Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Lizzy was still talking about her store, completely oblivious to the fact that I basically told her I preferred dogs over most humans, and my mind had been wandering and missed what all she said. I cleared my throat and pushed all thoughts of Nate away.
“It sounds like a great place!” I said when she was finally finished talking about how the color scheme of her store matched the house she lived in, which overlooked San Fransico Bay.
“It is. You girls should come and visit,” Lizzy stated as she took out a small mirror and checked her lipstick, which looked perfect.
Yeah, I’ll have to pass on that little adventure.
Lizzy and Josephine soon broke off into a conversation about city living and how they did not miss Montana one bit.
Rosie leaned in and said, “It’s open mic night. You really should go up and sing.”
Laughing, I turned to look at her. “I haven’t done that in years.”
“You have a great voice, Haven. You should.”
“She should what?” Josephine asked. The waitress returned and gave everyone their drinks. Lizzy ordered some fancy cocktail while the rest of us had ordered beer.
“There is Candice!” Rosie cried out as she stood and waved her hands. “Over here, Candy!”
Candice Livingston approached our table with a wide grin on her face. She was dressed much like Rosie and me: jeans, a nice top, and cowboy boots. This was why Rosie and Candice were still my best friends.
Candice walked up to the table, looked at Lizzy and Josephine, and asked, “Did you just come from work or something?”
Josephine laughed. “Ha ha! I don’t even think I own any cowboy boots anymore.”
“I know I don’t,” Lizzy stated with a snide smirk on her face as she looked at her perfectly painted nails.
“Did you ever?” I asked.
All eyes turned to me, and I felt my cheeks heat. I hadn’t meant for it to come out the way it did. But my reaction was instantaneous. Lizzy looked up in thought and then laughed.
“No. I don’t think so!” Totally oblivious to my snide remark.
“Do you want a beer?” I asked Candice. “The waitress just came over, but I can go to the bar and get you one.”
Candice placed her purse on the table and reached for my hand. “Let’s go together.”
I stood and we were soon making our way around the dance floor and to the bar. Once we were far enough from the table, Candice said, “I don’t think I would have come if I’d known Lizzy would be here. Rosie didn’t mention she was going to be in town.”
Glancing back over my shoulder, I couldn’t see our table anymore. “To be fair, Rosie didn’t know she was in town. She’s here to tell her family she’s engaged.”
Candice lifted her brows. “Is she? Wonder who the unlucky guy is.”
Bumping her arm and laughing, I said, “Candy, don’t be that way. It was a long time ago.”
“Was it?” she asked, looking at me as we approached the bar.
I thought for a moment. “Yeah, five or six years ago.”
Candice rolled her eyes. “Wild, seems just like yesterday. I still don’t think I will ever be able to forgive her for sleeping with Matt.”
Matt and Candice had been dating for three years in high school. During our junior year, Candice found them in an empty classroom. Matt was screwing Lizzy from behind as she was bent over the teacher’s desk. Needless to say, she broke up with Matt and vowed to hate Lizzy for the rest of her life.
“She did you a favor. Matt was a jerk, and you wouldn’t have known it if she hadn’t arranged for you to find them.”
“I’ll take Bud Light, please,” Candice said to the bartender before focusing back on me. “I forgot she was the one who told me to meet her there.”
“Maybe she wanted you to see what a dick he was—all while seeing his dick in the process.”
Candice thought about it for a minute and then laughed. “Lizzy doing something good for another woman? Please.”
I tried not to laugh but failed. “That’s so true.”
After Candice got her beer, we turned to head back to the table when I heard my name. Goose bumps raced across my body when I realized I knew that voice. Turning, I saw Nate walking over to us, two guys following closely behind him. They looked familiar, but I couldn’t place them.
Smiling, I said, “Nate, fancy meeting you here.”
His bright smile made my heart trip over itself. “Some of the guys from the ranch wanted to go out tonight.”
Turning, he pointed to the first one. He was a bit older than us, maybe mid-thirties, with short, dark hair and beautiful blue eyes. “Haven, this is Clay, one of the ranch hands. And this guy, this is Bounty, another ranch hand.”
Bounty looked to be in his mid-twenties. His dark blonde hair and hazel eyes took both Candice and me in. Candice stepped forward and held out her hand to Bounty.