Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 96970 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96970 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
I laughed, and it felt good. “He’s not a bad boy. He’s honestly just doing his job. And I agreed to all the inspections. I just…”
“What, sweetheart?” Dad asked.
“I’d like to find someone to go out with. Ever since I left, I’ve been putting so much time and effort into getting Timber up and running. Now it’s more steady, and I have a little bit of room to breathe. It’d be nice to find someone to spend time with outside of work.”
The two of them exchanged a knowing glance. “It’s about time,” Papa said. “You should let Ella set you up. She said there’s a very nice guy at work she’s been dying to introduce you to, and Hazel agrees he’s a good one. She apparently recruited him out of Silicon Valley.”
I thought about Judd, about watching him fall apart with my mouth wrapped around his cock, about the way he’d gently threaded his fingers through my hair and locked eyes with me. About the way he’d grabbed me the minute I’d walked in his front door and kissed me for ages, until I was the one who took it a step further.
If he was only into me for a physical transaction, why did he go out of his way to meet me several times just for kissing? The man could have any number of people over for a quick fuck at the drop of a hat. Why me? Why be willing to take it slowly?
What if he cared about me for more than a physical transaction but was denying himself a relationship for some other reason?
I let out a laugh. Who the fuck was I kidding? These were the pathetic thoughts you had when you had feelings that weren’t reciprocated. These were the hoops you jumped through, wishing and hoping someone was into you when they’d made it very clear they weren’t.
“Yeah, okay. I’ll tell her she can set me up. That sounds like a good idea.”
When I got off the phone, I texted Ella. Then I fell asleep wondering if I needed to inform Kincaid that I was planning on going out with someone.
If you’re kissing me, you’re not kissing anyone else.
His rule had been clear. But who was to say my date would end in a kiss? It probably wouldn’t. Which meant maybe I could get away without telling the chief.
And maybe it would have gone down exactly like that… if Judd hadn’t shown up for another random fucking inspection right when I was supposed to leave for my date.
16
KINCAID
DrunkenPoet: Do you ever get jealous?
IndexEcho: No. Unless I think about you with someone else.
_____________________
I was having mixed-up emotions about whether to reopen my search for DrunkenPoet or allow myself to fall into a vat of temptation named Alex Marian.
Neither one was probably good for my mental health, but I couldn’t stop myself from wanting both.
My feelings for Alex were proving to be more than I expected, but before I could even consider pursuing someone I might catch real feelings for, I knew I needed closure about DrunkenPoet. Even if he didn’t want to hear from me, even if he’d moved on… hell, even if we’d both grown and changed and didn’t fit anymore, I wanted to explain what happened. Surely he’d cared enough about me, once upon a time, that he’d want that, too.
But I hadn’t pulled the trigger on calling Max’s private investigator friend. And I was keeping my distance from Alex, too.
Sort of.
I couldn’t stop thinking about him, of course. But I’d managed to go four whole days without texting or seeing him…
And then an inspection reminder popped up on my calendar for Timber.
We were sitting around the big station house kitchen table, having an impromptu schedule debrief over lunch on Friday, when Lieutenant Pope said, “I can take the Timber follow-up, Chief. I’ve got to head over to Sullivan Hardware anyway to pick up a few U-bolts for the storage room shelving thing.”
Letting Kinsey take the Timber inspection would have been the smart choice, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. “No, I’ll take this one. But while you’re at Sullivan’s, ask Maddox if he still wants to sponsor an ad in the fire safety leaflet for next year’s camping season. Hayden Thomasson is typing it all up for us and having it printed after the holidays. We’ll be able to send out the bundles by February.”
We continued the meeting, discussing everything on next week’s schedule, plus addressing new concerns, until a call came in for a possible gas leak out on the edge of town. Sujo and McMasters took the truck out to respond to the call, and Pope headed to the hardware store.
I spent some time with two of our rookies, going over some training before Sujo and McMasters returned. Then it was time to head out. Timber wasn’t the only inspection I had in town this afternoon. I also needed to stop by the Pinecone for Sadie’s semi-annual inspection. My plan was to grab dinner to go from whichever place I visited last.