Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 93453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“I’m happy,” I lie to him, lie right through my teeth, “as a clam.” I decide that it’s time to end this conversation. “Okay, Dad, as much as I love this heart-to-heart, I have to go and check on the new horses.”
“Is that your way of telling me to fuck off?” He chuckles.
“I would never.” I smile. “Tell Mom I love her.”
“Will do,” he agrees. “See you soon. Love you.”
“Right back at you,” I say, disconnecting the call, putting the phone in my back pocket, and going to the fence where Emmett stands. My eyes are on Lilah as she stops racing her horse. She brings her to a trot, leans down, rubs her neck, and whispers something to her.
“Morning,” he greets, looking over at me. The scowl all over his face.
“Morning,” I return to him, raising my cup and watching a couple of the ranch hands bring out the new horses.
“You need to tell her she’s not allowed to be riding her fucking horse alone without anyone here.” He motions with his head toward Lilah. “It’s a security hazard.”
“A security hazard,” I repeat the words because I don’t think I’ve ever heard that sentence before in my life.
“Yeah, like if she fucking falls and breaks her neck, she’s going to sue your ass, and then I’ll be out of a job.” He tries to play it off, but my eyebrows just pinch together.
“You mean safety hazard,” I tell him, trying to hide the fact I’m joking. “Just got off the phone with my father.” I look over at him. “You been telling tales?”
His eyebrows pinch together before he glares at me. “You think I have time to be sitting around, twirling my hair, and talking about you?” His voice is low as he shakes his head. “You better check your sources.” I nod at him, not saying a word. “Could be the fact you walked into your house in the morning after spending the night God knows where.” I don’t turn back to look at him. “I see the cat’s got your tongue.” He turns his head toward the fence. “I have things to do”—he turns to walk away from me—“and it’s not sit here and discuss the shit you are up to.”
I watch him walk away without saying anything because, frankly, there is nothing to be said. The last two nights were a mistake, a mistake I will never repeat again. At least that is what I plan to do.
Chapter Fourteen
Autumn
I make the mistake of looking out the window and seeing him walk away. His head is down, probably in shame that he spent another night with me. I close my eyes so I don’t have to watch him walk away and make sure when I turn my head on the pillow. Opening my eyes after a second, I see the dent from his head on the pillow beside me. I turn on my side, grabbing the cover and pulling it up to my neck, which is a mistake because I smell him all around me.
Tossing the cover off me, I get up and strip the bed again for the second time in three days. I toss the bedding inside the washer while I walk to the kitchen, making myself a coffee before heading back to the bathroom and starting the shower. The mark on my neck has faded a bit, but not enough that I don’t need to cover it up.
I leave my house an hour later when the sheets are back in the dryer. I have another pair of blue jeans on with a baby-blue-and-white striped linen button-down shirt that is rolled up to my elbows. My hair is half dry since my shower, and all I did was run a comb through it. I get to the distillery and see I’m the only one here, so I hit up the bakery.
Walking in and spotting a couple of people, I avoid eye contact, as usual, focusing on the line in front of me, getting my coffee, and getting to my desk to tackle the past due invoices. I hold my hands in front of me, trying not to let everyone see they are shaking with nerves as I step to the counter. “Morning, Autumn.”
“Morning, Ms. Maddie.” I smile. “Can I have one sugar donut and a cup of coffee, black, please?” I reach in my purse to grab my wallet as she rings me up, and I hand her the five dollars. The rest of the change is put in the glass tip jar by the register.
“Sure thing.” She turns and walks to the paper coffee cups, filling the blue cup and then putting on the white lid, walking to me and setting it down in front of me before she grabs the donut and hands me the blue bag. “See you tomorrow.” I nod at her, grabbing the bag and the coffee in one hand before walking out.