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)
“Olivia, I can explain,” he began. “I’ve spent the last few years in therapy. I know why I sabotaged us. I didn’t think I deserved you. It’s all rooted in my childhood.”
Olivia’s eyes rolled, and she started to open that sassy mouth with a comeback he was sure would start an argument.
He was done. She needed to be home. She needed a shower and to sit down and talk to her dad. She and Garrett had things to figure out, and Keane intended to take care of everything else. She started to say something about Scott’s overly privileged childhood, but Keane knew what he was doing.
He leaned down and slung her over his shoulder, looking Scott’s way. “She’ll contact you about meeting tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll understand that this is an emergency.”
“Hey,” Olivia began. “I wasn’t done with him.”
Deputy Morgan’s lips curled up. “That’s the Livie I know. These guys are good for you.”
Keane started to walk toward Jack Barnes’s big-ass truck. She’d handed him the keys when they followed the deputies and told him he could use it if he needed to go into town. She and Garrett would use her mom’s luxury sedan. The truck was big, and that made it easy to stuff Olivia in the back seat.
Her eyes narrowed. “You can’t…”
He stared at her. “Think before you finish that sentence. Were you planning on meeting him today?”
“No. I have to talk to my dad. I have to call the insurance agent. I have a million things to do, including getting someone to try to actually figure out who did this. The cops will be no real help. They’ll write a report and say Dad’s rich enough and can handle it and be done.”
“I already called Ruby,” Garrett said as he slid into the seat beside Olivia.
“You did?” Olivia was obviously surprised. “I asked her to look into Scott.”
“I think she can handle all of it,” Garrett offered. “You should know if Keane hadn’t picked you up and gotten you out of there, I would have. Scott was baiting you. Any attention you give him—good or bad—is a win for him. Keane explained how things would go and acted caveman-like enough that Scott is probably rethinking.”
She calmed and looked Keane’s way. “Thank you, Master. I was getting agitated.”
He cupped her cheek. “It’s okay. That’s what I’m here for.”
Protecting Olivia Barnes-Fleetwood might be his calling. He kissed her.
“Take me home, Master. I’m sure the contractors are already there, but I didn’t even get one of Gigi’s pancakes. She does something to them. I think it might be cinnamon,” she said, settling back and looking perfectly comfortable.
He moved around to the driver’s seat knowing damn well Garrett was going to use the time to make out with her.
It was good. It was right where he wanted to be.
* * * *
Two days later, Garrett settled down into the chair across from Olivia in the large office with luxurious wood paneling and pictures of Jack Barnes’s family. He loved looking at the pictures of Olivia when she was a kid. There had been something infectious about her smile.
He was starting to see that smile again.
Olivia walked in. “Keane is off to the south field. I swear the guys already love his new systems. Do you want some coffee?”
He gestured to the desk where her laptop was set up. “I already got some. Yours is on your desk. Some cream and one sugar.”
She moved to the smaller desk, the one she said her papa used from time to time. She planted herself right on Garrett’s lap. “You already know my coffee order.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist. “I know a lot of things. I know you love enchiladas but hate how messy hard-shelled tacos can be. You like the water in your shower hot enough to scald.”
She wrinkled her nose. “No, I don’t. I like it warm.”
“We have different definitions of warm.” He held her close. The past two days had been damn near perfect. Keane got up early and went out to work while Garrett took care of their sub. He liked their morning time together, but he also liked the fact that Olivia had taken to riding out to find Keane to take him an afternoon snack. She would mount her mare with the ease of a woman who was thrown on a horse as soon as she could walk. He kissed her temple, and she cuddled against him. “You ready for today?”
They managed to put off Scott for two days. He would rather put the fucker off forever.
She groaned a little. “As ready as I’m going to be. He’s been texting me constantly, asking if he can come out here and work since there’s not a desk in the motel room. Apparently they’ve gone minimalist at the Willow Fork Sleep Easy Motel. Also, the wifi kind of sucks because Jerry doesn’t like to pay for things he can’t see. I really do have to talk to him.”