Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
“Where are we going? I need to find a place to stay.”
“You can stay with—” The man at the front, the one that called for me, interrupts, but he doesn’t get the whole sentence out.
I fix him with a glare. “Don’t fuckin’ think of finishing that sentence, Mac.”
Mac’s face turns red, but he doesn’t stop. “What? She said she needs a place to stay. I’m just doing my civic duty.”
“Fuck off.” I glare at him.
Emerson’s hand is still on my chest. “I can check into a hotel.”
Fuckin’ Mac doesn’t know when to stop. “There’s no hotel in Whiskey Run. There is a B&B, but it’s probably full until tomorrow since the big wedding was tonight. You can stay—”
“Say it and you’ll be six feet under before morning, Mac.” My nostrils are flared, and I move toward him before he finally gets it. Mac holds both hands up and with a scared laugh says, “Got it, got it. She’s off limits.”
I nod. “Damn right she is. Spread the word too.”
I glare down at Emerson. I wasn’t prepared for this. Hell, nothing could have prepared me for this. I’m trying to convince myself I’m so protective of her because of the fact she’s Randall’s daughter, but I know there’s more to it. Looking into her big, trusting eyes, I want to be the man she turns to. I force myself to calm down. “You ready?”
She nods her head hesitantly. “Yeah.”
Great. I’ve probably scared the fuck out of her by now. I stop when we get outside and it’s just the two of us. “Look, I’m sorry for how I acted in there, Emerson. You know I would never take my anger out on you, right?”
She opens her mouth and then closes it again. She’s speechless, and it’s making me second-guess everything. I think I may prefer when she’s rambling than when she’s quiet like this. “Look, if you’re uncomfortable, I can find somewhere for you to stay tonight. Somewhere other than with me. Abby has some girlfriends, I can ask one of them.”
She purses her lips. “Who’s Abby?”
“Davis’ wife.”
Is that relief in her eyes? “Oh.”
I lean down so I can look at her straight on. “Emerson, talk to me. If you’re uncomfortable—”
She shakes her head. “No, I’m not uncomfortable.”
“Are you okay staying with me tonight and we’ll figure something else out tomorrow?”
She nods but looks unsure. “I don’t… I mean… I just…”
“Say it,” I tell her and then regret the gruffness immediately. “Talk to me, Emmy.”
She crosses her arms over her chest and lifts her chin at me. “I’ve already messed up your plans for tonight. If you’re supposed to be meeting up with someone, I’d rather find somewhere else to stay.”
I start walking to my truck. She’s worrying about things she shouldn’t be worrying about. No matter what I have planned, she would come first. I put her suitcase in the back of the truck, open the passenger door, slide her bag off my back, and put it on the floorboard. When I turn, she’s still standing where I left her.
I motion for her to come over, and she does, but she stops outside of my reach. “Kanan, you can’t just bark orders at me and expect me to listen to you. I just came here because I had nowhere else to go. If you have plans, I can call Walker and Brooklyn. They would let me stay with them.”
“I don’t have any plans.”
I gesture for her to get in, but she doesn’t budge.
Impatiently, I ask her, “What is it now?”
She looks at me uneasily. “Is anyone going to be mad that I’m going to your house?”
My first thought is her father, but I shake that thought from my head. “Who would be mad?”
She shrugs and is looking everywhere but at me. “I don’t know. Your girlfriend… or someone?”
“Emmy.” I say her name, wanting her to look at me, but she doesn’t. I repeat her name again. “Emerson.”
She rolls her eyes and finally looks at me. Fuck, she’s beautiful. It’s going to take every bit of self-control I have not to drown in the blue depths of her eyes. And fuck, keeping my hands off of her is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. “There’s no one. No one will be mad that you’re staying with me.”
She searches my face, and I wonder what she sees. Can she tell I’m attracted to her? Does she know that it kills me to know everything she’s been going through and I had no idea? Does she know I would do anything for her and it’s not just because of the guilt I hold on to every day? Finally she nods her head and climbs into the truck. I resist putting my hands on her waist to help her up.
When she’s settled, I close the door and try to collect myself as I walk around to the driver’s side.