Page 19 of Blindsided By the Enforcer

“Dad,” Cade says with a clipped tone.

His dad doesn’t say anything.

With my jacket on I say, “It was a pleasure meeting you both. Happy holidays.” I sound too cheerful, which is awkward given the circumstances.

Lily nods and smiles and Mr. Price gives us a clipped nod.

We leave the restaurant. Cade is so tense I’m not sure what to expect. He parked on the street so I follow him to his car. We get inside.

“I’m sorry you had to witness that,” he says.

“Don’t worry about me. Does stuff like that happen a lot?” I ask.

He nods and blinks. He isn’t looking at me and his head is hanging low.

“Do you still need me to come home with you for the holidays? Because if you don’t, it’s cool. I can stay behind and chill in Riverside or head home with Hayden.”

“Oh no, you’re definitely coming home with me now, Cade Price. We are going to have so much fun together. I’m going to introduce you to Sally,” I tell him.

“Who is she?” he asks.

“My favorite cow.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Cade

“It’s really nice not having to take the bus home,” Annie says as she controls the Spotify in my car. So far, her taste in music has been good.

“The roads are terrible,” I observe. “We should’ve checked the weather before we left Riverside.”

“We definitely should’ve waited until morning,” she agrees. “But we’re on a little adventure. I’m seriously happy you’re coming home with me. Ford is not going to be happy about this.”

“We should take a selfie and post on social media. That way Scarlett will see we’re together. I feel like we need to take our fake relationship to the next level, or no one is going to believe us,” I say. She leans in and takes a quick selfie.

It’s starting to get dark out. Waze says we are about thirty minutes out from the Caulfield farm, which isn’t too bad. Being in such close quarters with Annie is making me realize how sweet and easygoing she is. It also doesn’t help she wore a pair of leggings for the car ride and a cropped sweatshirt. She took off her jacket a half hour into the drive and every time she turns around to get something from the back seat, I get a sideview of her perfectly rounded ass and her creamy skin peeking from under her top. It would help if I didn’t know how good she tastes because now I want another kiss. I want to feel the heat of her body pressed to mine. I shift in the seat because I’m growing hard. We promised each other our fake relationship was all for show. I am clearly not in the headspace to get involved with someone right now, after everything I’ve been through with Scarlett.

“Did you bring everything you own?” She laughs. “We’re only here for like a week and a half.”

“I’m an over packer which is a real pain in the ass, given I travel a lot with the team. I just don’t like missing anything,” I explain as Waze directs me down a poorly lit street.

“So you needed your skis and skates?” She laughs. I quickly look at her and my breath hitches. She’s so pretty. Her dark-blue eyes remind me of the deep sea.

“Eyes on the road, Cade,” she warns.

“I googled Sunny Springs to get a better idea of where I was going. There’s good skiing out here. You also said your family has a pond on the property that freezes over,” I remind.

“True, but I don’t know if there will be time for everything. I was thinking we could take Trudy and Duff out on the trail. Daddy and I have a ritual of skating on the pond Christmas Day, you can join us,” she offers.

“Are Trudy and Duff cows? Because I don’t know how I feel about taking cows for walks,” I say, feeling a little nervous over what I’ve gotten myself into. I barely know Annie and here I am going home with her for the holidays. Back at the restaurant, anything seemed better than leaving for Mexico with my parents.

She bursts into hysteric laughter. She’s laughing so hard she holds her stomach and squeezes her eyes shut. This girl is distracting in a good way. “Should I ask what’s so funny?”

“Trudy and Duff are horses. It’s nice to take them out on the trails. The property is so beautiful in the winter,” she finally explains after gaining control of her laughter. Then she starts laughing again and mutters, “Walking cows.”

“Well, you did tell me you wanted to introduce me to a cow. I don’t know what to expect from you.” I laugh, and on some level it’s part of the intrigue with Annie. She seems honest and real. She isn’t trying to impress me.

“Excuse me, but cows are social animals. Some are friendlier than others. I was present for Sally’s birth. We’ve developed a bond. There’s nothing weird about that,” she insists. I think she may be a little crazy.

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