Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
“How about you come with me to make some tea?” She didn’t wait for an answer, just turned and started walking toward the house.
Cole watched JB and Jesse talking to Dillinger, but they were speaking in tones too low to hear, so he followed Bel into the house.
She moved about the bright teal kitchen, filling a tea kettle with water and placing it on the stove. She kept throwing him small glances, and he stood awkwardly off to the side. A grilling was in his future from this protective mama.
Reaching for JB’s hand had been instinctive. A need to comfort coming over him and he hadn’t thought twice, hadn’t really thought about what he was doing at all. He knew that his actions told Bel a little of how he felt about JB, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. JB was important to him.
She turned and leaned against the counter, her blue eyes on him. “So, you and JB? You a thing now?”
He shuffled his feet a bit. “We’re kind of…together, if that’s what you mean. We’re still trying to work that out. He has his life here. I’ve got mine in Cincinnati.”
“What are your intentions?”
Surprise widened his eyes. He’d never been interrogated by a parent, not even when he’d been in high school and had taken his first girl out on a date. “My intentions? I don’t have any right now. We’re…” he trailed off because he couldn’t say fucking to JB’s mother. Shit, just the thought of saying something like that had heat crawling up his neck. But they’d agreed to date. Before he could say that, she cut in.
“Having some fun?” She winked and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Something like that,” he murmured, all kinds of uncomfortable. He shuffled his feet. “I guess we’re trying to figure out if it’s just fun…or if it might be something else.”
She sighed and got down four mugs, setting them on the counter. “I want my son to be happy. Want my whole family to be happy. That’s all I want out of this life besides a place to live with that family. We’ve really enjoyed having you here, but I have to say, I’ll be worried about JB when you leave.”
“My home is in Cincinnati, you know that.”
“But have you given any thought to changing that? You’d be welcome here.”
He didn’t know how to answer her, so he simply stood there. God, he’d only been here a short time and already he was drawn to both the man and the ranch. It had his emotions all mixed up.
She chuckled. “I know I’m making you uncomfortable, and I’m sorry. I love my children more than anything in this world. I see the way JB looks at you. I’m worried he’s going to get his heart broken.”
“I’m not out to hurt him, ma’am.”
A soft sigh escaped her, and she shook her head. “I know that, honey.” Her eyebrows suddenly drew together. “None of that ma’am stuff. I told you that. Tell me, do you like it here?”
“I’m actually surprised by how much I do.”
“Then give some thought to staying. That’s all I’m asking. How long do you plan to be here now?”
“I don’t know. I came out here to avoid a…bad situation.” His head popped up, eyes wide, when he thought about what he was saying. “Not my fault, though. It was part of a job. I was helping out a client, and it sort of made me the target of some bad people. I’m here so my boss doesn’t have to worry about keeping me safe.” He was quick to reassure her.
Belinda’s cheery laughter filled the kitchen. “Oh, so you’ve got a knack for finding trouble like my JB.”
“Not usually, but sometimes it can’t be avoided when you help people in trouble. I’ve been waiting until the situation resolves itself.”
She nodded, her smile still in place, as if she’d heard it all before. Maybe she had after raising JB for the past three decades. “And how do you feel about JB?”
That point-blank question floored him. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, trying to come up with an answer. “I like him a lot, Bel, but this is new to me. Being…attracted…to another man.”
“Really? You’re not gay?”
Damn, this conversation kept getting more and more uncomfortable. He cleared his throat. “No, but like I said, this is new.”
“So, maybe bisexual? Like my JB?”
“Yes, ma—” he cut it off, catching himself at the last second.
“Maybe you simply like him. Sometimes we come to an understanding about ourselves when we least expect it. I knew I was going to marry Jesse when I met him. We clicked right away, and he said he knew it, too. We were never apart from that moment. From what I can tell, you and my son are clicking just like that.”