Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 103159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Jack had given me one hint—my date with Hunter would be inside somewhere, not outside, which I was grateful for. I could only guess he’d done so because he felt guilty. It was pretty much his fault that I was going on this date. Though, if I hadn’t had that dress on, I would never have needed to go up to the room to change…and I wouldn’t be with Hunter right now.
“Okay, has the temperature dropped?” Lily asked as she wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck.
“Feels like it,” Rose said as she took my arm and Lily’s. “This has been so much fun. I’m so glad they shot the snowmobile rides early so you were able to spend part of the afternoon with us.”
I returned her smile with one of my own. “Me too.”
“Hey, we never did watch the Truth Booth,” Lily said. She gestured toward a pizza place as we neared. “Let’s head in here and grab something to eat before we head back to the ranch. We can watch the recap on my phone.”
I looked west over the mountains and sighed. “I don’t know, it’s getting darker outside, and I really should be getting back.”
They both frowned. “Kipton, you never get to hang out and just have fun,” Rose argued.
“That’s not true. I have fun during your family game nights.”
Lily laughed. “That doesn’t count. It’s still early, and I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
We slipped into the restaurant, and the warmth inside, along with the smell of food, made all three of us sigh.
“Come on, there’s a booth over there. You can stack all your bags next to you,” Lily said, her eyes sparkling. She was just as beautiful as the rest of the Shaw women, though she looked so different. Her hair was dark brown, and her eyes weren’t the familiar blue of the rest of the family, but a deep honey color. Rose had blonde hair and blue eyes, and Morgan had light brown hair with blue eyes—the same shade as Hunter’s. Each time Morgan looked at me, I couldn’t help but think of her brother.
After ordering food and a couple of beers—Lily was twenty-one, but she’d agreed to drive home—Lily pulled up the Swipe Right website and watched Hunter’s Truth Booth. I could hear it, but I was sitting across from them in the booth, so I couldn’t watch.
“He finally sent Ally home,” Lily said.
“I’m surprised he sent Vivian home. I liked her.”
Lily shook her head. “She wasn’t really putting herself out there. She is stunningly beautiful, though.”
“They all are,” I said as I brought the beer up to my lips.
Rose looked up with the same smug smile she’d worn in the barn. “But only one owns his heart.”
Lily gasped. “What? Who?”
We both looked at her as if she was a little crazy, before Rose said, “Oh, that’s right, you just got home from school, so you’re not up to speed on things.”
Lily wriggled in the booth. “Bring me up to speed!”
Glancing my way, Rose asked, “Would you like to tell her, or shall I?”
I rolled my eyes, and apparently, that was her answer.
“You know how I went to Vegas with them last Friday?”
“Yes,” Lily said, then glanced at me. “That dress that Morgan designed looked amazing on you, by the way!”
“Thank you,” I said as Rose grabbed Lily’s hands and brought her attention back to her.
“Anyway, long story short—Kipton and Hunter are dating, and I’m pretty sure they slept together.”
My mouth fell open. “Hey!”
“Oh my God, what?” Lily shouted, causing everyone in the entire place to look at us. “Sorry, sorry!” she said, waving everyone off. “Go back to your pizza eating.”
Mortified, I buried my face in my hands.
“You and Hunter are dating?” Lily asked in a much softer voice.
Rose continued to speak for me. “Yes, but you can’t tell anyone. It’s a secret. And then that jerk of a producer guy had the audience vote for who should be Hunter’s next date, and they picked Kipton!”
“What!? Oh my gosh, I missed one show!” Lily griped. “Are you going to do it?”
I nodded.
“At my advice, I might add. Their first date—well, first show date—is tomorrow. But they had a real first date last Saturday, when they got back from Vegas.”
Lily placed her hand over her heart and sighed. “What did you do?”
I started to talk, but Rose interrupted. “They went to Dustin’s family’s cabin to be alone.” She used finger quotes when she said alone. “Then Dustin had to rush out and get them because, hello, no cell coverage, and when they came back, our girl here looked like she’d been thoroughly satisfied…if you know what I mean!”
Lily’s hand clapped over her mouth as her eyes went wide with excitement.
“You should be a writer, Rose. You have such a way with words,” I deadpanned.
She winked. “Thank you.”