Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
He sets my stuff down. “I’ll find you some bedding.”
As soon as Derek returns with blankets and pillows, he gestures toward the bathroom across the hall. “I don’t have anything girly in there, but you’re welcome to whatever I got.”
“Can I talk to Cam? Maybe thank him? Is he still awake?” I worry my lip between my teeth. I don’t want Cam waking up in the morning and being surprised that he has an unexpected house guest.
Derek waves me off. “He’s out of town tonight. Something about searching for a woman. I’ll introduce you tomorrow.”
I clutch the bedding closer to my chest and thank Derek. Tomorrow, I’ll have to figure out what I’m doing next. But at least tonight, I have a comfortable place to stay.
“What are you qualified to do?” Derek asks. It’s the next morning and I’m sitting at the breakfast bar. I’m eating a bowl of stale cereal with orange juice instead of milk. Apparently, these two eat most of their meals at the fire station.
“Nothing.” I spray a little bit of orange spittle when I tell him.
He ignores my mess on the table and taps at something on his tablet. He’s doing a job search, looking for jobs in the area for me. I didn’t ask him to. When I got up this morning, he had already started.
“You should really talk to Cam before you just decide I can stay here,” I finally tell him when I’ve finished my meal. Derek insisted that because he’s my big brother, he wants to help me. He said he’ll get me set up with a job in town and I can stay here until I figure out my next step.
“I have an opening at Bloom Anywhere. It’s a flower shop. Or the diner. Ernie can always use another set of hands.”
“The flower shop could be fun.” I rinse my bowl and stack it in the dishwasher. If I’m going to be a guest, the least I can do is be a tidy one.
Within two hours, I have a job at the flower shop. Derek got me an interview on the spot and Austin, the sheriff’s wife, hired me with no references other than the fact that I’m his sister. That’s kind of crazy to me.
“It’s just how things are here,” he explains. “Folks take care of each other. Courage County is the place where everyone belongs.”
My heart warms and I wonder if it could be the place where I belong. I don’t understand how my mom could have ever left him behind. I wish I could talk to her. Was it just the fear of a woman that was caught in an abusive marriage? Why did she never mention my brother? The only thing I can guess is that she was afraid my father would find us. She must have been so terrified.
“I have a wedding to attend this evening. My station brother is getting married,” Derek tells me after he’s taken me out for milkshakes at Ernie’s to celebrate my new job. “I’d like you to tagalong as my date.”
“Do you need my help keeping all the ladies at bay?” I tease. Derek is attractive. I mean, not to me. But I’ve seen the way the women in town look at him like he’s a tasty meal.
He grimaces as we step onto the sidewalk outside of the diner. The late summer heat wraps around me and I greedily drink in the smell of honeysuckle. This town is magical and amazing and maybe, it could be the place I’ve been searching for. There’s only one thing that would make it perfect, finding my hot bull rider. But that’s not going to happen. At least, not yet.
“Only one woman I’m interested in,” Derek answers in a low tone. He said it so quietly that I don’t think he actually meant to say it out loud.
I perk up at this bit of information. “Have you asked her out?”
He changes the topic. He has a habit of doing that when he doesn’t want to answer me. “So, how about it? Will you go along with your boring older brother?”
“Are you sure they’ll like me?” I ask as I pull down the visor mirror to check my appearance one last time. I managed to find a pretty sundress in my stuff. It’s butter yellow with a ruched bust that makes my boobs look amazing. As soon as I put it on, I thought of the bull rider from that night and the way he looked at my body with such appreciation. I wished he could see me in it. I wish I hadn’t run like a coward that night. The guilt has eaten at me every day since. Why didn’t I take his phone number instead of those stupid bull testicles? Why didn’t I just wake him up and tell him goodbye?