Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55491 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55491 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“Baby, you can’t leave the house without me,” he said gruffly.
“I didn’t want to color anymore,” Remy defended herself. “I heard Joy singing, so I came out. She lives here. She does clay in the garage. Wanna see?”
He frowned at me like I might have been trying to lure her into my house or something.
“She paints it and puts it in an oven. It sounds so fun! She’s gonna let me do some if it’s okay with you.”
The dad-I’d-like-to-fuck grunted. I couldn’t tell if it was a yes or a no.
For some foolish reason, his disgruntled demeanor made him all the more attractive to me. I didn’t know why–maybe I found grumps a challenge or something.
I was never into guys who were charming and friendly and into me. I was like a cat who knew exactly which strangers weren’t cat people, and expended its energy and affection on only them. Needless to say, I was very single because of it.
“Her hair’s not red like mine,” Remy continued. “It’s like a princess and like spun gold in that book we read and also in that movie. What’s spun gold? Does it go around and around in circles?”
The girl had energy. The popsicle perhaps wasn’t the best idea, but they were all natural. Raspberry, my favorite flavor. It had two sticks, and I’d split it in half, so we shared. I’d doubted she could eat a whole one in this heat before it melted all over her. I was right because half the juice stained her face and her right hand.
“The popsicle is all-natural, no sugar added,” I told him. “I’m sorry, I should have asked you first, but she said she didn’t have any food allergies and that you were in the shower.”
I probably shouldn’t have reminded myself of that fact because the thought sent my gaze on another wander over his mostly-naked body, looking for water droplets. Wondering if he’d like a little help next time.
I could–it was definitely an option–hold the soap or something.
The man grunted. Looked at me with an intense gaze.
Took a deep breath as if trying to calm himself.
Then looked away.
I guess he was pissed about the popsicle.
Whoops.
Ignoring me, he said, “Remy, you can’t run off like that. I didn’t know where you were.” He shot a dark look my way. “And you should never accept food from strangers.”
“I’m sorry, Daddy.” She tipped her freckled face up to mine. “Is Joy a stranger? I thought she was our neighbor.”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “Time to go.”
Remy jumped to her feet. “Thank you for the pop!” She dashed off back to her house.
“She’s adorable.” I pushed to my bare feet. It was in the high eighties, and to combat the warm-for-Montana temperatures, I had on a short sundress, and my fair hair was pulled up into a sloppy bun.
He grunted again.
I wasn’t sure what else to say to a mostly naked man in my backyard who seemed disgruntled that I befriended his daughter. There was no etiquette for this.
He stared. I stared back.
Then he turned on his bare feet and left.
I got a great view of his muscular ass in the tiny towel.
Maybe I shouldn’t have given his daughter a popsicle. Maybe he shouldn’t have flashed me his impressive dick.
And that dick belonged to my neighbor? Wow.
The man was grumpy. Growly. Gorgeous.
And I didn’t even know his name.
3
WES
I might have been a dick back there to my new neighbor, but I didn’t really care. Hell, I didn’t even want to think about flashing myself. What kind of man does that? She must think I’m a perv. And a dick.
I knew I came off as an asshole, not just to Joy, but to everyone. Even before Remy, I’d never been much for socializing. I wasn’t the kind of guy to make small talk or gab around with the neighbors. The last four years of single parenting had made me downright prickly.
If I had a daily allotment of words to say, I sure as shit used them all up with Remy. She was a chatterbox. It seemed the only time she stopped talking was when she was asleep. For the rest of the world, I didn’t have much left in me for chitchat or pleasantries or any of that shit. My well of patience was completely dried up.
Getting saddled—no, not saddled, that was the wrong word—I fucking adored Remy, but I didn’t expect to raise a pup from infancy all by myself. I didn’t even know I had a pup until I returned to my home pack after a six-month rodeo circuit and saw her mom in town, pregnant.
Soraya hadn’t been my girlfriend. She hadn’t even been a friend. We’d hooked up one time on a full moon run. ONE TIME! She was a couple years younger than I was and had always been a wild one. Since she was eighteen, she’d run off and pop back in town when she was in trouble or needed money from her rich father. She’d just returned once again when we hooked up.