Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Shit.
She’d forgotten about that. The supplies were arriving this afternoon. Pop-Pop knew she wasn’t good at remembering details like that which is probably why he’d asked.
Arabella: I’m all over it. You don’t have to worry about me.
Pop-Pop: I always will. It’s my job.
Sheesh and now he was going to make her cry. She took a few calming breaths and started her car, backing out and heading toward the grocery store..
Everything was going to work out fine. As she drove off, she noticed Kellan standing there watching her.
She wondered what riding an FBI agent would feel like?
No. Nope.
You are not going there, Arabella.
10
Arabella drove home from the grocery store with a small smile on her face.
She loved it here. Loved that she was free from everything. She’d spoken to Pop-Pop last night and he was having the time of his life. Even with Mrs. Owens sniffing every time she saw him.
Turning into her driveway, she noticed the police car sitting in her driveway. She tensed as she saw someone peering into a window.
Shit.
Had something happened? Parking, she jumped out of her car and that’s when she heard it.
Or him. Horse.
Oh no. Was he the reason that there was a sheriff’s deputy on her porch?
“Um, hi,” she said nervously.
“Hey,” he said back. “Do you live here?”
“Yes, I’m Arabella. Can I help you?” She winced as Horse started up his cry again. “Actually, let me just let Horse out.”
“Horse?” he asked.
“Yeah, Horse is my dog. He’s the one making the noise.”
“That’s a dog making that noise?” he asked in surprise. “The neighbors called the station claiming that someone was being killed.”
“I’m so sorry. Really, really sorry.” She attempted to run up the stairs and tripped on them, nearly falling. But the deputy reached out to grab hold of her arm, helping her. For some reason, his touch made her feel a bit weird and she snatched her arm back as soon as she could. “Sorry. Sorry.”
“Always happy to help out a pretty lady,” he said with what he probably thought was a cute smile.
Instead it just seemed . . . slimy.
“I, um, right. I get clumsy when I’m nervous and rushing.” When she took her time and guarded her emotions she found she was far less klutzy.
“Clumsy can be cute.”
Right. She wasn’t sure anyone had ever called her cute before.
Horse let out another mournful howl.
“Sorry. Let me get him.” She walked more carefully this time, aware that the deputy was right behind her. Was it necessary for him to follow her that closely?
“Um, you might want to give him some space,” she warned as she opened the door.
Horse barrelled out and took one look at the deputy before growling.
“Jesus! Is that thing part wolf?” the deputy said, taking a step back and his hand going toward his belt.
Fear leapt into her throat and she quickly crouched, putting her arms around Horse who was vibrating.
“No! He’s a dog. My dog. I’m sorry he was making so much noise. I will make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
The deputy flicked his gaze from her to the dog.
“It was nice to meet you, Deputy . . .” she let her voice trail off.
“Deputy Dunn,” he said. “Zane Dunn.”
“Thanks for coming out. Sorry to waste your time.”
He nodded. “Keep your dog quiet from now on. And under control.”
Well, he was under control. Couldn’t he see that?
But she didn’t protest, just nodded. “Sorry.”
God, she hated that her first urge was always to apologize even when she wasn’t in the wrong.
That’s how her father had trained her.
She watched the deputy leave with a sense of trepidation. She didn’t know why but something about him just seemed . . . off.
“So, you guys and Arabella, huh?” Shaw asked with a sly grin as they entered Duncan and Laken’s house after breakfast at the diner.
“What’s all this?” Laken padded into the kitchen from the living room.
She looked tired and Kellan immediately pulled out a kitchen chair. He glanced from it to her pointedly.
With a huff, she sat. “How can you be so bossy without saying a word?”
“It’s a talent us Jones brothers have,” Eli told her as he got her a bottle of water.
Laken sat with a groan. “So, what’s going on? What’s between you and Arabella?”
“You know about Arabella?” Eli asked as he grabbed the rest of them a soda.
She brushed her hair off her face. “Of course I do. My husband is a deputy sheriff, remember? Not that I’ve really told anyone. I figure she deserves her privacy and she’ll soon have lots of guys vying for her attention.”
“They better fucking not,” Eli growled.
Kellan wanted to agree with his brother, but held back. He didn’t want to read too much into his interest in Arabella. He didn’t have the capacity to care about her the way that Eli did.
Of course if she was open to being shared . . .