Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 77936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Yeah.” Willow’s slim shoulders slumped.
“Okay. Done.” I screwed in the new lightbulb and quickly scrambled down from the ladder. “Now we can head out.”
“Finally.” Willow gave me an epic eye roll as she climbed up in my truck, stowing her stuff next to mine in the back seat.
I had to push the speed limit, but we made it to the meeting spot at two minutes past ten, right as others were milling about, getting saddled up and ready to go. Seeing as the ranch was sponsoring the ride, Gray had spared a few hands to help with organizing and driving the chuck wagon, and I nodded hello to those I knew as I exited the truck.
“See?” I grinned hopefully at Willow. “Not late.”
“I see Hannah!” Apparently over being grumpy, Willow raced away from the truck toward a Lovelorn Ranch truck hauling a large four-horse trailer. As I followed Willow, I admired Maverick’s parking job, lining up the trailer with the row of others hauling horses. Maverick emerged from the driver’s side of the truck in faded jeans, a plaid shirt over a T-shirt, and an actual cowboy hat, borrowed, no doubt.
“You’re looking mighty cowboy.” I looked him up and down as I kept my voice light. I wouldn’t know flirty if it smacked me in the face, but I wanted to keep to easy teasing, no innuendo. “Thanks for bringing the horses.”
“No problem.” Maverick grinned at me. “And I’m not too proud to admit Kat helped me load the horses, and I practiced driving with the trailer the past two days. Been a while since I hauled anything.”
“You gonna be good to ride?” I followed him around to the back of the trailer. I was impressed that he’d taken the ride so seriously. For someone who wanted the hell out of Lovelorn, he was putting in the effort as an uncle, at least.
“Muscle memory. Been practicing that too.” He unlocked the trailer, pausing to look back at me. “I was surprised to hear you requested Firecracker for your ride. He seems feisty. And huge.”
“Maybe I like a challenge.” Crap. Did that sound suggestive? Judging by the blush sweeping up Maverick’s neck, I’d probably wandered into flirty waters, so I backed the hell out. “Also, I’m not a skinny teenager anymore. Takes a stronger horse to haul me around.”
“You’ve definitely added muscle.” Maverick gave me an appreciative glance that made me feel better about my dad-bod but also made my skin prickle.
I gave an uncomfortable cough, moving to help him lead the horses out of the trailer. Change in subject time. “Hannah seems confident. Has she been practicing too?”
“Every chance she gets.” Maverick’s smile turned proud. “I think it’s good for her, especially since Faith is so…sporadic.”
“Busy trying to get out from under the will?” I had a certain amount of sympathy for Faith as we’d both been thrust into early adulthood via the death of a parent, but Faith also had a shrewdly calculating side I’d never cared for.
“That and busy pickling her liver.” Maverick sighed heavily as he led Adzuki out of the trailer after I’d secured Firecracker. “Sorry. You don’t want to hear my family drama.”
“No, it’s okay.” Reassuring Maverick was as natural as ever, and I wasn’t lying. I did want to hear. “We’re…”
I trailed off from the sentence I’d uttered a hundred times before.
“Friends?” Maverick’s voice was more tentative than usual. “Think we could try?”
Our gazes met over the back of the horse, something warm and potent passing between us. We’d been friends before and it ended terribly. Friends now seemed risky as all get out, but I’d never been able to deny those pleading blue eyes.
“Maybe,” I allowed. What other choice did I have? Declare us enemies right before we headed off into the backcountry? “I’ve heard worse ideas. And I feel you on the family drama. Sibling stuff never ends.”
“Yours too?” Maverick followed me back to the trailer to retrieve the girls’ horses.
I opened my mouth, intending the same short reply I’d give anyone else, but instead, I found myself spewing all my earlier frustrations and worries from dealing with my text messages to Mom.
“My mom keeps trying to do too much, so there’s that. Then Tiffany wants to have another kid, which means needing help adding a room to their place. Stephanie’s going back to school for a master’s, and Mom’s worried about how she’ll make ends meet. Carson’s deployed, so there’s that concern, along with what he’ll do in a couple of years when his twenty is up. Kane’s raising hell, as always. Rumors say he’s got multiple baby mamas spread out over three counties. He could probably drink Faith under the table, but good luck lecturing him on sobriety.”
“Wow. That’s a lot.” Maverick regarded me with wide eyes. “And you’re the sheriff. Your days never end, do they?”