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)
“I mean, it makes sense,” she said. “I can do my work from anywhere. And I’ve been here less than two weeks. You’ve lived in Houston for longer. Your lives are there while I—eek!”
She cried out as Kellan reached out and lifted her down onto his lap, holding her against his chest.
“No one is making you move to Houston. You want to live here, we live here.”
“But you hate it here.”
“Do I?” Kellan asked. “Because I haven’t hated it here these last few weeks. In fact, some of them involve my very best memories. Like when I watched Eli kiss you.”
Holy heck.
“And I haven’t forgotten that I have yet to kiss you.” His gaze was intent as he stared down at her.
“Oh. Yes. You should do that.”
“Soon. I think I want to build the anticipation.”
Horse walked out of the bedroom, catching her attention. She hadn’t realized he had gone in there. In his mouth he held a . . . shoe.
“Hey!” Eli said, jumping up. “That’s my shoe. Give that back.”
Kellan shot her a look. “I told you Horse liked me better.”
She let out a surprised giggle as Eli chased Horse around the room.
There was a knock on the door and Eli stopped chasing Horse to answer it while Kellan settled back onto the sofa, cuddling her close.
A wave of exhaustion washed through her
Was it only this morning that she’d gone into anaphylactic shock? So much had happened since then.
Now, she had nothing to her name, nowhere to live, and two men who wanted to be hers.
And Horse.
As long as his owners didn’t turn up.
But she was beginning to think that they wouldn’t.
“Just hold on a bit longer, Butterfly,” Kellan told her in a low voice. “I have you. I’ll take care of you.”
“I can’t get hold of either Ravina or Mrs. Taylor,” Jake said as he walked into the room. “But I’ll keep trying and I’ve left them messages. Unfortunately it’s going to be pretty difficult to hunt down who did this without any witnesses. Did you guys have enough time to talk? Arabella? Would you like to remain under my care?”
“Thanks so much for everything,” she told him. “But no.”
He smiled. “I thought you’d say that. And does that mean you’re sticking around for a while?” He looked at Eli then Kellan.
“We are,” Eli replied.
“Good. You’ll protect her, then? I wouldn’t advise that she be left alone until we find out who did this.”
“Of course we’ll protect her,” Kellan said, looking offended.
Jake just nodded and turned to Arabella. “We’ll release the house back to you tomorrow morning, okay? I’m still going to have someone drive by tonight.”
“What?” Eli asked. “You had someone driving past her place? Why?”
“Ahh, they were meant to start tonight,” Jake said. “That’s why Arabella was in this morning.” He gave her a curious look.
“I haven’t had a chance to tell them. You don’t think that what I heard the last night could be connected to the break-in, do you?” she asked.
Jake frowned. “I don’t know. But it’s a possibility.”
“What are you talking about?” Eli asked.
“I came in to talk to Jake about some noises I’d heard last night that Deputy Doofus, I mean, Dunn, didn’t seem to take seriously.”
“The deputy who is working for you temporarily?” Eli asked.
“Yes, he’s now been sent back to his own county,” Jake said grimly.
“What noises?” Kellan asked.
“It’s probably nothing. Maybe animals and kids or something. Abe said that Mrs. Taylor used to hear things too but he rarely wears his hearing aids so he’s never heard anything. There was a lot of screeching and some strange lights last night so I rang the police and Deputy Doofus came by. He was less than helpful.”
“What does that mean?” Kellan asked.
“He hit on me and then got annoyed when I turned him down,” she said without thought.
“He. Did. What?” Eli asked, jumping to his feet.
Oops.
Maybe she should have said that in a better way. Or not at all.
She grimaced. She also hadn’t expected Eli to react quite so angrily.
“What did he say to you?” Kellan asked.
“Um, I don’t know. Just how I didn’t have to make things up if I wanted to see him. Stupid shit like that.”
“I’ve already sent him packing,” Jake told them “And I’ve told his boss all of this. He will likely lose his job.”
“That’s not enough. He needs more than that,” Eli said.
“Let it go, Eli. You’re an FBI agent not a vigilante,” Jake warned.
“Nobody treats our girl badly,” Kellan said. “But don’t worry, we won’t touch him.”
Was it just her or did that sound . . . ominous?
“You should just leave it alone,” she said tiredly. “He didn’t do anything that bad.”
“I disagree,” Eli said. “His job is to take care of the people in this town. Not make asshole moves on them. Did he even look around? Investigate the noises?”