Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88463 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88463 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Because what the fuck?
Gaslight much, Andy?
“Are you still there, buddy?” Andy asks.
“I’m here. I’m pulling into the parking lot of where I was going, so I’m hanging up. Thanks for the apology.”
“You bet. You have a good day, and I’ll talk to you soon.”
Ryker cuts off the call before Andy even gets the last word out, and I shake my head.
“There’s something seriously wrong with that guy.”
“Don’t worry about him,” Ry says as Aiden climbs out of the vehicle.
Ryker takes my hand in his and kisses my knuckles, then threads our fingers together as we walk behind Aiden, who almost has a spring in his step. The whole way into town, my kiddo talked nonstop about which console he wants to snag, and which games he’s going to buy, and how he has to get an extra controller so he and Micah can play together in the bunkhouse.
He hasn’t been this excited about anything in a long time. I offered to pay for it, but he shook his head, insisting that he can buy it himself, and that made me proud.
My boy is growing up.
Ryker and I wander through the store, following Aiden as he zigzags through aisles full of cameras, computers, and even car stereos until he finds what he’s looking for.
“Do you need anything while we’re here?” Ry asks me.
“No, I upgraded all my work gear last year. I’m good to go. How about you?”
He opens his mouth, but before he can reply, we hear a voice say, “You been hiding from me this summer, pussy? Maybe you’re too busy fucking your hot aunt to leave the house.”
Ry and I whip around just in time to see Aiden advance on the little bastard from the gas station, and I grab Aiden’s arm as Ry gets in the punk’s face.
“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?” Ry demands. He doesn’t touch the boy, but he’s towering over him, glaring menacingly.
“No one.” The boy looks like he’s going to pee his pants.
“Which console do you want, Aiden?” I try to redirect his focus, and he glances down at me, his sweet face red with fury, breathing hard. “Don’t give him this. Don’t let him upset you like this, sweetie.”
“No one gets to talk about you like that.”
I pat his arm, and suddenly the boy has run off and Ryker turns back to us.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Aiden says. My happy boy is gone. In his place is the angry, sullen boy I’ve lived with for the past two years.
“You’re mine,” Ryker says. “You’re both mine. No one talks to you that way. Now, we’re going to shake that shit off and do some shopping.”
Aiden takes a deep breath, clearly reining in his emotions, and then reluctantly nods. “Okay.”
He chooses his console, a couple of games, an extra controller, and all the accessories he needs, and when it comes time to check out, Ryker lets him pay for half.
“I’m going to get the other half,” he tells my nephew. “And we’re going to talk about money management and how to make that money grow.”
“I make twenty bucks an hour,” Aiden reminds Ryker.
“And you’ll make that twenty bucks work for you. Let’s go, smart-ass.”
Aiden doesn’t smirk the way he normally would, and before long, we’re back in the vehicle.
“Want to stop for dinner?” Ry asks us.
“I want to go back to the bunkhouse,” Aiden replies.
Ryker raises his eyebrow at me, and I nod.
“I’ll make dinner at the house,” I tell him.
We’re quiet in the car for about ten miles. Aiden has his earbuds in, so I assume he’s listening to music, but suddenly, he rips them out and shoves them in his pocket.
“Did they run out of battery?” I ask him.
“Why can’t we just move out to the ranch full-time?” Aiden’s voice cracks, making my heart hurt so much. “What’s the point in being in Missoula anyway? I fucking hate it there.”
“Let’s get out of the car and talk about this.” Ryker flips on his blinker and takes the exit for a rest area that happens to be empty right now, and as soon as he parks, we all get out of the vehicle, and Aiden starts to pace. He’s so agitated, so upset, and I wish I could pull him to me and hug him.
But he doesn’t like to be touched.
“Baby, how long has that boy been harassing you?”
“Years,” he says and rubs the back of his hand over his mouth. “I hate him. I wish I could kill him. He’s relentless, and his friends are no better.”
“I want his full name,” Ryker says, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I’m so over it in that stupid fucking town,” Aiden continues, as if Ryker hasn’t said anything at all. “If I like a girl, that asshole swoops in and makes her hate me. If I so much as smile in class, he finds a way to humiliate me.”