Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 144435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
"I'll see what I can do," Nell says. "Maybe Ford can handle things for you. He needs something to do to keep him out of here and out of my hair anyway. You'd think owning a fancy ski resort would keep him busy, but no. He's always in here, scaring off the tourists."
"If you'd marry him, maybe he'd stop growling at all the tourists."
"What? Ford doesn't want to marry me," she says like I've lost my mind.
"Nell, the man's been waiting for you to marry him since he met you."
"Whatever. We're just friends," she mumbles. "Get off my phone so I can work magic for you."
"You're my favorite sister."
"I'm your only sister, you big idiot," she says. "But I love you too."
Chapter Eleven
CORDELIA
"Where did your crazy mountain man go?" I ask Tyr, squatting to scratch his ears when he butts his head against my leg in a silent demand for attention. Deacon was on the porch just a minute ago, but I guess he's gone back inside now. He must have gotten tired of watching me act like a lunatic.
I don't even care if he was judging me though. I found signal in the dead zone he calls home. It's been a good day. I got to catch up on what the girls are doing. Apparently, I'm not the only one busy falling in love. We're falling like bricks all over the place. Tabitha met a mob boss in Vegas. Cleary woke up married to a tattoo artist, also in Vegas. Gem is getting it on with an ex. Peyton is hooking up with a billionaire. Mandy is banging the guy who pretended to be her photographer. And Devyn is head over heels for her brother's best friend.
Maybe Drunk Me was onto something with this we're not moping on Valentine's Day, we're facing our fears pact. For the first time ever, my besties are all in love. We're a Hallmark movie in the making. Only with a lot more sex. High five for us!
"Let's go annoy Deacon," I murmur to Tyr, rising from my crouch. The muscles in my legs protest, making me giggle. Yeah, there's definitely a lot more sex in this movie.
Tyr follows me as far as the front porch and then flops down, refusing to come inside like usual. The dog is nuts. He likes freezing his cajónes off. Yesterday, I found him sleeping in a pile of melting snow like it was completely normal. Huskies are built different, I guess.
I slip inside, kicking my boots off so I don't track mud all over the floor, and then wander down the hall in search of Deacon. I hear his voice coming from his bedroom, so head that way.
"Yeah, I was wrong about that," he says. "She's crazier than you are."
I stop outside his door. Is he talking about me?
"Whatever you say. Can you deal with the problem or not? I can't live like this."
Problem? He can't live like this?
"It's driving me insane. I want it done now. I can't wait a week."
My stomach churns, anxiety shooting through me. He is talking about me. Oh, my god. He's sick of me. He wants me out of here. I thought… I stumble away from his bedroom door, shocked and numb.
I'm so stupid! I thought things were going great between us. But apparently, I was dead wrong about that. I'm a problem he wants to be rid of. I'm too much for him, just like I am for the rest of the world.
He made me fall in love with him and his stupid, handsome face and his grumpy attitude and his bossy ways and the sweet things he says. And the whole time, it was just sex to him. I was just a warm body.
You own me too, Sunshine.
I stumble into the living room, shoving my feet into the first pair of boots I come across, and then quickly scurry out the front door. I need fresh air. I need…out. I race down the porch steps, heading anywhere but here. Tears blur my vision, my heart feeling like it's going to rip itself in two.
I make it ten feet from the cabin before I stop. Nope. No way. I'm not going to be that girl, the one who hears something she doesn't like and then does something foolish and irrational. I'm not dying in the woods because he broke my stupid heart. If he wants me out of here, then fine. He can tell me that to my face. And then he can take me down the mountain to my car and I'll leave. But I'm not rushing out into the woods like a crazy person.
Been there, done that, still have the anxiety to prove it.
I spin on my heel, marching right back to the cabin.
Tyr lifts his head, looking at me as if to ask me what the heck I'm doing.