Page 90 of Lucky Laces

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She smiles, runs her fingers through my beard.“He usually does treat me to Molly’s?—”

I grin.

“—but it’s payment.”

My grin fades.“For what?”

“What today’s payment will be?Or what past payments were?”

My temper starts spiking again—payment?What the actual fuck?I thought he was a nice old man who?—

She kisses my jaw.“Weeding,” she says.“Today it’ll be payment for me weeding his planter beds.”

I relax, but only slightly.“And before?”

Her mouth hitches up as she drops back onto her feet and steps out of my arms.“Before was weeding too.”I resist the urge to tug her back when she tosses a sexy smile my way before walking toward the hall.“Ernest has lots andlotsof planter beds that need weeding.”

I watch the sway of her ass as she moves.

Then I think about how much I hate gardening.

ThenI smile…

And head outside to shove her asshole of an ex-fiancé into his car.

I watch as he drives away, hoping he’ll actually listen and won’t come back.

But not entirely convinced.

Then I head into the house and get ready for some…

Weeding.

Christ.

Twenty-Nine

Diana

“You missed one,”Ernest tells Huddy as he totters over, his cane held tightly in one hand.

Ernest is tired today.

I can tell it by his stride, no matter how hard he tries to hide it.

I’m kind of an expert in knowing when the men in my life are hiding things?—

I freeze, my stomach knotting.

Okay, so maybe I’m not an expert at knowing when men are hiding things in general.

But I’m good at ferreting out injuries.

I’m also good at knowing when it’s no use to try to get stubborn men to sit down and relax.

Case in point, Hudson sitting in the planter bed, surrounded by the remains of dead plants.

And Ernest nearly toppling as he tries to get the one Hudson missed.

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