your brothers?”
“Nick is forty-five, and Owen will be 43 this fall.”
I wonder if she's doing the calculations in her head.
“Yeah, my parents didn't plan on having me.”
She's still holding my fingers, not breaking eye contact once.
Sadee is back and places our food in front of us. “Can I get you anything else?” she asks happily.
“I'm good if you are.” Addison smiles at me and then up to Sadee.
“Yep, we're good. Thank you.”
Sadee gives a thumbs up and goes to help clear a table with another young girl.
We talk more about her applying for a nursing job, her brother possibly working at my ranch, and even a little about Jeremiah. I tell her the story about Ivy breaking his toes, and she laughs.
“That's why he was waving that big stick like a mad man yesterday?”
I snort. “Yep, she can be a handful.”
I tell her how Jer and I have been best friends our entire lives. He went through a dark time after his parents died, and having him work with me at the ranch really seemed to keep him busy and in better spirits.
“He's lucky to have a friend like you,” she says, and I disagree…it's the other way around. I'm lucky to have him.
Dipping the last of my fries into a glob of ketchup on my plate, I ask her, “How do you feel about having your brother over tonight? We could have a bonfire, maybe roast some marshmallows?” I raise one of my eyebrows and grin.
“Yeah! That would be fun.” She bites a fry in half and grins back.
Sadee is back to clear our plates, and Addison pulls her phone out her purse. “I'll text Alex, and make sure he's let Luca out.” Her phone makes a beeping noise, and she picks it up to read the message. Eyebrows raised, she starts typing in what I assume is a response. “He's in. As long as there's beer.” She rolls her beautiful blue eyes. When she sets her phone back on the table, I reach for her hand and kiss her knuckles, the stubble above my lip whispering across her skin.
CHAPTER FOUR
I stoke the fire with a long thick branch. It pops and crackles, sending little orange embers up into the sky, disappearing into the night. Music is playing from stereo and out the open windows in the truck.
Addison went home after lunch this afternoon; she said she had things to do and would be back tonight with her brother. I miss her. Two days, and I miss her. The sweet scent of her hair, the soft touch of her hands in mine, and her big eyes staring into my soul.
I sound like a Hallmark card for crying out loud. I'm entranced, watching the flames flick around, like hot, sharp tongues lashing at the night sky.
The sound of a truck engine drowns out the music briefly, and I look over to see Jeremiah pulling up. He parks in front of the garage.
“Hey! Buddy!” Jumping out, he runs around the back of his truck to open the passenger door. Two long and tan legs emerge, followed by a loud, “Buh-lay-aineeeee!”
The overdrawn use of my name makes me cringe, and I see whose mouth it's coming from.
Gwen Wolf.
Jer, are you fucking serious? Gwen Wolf? Buddy...
Trying not to make my annoyance apparent, I greet them. “Hey, guys. How's it going?”
She's walking up to me, stumbling slightly. Jer catches her, and she laughs
“Nick is forty-five, and Owen will be 43 this fall.”
I wonder if she's doing the calculations in her head.
“Yeah, my parents didn't plan on having me.”
She's still holding my fingers, not breaking eye contact once.
Sadee is back and places our food in front of us. “Can I get you anything else?” she asks happily.
“I'm good if you are.” Addison smiles at me and then up to Sadee.
“Yep, we're good. Thank you.”
Sadee gives a thumbs up and goes to help clear a table with another young girl.
We talk more about her applying for a nursing job, her brother possibly working at my ranch, and even a little about Jeremiah. I tell her the story about Ivy breaking his toes, and she laughs.
“That's why he was waving that big stick like a mad man yesterday?”
I snort. “Yep, she can be a handful.”
I tell her how Jer and I have been best friends our entire lives. He went through a dark time after his parents died, and having him work with me at the ranch really seemed to keep him busy and in better spirits.
“He's lucky to have a friend like you,” she says, and I disagree…it's the other way around. I'm lucky to have him.
Dipping the last of my fries into a glob of ketchup on my plate, I ask her, “How do you feel about having your brother over tonight? We could have a bonfire, maybe roast some marshmallows?” I raise one of my eyebrows and grin.
“Yeah! That would be fun.” She bites a fry in half and grins back.
Sadee is back to clear our plates, and Addison pulls her phone out her purse. “I'll text Alex, and make sure he's let Luca out.” Her phone makes a beeping noise, and she picks it up to read the message. Eyebrows raised, she starts typing in what I assume is a response. “He's in. As long as there's beer.” She rolls her beautiful blue eyes. When she sets her phone back on the table, I reach for her hand and kiss her knuckles, the stubble above my lip whispering across her skin.
CHAPTER FOUR
I stoke the fire with a long thick branch. It pops and crackles, sending little orange embers up into the sky, disappearing into the night. Music is playing from stereo and out the open windows in the truck.
Addison went home after lunch this afternoon; she said she had things to do and would be back tonight with her brother. I miss her. Two days, and I miss her. The sweet scent of her hair, the soft touch of her hands in mine, and her big eyes staring into my soul.
I sound like a Hallmark card for crying out loud. I'm entranced, watching the flames flick around, like hot, sharp tongues lashing at the night sky.
The sound of a truck engine drowns out the music briefly, and I look over to see Jeremiah pulling up. He parks in front of the garage.
“Hey! Buddy!” Jumping out, he runs around the back of his truck to open the passenger door. Two long and tan legs emerge, followed by a loud, “Buh-lay-aineeeee!”
The overdrawn use of my name makes me cringe, and I see whose mouth it's coming from.
Gwen Wolf.
Jer, are you fucking serious? Gwen Wolf? Buddy...
Trying not to make my annoyance apparent, I greet them. “Hey, guys. How's it going?”
She's walking up to me, stumbling slightly. Jer catches her, and she laughs
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