Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33504 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33504 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
This was not good. He was not some horny teenager. He was a full-grown man. An adult wolf. He was not at the mercy of his hormones. He was the one in charge of them. And yet, he felt that need to be with her consume him in a way it never had before.
Just as he was about to reach out, the rest of the ranch hands arrived, breaking the spell he’d been under, and he was able to pull back without crossing that line.
Chapter Three
Astrid was out in the vegetable patch, harvesting some fresh vegetables. She had already roasted up a load of pumpkin and was currently flash-freezing it as cubes, which she would then bag and have on hand throughout the winter and into spring.
She knew pumpkins were meant to keep for months, but some seemed to spoil, and she liked to have a backup. Canned pumpkin was good, but she always liked the variety.
“Hey, Astrid,” Enzo said, catching her by surprise.
“Enzo, hi.” She quickly checked the time, and she still had an hour before dinner.
“It’s not time, but that Halloween party is tonight, and I was wondering if you would like to go to the dance with me.”
She had tried to avoid being alone with Enzo. Astrid didn’t know how to turn him down.
“Thank you, Enzo, I do appreciate you asking, but I just can’t.”
“You can’t? Does this have anything to do with Lord?” Enzo asked.
“No, no, it’s just that I don’t go to dances and I have a lot to do here.” She’d been setting up the driveway so kids would come trick-or-treating. Also, she had made sure to buy a lot of candy. She was not going to eat it all herself.
She had prepared little gift boxes for the ranchers who had kids, as well as their families. She liked doing the little extra pieces. One day, if she ever had a husband and kids, she wanted to celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving along with all the festivities. It probably sounded lame to some people, but she felt it was fun.
“Thank you,” Astrid said. She didn’t want to be mean, and she had never strung Enzo along.
Enzo nodded. “You can’t blame a guy for trying. Well, if you get bored or Lord pisses you off, give me a call.”
She doubted Enzo would be alone tonight. He was a good-looking man, clearly looking for a date, but she was not the person for him.
Finishing up her gathering of beans and herbs, she made her way into the house. Chicken stew and dumplings were in the last stages of cooking. She’d made a pumpkin pie for dessert, and prepared the vegetables for tomorrow. She liked to get ahead. Spending her time in the kitchen was her favorite thing. She always knew she loved to cook, but now it was her job, and she loved feeding people.
She cleaned the house within an hour. With just her and Lord, there was barely any mess. He had created an amazing ranch. It was really beautiful and scenic. She loved it.
Dinnertime came and went, with the ranch hands needing to get home and get their kids out to have fun. The ranchers all promised to stop by with their kids. They loved their Halloween package, and once the dishes were done, Astrid went to her room and changed into her witch costume. She added some freckles to her face, along with a deep red lipstick. She had already done her eyes, and just as she put on the finishing touches, the doorbell rang.
Rushing downstairs, she did not expect to see Lord at the door. He opened the door to the kids, and she partly expected him to start growling, but he looked a little confused.
“Here you go, kids,” Astrid said, making her way to the large pot of sweets, and lifting it down for them to take their candy.
Their eyes lit up, and she couldn’t help but laugh. This is what she loved about Halloween. A holiday that encouraged sugar rushes and rotten teeth.
“You’re serious about this?” Lord asked.
He was still in his ranch clothes, and she was shocked to see him at all. They lived together and she worked for him, but she rarely saw him.
“Of course. It’s fun, and I did carve all those pumpkins and put out all the decorations.”
She didn’t ask for any help, however, several of the ranchers did help her, and not just Enzo. They told her she was a good woman. They liked her. It was the first time in her life she was actually ... liked.
“Besides, Blake said he’d stop by with his kids, and other ranchers did as well,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind?”
Astrid did ask, and she had taken his acceptable grunts as approval. That is what she had assumed they were. Now, she wasn’t quite so sure. Had she overstepped the mark? She nibbled her lip.