Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
I know I shouldn’t care, but I find I want to know everything more and more by the second.
No, you don’t.
Despite my inner voice telling me I don’t, I do, and it pisses me the fuck off.
“I was wondering if you could spend the next few weeks before the season starts helping Dane out.” He stops for a second to watch her. When she doesn’t say or do anything, he nods and then continues. “Dane’s sister, Molly, handles everything for Dane.”
“She’s his assistant?”
“More like life manager,” he corrects, and I have to hand it to him. That title is the most accurate description of Molly. Life manager and keeper of sanity works too. “Molly is away for another month, and Dane here needs someone to help him. Of course, I would understand if you wanted to say no. It’s not exactly the experience you came here for—”
“Yes.” She cuts in.
Fuck.
What the hell is she up to?
Clearly, she’s out to make my life hell, and can I blame her?
Not one bit.
21
JOSIE
“Thank you so much, Josie. You have no idea how helpful this will be,” the sperm donor says before turning to Dane. His face changes the moment he looks at Dane. While he was smiling when he spoke to me, his lips have sagged back down and now resemble a straight line.
He’s all business now, and by the looks of things, he’s not happy with Dane.
His whole demeanor feels off from the family dinner a week ago. There, they spoke like father and son, but now, he looks at him like he’s ready to scold him. Dane’s face is rock hard, lines forming between his brow, and man, his posture is unnaturally straight. He looks like a stubborn child ready to throw a tantrum.
The interesting thing is he doesn’t. He grinds his teeth but doesn’t speak.
“I’ll leave you two alone to hash out your schedule. Josie, you should get in touch with Molly if Dane gives you any problems—”
“There won’t be any need for that,” Dane assures.
My father nods, his face still showing little emotion, but I see a small line form in his cheek. He’s pleased with himself.
It’s obvious that Dane doesn’t want an assistant other than his sister. It’s also obvious that my father feels triumphant that he pulled this one over on him.
If he knew the history between us, he wouldn’t be smiling. However, that thought alone makes me want to smile.
Dane hates me for no reason. He chose to sleep with me, so that’s on him. He needs my help, and that makes me feel in power for the first time in a while where he’s concerned.
When I’m around, he seems a little more relaxed. Okay, maybe not now, but that night in the vineyard.
He seemed so free, and if I can bring that out in him again . . .
“Seeing as I have no choice, give me your phone number,” Dane grunts out, and it reminds me I just got lost in my thoughts and wasn’t paying attention.
I lift my head and notice my father has left. It’s now just Dane and me, standing alone. This man needs to lighten up.
“You do have a choice,” I remind him. “You can have Coach call your sister and make her come home.”
“No. That’s not a choice,” he responds. “She deserves this time. I won’t mess it up for her.”
“Where is she anyway?” I ask.
He scowls as though I just asked the most intrusive question. “That’s none of your business.”
I take a step back; it feels like I was verbally slapped.
“Excuse me.” I place my hands on my hips, squaring my shoulders and stand a little bit taller. He doesn’t get to talk to me like that. “First of all, it is my business. It seems, in case you forgot, that I was just promoted to your personal assistant. Life manager, if you will.”
“You could never be my life manager.” His tone is unnecessarily cold.
“Fine,” I huff. “Personal assistant, whatever. But seeing as that is my new position for the next month until your sister returns, it is, in fact, my business to know where she is. In case you missed the part where your coach specifically told me to call her if I needed to.”
He cocks his head to the right. “That won’t happen.”
“You don’t get to decide that, Dane. Believe it or not, I might need to reach her.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”
I lift my hand. “Listen, you might not like me—”
“I don’t care enough to like or dislike you.”
Ouch.
“Okay, but not the point.” My hand rubs at my chest, needing to shield me somehow.
“What is the point? Please get to it, as I have to start practice.”
I let out a long-drawn-out sigh. This man is infuriating. I can practically see why no one but his sister wants this job. If I weren’t hell-bent on making him thaw to me, I’d probably tell my father no as well. But I don’t like that he doesn’t like me. The truth is, I hate when people don’t. I recognize that I don’t always make it easy, but that’s because my wall is up to protect me. I have enough reasons to be on guard at all times.