Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 43827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
“He’s getting along in age though isn’t he, what is he thirty-two, thirty-three? High time a man that age settles down and has a few children. What’s the sense of working so hard with no one to come home to at the end of the day?” I’m going to open the car door and chuck him out on the paved driveway, the old meddler.
“Wasn’t he interested in that Marcy girl? A fine young lady from an upstanding family; he could do worse. Say wasn’t she in your classes at school dear?” If I didn’t know better I’d think the lot of them were setting me up. I turned to mama with a saccharin smile, not once giving away my true feelings. That Marcy was a bed-hopping termite who had made more visits to the free clinic than the people who worked there. Okay that was a bit of an exaggeration, but the girl did have a reputation.
It would serve Grant Colfax right if he ended up with her as the mother of his children, the jackass. Since he had the nerve to cast me off like refuse, he deserved nothing better than to spend the rest of his days with someone who was sure to keep the town guessing as to the true lineage of his offspring.
Okay so I’m feeling mean, but can you blame me? Why in the blazes would daddy get it into his head to ask Grant of all people to throw a party? “Yes she was but we were never close remember, since you forbade it?” I had no interest in discussing my old nemesis, especially since we were pulling up in front of the mansion just then.
There were quite a few people there already, most of them probably waiting to see the jilted bride, but I had news for them. If they were expecting a spectacle they were going to be sorely mistaken. I’d made sure and outdone myself while getting dressed because I knew I would be on display. I had given the town way too much fodder already, and besides, I didn’t want people thinking I was so weak as to still be pining after that ass Joel.
“Good evening.” Crap, I wasn’t quite ready to see him yet. I thought for sure the maid or someone else would answer the door. I composed myself before looking up at him. Yep, he still had that effect on me. I was very aware of my family at my side, and one more thing, his scent. His essence tickled my nose and did something strange to my insides. I swallowed audibly and forced myself to look him in the eye even though it took all my willpower.
He was a cool one that’s for sure. Not even a twinge of discomfort on his face. Fine, two can play that game. “Good evening Mr. Colfax, thanks for having us.” I bypassed him, ignoring mama’s harsh inhalation of breath at my obvious rudeness. I’ll have to apologize for my crass behavior later; right now I needed a drink. It promised to be one hell of an evening.
Chapter 9
GRANT
So that’s the way she wants to play it, fine by me. I had to throttle back because of her family, but first chance I get I’m going to show little Ms. Politeness, who’s in charge. That’s another thing, she’s been so spoilt all her life how in the hell is she going to be able to conform to my way of thinking, of doing things?
It’s true that both times I’d taken her we hadn’t done much talking except ‘put your leg here, or harder, faster’ and a few grunts and moans, so we were in definite need of some vertical conversation.
I watched her as new guests arrived, listened as people offered their apologies for her broken engagement. I knew her so well that it was easy for me to tell that she was more putout by their constant reminders than by the act itself. That was good to know, because although I’d convinced myself that she hadn’t really been in love, that her heart hadn’t really been engaged, there was no real way for me to know that.
Halfway through the festivities as I was talking to one of the other ranchers is when I realized what the hell I was doing wrong. In life I’ve always been a go-getter, anything that meant anything I went after with a vengeance. Here I am, after years of wanting her from afar, still letting things slip away. I’d already made up my mind, so there was no need for the hold up was there? Not to mention the fact that every swinging dick in the place seemed to think that she was fair game.
And who the fuck had dressed her? Instead of one of her usual country lady of the manor getups, she was showing a little more skin than I would’ve preferred. Not to mention the way the off the shoulder number hugged her curves and made her breasts look more bountiful than usual. No wonder these hick assholes were all but salivating all over her.