Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55491 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55491 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“I don’t have to stay at your place.” Joy waved a hand through the air as if it erased my concern. “I’m definitely cool camping here under my tarp. Even if there are raccoons.” She flashed me a smile, and I actually believed her cheerfulness.
Like this girl could make lemonade out of any amount of lemons. Even when believing I had just uninvited her from staying at my house.
“No, no. It’s not that.” I lowered my voice. “I don’t want Remy to know…” I trailed off then swallowed. Fuck it. I needed to be clear with her, so I met her blue gaze head on. “That I’m interested in you. I don’t want her to get confused, you know?”
Joy’s face softened. “Of course not. I totally understand. I’ll just be the neighbor staying on the couch. I mean, if you really are still okay with me being over there.”
“I am,” I said too quickly. “The clouds are comin’ in, and no way are you staying in your place if it’s going to storm again.”
My wolf needed her under my roof. I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I thought she wasn’t comfortable or safe.
“So you’re…interested in me?” Her dimples winked with an impish grin. Fate, she was cute.
I frowned. “I would think that would be obvious.”
“Well, I didn’t know if it was just about sex. Which is fine if it is.” She shrugged. “I mean, I’m the one who jumped you.”
Again with the lemonade. It was like she’d learned to keep her expectations of people low so they didn’t disappoint. I knew the feeling, but it made me grouchy as hell while it made her sunny.
We had as opposite dispositions as two people could have.
I cleared my throat and took off my cowboy hat to rub my forehead. “Fuck, Joy. I, uh…” Fate, I was bad at this. “To be honest, I haven’t dated much–well, at all–since Remy was born.” Ever. Just fucked on moon runs, and that was understood in advance that it was nothing. “She took up all my attention. But I’m definitely interested. I just…I also need to be cautious. For Remy.”
Fuck. I sounded like a coward.
Was I a coward? Yes. Because you said you wanted her to be your babysitter. Dumbass.
She nodded in understanding. “Of course. We can sneak into each other’s rooms after dark or something.” Joy flashed me that wide grin again.
I felt something foreign launch up my throat. A chuckle. Or the start of one. It made the corners of my mouth tip up. Her smile was almost contagious.
But her suggestion meant she was still only thinking about illicit sex. I needed to make her fall in love. With me. Which would be hard since all I knew how to do was screw her.
“Well, I was thinkin’ more like a date, except I don’t have a sitter.” Everything was so fucking hard with a kid. And a date? Never went on one. What the hell did I know about one? “Maybe her preschool teacher, Riley, could babysit.”
“Cody’s new wife? She’s great.”
Johnny’s truck pulled up, and he and Colton hopped out. “Hey guys!” Joy waved at them, and I wanted to punch both of their faces in.
When I asked them to help, I hadn’t thought about how my wolf would react.
Like a possessive fucker who wanted to poke their eyes out if they even looked at her in those sexy shorts. When they smiled at her, I knew I was going to have to kill them both.
Since I liked them, this was a big fucking problem.
She was already walking out to say hello. “What are you guys doing here?”
I shot forward to get between them. No way were they shaking hands or worse… hugging. “I asked them to come and help me put up a patch on your wall for tonight to keep the rain out. But I don’t really need their help.” I puffed up my chest and glared at my two friends. “You guys can go back to the ranch.”
Colton took off his hat and looked from me to Joy. Maybe it was my fuck-off attitude. Maybe it was the growl in my voice. Maybe he’d been there and understood the feelings I was having right now because he said, “That right?”
“Yeah. Fuck on off.” I pointed to their truck. “I got this.”
A smile played around his lips. I wanted to punch his smug face in.
Fortunately, Johnny remained quiet. I could take down two shifters at once, especially if my mate was threatened, but even in my obsessed haze I knew it was a bad idea.
“Guys, guys! Here’s your beer!” Remy came running out of the house with her arms wrapped around three bottles of beer. I hadn’t even realized she’d managed to get in the house by herself. I hadn’t been paying much attention to her, and that made me a shit dad.