Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 54732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
A glance toward the bathroom door revealed that it was slightly ajar. Of course. There was no reason to lock the doors now. She walked toward it and into the bathroom. Bradley didn’t seem to notice as he stood behind the glass doors, rinsing heavy lather away and humming a little song she didn’t recognize. Kay passed through to her room and lay down on the bed, closing her eyes for a few more minutes.
“Kay?” she heard Bradley saying, but he sounded far away. She struggled to hear him. He continued to call to her and he seemed to be getting clearer, closer. She hadn’t been dreaming, she didn’t think. It started with this, with him trying to find her, from the sound of it. The fog began to lift and separate, bringing her into the clear light of mid-day streaming into the skylight of her bedroom.
She blinked up at him. This wasn’t a dream. How long had she been asleep? She bolted upright in bed, miscalculating the distance and head butting him in the process.
“Ow!” she exclaimed as he stood upright and rubbed his forehead, even as he reached out to do the same to hers.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I guess I fell asleep for a few minutes. I’ll get going to take care of the horses.”
Bradley laughed and shook his head from side to side, sitting down on the edge of the bed by her side. He reached for her hand, pulling it up to his lips and kissing it.
“I’ve got someone else taking care of the horses. I told them you weren’t feeling well and came to check on you.”
“I feel fine,” she protested.
“Maybe so, but you obviously needed your rest. Nothing wrong with taking a day off.”
“I took part of a day off yesterday.”
“And I kept you up most of the night,” he said with a smile.
“Woke me up early too,” she replied.
“I did. Protesting again?”
“I was never protesting,” she said, leaning forward and kissing him softly.
“Good girl,” he told her, standing back up. “It’s almost lunchtime. Are you hungry? I can have you something brought up.”
“Actually, I’m famished. We missed dinner last night and breakfast this morning.”
“Well, you missed breakfast. I did not. You looked so peaceful when I got out of the shower that I decided to let you sleep in.”
“I’ll go down and make myself something in the kitchen.”
“Are you sure? It’s going to blow your cover story about not feeling well if you are downstairs eating the ass end out of a cow.”
“That’s charming,” she teased, adding, “but obviously, I’m feeling better.”
“Fair enough. Get yourself together and we’ll go find something to eat together.”
Though the house had staff, they were minimal. Cleaners came in a couple times a week and kitchen staff only came in when they were serving others, which they did sometimes for holiday meals or special gatherings. They left behind quick-frozen meals for reheating when she or Bradley didn’t feel up to cooking and kept the pantry and fridge stocked for them.
The truth was that the money Bradley took for himself out of the profits from the ranch seemed to be minimal. He lived with only the necessities, driving his old truck and the second-hand Lexus he had inherited from Walter. He had allowed her a budget for redoing the house, but it wasn’t extravagant, and she was quite thrifty with the money. She wasn’t even sure if the money had come from the ranch or his own pockets.
For whatever reason it had been so important to him to have this place, it wasn’t money. She knew what he had told her, but people always had reasons they didn’t discuss. Bradley was full of mysteries that she wasn’t sure were something she wanted to solve.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Several days later, things still weren’t very clear in Kay’s mind. Bradley was incredibly thoughtful and attentive toward her, but she knew she was holding back. All of this was just so much and no matter how attractive she found him, no matter how much she melted at his touch...there was still things that nagged at her.
“You’re a million miles away,” he commented as they lay snuggled together in bed late one night.
“I’m sorry,” she replied.
“Don’t be sorry, but tell me what is on your mind.”
“I’m not sure if I’m ready to talk about it.”
“I understand, but I can’t help you with it if I don’t know what it is. I’ve sensed that you are still a bit distant at times, but I’m not sure why.”
Kay turned over to face him, studying his face, illuminated only by the threads of light coming in through the nearby window. His concern was unmistakable, even in the dimly lit room.
“I have had a couple of odd encounters since I arrived. One with a woman named Maggie and another with the one you ran into at the front door. Tabitha? I think that was her name.”