Page 78 of Love, Hate, Love

“You are such a dog.” I shook my head.

“What? I thought you understood.” Alec had the exact same smirk as Kade.

“Yes, I understand that you are a dog.”

“If I was a dog, I’d be pulling you behind the bushes right now, because you outdid yourself with this getup.” He threw his hands up. “But don’t worry. I won’t even try, because I like keeping my balls intact. But why do I feel like you’ve come over to lecture me with some goal in mind?”

There was no holding back now. Might as well put on my mom cap and have at it. “Missy is too young, sweet, and innocent for you.” And there was no way I was letting her get added to the list of women that had been in and out of his bed.

“Missy?” He squinted, as if trying to place her name.

“The nice little redheaded gal that works her ass off here?”

He had to look off and think on it for a second before light popped into his eyes. “Oh, yeah, I got it. I know who you mean.” There was a pause before he asked, “I didn’t hit on her, did I?”

She definitely hadn’t been on his radar. He’d barely remembered her, and now I’d brought her to his attention. Didn’t matter. No way would she escape his attention after he saw her tonight.

“No, you didn’t, and she’s way too young to hit on, too. I just wanted to warn you off. She’s not even eighteen.” Okay, maybe she was twenty-one, and not seventeen, but she was still too sweet for him. If I had to lie to safeguard her, I’d do it.

“What do you take me for? I don’t go after babies.”

“Just wanted to make sure you realized how very young she was.”

“Noted. If that occurs to me at any point, may my eyes fall from their sockets or the police haul me away.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

“Wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

More and more people were beginning to make their way to the ranch.

“I’ve got to go get ready to walk. Don’t forget you promised me.”

“Yeah, yeah, I barely noticed her. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

I was heading back through the crowds forming when Edwin beelined for me.

“Do you have a moment?” He was smiling as he spoke, but that was just for any nosy onlookers. There was nothing pleasant underneath this surface.

“No.”

I went to take a step around him, and he moved with me. “We should really talk.”

“We’ve talked more than I ever wanted to. I’m done speaking to you.”

“I don’t want to make a spectacle out here, but I will.”

“Whatever you want from me, the answer is no. Whatever you want to talk to me about, I don’t want to hear. Nothing good comes from being around you. Now I have to go. You want to create a scene, then do so, but I have a wedding to walk in.”

He looked over my shoulder, and I glanced in that direction. Alec hadn’t moved from his spot, but he was staring this way as if he had Edwin’s number. I took the opportunity to leave before Edwin made a move to stop me again. I wasn’t delusional enough to believe this would be the last of him tonight. No, he’d find me and force the issue, because Edwin always got what he wanted. Or almost did. He’d never gottenmethe way he wanted, and never would.

“You ready?” I asked Cassie when I got inside the ranch. She was standing beside her stepfather smiling, looking as if she were trying to hold back her tears.

“Don’t you dare cry,” her makeup artist said. “You’ll ruin my masterpiece.”

In this moment, I would’ve hugged Kade if he were standing beside me for giving me this moment. While it came with lots of baggage, standing here now, I wouldn’t have given away this moment for anything.

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