Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 238(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 238(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
I cringed at the mental picture he painted. “God, no.”
“Exactly. You’d have to come to terms with him with this woman because he’s a grown-ass man, and he can do what he wants, but he should keep some things private.”
I gnawed on my lower lip, considering. Then nodded. “You’re right.”
“I left because he needed time to cool down.”
“He gave you an out,” I said. “You got told off and could’ve kept right on going.”
He growled. “Not happening, sugar. Not fucking happening. That’s why I’m here. Let me take you to dinner, so we can talk.”
18
RILEY
Dinner? Just the two of us? He probably wasn’t talking about a burger at the drive-up place on Main Street.
“Yeah, I’d like–oh wait.” I closed my eyes, wishing I didn’t have to turn him down. “Sorry, I can’t. Again. I’m having dinner with my nana at the retirement home.”
His eyes widened, then he grinned. “Your nana? Then I’ll go with you.”
My eyebrows popped. “What?”
“Riley Abbott, bowling with your girlfriends is one thing. But you’re the most important person to me in the world, and I want to meet your family. Things didn’t go well with your dad, but maybe I can get your grandma on my side.”
I laughed, thinking of my impulsive, slightly reckless Nana. “You probably can,” I admitted. “Lord knows, you have a way with women.”
Cody’s smile dimmed. “Just one woman, now,” he promised. “Only you, sugar.”
My heart pitter-patted against my breastbone. I wanted to believe him. God, did I want to believe him. But was that smart? Was I setting myself up to get crushed by this gorgeous player? Lord knew I would’ve thought Cody McIntire was completely unattainable a week ago. Maybe I was deluding myself about what this was. If I was just the next woman in a long string of fun times for Cody, it was going to really hurt. And, I’d have to tell my dad he was right, which would really suck.
Gah! Why did Dad have to put doubts in my head?
Cody looped an arm around my waist and led me to my car in the nearby parking lot, opening my door for me, like a gentleman. When I settled in the seat, he fastened my seatbelt and kissed the top of my head. “I’ll be right behind you, sugar. White Elm Retirement, right?”
It was the only place in town, so it was an easy guess. And correct. “Yes.”
He winked and shut my door. I sat there for a moment, glowing. My brain still kept trying to poke holes in my euphoria, but it was no use. Being around Cody McIntire, being the object of his attention, made me delirious. It was definitely too good to believe.
Right?
I continued to stew on it all as I drove to White Elm. After I parked, I remained in my car for a few minutes waiting for Cody’s truck to appear. What was taking him so long?
The voice in my head told me to brace myself. He wasn’t coming. He found some woman on the way, picked her up, and left town like Mom had with that nature photographer.
“He’s coming,” I muttered fiercely, getting out of the car recognizing how stupid my thoughts were.
“Hi, Riley!” Sarah, the front desk receptionist, welcomed me when I walked inside. “Your grandma is in the game room, socializing as usual.”
Of course, she was.
I found Nana cackling, gathering a pile of chips in front of her, clearly having won a card game. Her friends threw their cards down in front of them in frustration while she grinned at me. “Oh, Riley! Perfect timing. I just cleaned up the table.”
“I hope you’re not playing for money, Nan.” I leaned over and gave her cheek a kiss and said hello to the others around the table. I knew them all, and they definitely knew all about me. Nana loved to share stories about her sole grandchild.
“Why, would you rather we played for clothes?” she asked then winked.
I laughed. Her friends pretended to be shocked, but I knew they loved her free spirit. Her friend Miss Ruby had told me once that things had been boring until Nana moved in.
“No, we’re just playing for street cred, and I have it all,” Nana declared, getting up from her chair. “Now, let’s eat. You sore losers can stay where you are because I have a date with my lovely granddaughter.” She took my arm and leaned on me as we walked slowly to the dining room.
“Have you talked to the doctor about your hip replacement?” I asked. She’d had it replaced fifteen years ago, but the last few years it had caused her a lot of pain. She pretended otherwise, but the main reason she moved into White Elm was because there were too many steps in her house. “Pshh,” Nana scoffed. “There’s nothing to talk about. He’s going to say I need to get a new hip put in, and I don’t want to go through that again.”