Page 9 of Reckless
“Call your dog off, Eaton.” She keeps walking, only addressing Rhett, like I’m not even here.
But goddamn, I love a challenge.
I turn with a loud, “Woof!” as I watch her petite frame slip into the bright light of the warm, bustling house.
Rhett is laughing. At me. Not with me. “You’re an idiot, Theo.”
I shake my head. “Dude. I think I’m in love with your sister-in-law. She’s so fiery.”
Now it’s Rhett shaking his head, like he knows something I don’t. And I follow him into the house because I want to know more.
I want to know more about Winter Valentine.
Like when that divorce is happening.
3
Winter
Rob:Say hi to Summer for me.
* * *
Iwalk into the big house, more unnerved than when I left the city a couple of hours ago. The prospect of walking in here at all, the shitty roads, that all pales in comparison to the beautiful infuriating man standing outside right now.
I swear I can still feel him staring at me, his eyes roaming over my back appreciatively. It makes me carry myself just a little bit taller.
Pathetic as it sounds, it’s nice to have someone look at me that way.
Of late, I’ve grown more accustomed to looks of disdain and looks of pity. And when Rob looks at me in a way that I know means his dick is hard, it just makes my skin crawl.
This is different. IwantTheo to admire me, but I also want to kick him in the shins.
The sound of a bustling kitchen draws me down the hallway into the warmly lit living space. Hunter green walls and wide, dark floorboards make the space effortlessly cozy. The voices are all happy, and the laughter isn’t forced.
There’s no marble, no stark white kitchen, no echo when people talk.
It’s weird.
I pause at the threshold, stricken by the enormity of what I’m about to do. It’s like getting the hell away from Theo Silva—the sexy bull rider maniac driver—and his perfect bone structure pushed me this far, and now I’m between a rock and a hard place.
My throat works in time with my fingers as they curl and squeeze into my palms. Like the inertia from the small motions will just tip into the room, the spectacle for everyone to see.
The first step toward making things right.
“All good, Winter?” A firm palm lands on my shoulder and I glance up into the scraggly face of my sister’s fiancé. It’s not that he isn’t handsome, he’s just so. ..unpolished. He’s like a big, happy, manly dog that needs a day spent at the groomer.
I offer him a tentative nod before peeking back around the corner.
I’m not all good though. I’m a fucking mess. But I won’t show it. I feel safe when I’m composed. And the second set of footsteps coming up behind Rhett belong to a man who makes me feel distinctly not composed.
“It’s gonna be great.” Rhett’s hand squeezes. “Want me to give you a shove like if we were skydiving?”
Now I shoot him an unimpressed look. “No thanks. I can handle this.”
I don’t know who I’m saying it to. Him or myself? But either way, I step into the kitchen with my head held high and open with a confident-sounding, “Hi, can I help with anything?”
Heads turn, but eyes don’t widen. The buzz doesn’t come to a crashing halt. Instead, there are waves. And smiles. And a, “Heyooo, Elsa!” from Willa, who is propped in a chair, sporting a small swell at her stomach.
