Where in the fuck had she gone?
With no shoes, she wasn’t running away from me. At least yet. Plus, she’d taken her drink with her. Maybe that was a good sign.
She’d left on purpose to piss me off. Being rebellious fueled her personality.
It didn’t take too long to check the entire house. She was nowhere. Which meant she was outside.
I found her on the front porch on a swing I’d never wanted installed. My sister had insisted I’d use it every night. She’d been wrong. Kenzie was rocking back and forth, one leg under the other, appearing peaceful where her hellion personality had been intact before.
The rain was now lightly falling. Sadly, there were puddles everywhere, including in the gravel driveway. What a freaking mess. I placed the bottle on the table, resisting interrupting her. Maybe because I wasn’t certain what to say.
“It’s beautiful here. So peaceful,” she said. “The view is incredible.”
I was lucky in that the location was on a ridge peering out at a curved portion of the mountain range.
“Yeah, it is.” I wasn’t good with small talk. I’d never been, at least not really. I’d faked it well enough for when I was on the rodeo circuit, but that had never been me. I leaned against the front railing, peering out at my front lawn without managing to focus on anything.
“How long have you had the cabin?”
Shrugging, I had to think about her question. “A couple years. There was a fire along the ridge and we saved the place from burning. The cabin had been abandoned and I kind of fell in love with it so I asked around who owned the place. The owner had inherited it from his grandfather, who’d recently died. I took some time renovating it. Moved in about a year ago.”
“Wow. I didn’t know you were handy.”
“You never did know very much about me. Besides, eight plus years can change a man.” I sensed she was studying me. Or maybe I should say dissecting me. It was funny that our two families had barely tolerated each other over the years, my friendship with Wade a bone of contention. Yet somehow, this girl had managed to become a part of my world. I’d hated her tagging along. Maybe because in a way she’d become like my little sister. Which was another reason the fact my ballsremained tight as drums around her should be considered shameful.
But it wasn’t.
“Eight years is a long time. I assume you live here alone.”
I slipped in a quick glance, noticing the blush on her cheeks as if embarrassed. “Is that a not so subtle way of asking me if I’m married or involved?”
She tried to act nonchalant while shifting on the swing. “Just curious. I mean a man like you should be married.”
“I’m not certain whether I should take that as a compliment.” With a look over my shoulder, I shook my head. She always enjoying toying with me. “No, I’m not married. How about you? Some hot man back in Billings?”
When she snorted, I was reminded once again of the past, a little tic I’d loved making fun of. “I’ve learned something very valuable in the last few years. Men are all alike. They usually want one thing.”
“One thing, huh?” I prompted and turned slightly as I took a sip.
“Yep. Hot sex. They’ll do anything to get it including making fools of themselves. Once they taste the forbidden fruit, they grow bored and can’t keep their dicks in their pants.”
“Wha—at?”
Her answer was so unexpected I spit out the entire swallow, coughing as soon as I did. She swung her leg out, moving it back and forth to create momentum with the swing. “Did I hit a nerve?”
After wiping my mouth, I shook my head. “You generally just say what’s on your mind. How did you ever become an attorney?”
“Well, you don’t know me any longer either. My skills might surprise you. Let’s just say my boyfriend found my replacement while we were still living together.”
The need to fix things in her life was just as strong if not stronger than before. “Ouch. Nothing would surprise me about you. And for what it’s worth, the guy you were dating was a real asshole. You’re better off without him.” Hearing about the jerk had me wanting to take a drive to Billings. “Bastard.” My barb seemed to thrill her.
“Is that a compliment from you?”
I took another sip of my drink. “Yeah, well, maybe a lot has changed in my life. Does that mean you’re not going back?”
Her frown was telling. She hadn’t wanted to return to Missoula. “I don’t know what I’m doing. Losing my job and the place where I lived in one afternoon wasn’t on my to-do list for the year.”
“Maybe change is good. At least that’s what everyone kept telling me after the injury.”
