Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Landon’s lips spread in a smile sure to have every woman in the area panting after him. “Yeah, I think that’s a masculine trait, but if you want to learn how to punch more effectively, I’ll give you a lesson. In addition to being an excellent chef, my father was a Navy SEAL. I didn’t go into Special Forces, but he made sure I learned how to fight. Of course he taught my sister, too. I understand the need, but do those two have to talk about a man’s balls so much? It seems rude. There are other places to hit.”
But none as effective.
Nicole didn’t seem to notice Landon most of the time. Her obliviousness of the handsome bodyguard gave him some hope.
“I’m going to leave her self-defense tutoring to Harlow,” he said. “Come on. I’ve got a date with some puppies, and then we need to grab the feed Jack ordered.”
“That’s the only date you’re going to have if you don’t stop brooding and start showing off your masculine wiles, Grim. The way I see it we know each other well enough…” Landon began.
Grim shook his head and kept walking toward the Willow Fork Animal Shelter. It was a small but well-kept building. It housed the various strays they found around the county. “We don’t.”
“…for me to give you some advice.” Landon didn’t miss a beat. “The way I heard it you and Josh were pretty hot and heavy with Nicole before the whole incident thing happened. Now she’s pissed but she’s also stuck, and you two are not handling this well.”
“I don’t need advice.”
“It seems like you do. I don’t think longing looks are going to work on her,” Landon continued.
“I’m giving her space.”
“What you should do is give the girl a show.” Landon stopped and held up a hand. “Now hear me out.”
He didn’t want to, but he had to admit he was curious.
Landon took his silence as assent. “I work with this guy. He’s in investigations but everyone knows him. Nicest man in the world, and his wife makes the best cupcakes. I mean she could give my dad’s pastry chef a run for his money.”
“Get to the point, Lan.”
“Anyway, there’s this woman who works reception part time, and I am interested in dating her. She’s standoffish. Anyway, my friend told me I needed to show off,” Landon explained. “Leave a couple of buttons undone. Maybe show up and need her to help me with something right after a workout. You’re a vet, man. You know how this works. The male has to perform to gain a woman’s interest.”
“Did it work?”
Landon shrugged. “Nah, but it could work for you.”
Grim rolled his eyes and started walking again.
“Nicole watches you when she thinks no one is looking.” Landon rushed to keep up.
“We’re giving her some room to breathe. She’s been through a lot. We rushed things.” Space. He was giving her space and time.
The trouble was space and time were starting to feel like separation.
In the two weeks since they’d come home, Nicole had moved into one of the guest rooms in the big house, and he saw her mostly at mealtimes. The last few weeks had been one long slog of work and worry and hope that he would see her while she was either working in the gardens with Abby or learning to ride with Jack and Sam.
She was starting a job with Barnes-Fleetwood on Monday. At least she would likely drive into work with Josh. Or maybe she would take the brand-spanking-new Volvo. It had been delivered the week before, and Nicole continued to ignore them both.
As long as she took Harlow, they’d decided she was okay, and Nicole was taking advantage of the freedom. She and Harlow and Olivia had let Abby and Sam take them all to Dallas for a weekend of shopping, and she’d come back with clothes and makeup she’d vowed to pay Abby back for.
He’d overheard her talking to Harlow about what she would do if her name was cleared.
Find a place of her own and a new job. Start over.
“She doesn’t look at you like she’s trying to figure you out, man. She looks at you like a kid in a candy store whose mom won’t let her eat any sugar.” Landon opened the door, and they were assaulted by the yelping barks of every dog in the place greeting them.
He looked out over the organized space. A few years back the only shelter had been a couple of cages in the same building that housed the city’s water and sanitation departments. When he’d come back, he’d led a drive for a dedicated shelter and adoption center. Well, he’d tried, and when no one showed any interest in helping him, his parents had written a massive check, and now the Willow Fork Animal Shelter was part of the community and ran on two employees and a whole lot of volunteers. It turned out cute dogs and cats won out over prejudice most of the time.