Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 540(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 540(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
“I noticed you told them to keep the change,” February said as we exited the store.
“Yep.”
“Except you gave them two-hundred dollars when the bill was under fifty.”
I nodded.
She rubbed my arm. “How often do you do that?”
I opened the door of my truck and placed the grocery bag on the seat. “It’s the least I can do for them. I know they’re struggling to keep it open.”
“That’s really sweet,” she said as she hopped in.
After I started the engine, I explained further. “Well, I owe Mr. Reynolds, actually. When I was a kid, he used to let me get away with stealing candy.”
“Aw, really?”
I nodded. “He caught me once and didn’t say anything to my mother because he knew we were going through a rough time. You know what he told me?”
“What?”
“He said, ‘Kid, all you had to do was ask. I’ll give you the candy so you don’t have to steal it.’ And from then on, he did just that.”
“Wow. What a nice man.”
“Yeah. I never forgot that.”
After a moment, February snapped her fingers. “And that was your good deed of the day. Am I right?”
I shook my head. “Actually, my good deed of the day was getting you away from that worksite before you damn near killed yourself.”
We both got a good laugh out of that. But then my phone chimed. It had been sitting on the console between us.
February looked down at it. “You just got a text.”
“Who is it?”
She picked it up, and her face turned crimson. “It’s Nina. Your ex.”
I clenched my jaw.
For fuck’s sake.
The calls had stopped, and I’d thought we were over this. Today had been going so well...
“What does it say?” I asked.
February swallowed. “She’s at your house and wants to know where you are.”
CHAPTER 20
* * *
February
“Oh my God.” I pulled down the passenger-seat visor and checked the mirror. I looked like a hot mess. And we were just down the block from Brock’s house. “Can you slow down a little? Drive slower.”
Brock looked over with his brows drawn. “You change your mind? I can drop you back at the diner or take you over to the cabin? I told you I didn’t think you should have to deal with this shit.”
“No, I want to come. I just want to fix my hair and wipe off the mascara smudges under my eyes. I can’t see your ex-girlfriend looking like a total disaster. Why didn’t you tell me I was such a wreck?”
He shrugged as he pulled to the curb and shifted the truck into park. “I think you look great. But do whatever you need to. I’m in no rush to deal with Nina.”
I patted down my hair and used my fingers to swipe away makeup. “You really didn’t know she was coming?”
Brock stilled. “Look at me, Feb.”
When I turned, he stared straight into my eyes. “I had no freaking idea. And the visit isn’t a welcome one. As soon as we get to the house, I’ll be letting her know that.”
I blew out a deep breath and nodded. “Good. Because I just got my nails done this week, and I already chipped one lifting a dumb log. I don’t want to ruin another one on this woman. I haven’t RKO’d anyone since I accidentally knocked out my cousin Felicia’s front tooth when we were eleven.”
Brock’s forehead wrinkled. “RKO? You mean KO, as in knocked out?”
“No, I mean RKO. You don’t know this about me yet, because we haven’t shared all of our deepest, darkest secrets, but I was a big WWE fan when I was little. I was obsessed with Randy Orton. He had this move—the RKO—where he would grab his opponent’s head and take them down to the mat when they least expected it. I perfected it and used it on all my cousins and friends.”
Brock’s lip quirked. “You’re full of surprises, Red. And to think, I was worried you might hightail it out of Meadowbrook because of an unexpected visit from my ex. And all the while, you’re sitting there planning to kick her ass.” He chuckled. “I didn’t think it was possible to like you more, but this…I might propose later, woman.”
“I don’t usually condone violence. But you should know I feel very territorial when it comes to you, Brock.”
He reached for my hand and brought it to his mouth for a kiss. “Feeling’s mutual, beautiful.” Brock looked over at the visor, which still had the mirror down. “And you don’t hold a candle to Nina, or any other woman I’ve ever met, smudged eye makeup or not. So if you’re done, I think we should go get this over with because there is only one woman I want taking up my time, and I’m currently looking at her.”
My stomach fluttered. It was pretty amazing what this man could do to me with only his words. The unsettled feeling I’d had when I’d read that text message from Nina was suddenly replaced by confidence. I flipped up the visor without checking my face again and straightened my spine. “Let’s go put the past behind us.”