Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 99967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
“Wow, we have a thing.” Sleepily, she sips her coffee. “I like that.”
She pops a strawberry in her mouth.
“I want to hike with you today,” I tell her, and her eyebrows climb, her eyes brightening at the idea. “If you’re up for it.”
“I’m always up for a hike. Where should we go?”
“There’s a spot on the Wild River Ranch that’s really nice, and I have permission to hike there whenever I want to. I’d love to show it to you.”
“Sure, that sounds nice. Is that Millie’s family?”
I nod and eat some eggs. “Yeah. Most of them live out there. The only one who doesn’t is Ryan because he has his own ranch not too far away.”
She nods thoughtfully. “His wife, Polly, goes to book club. She owns the dress shop in town. She’s really sweet.”
“They’re all good friends,” I reply. “What do you think of Bitterroot Valley, sugar? Now that you’ve been here for a while.”
She chews more bacon and tips her head to the side, thinking it over. “It’s really great. I mean, I can’t find it in me to root for the high school football team here because they were our biggest rivals, but aside from that, I love it.”
I grin and lean in to nibble her lips. “That’s fair. Although we kicked your ass my senior year.”
“Did you play?”
I nod and reach for a slice of peach. “I was the quarterback.”
“Of course, you were.” She snorts, and I narrow my eyes at her.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m just not surprised. You probably also dated a cheerleader and were prom king.”
My brows pull together in a frown, and she bursts out laughing.
“I knew it.”
“There’s nothing wrong with any of that,” I tell her.
“Nope. Not at all.”
“Okay, what about you? What were you like in high school?”
Harper laughs and turns to face me, bringing her legs up toward her chest. “I was not popular. I was a book nerd, and I was scrawny and a little shy. Once, this idiot in my study hall decided it would be funny to shove me in a locker—”
I growl low in my throat, and she shakes her head.
“And Xander ended up shoving him in a locker and got suspended for it.”
“I need to buy Xander a beer.”
“Everyone knew that Ava and I had three older brothers who would kick their ass if they messed with us, so mostly I was a wallflower. I liked it that way. I don’t like being the center of attention.”
“You’re the center of my attention,” I remind her.
“For two days.” She nods, but I lean in and press my lips to her ear.
“Even if I’m not physically with you, you’re the fucking center of my attention. You’re never far from my mind, sugar.”
She bites her lip and shakes her head.
“You’re too good to be true.”
“What does that mean?”
She moves to scoot off the bed, but I keep her next to me, my hand on her arm and because it’s physically impossible for me to keep my hands to myself, I tuck her hair behind her ear and drag my fingers down her jawline.
“What does that mean, Harper?”
“The other shoe is going to drop. Something has to be wrong with you. You’ll be sweet like this for a while, and then when we’re alone, you’ll tell me I’m stupid. Or you’ll sleep with someone else. Or you’ll remind me that I’m a shit nurse.”
“Whoa.” Shaking my head, I pull her onto my lap and wrap my arms around her, keeping her against me. “None of that is going to happen. You’re not stupid in the slightest, baby. You’re an amazing nurse. I’ve seen you in action. And I already made it clear that you’re the only woman I see.”
“For now,” she breathes and nuzzles her sweet face into my neck. Her sigh has my heart aching.
“Not for now.” I pull back and hook my finger under her chin, bringing her gaze back to mine. “Who the fuck put this shit in your head? The guy you ran away from?”
She simply nods.
“You need to tell me what he did, baby. I need to know so I understand what demons I’m navigating through here.”
She sighs again and closes her eyes. “I know. Maybe we can talk while we hike?”
“That’s fine.” I kiss her lips and push my hand over her neck and into her hair. “No shoe is dropping. I’m not that idiot. Not even close.”
“Okay,” she whispers. “Let’s go hike.”
Chapter Sixteen
HARPER
Icannot believe that I spewed that shit in bed this morning. We’re having a great time together, and I had to let my insecurities and the baggage from Nathan the moron rear its ugly head.
And now, Blake, who didn’t deserve even one word of the comments I made, needs an explanation.
He deserves an explanation.
But this is so humiliating.
“This is the Wild family’s ranch. It’s actually the Lexingtons’ as well since they combined the properties after Millie and Holden married, making it the biggest cattle ranch in Montana,” Blake says. He’s holding my hand as he drives down a gravel road off the highway. When the road forks, he keeps right and soon we’re driving around a lake. There’s a beautiful house and dock on the lake, with what looks like a large shop nearby.