Broken Hill Hearts (Broken Hill High 4)

“She wants to play nice,” I explain, trying not to grin at how predictable he was to come back over here. I mean, Brooke was right. Nate Ryder can’t resist a damsel in distress, only in this case, I’m certainly not a damsel. “So, I kindly let her know it’s never going to happen.”

“Kindly?” he questions.

I grin up at him and am about to give him some smartass response when I peer over his shoulder. “For fuck’s sake,” I groan. “Again?”

Nate turns to see B-Man making his way over here for the fourth time in the last hour. “Hey, man,” B-Man says as he grows nearer.

“Haven’t you annoyed the girls enough?” Nate snaps, letting B-Man see just how annoyed he is with him.

B-Man startles for just a second, unsure if he should continue, though clearly, he makes the wrong decision as he moves forward. “I just wanted to check she was alright. You know, she’s been doing a lot of cleaning up. It couldn’t be good for her arm.”

“You know what would have been good for her arm?” Nate questions. “If fucking morons like you were watching where they were going.”

B-Man’s eyes widen. “I’m sorry. It was an accident.”

“So, you’ve said a hundred times now. Why don’t you let me worry about her arm and you get back to doing whatever the fuck you were doing before?”

“I…”

“Fuck off, man,” Nate growls. “Get the fucking hint. Piss off.”

B-Man swallows, looks back at me, nods, and turns away.

“Seriously?” I grunt, turning my anger on Nate. “Was that necessary?”

“Yes,” he scoffs. “The fucker wasn’t going to leave you alone and you’re too nice to do anything about it. You keep giving in to him and eventually, he’ll stick around… like Jackson.”

I roll my eyes. “Leave Jackson out of this. He’s not too bad.”

“Uh huh,” he groans before spanking my ass and hurrying away before I have a chance to do anything about it. “Now, get back to work. This field isn’t going to clean itself.”

“I’m going to get you for that, Nathaniel Ryder.”

He grins back at me. “I dare you.”

Chapter 17

I walk into the Ryder home late on Friday afternoon and pass Trish in the foyer, trying her hardest to sneak out of the house without the boys knowing. I stop in the doorway, gaping at the woman dressed to the nines and looking like an absolute fox in her floor-length maroon dress. “Uhhhhh.”

Her eyes widen as she sees me. “Crap,” she curses, cringing and glancing back up the hallway.

“What’s going on here?” I grin as I instantly put it all together. “Are we sneaking out to go on a date?”

“Don’t tell the boys,” she begs. “It’s only new. They’d have him running for the hills in the blink of an eye. Jesse would bombard him with ‘What are your intentions’ questions and Nate would just glare until the poor guy wets himself. He’s not ready for that.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Your secret is safe with me,” I tell her. “But, who’s the guy?”

She shakes her head and holds up a finger. “Nu-uh,” she laughs. “You don’t get to find out all my secrets tonight.”

“Fine,” I laugh. “I suppose I’m telling the boys you’re having a girls’ night with my mom?”

“That’d be great,” she winks. “I have to run. He’ll be here in a moment.”

“Ok,” I smile. “You look incredible by the way.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. I’ve never been so nervous in my life. I haven’t dated since I was in high school.”

Jesse’s voice rings out from deep within the house. “Mom? Where are you?”

Trish’s eyes widen in fear. “Crap. I’m out of here.” With that, she slips out the door and I laugh as I walk forward into the house.

I find Jesse in the kitchen with his head shoved deep in the fridge. “Hey,” he says as I walk in. “Have you seen my mom? I’m starving.”

“Yeah,” I tell him. “She just left. Guess you’re fending for yourself tonight.”

“Shit,” he groans. “Are you staying a while? Are you cool with pizza?”

“Sounds good to me,” I say as I walk on past the kitchen before calling over my shoulder. “Is Nate in the den?”

“Gym,” he calls back.

Oooooh. I love it when Nate is in the gym. I haven’t watched him working out in so long. It’s a tragedy. Seeing him working up a sweat, especially when he doesn’t know that I’m watching is just… wow. There’s something so sexy about it. I mean, his muscles rippling with each movement has me drooling like a fool.

I slip through the door that leads down to the home gym and quietly walk down the stairs. He has music blasting so unless he physically saw me coming in, he’d have no idea that I’m here.

I turn the corner and lean up against the wall as I watch Nate curling the weight. His bicep bulges and the intense need to race forward and bite it rushes through me. I watch as he finishes with the huge weight, walks across the room, and puts it back on the rack.