Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
“Is it okay if I leave my car here for you to look at when you get time? I’m staying at the B&B and will be in town for a few weeks.” There’s really no rush, considering the small town seems relatively walkable. You can reach any place you want to go for the most part.
“Sure. Let me grab you the paperwork to fill out. I’ll call you, or Moe will when we figure out what’s going on.” I nod, he does similar, and while he strolls away one languid step at a time, I figure it’s time for me to move back to my car to resituate my bag before the tall, dark, and closed-off kind of asshole returns.
5
Colt
“Jesus, I’m a piece of work,” I mutter under my breath as I walk away from a woman I’ve been an absolute jackass to. I was already not in the right headspace, with too much shit knocking around in my head, when Kara dropped a bit of news that none of us saw coming. She’s moving out and into her own place. The final surgery has been accomplished, and physical therapy is long since over. There’s no reason for her not to live in the apartment she already put a deposit on. Still, it’s been nice to know Kara is at Mom and Dad's, where I can pick up my phone to text one or the other if Kara does what Kara likes to do at times: go silent.
I get it. Sometimes life pisses you off, and you need time to fucking be, but going dark only to answer when your niece sends you a message isn’t healthy. Neither is doing what I am, being pissed off at the world when, yeah, shit’s been tough, but it hasn’t been that bad.
Still, today is the anniversary of the accident and Nellie’s birthday, plus Kara’s news. And the way my little girl’s emotions have become bigger than her lately, well, it’s been a rough fucking day. It’s also why when Mom and Dad mentioned they’d like to keep Nellie for the evening, I reluctantly said yes. A part of me wants to keep her with me always, being able to control the situation of what-ifs. Yet at the same time, keeping her out of a vehicle at night, especially tonight, makes a hell of a lot more sense.
That left me with fuck all to do except sit upstairs and think, and the last thing I should be is alone with my own thoughts. So, I came home, changed into a pair of work clothes that are stained with grease, grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge, and headed down to the shop. The project car I’ve been working on for longer than I care to admit could use all the help it can get. Time isn’t usually on my side between working to pay the bills, taking care of Nellie, and everything else in between. The classic car has been neglected.
I’d been deep into my second beer when I saw the flash of headlights in the otherwise dark-as-hell area. Whispering Oaks is a ghost town. Once the clock hits nine at night, a restaurant here or there and a bar or two are about the only things open. Even the gas stations closes down at a certain time. On my way to the office, I grab a rag to wipe my hands off before I find the clipboard, paper, and a pen.
“I should grab another beer or two while I’m in here.” Except I’m sure that would look terrible for business. Add that to my stellar personality, and it’ll have her running for the damn hills. Then she’d more than likely tell someone else, who’d tell someone else, and then the name my father and I built for Barlow would go up in flames. “Nah, get this shit done. Close the garage bay and work until I’m too tired to stand up.” I grab what I need, trying to watch where my hands land so I don’t piss off my secretary, who comes in a few times a week to help with ordering parts, scheduling appointments, and working on payroll.
I’m back outside within a few minutes, but the woman whose name I’ve yet to learn isn’t near the garage. She’s out by her car, bent over, and I’m enjoying the view. It also gives me a moment. Admitting to myself that she caught my attention isn’t easy, especially since I’ve closed myself off to any types of temptation. I’d promised myself and Nellie that there wouldn’t be a string of women entering and exiting our lives.
At first glance, she had my hackles rising, and not because she seemed like the type to be dangerous. Oh no, it was for a different reason entirely, one that made my dick harden behind the material of my jeans. Her warm, expressive smile was inviting and made me want to step closer, daring me to see what would happen. The only thing holding me back was myself. Her dark brown eyes held mine, steady and unflinching, even with the way I behaved. Darker hair framed her face in soft strands, loose enough to tempt me to reach for them, to feel them between the tips of my fingers.