Page 6 of Heart & Hope

Fuck.

Sweet Jesus, that’s goin’ to hurt tomorrow. Cheers go up around him as his friends celebrate his win. My loss is commiserated by the remaining two women at the bar, who fawn over my quickly reddening hand.

“Oh my god, do you need some ice?” one asks, the redhead, I think.

“Can we take you to the ER?” the other swoons.

“Nah, all good, ladies. A beer and a little love and I’ll be right as rain.”

“Oh god, yes, let me get you a drink.” The redhead scoots off to the bar as I drop into the couch on the back wall. Theestablishment is small, but central to town and filling up as the hour gets on. The redhead walks back with two drinks. The brunette drops into my lap, resting my hand in her palm, inspecting the bones, moving each finger as if she has a clue what she’s doing.

“I don’t think anything is broken,” she says softly.

“Only my pride then, hey?”

She dots a kiss to my cheek, and I take her chin with my free hand. She covers my mouth with hers a second later. My cock stretches in my pants, digging into her ass.

“Don’t forget about me, Reed.” The couch dips beside me as the redhead settles in close, placing the drinks on the coffee table in front of us.

“We should call it a night,” I say, knowing full well they will protest.

“Can we come with you?” the woman on my lap says, tilting her head to one side, biting her bottom lip. The redhead leans over and nips my ear. “Both of us?”

Plan prepped, executed, and successful. All blood has migrated south, and my rational brain has closed up shop for the night.

“Are you sure?” I put on my most innocent face, nursing my injured hand, but my grin pokes through.

The redhead slaps my shoulder and giggles. “Don’t play dumb with us, we know all about your reputation. That’s why we’re here—to fuck the Great Reed Rawlins.”

And just like that, my boner is as limp as a dead fish.

They are chasingme.

Resisting the groan that wants out of my throat, I say, “Right, I gotta be up early in the morning, ladies. If you don’t mind.” I widen my arms and raise them, palms up.

The woman on my lap stands, confusion twisting her face. “Ladies?”

It’s one thing to have a reputation. But something else entirely to be hunted down because of it. Who volunteers to sleep with a ladies’ man? Pretty sure that’s what Huddo calls me. If anyone needs these two cock jockeys, it’s my oldest brother.

Me? I’ll see myself out.

I push through the doors of the bar and onto the quiet paved sidewalk of Great Falls. The street is lined with glowing heritage lamps. A few people mill about, nothing much for a Friday night. Shop fronts are lit up and one restaurant is still open. My truck is parked a block away. With only two beers under my belt, I may as well drive back to the ranch on the other side of Lewistown.

I hear clacking heels before I see a blonde with her head down, gorgeous brown eyes lit up by her phone. Her shoulder bumps mine. She throws a manicured hand up with a breathy apology, not taking her eyes off the screen.

She didn’t even see me.

But I stand and watch her walk away. Blonde waves bouncing over her shoulders. Hips swaying with every long stride she takes in the most ridiculous red high heels. The fancy suit she wears fits her shape, cinched in at the waist. Nowshedoesn’t belong in this backward backwater town.

Her fragrant perfume hits me a second later. And something heavy tugs in my gut.

Strawberries.

Something is moving in my back pocket. The hum of my phone vibrating fades in.

Shit.

I pull it out.

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