Page 48 of The Runaway and the Rugged
“I’m fine, they barely hurt this morning,” I lied, my voice too high-pitched and out of tune to come off as believable. Butbefore he could argue, I dropped my hand and sailed past him with urgency until I was beside the ATV door. Grace then swiftly swung it open to let me inside.
“My dad has a crush on you,” she whispered with a devious grin that nearly had me tripping into the vehicle.
I shot a quick glance over my shoulder to make sure he wasn’t in earshot, and thankfully he wasn’t.
“Your dad tolerates me. He doesn’t have a crush,” I mumbled quietly while taking the spot beside her.
She giggled.
“Want to make a bet?” she asked as Garth started to climb down the steps of the porch. I gave her a quick side-glance.
“Not particularly.”
Garth’s eyes found mine through the windshield, sending my heart into a frenzy.
“Come on, please?” she begged. “Better hurry up and decide before he gets in here.”
My eyes instantly expanded.
This adorable little shit was making me say yes.
“Okay, fine, sure, let's make a bet.”
She wiggled in the spot excitedly.
“My dad is going to invite you to stay here longer,” she said matter-of-factly with a smirk the size of Texas on her face. Every part of what she just said prompted me to scoff in disbelief. “I guarantee it. At breakfast he’s going to end up asking you.”
My stomach flipped.
Garth was now almost to the driver's side door.
“Okay, if by some chance that happens, what do you want?”
“A girls’ day. Hair, makeup, nails, shopping, I want to do it all,” she laid out as if she already planned it out.
I had no money, no makeup, nothing to make any of that possible for her, but, honestly, what were the chances she was right about Garth asking me to stay? Slim to none, right?
“Fine, and if he doesn’t, no more leaving your house without telling your dad.”
Her shoulders sagged in reluctant acceptance.
“Okay, deal.” She stretched out her hand to seal the deal, and with a smile, I placed my hand in hers.
“Deal.”
Moments later, Garth was jumping inside, his gaze dipping down to his daughter and me. He pulled his eyebrows together, watching in confusion as we slowly lowered our hands.
“What did I miss?” he asked slowly and hesitantly, drawing out each word.
“Nothing!” I blurted out in a shout a little too hastily.
Grace sent me a conniving little grin while Garth just stared. Unblinkingly and utterly confused. Then with the shake of his head and a few muffled words under his breath, he put the gear shift into drive and tore up toward the house.
Grace then whispered into the air, her voice steady and confident, “Nothing at all, Dad.”
14
GARTH
