“Well, I guess this is me, then. Love you girls. Thanks for coming out tonight even if we didn’t spend a lot of time together. Next time, we’ll do something at one of our houses. Promise.” I hug each of them, we say our goodbyes, and walk to our own vehicles, my eyes never leaving them until we’re all in our cars. There’s no way I’d let anything happen to us, not if I can help it, and the mace I carry on my keychain will take a bear down, so I’m sure it would take a person down, including an ex-boyfriend.
I blow out a breath, not even wanting to entertain that thought at this moment. The phone calls seem to never end, and if I hadn’t had this number forever and also use it for my business, Kissme Sweet Shop, then I’d have changed it the first day he called four times every hour on the hour until I answered the phone, yelling and screaming at him. That didn’t stop him from having flowers delivered to the shop and to my apartment. To think we only went on a handful of dates… But I guess some guys can’t take a hint. It’s probably my own fault by trusting an up and coming dating site. Being twenty-eight, a small business owner, I wanted something to shake up my world, just not this bad. And what would have happened if it went on any longer? He’d probably be even worse. A chill slides down my spine as I finish ordering my food at the drive-thru, completely on auto pilot, not even sure where my head has been during the drive, while ordering my food and talking to the employee, which isn’t good at all. Shit, especially if Chad decides to make an unexpected appearance tonight.
Thank goodness I’m only minutes away from my apartment, in case my thoughts keep wandering. I finish out the drive staying aware of my surroundings but also with my stomach rumbling because my food smells that good.
When I round the corner to my apartment complex, slide into my designated parking spot, I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s lit up the entire way to my door. No nooks and crannies are darkened, and I can finally get comfortable and eat the dinner I didn’t have before going out. Which was dumb on my part, but I made sure to drink plenty of water in between sips of my margaritas.
It takes me a bit to gather up my purse, food, and drink, making sure I keep my keys readily available, but the second I’m inside my place, a sense of peace comes over me, and I kick off my cute leather cowgirl boots with pink stitches. They’re my favorite, and I don’t get to wear them nearly enough. I wonder if there’s a certain man who would invite me to his ranch. Maybe we can ride his horses, meander around his property, and soak in the day. Yep, tonight seems to be just the beginning, even if this is a fake relationship, though at times it definitely doesn’t feel that way.
Chapter Five
Beau
“I’m getting too old for this shit,” I toss out as I swallow a couple of aspirin before chugging a cup of black coffee. I’m lucky as hell the neighbor kid comes up to the ranch on the weekends. That way, my animals don’t have to wait till I crawl out of bed at noon, or I don’t have to get up after only catching a few hours of sleep.
I grab my phone, pulling up Lily’s name. I texted her last night when things started settling down and people were heading home. I figured she’d be asleep. It was close to two o’clock in the morning, but she responded within minutes. We tossed around ideas about what we’d do today, how she was tired but restless, and was worried because though she hadn’t had any new encounters with Chad, Lily felt like someone was watching her.
“Well, good morning, Mr. Byrd,” Lily’s chipper voice greets me on the other end.
“More like good afternoon. Fucking slept the day away. So much for us going out to lunch,” I grumble.
“That’s okay. I’m just getting back home from work myself. I had a few things to do around the house. Can I make a suggestion?” Lily’s voice has a rasp to it, something I’ve noticed comes out when she’s nervous.
“You let me know what you want to do, honey. I’ll be there every step of the way.”
“Can we hang out at your place? I’d really love to ride. It’s been so long since I’ve had the wind in my hair, smelling the fresh scent of the trees. I know we’re supposed to be seen around town, but I could really do with a low-key kind of day.” Shit, this is going to be harder to fake than anything I’ve ever had to do before, what with the way she understands my work schedule, how she loves to be outdoors. Lily may not know it yet, but the way she looks at me tells me everything that I need to know. This may be some kind of crazy scheme to get that dickhead Chad away from her, but it’s more than that. She just doesn’t know my intentions yet.