Total pages in book: 254
Estimated words: 240032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1200(@200wpm)___ 960(@250wpm)___ 800(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 240032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1200(@200wpm)___ 960(@250wpm)___ 800(@300wpm)
We traveled slowly through the parts of the forest closest to the residential areas, all the sections I’d become familiar with on weekends with Duncan. Soon after, we left the gravel road, then the dirt-packed one, until we made it to an area that was more remote. He did it on his own without any kind of GPS or navigation to lead us either. Henri knew exactly where we were going.
I rubbed my hands on my thighs, made it maybe two more minutes, and then I blurted out, “So? Are you being awkward, or are you frustrated with the elders right now?”
He didn’t look over, but “I’m not awkward” was what he decided to reply with.
I scrunched up my nose at him.
His jaw, though, looked even more defined than it’d been a minute ago. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.” He hesitated, then pressed his lips together like he was catching other words that wanted to come out too.
Reaching across the seat, I set my hand on his forearm one more time and gave it a squeeze. “You can talk to me about whatever you want. The only person I might tell is Duncan, and he can’t tell anyone.”
His eyes slid over to me before they moved forward again just as fast. Those tan hands flexed around the wheel, opening and closing. He did it for so long that I thought he was ignoring me. Then he said, “I’m busy. Here and at work. When it isn’t one, it’s the other.” His exhale was soft, and I thought he was done before he suddenly huffed. “And I’m not being fucking awkward around you. Give me a break.”
Give him a break?
The urge to joke about why he might be being weird was strong, but I had a vague idea of what this slice of honesty from him meant.
Henri Blackrock had opened up to me a little.
He’d complained.
I didn’t need to know him better than I already did to realize that had to be a once-in-a-lifetime event.
And now I felt guilty for taking up more of his time.
I slid my hand up and squeezed his elbow. His skin was nice and warm. “I’m sorry you’re swamped, Fluff. Being responsible for one person is a lot of work, and I haven’t spent that much time with you, but I’ve seen how busy you are. Your phone is always ringing, you’re always talking to someone about something at the ranch… I don’t know how you do it.” I thought about how Matti had mentioned his dad leaving here because of the responsibilities that came with it, then shoved that topic aside for the time being. The last thing Henri needed was to be reminded about how much he had on his plate, even if I sympathized with him. “Will work get better, or is that just part of it?”
His hands did that flexing thing again around the steering wheel. “As soon as we hire another deputy they will, whenever that is. There aren’t exactly a line of people moving to the county with the right qualifications.”
I kept massaging the muscle on his lower arm with my thumb, I was pretty sure the tension was slowly easing from it in the process. “I see.”
“It’ll happen at some point, but we’re all getting tired of working so many hours until it does. It isn’t just me,” he explained before clearing his throat, maybe getting a little self-conscious about what he’d admitted.
“Well, I don’t know how many of the other deputies have to deal with elders and giant hairy creatures with attitude problems on top of everything. I wouldn’t be too hard on myself.”
He dipped his chin like he thought I had a point.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted out.
His forehead wrinkled. “For?”
“I used to think that you were always so serious, but I get it now. It’s because you’ve always had to be. You knew what you were going to have to bear in the future, huh? When you were younger?”
He met my eyes. I smiled at him.
“I know I haven’t been here that long, and my opinion doesn’t mean much, but I think you’re doing a great job, Fluff. I mean it. The kids are happy, and they love you. They’re always ‘Henri this and Henri that’ in the nursery. All of them. Don’t tell Pascal I’m telling you this, but he’s been drawing a lot of pictures of you the last week. He told me you’re his hero. It’s the cutest freaking thing. Plus, the ranch is in great shape….”
“Your opinion matters.” Henri’s jaw muscle did that ticking thing some more. His hands flexed. Then a frown came out of nowhere. “Don’t say shit like that.”
It took me a gulp and a second to react. “It matters to me, but you know what I mean.”
“I know what you meant, but I don’t care.” He shot me a look. “Don’t.”