Page 36 of Sold to the Single Daddies

“We can make room.”

Still clutching Lucky to my chest, I stood up and spotted another table. I grabbed it and tried tugging it closer. Arlo jumped up to help me and then I breathlessly pulled the chairs over and pointed to the table.

“See? Now you can join us.” I forced a smile, doing my best to fix what was a shitty situation. “We haven’t ordered anything yet so the timing is perfect.”

“Is it, Reagan? Is the timing justperfect?” Mills growled the words out at me and glared like the meal out without them had been my idea. “Is it just so perfect that you’ve wedged your way into our family?”

“Mills!” Nellie scolded her brother but I tuned everything out.

My face burned and I was instantly so embarrassed to be sitting at a table of people I barely knew, acting like we were theclosest family. I was imposing on them. They probably wanted to spend time with Lucky and just put up with me. I’d been skipped over for family after family all my life so I didn’t know why I’d suddenly thought myself so special.

It was time to bow out gracefully. I cleared my throat and felt every eye in the place turn to me. Forcing a smile that felt as weak as a one-stick dam, I moved to stand in front of Mills and handed him Lucky.

“You’re right. This is your family. Stay and have dinner with Lucky.”

“Wait, Reagan—”

I cut Maxie off with a wave of my hand and begged my eyes to stay dry for just another few seconds.

“It’s fine! Y’all enjoy your dinner!”

Everyone but Lucky’s fathers called for me to stay but I was humiliated and I was going to cry. I couldn’t possibly stay. I hurried out of there with my head held as high as possible and then took off down the street in the direction I thought the ranch was in.

It was a warm day and the sun beating down on me only added to how sorry I was feeling. Tears slowly leaked down my cheeks and I missed the weight of Lucky on my chest. I wiped my eyes and sniffed. I really was having a pity party on the side of the road like a toddler but I couldn’t help it. I—

“Hey, sweetheart!” A loud car pulled up next to me. “You need a ride?”

I could smell his Axe body spray from where I stood on the sidewalk and my stomach soured automatically.

“No, thanks.”

“Aw, come on, baby. You’re way too pretty to be walking down the side of the road like this. Let me take you home.”

I stopped and wiped my eyes again.

“What about me says that I feel pretty or would want to meet a stranger right now? I’m sorry but I’m having a shitty day and I’d like to be alone.”

“This is Devil’s Den. There’s no such thing as strangers.” He started to open his car door to get out and I gripped the taser still tucked into my pocket.

“You get out of the car and I’ll kick your ass up and down Main Street, Ryan.” West strode toward me with Lucky in his arms. He pressed Lucky to my chest and then swung around to face the pushy guy. “She’s off limits. To you and everyone else around here. Remember that and you can keep your fucking teeth.”

I glared at West.

“I’m off limits? Oh, really? Why is that?”

“I’m sorry. Was I misreading your body language when I came up? You didn’t seem very interested in Ryan but now you are?” West didn’t sound very sorry. He sounded pissed.

I jabbed my finger into his chest, officially just as pissed as he was.

“No, I’m not interested in him. He tried to pick me up while I was walking home crying. He didn’t even ask if I was okay.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Ryan leaned over the passenger seat.

“Are you okay? Do you want to be on-limits?”

“Oh, my god. No!”

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