Page 100 of Heartbeats & Highways

I frowned. “What about it? I told you I lived on a farm.”

“Yeah. But you never talk about your parents. All you told me about them was they died when you were eighteen.”

“They did.” My gaze dropped back to the book.

Savage wrenched it from my hands and tossed it to the floor.

“Hey!” I made a move to get up, but he tightened his hand around my foot. “You’re holding my foot hostage.”

“Why won’t you talk about your childhood?”

“Why won’t you?”

“What do you mean? I told you about my history with Willa and Duke and how I grew up.”

“Hmm. Not really. You glossed over everything else.” I cocked my head to the side. “Doyoutalk about the losses you’ve suffered? Or do you bury them deep and try to forget?”

“Is that what you do?”

“Why do you answer a question with a question?”

“Why do you?”

We stared at one another. We were at an impasse.

A vibrating buzz of a cell phone broke the moment.

Savage reached into his jeans pocket for it and looked at the screen. “Damn, I gotta take this.” He answered the phone with a brusque, “Yeah? Fuck. Yeah, okay. I’ll take care of it.” He ended the call and set his phone on the arm of the couch. “I’ve got to go.”

“Oh. Okay.” I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hey,” Savage commanded. “Don’t think for a second that we’re done with this conversation.” He stood up and leaned down to kiss me. “I won’t forget about this. I want answers, Evie.”

For the next few days, our schedules didn’t align. Savage was gone before I woke up, and I was in bed before he got home. He crawled into bed and made love to me before pulling me close and falling asleep.

I had a prospect take me to work in the mornings and one of the Jackson siblings drive me home. Savage regularly checked invia text, but they were quick as though he was too busy to put much thought into them.

Because he’d been busy with the club, it meant he didn’t have the ability to ask me more about my childhood and upbringing. I hoped enough time had passed that he’d forgotten about it entirely and that we could continue sailing along in a blissful state of desire and growing intimacy.

“Stop fidgeting, you look beautiful,” Savage said as he closed the passenger door.

“I can’t help it. I’m nervous,” I admitted.

“There’s no reason to be nervous,” Savage said.

He opened the back door of the SUV and pulled out my gifts.

“They’re your family,” I said. “I want to make a good impression.”

“Then just be yourself.” He hugged me to him, and I immediately collapsed against his side, seeking his reassurance.

He took my hand and led me toward the door.

“You didn’t tell me they lived in the country,” I said with a smile.

“I wanted it to be a surprise. After dinner, I’ll take you to meet the neighbor’s horse.”

“I’d like that.”

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