Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
A slow grin pulls at my mouth, even as my chest feels like it might crack open.
“Careful,” I murmur.
“What’s my punishment?” she asks, and to my ears, she’s begging me to kiss her.
I tilt my head closer, bringing my lips to her ear. “This,” I murmur, as I slide my hand up her shirt and tickle her side. She squeals with laughter as she squirms in my arms, but my grip is solid, never wanting to let her go.
“M—M—Mack.” She giggles, and finally, I have mercy on her. I stop tickling her, but I leave my hand beneath her shirt. My fingers slowly trail over the soft skin of her back, before finally, I force myself to pull my hand away.
“You play dirty,” she says, smacking at my chest, still laughing.
“For you?” I lean in close. “Always,” I say, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose.
“Uh-huh, laying it on thick, McBride. Just wait, I’ll pay you back when you least expect it.”
“I hope so, darlin’.” I wink, and she rolls those big blue eyes at me, thinking that I’m joking. “Now, stop horsing around and get to work.” I swat her ass. She yelps, then giggles, as we both get to work cleaning.
Two hours later, the room is shining and smells like the lavender cleaner we used. The guys start hauling down furniture, and I jump in to help them. It’s nearly midnight by the time we leave. Courtlynn pulled out the leftovers from the shower, and we all ate again before finally saying our goodbyes.
Copeland waves us off and carries his wife to their new room. Bowen says something that has Courtlynn rolling her eyes and turning her back on us as she makes her way upstairs without a word or a glance.
“She’s cranky when she’s tired.” Baylor laughs.
“Thank you for your help.” Leighton hugs Dixon and me before she, too, heads off to bed.
“I needed this. We all needed this,” Baylor says.
“Bring it in,” Dixon tells her. He hugs her and tells me he’ll see me later, and then it’s just the two of us. Thankfully, their hug was a short one. It’s hard for me to think of her as anything other than mine, now that my mind is made up, but I know I have to tread lightly.
“Thank you,” Baylor says.
I open my arms, and she smiles, before stepping into my embrace. I hold her tightly before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Anything, Baylor. I mean that. No matter what it is, I’m there.”
Without stepping out of my embrace, she tilts her head back to peer up at me. “I know you’re talking about the move, but your words… It’s nice to be around honest men who are not afraid to say what’s on their mind.”
I nod and swallow hard. “You want to know what I’m thinking right now?” I ask her.
“Yeah, I think I do.”
I pull her a little closer. “You’re beautiful, Baylor. That’s what I’m thinking.”
She laughs and swats at my chest. “Stop.”
“I’ll always be honest with you,” I tell her. “And since you brought up honesty, I should also tell you that you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
“Shit’s getting deep in here, McBride.” She steps back as she shakes her head. “Thank you for everything. I’ll see you around, Macklin McBride.”
“Yeah, you definitely will.” Not able to fight the temptation any longer, I lean in and kiss her cheek. “Goodnight, Baylor,” I murmur before forcing myself to turn and walk out the door.
Five
Baylor
* * *
Closing my laptop, I slide my chair back from my desk, stand, and stretch out my arms. I used to sit at my desk for a minimum of eight hours, but now that I’m home, I’m itching to get outside and breathe in some country air.
Ellison had the books in order, so really, there’s not a lot for me to do. Daily entries and invoices. My older sister just hated numbers, and it took her longer because she grumbled about it. I wasn’t even here, and I know that’s what happened.
Either way, I’m home. I’m in the small office next to hers, and it’s just after ten in the morning, and my work here is done. This is my first week back at the inn, and I feel guilty for the fact that I’m not bogged down with work. Then again, now that I’ve taken the books from Ellison, all four of us tend to be done with our work at a decent time. No more late nights or dinners alone.
It feels good to be home.
I arrived back in town last Saturday, and I keep waiting for the guilt to hit me. I assumed I’d be swamped with regret, but there is none. The weight I’ve been carrying on my shoulders for far too long is gone, and in its place is contentment. Something I haven’t felt in far longer than I care to admit.