Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 30892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
He shrugs. “Change them.”
I do my best to scowl at him. He’s so overbearing. Are all the cowboys in Courage like this or did I just manage to find the one that was dropped on his head as a baby? “Stop bossing me around. I don’t like it.”
He chuckles. It’s a rich, dark sound that fills me with longing. I want that date with him. I want to listen to him tell me funny stories about his life and listen to that throaty, sinful laugh. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you that good girls are terrible liars?”
“I’m not.” As denials go, it’s a terrible one. But it’s hard to think clearly with Barrett staring at me like I just might be the center of his world.
He raises an eyebrow. “You’re not a good girl?”
Why does he keep saying good girl? Why do I keep wanting to be his good girl? Wrapping my arms around myself is a protective mechanism. It has nothing to do with the way my nipples are suddenly hard. Also, it’s drafty in here. “I’m not a terrible liar.”
“Well, I wouldn’t call you good at it.”
The bell on the door rings, and I recognize Bailey coming in for her afternoon sweet treat. She runs the barbershop here in town. The moment she knows anything, the whole town knows it. The last thing I need her thinking is that I’m crushing on one of the Maple brothers.
Pulling myself up to my full height, I point my finger at him. I try to summon all of the ire I feel toward him, which admittedly ire and arousal feel like the same thing today. “The great thing about owning my bakery is that I can throw out big, filthy cowboys like you.”
Bailey looks between the two of us, the flower tattoo above her chest heaving. “You OK here, Sadie?”
Barrett doesn’t even spare her a glance. “Seems like it’s time for me to head back to the farm.” He leans in close, whispering for my ears only, “Give me a call when you’re ready for those Os you’re craving. I’ll pick you up for our date and take care of your sweet little body.”
Before I can respond, he’s leaving the bakery, the bell tinkling softly behind him.
I paste on a smile for Bailey’s sake even though some part of me wants desperately to chase after Barrett and beg him to take me right here.
Bailey laughs, her big stomach jiggling, before she breaks into a smoker’s cough. “The men in this town are obsessive.”
I nod and step behind the counter to serve her. “You can say that again.”
Chapter 3
Sadie
“Come on, come on.” I stare at the tracker app, willing it to update again. Russell took the scenic route with his delivery tonight.
The sign in the window has already been flipped to closed, and I’m yawning. Making fresh donuts and pastries every morning for the hungry citizens of Courage means that my workday starts at three in the morning. Not that it matters. I don’t sleep much at night anyway.
Coco yips her displeasure. Like me, she wants to be upstairs with dinner already.
“Soon,” I promise both of us just as the truck finally rumbles into the alley behind my shop. I make sure that Coco is securely in her play area. I don’t want her running underfoot and getting hurt.
When I’m certain my fur baby is safe, I open the loading dock door, barely suppressing another yawn. It will take hours to unload and stock all of this inventory. I’ll be lucky to get more than an hour or two of sleep tonight. No doubt that was part of Russell’s intention by making this delivery so late.
As soon as he pulls the truck to a stop, he hops out and rounds it. He looks me up and down with his leering gaze. My skin crawls, but just like I have a dozen times before, I refuse to let him get to me.
“You want it in the back door tonight?” He asks with a waggle of his eyebrows, indicating he wanted to be disgusting. There’s a reason I didn’t go out with him when he asked. My rejection had nothing to do with the fact that his dad is my vendor like I told him it did. Nope, it was all Russell.
Before I can respond, Russell is on his ass on the ground between the two buildings. Blood gushes from his nose.
Barrett is looming over him, jaw clenched tightly. “What did you just say to my girl?”
Russell clutches his face and confirms my previous suspicions that he’s a few horses short of a farm because he opens his mouth, “Nothing. All I asked was whether she’d like it—”
Barrett lunges for Russell again who squeals and curls into a ball. His voice is muffled from the swelling that’s starting in his face. “What the hell is your problem?”