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)
Pops grinned broadly as he helped Mom up. “I knew one of them would take after me. Grim’s the only one making sense.”
Dad sighed, but it was easy to see he was amused. “Josh knows what he’s doing. He’ll take care of the situation with the Smiths. It’s time to make things uncomfortable for them. After Nicole and Alyssa taking him on last night, I’ve already heard some of the other young women of the town are calling for them to be removed from the square. I think they’re going to fight back now.”
“They needed to know it was okay,” Nicole said. “Sometimes all it takes is knowing you’re not alone. Although it’s weird to be on the same side as Alyssa.”
Olivia stood and yawned. “Yeah. I would have told you it would be a cold day in hell, but hey, all my instincts are off lately. I’m going to up to my room. I have some calls to make. Did I mention Trev McNamara’s sons are obnoxious as hell?”
“Several times,” Dad acknowledged.
“Well, they are,” Olivia said as she turned and walked out.
“That did not go well.” Pops followed her. “I’ll see if I can get her talking.”
Harlow straightened her shirt, looking over at Nicole. “You ready for a session? Landon’s going to be a while before he can take us into town. I saw him riding out with the hands.”
“I can call him back,” Dad offered.
Nicole stood with Buddy in her arms. “It’s fine. We can go after lunch. I would like a training session. Can we work on ball busting?”
And it was time for him to go to work. “Love you, baby. I’m going to protect my balls though.”
“I’m with you, brother.” Josh shook his head Harlow’s way. “I think I liked it better when Nicole was worried you were in love with us and jealous of her.”
Harlow’s jaw dropped. “She thought what?”
Nicole held Buddy close to her chest. “Well, I didn’t know. I know now. And Joshua Barnes-Fleetwood, you are a terrible man.”
Josh winked her way. “Yeah, but I’m your man. And lucky you. Grim’s here and he’s practically an angel.”
Nicole moved to him, going on her toes to press a kiss against his lips. “You be careful out there. Those cows can kick when they want to, and despite what I said before, I like your balls intact.”
“And I’ll go make sure lunch is coming along,” Abby said, waving her children off.
“Now you’ve gone and scared your momma.” Jack winked Nicole’s way as he followed his wife out.
“Nothing scares my momma,” Josh countered then moved in to surround Nicole, pressing his chest to her back. “You be careful. I love you, baby. I’ll see you this afternoon. Grim, I’ll make it back here for Kim’s call, too.”
Grim nodded.
Then they could truly begin.
Chapter Nineteen
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Landon sat in the driver’s seat of the truck, looking around the parking lot of the rundown motel.
Harlow frowned his way and pointedly checked her watch. “Kim’s supposed to call in an hour. If you stay with us, we’ll still have to make the trip to the shelter.”
Nicole didn’t want to be late. “I’d like to be back in time for the call. This is my whole future on the line, and I think I should be there.”
The day had kind of gotten away from her in the sweetest way. First she’d chased Buddy, who had taken off running through the front flower beds. She’d worried the dog was trying to run away, but he’d come back and run zoomie circles around her until he’d lain down and immediately fallen into a nap. Lunch without Josh and Grim was no longer any kind of awkward for her. In fact, she loved the time she got with Abby and Olivia and Harlow. They’d had a leisurely lunch and talked about how Olivia’s trip to Bliss had gone.
Poorly on the romantic front since the objects of her affections turned out to have just announced their engagements. To different people. None of whom were Olivia Barnes-Fleetwood.
However, Olivia couldn’t stop talking about the obnoxious cowboys she’d had to deal with while working with their fathers. Like couldn’t stop talking about them in a “they annoy me for reasons she wasn’t willing to go into” way.
Nicole had found it utterly fascinating, which was precisely why they were running late.
Landon sighed. “Fine, but you two be ready to go when I get back.”
Harlow waved him off. “We’ll be ready. I don’t think she’s got a ton of stuff.”
Nicole moved to the door of the motel room as Landon drove away.
It was odd to be back here now. She’d been gone for a couple of weeks, but it felt like she was a different person. She’d come to this place desperate and alone.