Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
“No?” He made sure to infuse plenty of sternness into his voice with that word.
“I’m not moving. Don’t you think I would if I could? I would probably leave and not come back.”
“You want to leave Billings?”
Her head was bent as she stared down at her feet. “I don’t want to leave. I like it here. But it isn’t always that . . . safe here.”
Matthieu immediately grew more alert. Was she talking about the fact that her father had been threatened? The general state of Billings at the moment?
Or something else?.
“What do you mean it’s not safe?”
She blew out a breath. “Well, obviously because . . . my father has enemies, right?”
Yes, that was true.
But he still thought there was more.
“You wouldn’t be lying to me, would you? Because that is a rule.”
“Two rules already and we haven’t even gotten inside,” she said dryly.
At least she could talk more to him now. Even if she still couldn’t look at him. It was progress.
“I need to let the girls out,” she said suddenly.
“Your babies?” he asked, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.
“Well, yes.”
“We haven’t finished talking about where you live. And why you don’t feel safe. And why you cannot leave.” He was beginning to see there was a lot more to her than he’d first realized.
And he’d already thought she was complicated.
She wouldn’t be boring, anyway.
His life had become boring these past few years.
Well, not when Baron and Royal had stolen his car and smashed it after he’d rescued them.
Little assholes.
“Do you think we could talk inside?” she grumbled as she ran her hand tiredly over her face. “Because I’m tired and I have a headache. Today was . . . a lot.”
She was swaying as she stood and concern filled him. That hadn’t been much of a nap and she was clearly still exhausted.
“Yeah, we can discuss this inside. Where are your keys?”
“Um.” She rubbed her forehead. “Girls first. Then . . . I . . . I need to explain.”
Explain?
She turned and moved to the chicken coop, clucking and talking to the chickens inside.
“Here you go, Hen Solo. I know you’re sick of being in there. Good girls. Princess Lay-er don’t get in the way of Jabba the Cluck. Come on, Chew Bok-Bok. Yes, you can come out. No, the door isn’t that way.”
Had she seriously named her chickens Hen Solo, Princess Lay-er, Jabba the Cluck, and Chew Bok-Bok?
Matthieu gaped as she got into the chicken coop, which actually looked in better condition than the house. And the door had a lock on it. Unlike her gate or garage door.
It was clear to see where her priorities lay.
She sighed in exasperation as she glared at the last chicken in the coop. “Chew Bok-Bok, you are seriously testing my patience right now.”
“Doesn’t look like she wants to come out,” he commented in amusement as the rest of the chickens moved around the small yard.
How safe was it out here?
Behind him, he heard a scratching noise. He turned and there was a high-pitched bark.
“Oh shoot, that’s Gummy. She likes being outside when the chickens are free so she can protect them. Gummy is very protective, but also kind of grumpy. So don’t try to pick her up, no matter how cute she seems.”
“You got it.” He held his hands up as she moved past him.
He caught her sneaking him suspicious looks, but she didn’t say anything as she unlocked the door.
He gazed down, expecting to see a small-to-medium-sized dog standing there.
But it turned out he didn’t look down far enough.
He lowered his gaze to where a tiny Chihuahua was snarling up at him.
Was she serious?
This was the dog who guarded the chickens? What the hell could this dog do?
She started barking at him and Maya made soothing noises.
“It’s all right, Gummy. He’s not here to hurt the girls. He’s our friend. This is Matthieu. Matthieu, this is Gummy.”
Why the hell would someone name a dog Gummy?
The dog seemed to study him, then she let out a huff and strode past him. Wow, that dog had some attitude.
Just like her owner.
There was another bark from in the house and as Maya stepped through the back door and into the kitchen another small dog barreled toward her.
This dog was bigger than Gummy. He looked like he had some bulldog in him. But he’d never seen a dog like it before. His eyeballs were bulging. How did he see properly?
But somehow, he managed to avoid banging into anything as he raced toward Maya.
Then smack!
The dog ran straight into her legs.
“Dougie!” she said as she reached down and picked him up.
He licked her face enthusiastically.
“Okay, we’ve talked about the licking,” she lightly scolded him as she scratched him behind the ears. “He can’t hold his licker.”
He couldn’t hold his licker? Matthieu fought another grin.