Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
She stops in my path, and I have to stop or else I’m going to run right into her. She crosses her arms over her chest. “Really? You don’t seem like the kind of guy that gives up control much.”
I lean down and look her in the eye as if that’s going to make her understand what I’m saying. “Princess, you have the pussy. You’re always in control.”
She gasps, and before she can say anything, I step around her and gruffly tell her, “Come on.”
She follows behind me, and I want to kick myself for being an ass to her. She doesn’t deserve it, and this is not like me. Yeah, I’m a grumpy son of a bitch, but I’m never just an outright asshole. As I set her bags on the porch, I do the one thing I need to do. I take my hat off and hold it to my chest. “I owe you an apology, Faith. I’ve been an asshole—”
She cuts me off, tilting her head to the side to look at me. “Why is that?”
I close my mouth. Of course, she’s going to call me out instead of just taking the apology. She’s going to want to dissect it to pieces. Trying to stay calm, I answer her. “Honestly? I don’t know. I shouldn’t have accused you of showing up just for money, I shouldn’t be telling you how to talk and… and…”
She rolls her hand in front of her as if she’s telling me to go on. “And you shouldn’t be running off some cowboy that just wants to talk to me.”
My jaw tightens. “Oh, he wanted to do more than just talk to you.”
She laughs and shakes her head. “You don’t know that.”
I stuff my hat back on top of my head and then gesture to her body with my hand. “Yeah, I do know that. You show up at a bar, looking like you do, there’s only one thing on a man’s mind, and it ain’t talking.”
She puts her hands on her shapely hips. “You should have stopped at the apology, Dixon Chase.”
I blow out a breath. Hell, I need to get the fuck out of here. “Right, well, I’m sorry. The door’s unlocked. See ya.”
I turn and take the steps down the porch when she calls my name. “Where are you going? Don’t you live in the main house?”
I clench my eyes shut and open them before turning to look at her. “I’m going to stay in the bunkhouse.”
She walks down the steps and stops next to me. “Because I’m here?”
“Don’t read too much into it. I’m going to give you some time with your dad. I’ll see you.”
She wants to argue with me, but I don’t stick around for her to tell me how ridiculous I’m being. Hell, I know it’s ridiculous. I should be able to sleep in a room down the hall from her and not think twice about it, but I don’t trust myself.
As I stomp away from the house, I try to get Faith out of my head. I’m sure she’s going to be here a few days, then she’ll go back into the city, and things will go back to normal. But even thinking that, I know I’m lying to myself. Because after spending an hour with her, I’m hooked. From this point on, I’m going to wonder where she’s at, who she’s with, and what she’s doing. I’ll be worried if she’s happy, if she’s sad, if she’s safe, and I’ll wonder if she’s thinking of me.
Yeah, this is not good. The sooner Faith gets back to her life in the city, the better off she’ll be. If she sticks around here for any amount of time, I’m not going to be able to resist her.
CHAPTER 4
FAITH
Me showing up unannounced went as well as expected. Sure enough, my dad was happy to see me. He hugged me, we caught up, and then not even an hour later, he asked me when I was leaving. He didn’t take it well when I told him I was staying indefinitely.
And now here I am, standing on the porch, looking out at the land and trying to figure out a way to talk my dad into letting me stay.
I did what he asked. I went to college and got a degree. But now I’m ready to come home.
The screen door slams, and my dad walks up next to me. “What’s your plans today, honey? You have some friends to catch up with while you’re in town?”
I lean on the banister and look down at the cowboys near the barn. I’m waiting for a glance of Dixon, but I’ve yet to see him. “I saw Lucy last night. The rest of my friends are either working or away at school.”
He stands next to me. “Have you thought about going back to school and getting your graduate degree?”