That’s more like it.
“I know you’re not sticking around, and I want to raise my kid on my land, so I won’t be knocking you up,” I tell her on a sigh.
Sort of sucks. She really is fucking gorgeous, and seems nice enough. She isn’t running and screaming, and that’s already more progress than I make with most girls.
She looks…confused. Her lips are puckered, her brow is scrunched, and her head is slightly tilted. “Um…thanks?” she finally says, wording it in a questioning tone.
“My babies will be fucking pretty. Just look at me,” I inform her, gesturing to all of me. “You should probably be upset instead of thanking me.”
Probably best if she knows what a catch I am.
She just quirks an eyebrow at me, staring like she has no idea what to say to that. I made her speechless. She’s like putty in my fucking hand now.
No one’s giving Hale those sweet little doe eyes now.
“Alrighty then,” Reese finally says as Hale shakes his head. “This weed must be really strong,” she adds.
“I only grow the best,” I say with a humble shrug.
“You…grow pot?” Piper asks, clearing her throat.
“Not being Mom,” Reese weirdly tells her. I think she just blurts out random shit sometimes.
“Everyone in town buys from him, even if they don’t always know it,” Hale tells them, saving me from having to boast that myself. “He usually keeps that on the down-low.”
I give a lazy grin to Piper and wink.
Why isn’t she acting more impressed? She’s supposed to feel special for knowing something not even many locals know.
“You’re…a drug dealer?” Piper asks as she clears her throat and darts a seemingly nervous glance toward Reese.
“What? No,” I tell her, wondering if she’s a few screws short of a solid brain. “Why would you think that?”
She opens and closes her mouth a few times.
“He just grows herb and sells it. Not drugs,” Hale says, coming to my defense.
Reese’s grin is huge as she stares at Piper, who is just staring at me with wide eyes and no grin.
“This is where you swoon a little because you’re impressed,” I decide to explain, in case the poor girl needs some direction.
“Do you sell it legally?” Piper asks as she scoots back just a little, putting some confusing distance between our bodies.
“It’s legal to sell weed in Washington,” I tell her.
“That…doesn’t really answer my question,” she says.
“I thought you said you were a college grad,” Hale says pointedly to Piper.
“She’s actually a college dropout. It’s brought a mountain of family shame,” Reese supplies dryly, lips curved in a grin that doesn’t really fit the words…
“Are you following government regulations?” Piper continues, apparently still genuinely confused.
I snort out a laugh, and so does Hale, while Reese just pulls her shirt over her mouth and stares at Piper.
“Don’t worry. It’s kosher. The lone cop is the main distributor,” Hale adds.
Piper’s jaw flips open and shut a few times as she simply blinks.
“Okay then. I’m on a date with a drug dealer, but I’m not judging,” she says as she darts a glare toward her sister.
“You heard Hale; he just sells herb. Not drugs. Quit being dramatic,” Reese says as she lowers her shirt and folds her hands in her lap, still just staring at Piper.
“Two very different things,” Hale says, backing us up.
Piper is still pretty and sweet…even if she isn’t all that smart.
She leans back, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“So far, this may be the most interesting story we’ll ever have to talk about,” Reese goes on.
“That’s just sad. We haven’t even done anything at all exciting. What do you two normally do?” I ask very seriously.
Piper just shakes her head.
“There’s no way for me to answer that without sounding like a total douche, so I’ll just elect to skip the answer and focus on tomorrow. How long will we be sledding?” Reese asks instead of answering.
“We’re still going sledding?” Piper asks.
“Why wouldn’t you be?” I’m quick to fire back.
“If this is still about the weed, you should know, his family and this town have run a certain underground ring since the times of prohibition,” Hale cuts in. “It’s all cool.”
“All cool,” Piper echoes.
“So it’s just you and us for how many miles?” Reese asks, as she lets one of her legs ease into Hale’s lap.
There’s a good foot of space between myself and Piper now. That’s what I get the one time I brag. That’ll be the last time I make that mistake.
“A bit,” I say in modesty, smiling tightly as I try to recover from whatever in the hell I’m doing wrong.
Running a hand along my jaw, I look Piper over as she sits uncomfortably beside me.
How is Hale Vincent doing so much better than I am?
“My family and Cougar are the only ones who live here year-round,” I answer as I light the blunt back up.