Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 115683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 578(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 578(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Curling her lip, she crosses her arms. “I’m not supporting a gross habit.”
“Fine.” I lift my leg a little. “I’ll just drive with my knees. Pretty good at it actually. Until I’m not.”
Her eyes are wide. “You’re trying to kill me.”
“Maybe.”
“Jesus Christ.” She grabs the wheel, making me chuckle as I thumb the strike on my lighter and take several quick, shallow pulls on the cigar until it lights.
“I don’t need to tell you it’s stupid and quite possibly illegal to be this much of a dick to me, right?” she asks. “Because you’re a grown-up and you hopefully know better?”
Grinning, I take the wheel from her, the earthy scent of tobacco filling the cab.
I typically don’t smoke in the truck. I also don’t smoke this early. But desperate times call for nicotine. Lots and lots of nicotine. My canister of nicotine pouches is tucked safely in my back pocket, thank fuck. Another gross habit, but again, I gotta get my kicks somewhere. If the occasional nicotine buzz is my only vice, I figure I’m doing all right.
“Didn’t you just say that I was the sheriff?” I hang my hand out the open window, the cigar smoke catching in the breeze. “That means I make the rules around here, and the rules say that you bein’ on the ranch is a waste of everyone’s time and money. I’m furious with my father for hiring you.” I shove the cigar back in my mouth in an effort not to lose my shit. “I’m furious he thinks we need to ‘shake things up.’”
But Lainey, being the pain in the ass she is, just looks at me with a twinkle in her eyes. “Do you feel better getting that off your chest?”
I chuckle darkly. “Ha. Actually…I don’t feel better, no.”
“Maybe it will work for me, then.” She takes a breath. “I don’t think you’re pissed off because your dad hired me. I think you’re pissed that he didn’t tell you he hired me. Your ego is bruised, and now you’re being all moody and smoking your cancer sticks because your feelings got hurt. But instead of saying that out loud—”
“Hey. I tried talking to my dad.”
“But you didn’t talk to him, did you?”
Silence.
She’s right, damn it. Then again, Dad was the one who shut me down. I was being rude.
So sue me.
Maybe a little righteous anger feels good every once in a while. Better than the anger that comes from sadness or from being overwhelmed or feeling lonely.
“So now you’re aiming your shit fit at me,” Lainey continues. “Which, whatever, do what you want. But your dad already paid me a deposit. And I’m already brainstorming some really solid concepts for y’all. This is happening, Colton, whether you’re in or not.”
I nearly bite off the end of the cigar. “You done with your speech yet?”
“I’m not. And really, what’s the big deal anyway? Do you honestly believe having no website is better than having an expertly crafted one that captures who y’all are and the value of what y’all do? Don’t you want to inspire people? Aren’t you proud of what you’ve built here? Don’t you wanna show it off to the world?” She gestures out the windshield. “I’m not a threat, Colton. I’m an ally, and I’m doing you a huge goddamn favor by sticking around despite the fact that you’re being an absolute prick.”
I puff on my cigar. I do not have pants feelings about how brutally honest she’s being. Who confronts shit head-on like this?
Who’s that brave?
And since when is it a turn-on to be called out this way?
“Now are you done?” I keep my voice even, despite the way my blood riots inside my skin.
“I think so.” She blows out a breath. “Whew, that actually felt good for me.”
“You gotta stop.”
“What?”
“Teeing me up.”
The realization hits her, and she laughs. “Oh. Teeing you up for inappropriate jokes, you mean. That one wasn’t intentional, I promise.”
“And I promise you this.” I hold my cigar between my thumb and forefinger and turn my head so we meet eyes. “You’re gonna leave here knowing the difference between what’s truly important and what’s just plain bullshit. What’s a website got to do with breeding the healthiest, happiest, finest horses this side of the Colorado River? What about the cattle we raise, the people we employ, the land we break our backs to care for day in and day out, rain or shine? Those are the things that matter. Those are the only people I care about inspiring. I don’t care how things look. I care about how things are.”
“Look at you, going deep. I like it.”
I suck in a breath through my nose. “Not gonna acknowledge that one.”
“But you just did.”
I take a long pull on my cigar. The nicotine is hitting my bloodstream, loosening the knot in my gut.