Page 7 of The Chase
It was time to put Kurtland Chase behind her forever. That cowboy could go chase his own tail. She was getting on with her life, starting right now.
5
Cody McAgan was almostenough to make her forget the nastiness that had plagued her dreams for weeks. He had been her closest friend in college, four years older but getting a later start due to serving in the military. He was moving back to Value to take over the old Wharton place. She was going to introduce him to her besties Hala and Ayla, and see if somethinghappened.One of them deserved a man like him—hands down.
He was going to see that his ranch grew back to what it had once been—when his so-many times great-grandparents had built it into a small, but thriving homestead.
He shot her a beautiful grin. “You look dam—darned pretty holding that boy.”
She just held Calvin close. He and his daddy were eating lunch at the diner, too. And Calvin had wanted to say hi.
“Why don’t you finally say you’ll marry me, and we’ll have six little ones of our own? If ever there is a woman who is meant to be the mother of my children, it’s you. No other woman will ever get me like you do, pumpkin.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes as Calvin went barreling back toward her brother Gene. She and Cody had sharedonekiss the night before college graduation. A kiss that had gone absolutely nowhere. “You know better.”
“But seeing you in that little shirt…sometimes I forget.” He covered her fingers with his again. “Now, tell me what put that broken look in your eyes?”
Greer closed her eyes immediately. Trying to forget. She’d gotten through the first night, alone. She’d immediately gotten into the bathtub and soaked, and bawled, for hours.
He’d broken her heart.
She…hadn’t been able to say that he had fully seduced her. She had been a willing participant. Up to that one defining moment, anyway.
She would never forget that bastard’s face in the instant he’d pulled away. “I did something stupid with a man I thought I loved. But…he was just toying with me, because he has had a rivalry with my brother Gene since they were in high school together. Gene was three or four years older than he was. I’m not sure what happened between them, but…the man…I guess he saw me as an easy mark. I thought I loved him. I’m trying to work through it now.”
“I’ll happily kill him for you, honey.” He leaned forward, and pressed a kiss against her forehead. Greer resisted the urge to just cuddle closer in a way she never would have before. She just…wanted someone to hold her lately, and just tell her that everything would be okay. If just for a little while.
She would be okay, with time. But she wasn’t ever going to be that stupid again.
Someone bumped their table, and she sprung back from Cody. And looked up. Her stomach dropped and all the air left her lungs immediately.
Kurt.
“Excuse me. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” He had a scowl on his face. Directed at Cody.
“Sure you weren’t,” she said, icily. He was just being a jerk. No doubt about that. “Shouldn’t you slither on out of here with the rest of the snakes?”
“How are you, Greer? I’ve tried calling. There’s something we really need to talk about.”
“I doubt it; I blocked your number.” Blocked his number, email, and any other way he had to contact her online. She wanted to just pretend he didn’t exist forever. “Cody, let’s go. I can’t wait to see your ranch. Something stinks in here now.”
“Excellent, I’ve just been waiting for the right woman to help me make it into a home.” Cody stood, equally as tall and strong as Kurt. And Cody was very angry. Her friend had never been stupid. “Sweetheart, let’s go. I’m not quite ready to take you home just yet. If I ever will be.”
He held his hand out to her. Greer took it. And resisted the urge to cling to the man who had never hurt her.
Kurt shot him a look of challenge. His fists balled; Greer drew in a breath. Waiting. But he didn’t say a word.
Of course he wouldn’t.
She was nothing to Kurtland Chase, after all, and she never would be.
6
Kurt was still fumingover that damned cowboy the next day. He had been for hours. Ever since she had clung to that asshole like he was her rescuer or something. Like she’d needed that guy to rescue her from Kurt.
And what was that bull about making some ranch ahome?The guy had beentouchingher.It had only been a month since she’d been in Kurt’s bed. Greer wasn’t that kind of woman. At least…not until Kurt had touched her, anyway.
Maybe she’d jumped into this guy’s bed on the rebound? And was doing something thoughtless? Careless?
