Randy grinned and shrugged. “Oh, I almost forgot. Trish Potter was here looking for you earlier, Sully.” With that, Randy took Storm off his hands.
“Okay,” Sully replied patting the stallion’s mane. He’d silenced Trish’s texts but had noticed all three at the Lodge. “Thanks, Randy. See you tomorrow.”
“Yup, you got it.” Randy tipped his hat at them. “See you tomorrow.”
Sully steered Charley out of the stables. “Let’s go inside, get something to drink, and figure out what to do about your car,” he suggested.
“Great, and if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I need to use your bathroom.”
“Sure thing. Follow me.”
Sully led the way past the corral he and his dad had built. Passing a three-car garage, to the rear of the house, took them to the side door of the home. Opening the door, he let Charley step into the softly lit mudroom ahead of him. His eyes dipped to her fanny. It was round and sexy as hell. He could still feel her legs touching his when she’d been behind him on Storm. She stopped after entering the kitchen.
“Which way?” Charley asked.
“Through the kitchen and down the hall, on the left,” Sully replied and pointed. “What would you like to drink?”
“Whatcha got?”
“Beer, bottled water…beer,” he said with a grin and a shrug. “I’m gonna have a beer.”
“Okay. I’ll have one too.”
Sully didn’t answer the texts from Trish asking if he was home. Between the sink and white cabinets on one side and an island with a quartz countertop and four barstools on the other, he walked through the large, rectangular kitchen to the stainless-steel refrigerator. Not a minute after Charley had closed the bathroom door, the side door to the mudroom opened.
“Sully?” came Trish Potter’s voice.
Hell. Trish’s dad had retired from the post office and lived on a patch of land a few miles away. After her first divorce, Trish had moved in with her father. Sully had initially met her a couple of years prior at one of the Coopers’ summertime barbecues. She’d propositioned him and he’d taken her up on it. She’d disappeared for a while and was back again after divorce number two and the passing of her father. Sully had slept with her for the second and final time about six months ago. That was more than enough. He was done and had politely but firmly told Trish so. However, Trish, five years his senior, was aggressively persistent and not taking no for an answer.
“What are you doing here, Trish?” Sully asked, standing in front of the fridge.
With black hair swinging around her shoulders and wearing a dress that barely covered her backside, she slinked to him and clutched his right arm. “I’m here to invite you to Chloe Cooper Brevard’s Halloween party.”
“Chloe already invited me.”
“Great! Let’s go togeth—” She halted and stared.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Charley said from the arched doorway to the hall.
Damn, Charley was beautiful. Sully was partial to long brown hair and hers was particularly eye-catching. Charley had a fresh and innocent look about her and Sully figured she was a fewyears younger than he was. Her royal-blue eyes blinked, and she pulled her full lower lip between straight white teeth.
“You’re not interrupting,” Sully said, freeing his arm from Trish. He took two beers out of the fridge, opened them, and walked toward Charley. This situation was uncomfortable, and he resented Trish’s intrusion more for Charley’s sake than his own. Handing Charley one of the bottles, he winked at her and said, “Here you go.”
“Last time I saw you, Sully, you said it was approaching your busy time of year and you weren’t dating,” Trish remarked pointedly, giving Charley the onceover.
Sully didn’t feel he owed Trish an explanation. “Charley Cooper, this is Trish Potter.”
Charley smiled and said politely, “Nice to meet you.”
“Buh-bye, Sully,” Trish spat, ignoring Charley. Trish turned on her heel and headed out the door, letting it slam shut.
Charley asked, “A night for dealing with exes?”
“Yeah,” Sully agreed. “Sorry about that.” Then, giving Charley a smile, he said, “I have a den right down the hall. Let’s go figure out your next move.”
Sully led the way past his office, with photos and products of his business.After what happened, you should know I detest guns.Charley had stated that to Rod Vaughn. Vaughn had indicated Sully could be a strangler. Sully had an idea why she hated guns. But what else had she been through?
“What do you do for a living, Sully?”
