Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 84868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“How about I pay for breakfast, and you can buy next time?”
His brow rose and a small smirk played across his face. “Will there be a next time?”
My heart started to pound in my chest, but not in the way a girl would hope. It was more of a panicked reaction than a sexual one. “I don’t know. I guess that depends on whether you’re still dating the woman from Estes Park.”
His smirk grew into a full-blown grin. He was even more handsome when he smiled. “I’m not dating her any longer. I love River Falls too much to leave, and she loved Estes Park too much to leave there, so we decided friendship was the way to go.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Doug.”
Winking, he replied, “Don’t be sorry.”
I tilted my head and regarded him. It would be so easy to suggest we go to his place, instead. To lose myself in him and forget all the shit going on in my head. But that wasn’t how I wanted to start things over again with Doug. And I did want to start something with him again.
Didn’t I?
“Shall we head to Anna’s, then?” I asked, with a smile I hoped didn’t look forced.
“After you.”
Breakfast was nice. Doug and I got caught up on what had been happening in each other’s worlds. I told him about Emeline and Levi getting married, and how they’d gone to Lake Tahoe with Levi’s son, Rhett, to make it official. Plus, more recently, adopting Katie and Jimmy.
“Wow, talk about an instant family,” Doug said with wide eyes.
I chuckled. “Yeah. A family of four kids, plus all the horses and her chocolate lab, Moose.”
“And I heard Caden got married to Lilibeth Asher. She owns Wonderland Whimsy or something like that?”
I chuckled. “You got it right. And yes, they got married, and they have a two-month-old baby, as well.”
His brows rose. “I guess I’m not up on all the local gossip. So what about you?”
“What about me?” I asked, pushing my plate away and sitting back in the booth.
“Dating anyone?”
I laughed. “No.”
He narrowed one eye as he asked, “Sleeping with anyone?”
“I wish.”
Doug tossed his head back and laughed. “I’ve missed you, Ensley.”
Leaning forward, I asked, “Are you volunteering?”
“To sleep with you?” he asked.
“I was thinking more along the lines of fucking rather than sleeping.”
His eyes turned dark. “Is that all you’re looking for?”
I sat back again. I needed to be honest with him. “For now.”
We stared at one another for what felt like an eternity.
“You know I care about you, Ensley. You also know that if you told me you wanted more, I’d be on the same page as you.”
I swallowed the instant lump in my throat. My head was screaming at me to tell him I wanted the same. Wanted more. That I wanted to settle down and start a relationship.
My damn heart, on the other hand, was on the floor, throwing a fit.
“I know.”
He exhaled and shook his head. “I should tell you no. You broke my heart once, Ensley Wilde, and I’m not sure I’m willing to go down that road again.”
I nodded. “That’s fair. I want to give you more, Doug, as I said before. I’m trying to move on from a past that I can’t seem to shake.”
“I think you mean from a love you haven’t gotten over.”
This time, it felt like I’d swallowed a brick. “That, too.”
The waitress brought the check, and I left her cash. We slipped out of the booth and started to walk back toward the fire station. Neither of us said anything for a few minutes, and once we were in front of the firehouse, I expected him to thank me for breakfast and send me on my way. I wouldn’t have blamed him if he did just that.
Instead, he smiled down at me. “I’ll meet you at my place in ten minutes.”
Grinning, I said, “See you then.”
As I turned and headed back toward Main Street and my car, I told myself the past was the past. It was time to move forward, and Doug was the perfect man to move forward with.
I slipped into the driver’s seat of my truck as my phone rang. I smiled, thinking it might be Doug. I frowned when I saw it was Lynn Owens calling. Lynn was the wife of Jacob, the same man who’d taught me everything I knew about being a farrier. Lynn was also the mother of Colt.
“Hi, Lynn. How’s it going?”
The first thing I heard was sniffles.
“Lynn? Are you okay?”
“Ensley…I’m so sorry to call you like this.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked, turning on my truck and already altering my plans—getting ready to drive straight over to Lynn and Jacob’s house.
“It’s Jacob. He’s had a heart attack! We’re at the Granby hospital.”
My stomach instantly felt sick. “I’m on my way.”