Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Lola pointed a finger her way. “I know you’ve always wanted him but he only wants your money. He loves me. Everyone knows your pervert family made a deal with the devil.”
Gigi cracked her knuckles and started forward, but Keane caught her.
“Bad Gigi. No.” Keane shook his head. “I would have brought my sprayer if I’d known all the kittens were going to show their claws tonight.”
Olivia sighed. “Don’t bother, Gigi. It’s nothing I haven’t heard before.”
The deputy turned to Olivia. “Livie, she’s jealous. Look, I joke about your daddy being scary and he is, but only when he’s protecting his family. I know he’s had problems with the sheriff’s office in the past, but not now. We know how much your whole family does for the county.”
The words were polite and sincere, and all Garrett could wonder was how it felt to have to hear them. To have to hear that the reason she’s respected is for what her father does. It infuriated him that those women talked to her that way.
The way it pissed him off how people used to tell him and Keane they were useless, wastes of flesh.
But he couldn’t show that right now because de-escalating the situation was paramount. “We appreciate that, Deputy.”
The deputy gave him a tight smile. “Well, I appreciate that we don’t have to wake the sheriff up over a spat.”
“That wasn’t a spat,” Olivia argued, and she looked so perfectly bratty it hurt his cock. “That was nothing. They can’t even fight. She did that flailing hands thing. It was pathetic. I would think a country girl would know how to fight, but she just cried a lot and looked for men to save her.”
The men had been too afraid to get in Olivia’s way. They had stepped back and bet on who would win, and no one had bet against Olivia.
“We will take them all back to the ranch now,” Garrett said. “As long as no one is pressing charges.”
Lola huffed. “Her daddy would get her out anyway, and I’m not a snitch.”
The deputy shook his head and sighed. “I’ll get her back home. I’m pretty sure her friend already fled. Well, if the owners of The Barn are happy and I don’t have to do any paperwork, I’m going to call it a good night. Miss Olivia.”
He tipped his hat her way and moved back to his car.
The crowd dispersed, most of them going inside where the music had already started up again and the party was moving on.
But for him it was time to get serious.
He turned and stared at Olivia. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said quietly.
He seriously doubted that. “How would you like to get home?”
Miranda frowned. “Uhm, I thought I would have more time to sober up. Not that I’m drunk or anything, but my dads will kill me if I get a DUI.”
Gigi yawned. “I had three margaritas. I could fly home on my own.”
He moved to Miranda and put his hand out. “Keys. I’ll get us all back to the ranch.”
“Hey, Olivia. You okay?”
He turned and had to bite back a growl because there was that massive ass Jason. He stood there like he had some kind of right.
Olivia rolled her eyes. “I’m fine, no thanks to your girlfriend. You want to tell me why she thinks I’m trying to steal a man I haven’t talked to in years?”
“We’ve talked. We talked at Easter,” Jason pointed out.
“I said hello as we walked by at church. That is not talking. That is being polite, and now I realize that was a horrible mistake. I shouldn’t be polite to anyone.”
Jason seemed determined. He did this whole thing with his face going soft and looming over her. Almost taking her hand and then looking shy. It made Garrett a little sick. “Livie, Lola and I are not dating. We broke up weeks ago. We broke up…well, we broke up because…”
Olivia held a hand up. “Do not say it.”
Gigi leaned into Miranda’s space. “I think he’s going to say it.”
“I realized what a huge mistake I made back in high school.” Jason plowed on like he didn’t have five people looking at him with disgust. He actually moved forward.
That was when Keane stepped between Olivia and that ass. He didn’t say anything. Just stood there.
“Olivia, I only want to talk to you,” Jason said, obviously trying to ignore the big dude standing in front of his prize. “Can I take you to the café and we could get a cup of coffee and a piece of pie? I remember how much you love the peach pie there.”
“I’m allergic to peaches,” Olivia said flatly.
Jason frowned. “No. I remember feeding you peach pie. I would get you a piece before I came out to the ranch to spend the day with you. Don’t you remember how we would study and sit out on the porch and your momma would bring us sweet tea?”