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)
Like her sister-in-law had been.
Heather seemed to think about the situation for a moment. “Control is the object of the abuser. Your husband used pain and terror to control you. In the case of that cowboy, I would bet control is a tool for him. Control is a way to enhance… Are we talking about sex?”
Nic felt herself flush. “We don’t have to.”
Heather seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “I’m more than happy to. I only wanted to make sure we’re on the same page. So they like to play games?”
Nic nodded. “But what if the games are to set me up for something else?”
“What if they’re just there to enhance your pleasure? To explore the relationship in a way a lot of couples never do?”
“Micah was sweet in the beginning,” Nic admitted. “He didn’t hit me until after we got married. I didn’t have anyone to talk to back then. I was scared, and I believed him the first time when he said he was sorry and wouldn’t do it again.”
Heather patted the place beside her. “How old were you when you got married?”
“Twenty-one,” Nic replied, sitting down. Heather was easy to talk to, and she wasn’t as worried about screwing up like she had earlier when she’d mentioned Childswood. Heather was just the woman next door. She wouldn’t think about delving into Nic’s history. “My parents weren’t around, so I suppose I was desperate for a family. They had money, so it felt like security. I still don’t know why he picked me.”
“Picked you? To marry?”
“Yeah. There were so many other women, and if he didn’t love me, I don’t know why he would pick me.” It was something she thought about a lot. Why out of all the women he’d known had he picked her?
“Maybe it was because he knew you didn’t have anyone else,” Heather pointed out. “Did you have any friends at the time?”
She thought about her friends from time to time. Not that there had been many. “Yes, but I kind of lost touch with them after we started dating.”
Heather nodded as though she knew what came next. “Because he wanted you in his world. He was a predator, and he was looking for the perfect prey. So he did what he needed to do to separate you from your support systems.”
“Not that I had much of one, but yes, I had a few friends. And I didn’t call them when things went bad because it had been too long. And I was ashamed.” She hadn’t been able to pick up the phone and admit how wrong she’d been, how she’d let Micah take over her entire life. “He did a great job of isolating me.”
“Watch the new guys,” Heather advised. “I would bet they won’t do anything to keep you away from friends. I would bet they would be as protective of your friends as they are of you. At least that’s what I heard. I might have asked around about them.”
They were great guys, but the truth was she’d screwed up so long ago. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not staying.”
“You going to explore more of the world?” Heather asked.
“Something like that.” She should stick to what she’d told the rest of Willow Fork. “I have a job coming up. I won’t have much time for socializing. That’s why I shouldn’t worry about falling into some trap they’re laying. I think I’m going to get all the good stuff and escape before anything bad can happen.”
She said the words with a jaunty smile, but it was easy to see Heather wasn’t buying it.
“Or you could understand that the past isn’t a road map of the future. You could give it a shot. Like I said, I asked around about Josh after this morning. He seems like a good man to know. His family is influential.”
She’d been down that road. “So was Micah’s.”
“All right, Josh’s family seems beloved,” Heather corrected. “I heard a lot of crap about their lifestyle, but almost everyone had something nice to say about them. They have helped this community a lot. I heard something about one of the kids in town getting into legal trouble and Josh bailing them out and helping his family find the resources he needed. And apparently his brother is some kind of grumpy saint who heals all animals. They don’t sound like bad guys.”
“They’re not. His family is great.” She’d started the evening intimidated by Jack Barnes, but he was nothing more than an older version of Josh. Calm. In control. Ready to protect his family.
Would he protect his family from her?
“All I’m saying is it seems like a relationship you might want to pursue,” Heather said.
Nic shook her head. “No. I’m having fun. Nothing more.” She wasn’t, but she had to start wrapping her head around this fact. She was leaving. She wasn’t the magical one for them. “I don’t think I could handle two men long term. How can any woman?”