t say ass,” Sloane adds with a smirk my way.
I grin at her and then set to cleaning up Kaden’s scrape with my supplies in the kit. After putting on some antibiotic ointment and a giant Band-Aid, I roll his pant leg back down and offer my fist.
“Thanks,” he says as he bumps my fist. “I’ll try not to fall again.”
“We’ve got five more Band-Aids, so we’re good.” I shake the first aid kit and the contents rattle inside the plastic case. “If you fall after that, I’m just going to feed you to a bear. You’ll be beyond help at that point.”
“Come on,” Gemma says, offering her arm to Kaden. “I’ll make sure you don’t fall. Let’s keep going.”
They continue along, once again leaving me with Sloane. I can feel her curious stare on me as we walk. When I find my balls, I glance back over at her.
“What?”
She shrugs. “You.”
“What about me?”
“You’re really good with Kaden. That means a lot to me.”
“He’s a cool kid.”
“And you’re a good man, Dempsey.”
Her words, though plain and simple, have life and joy racing through my veins. She called me a man. Not a boy or kid or troublemaker. A man.
“You’ve seen my record,” I joke, voice gruff. “I’m anything but good.”
“I see a lot more than you think I do,” she agrees, side-eyeing me. “I’m surprised, honestly. Pleasantly so.”
As we make it the rest of the way to Park’s Peak, I mull over her words and let them replay in my head over and over again.