Page 162 of Five Mountain Daddies

Cora

Ican barely sleep that night. The kiss and the phone call keep playing through my mind. I alternate between excited, filled with pure desire, and terrified of what might be lurking in the shadows, waiting forme.

I climb out of bed with the sunrise. Wyatt’s leaving today, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I shouldn’t have run away like I did, but it was all too much. I felt overwhelmed and afraid, and I just ran away like anidiot.

I wanted to stay there, let him kiss me, let him take me. I wanted to feel him, taste him, let him take every inch of my body… but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. Maybe I was too afraid, or maybe the timing was off, I don’t know. I just knew I had to run away, and so Idid.

Now I regret it. I make myself some coffee and sip it at my kitchen table, trying to decide what to do. I can probably drive over there now, thank him for what he did for me, but that’s stupid. It’ll be easier if I just let him go, clean and clear andfree.

He doesn’t owe me a damn thing. So why do I want him to stay sobadly?

I finish one mug and pour another. I put on the news and scroll through Facebook, killing time, trying not to think too much about the coming days. I have more time off work, the rest of this week, and then it’s back to my normal routine, back to mylife.

But I don’t know if my normal life is still there, waiting for me, or if it’s been completely destroyed by everything that’shappened.

I finally drag myself into the shower and force myself to get dressed. Around eight in the morning, I’m ready for the day, although I have no clue what the hell I’m going todo.

At least until my doorbell buzzes. Fear spikes inside of me, but I quickly push it back. If they’re going to come for me, they’re not going to ring the bellfirst.

I walk up to it and open the door. Wyatt grins at me. “Morning,” hesays.

“Morning,” I answer, surprised. “I thought you were goinghome.”

He shrugs. “I got aplan.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Aplan?”

“Sure, a plan. Come on, we should getgoing.”

“Get going?” I stare at him as he walks back to his car. “Wait, Wyatt, I thought you wereleaving.”

“Not just yet, princess.” He grins at me. “Come on, let’sgo.”

He gets into his car and I stare at him, totally bewildered. But a second later, I’m turning off my TV, grabbing my purse and keys, and locking my door. I feel like I’m pulled to him like a planet getting pulled into a black hole, and it feels pretty damngood.

I get into the passenger’s seat and we head out. We drive in silence for a little bit until I realize where he’sgoing.

“What’s the plan?” I ask him finally. “We’re heading out to Kristi’s, aren’twe?”

He nods. “We hit a dead end with Jaxson. I probably shouldn’t have pressed him like that. But I think we can get more out of Kristi.” He makes a face and shrugs. “I just have afeeling.”

I nod and watch the road. “I think you’reright.”

He glances at me and smiles slightly. “I know. I’m damn good atthis.”

I roll my eyes at him but I can’t stop the smile that spreads across myface.

We get to Kristi’s not long later. Wyatt knocks, but she’s not home. Her mom rasps something about a local bar and acasino.

“Probably holed up somewhere, doing drugs. You want me to call her or somethin’?” her motherasks.

“That’d be nice, if you can,” Wyattsays.

“Just don’t get her arrested,” she grumbles as she headsinside.

Not long later, she emerges from the dark, smoky interior. “Yep, like I said. She’s at Smokey’sHouse.”

I glance at Wyatt and he gives her a smile. “Thanks so much,ma’am.”

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