Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 77551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“That’s not a lie. There were—are—four of you.”
“That’s the lie,” he says softly. “There were actually five of us, Emily. Five.”
EPISODE 168
GOLDEN GOD
Brett
I step out of the shower and towel off my hair.
Tonight I have a date.
With Misty.
Misty, who I already know isn’t for me. I’d hoped she would be, but after last night, we both know otherwise.
Misty may look like Jake, but she’s not Jake.
She’s not Sienna either.
Is it possible I’m finally in love with someone else?
I never thought Sienna would be my type. She’s beautiful, of course, and smart as a whip, but most of my attorneys drive me to drink. Just the fact that she’s a lawyer had me looking elsewhere.
Turns out we have a lot in common—both chasing a lost love.
She’s coming back, which means she’s decided not to try to fix things with Leroy.
I never had a chance with Jake, and even if I had confessed my feelings to him, he was with Marnie. Marnie, who was pregnant.
God, Marnie...
Jake never looked my way as anything other than a friend. He’s gone now, and I’ve never had those kinds of feelings for another man. I’ve gotten serious with several women, but never have I fallen in love.
Not since Jake.
Until now.
I didn’t realize what I was feeling for Sienna until she was gone. And the truth of the matter is that I told her to go. I told her to find out if her feelings for Leroy were worth fighting for.
I toss some product in my hair and comb it forward. Then dab on some cologne. I run my fingers over my jaw and decide to let the stubble stay. It suits me, or at least that’s what I’m told. It’s funny how much I’ve changed since moving to California. I used to feel like I was still Montana through and through, but now? California’s become a part of me. The Golden State—it’s not just about the weather. People always think that, but it’s deeper than that. It’s about the history, the rush for something better, something brighter. Like gold. I get that. Maybe I’ve been chasing my own version all along.
I flex in the mirror. I look good. I look ready. But for what? A date with Misty that I know will go nowhere? Or for Sienna, who I haven’t even admitted my feelings for yet?
I shake my head. One step at a time.
Glancing at the clock, I slip into a button-down and a pair of tailored jeans.
I’m supposed to meet Misty on the deck. Evangeline planned the date for us, so I have no idea what we’ll end up doing.
We won’t end up in the sack. Been there, done that.
Outside, the sun is setting, casting that golden glow over the courtyard. I take a deep breath and sit down on one of the Adirondack chairs to wait for Misty.
“Well, hello there.”
I look over my shoulder at the voice. Heather walks out the door clad in a metallic blue sundress that accents her dark-blue eyes and blue-tipped black hair.
Speaking of not my type...
But I admit there’s something fascinating about Heather.
I nod at Heather, giving her a half smile. “Evening.”
She leans against the deck railing, arms crossed, and smirks. “Waiting on Misty?”
“Yeah,” I reply, shifting in my seat.
Heather chuckles. “You two look good together. Both blond and beautiful.” She tilts her head, her dark-blue eyes gleaming with a mischievous edge. “But from what I hear, it didn’t exactly click.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Where’d you hear that?”
She shrugs, the metallic blue sundress shimmering in the fading sunlight. “I pay attention.”
Tension builds between us, subtle but undeniable. Heather’s not my type—too wild, too unpredictable. But there’s something magnetic about her, something that makes it hard to look away.
“You’re a hard one to read, Brett,” she says, her voice softer now. “What’s going on in that tech-genius brain of yours?”
I lean back, folding my arms across my chest. “Not much you’d care about.”
“Try me.”
I glance out at the setting sun, feeling the warmth on my face. For some reason, I let my guard down just a little. “I’ve got my head wrapped around someone else, and tonight’s date is just going through the motions.”
Heather smiles. “Sienna?”
I blink, surprised. “How’d you know?”
She gives a low laugh. “Oh, Brett. You think you hide it, but it’s all over your face every time she’s mentioned. You don’t do hair without learning how to read the room. Besides, we girls have our ways of figuring things out. I’ve heard so much gossip over the years that I know a lot of it before it lands on me.”
I shake my head, a wry grin forming on my lips. “It’s complicated.”
“Isn’t it always?” She pushes off the railing. “I’m meeting June for a walk on the beach. Have fun tonight.”
“Yeah,” I reply.
She wiggles her hips as she walks away, and then she looks over her shoulder and gives me another wink.