Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
“Have you tried calling?” I asked. I was sure they had his number.
Johnny rubbed his forehead. “Yeah. He hasn’t answered. That’s why I drove all the way over there. I was hoping to get a face-to-face to resolve things. But maybe he’d answer your calls since you’re his employee.”
Resolve things. Huh. I kind of wondered what kind of ranch Lyssa’s boss was actually running over there. There were cattle and wide open spaces, and Lyssa said sometimes cowboys were out there in the barn. Real ranch things were happening there, but it was also all glitz and glamour. I knew from working in Hollywood that a lot of times that could be all show with no actual capital or net worth behind it. No, that place screamed money. The land alone… tens of millions.
“Does he…owe you money or something?” I asked. “Did he steal your cows?”
Johnny picked up his hat and dropped it on his head, like he wanted to cover his eyes. “Yeah, it’s something like that. But it’s Rob’s business, so I can’t really talk about it.”
My smile slipped. Whoops. “Oh. Sorry.”
“No, no, no.” He whipped his hat back off. “Don’t be sorry. Fuck, I’m sorry. Did I sound like an asshole?”
“No.” My heart thudded like we’d just had a fight, except we hadn’t. Something was off, though. I felt it but couldn’t figure out what. Rob owned Wolf Ranch. It was a huge spread in itself. I’d say even more of a working ranch than the Chapman place. He was a busy man, so he sent one of his ranch hands to tackle business.
But why was it secret? Or, what was the secret they were keeping? Or was it only me left in the dark? Did it matter? Whatever it was came about before Johnny met me. It really wasn’t any of my business.
“Will you try him for me?” he asked.
I swallowed hard then nodded. Pretending to swipe at my phone for a number, I put it to my ear. After a minute, I put the phone down and said, “No answer.”
He grinned. “Well, that’s good for me then. I’m keeping you until he gets back,” he told me. “It’s settled.”
I smiled, those nervous twitters flitting about in my chest again. “You’re keeping me?”
He nodded. “Yup. You’re mine. You just don’t know it yet.”
I circled my hand in the air. “I thought this fell under the category of hot date.”
His smile faltered. “Oh yeah. We did say that. Can I change the rules?” He reached for me and was somehow strong enough to pick me up without dragging my ass across the rock to sit on his lap.
“God, you’re strong,” I laughed.
He flexed his biceps for me. “Ranch work.”
Not wanting to touch the conversation about whether this was a hot date or he got to keep me, I redirected the conversation. “So they–Marina and Colton–said you came here when you were just eighteen?”
He wrapped his arms around my waist and nibbled on my arm. “That’s true.”
“Why? I mean, how’d you get the job? What made you want to work on a ranch?”
He stiffened slightly. Enough to make me twist in his lap to sit sideways with my arm draped around his broad shoulders, so I could see his face.
“What is it?”
“I…” He opened his mouth then closed it again. “It’s not a great story, to be honest.”
I drew back. “Oh. Well, um, you don’t have to tell it. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to–”
“No, no. Don’t be sorry. It’s just…” He swallowed. “I kinda got kicked out of my home.”
My eyes widened.
“I mean, I was an adult and all, so no big deal.”
“Eighteen is hardly an adult,” I rushed in, angry on his behalf. What kind of parents just kicked their kid out at that age? I guessed a lot did, but I found that pretty heartless.
“Why? Did something happen?”
He nodded, face sober. “My sister…got assaulted. And I broke it up. And…” He swallowed, hard.
I held my breath, waiting.
“He’d hurt her, and I was young. I…I got violent.”
“Oh.” It took me a breath to absorb that because I found it hard to reconcile violence with the considerate, attentive guy holding me. But I could see him being protective. He was the hero who hadn’t hesitated to rush in to rescue me from my burnt cookies and a false fire alarm.
“Well, of course you did. It was the heat of the moment.”
Johnny met my gaze. I saw anxiety in his brown eyes–like he was sure I would reject him, too. “I definitely took it too far.”
I held my breath. Did he mean….too far, too far?
Actually, I didn’t want to know. Whatever happened, it had been traumatic for him and all involved. He must have been scared. The fact that it still messed with him, years later, was telling. I blinked back tears.