Текст книги "Finders Keepers"

Автор книги: Nicole Williams

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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

“Unbelievable,” she said with a shake of her head. She dropped my hat back on my head.

“Thank you.” I only grinned wider when she thumped the top of my hat, pushing it over my eyes.

“You better hope I don’t lock you out of my room tonight.”

“But then who would rock you to sleep and warm your feet and give you sweet dreams?” I adjusted my hat and winked at her. She wasn’t mad, but she was something. She was something that I was, too. Wound so tight for each other that I didn’t doubt either of us would mind if we wound up horizontal and rolling through the mud and cow shit. I took a few steps back.

“I hear a warm cup of milk works wonders.” Slugging me gently in the stomach, she headed out of the chute.

I watched her walk away until she was halfway across the arena, partly because I didn’t know what to say next, but mainly because Josie had one hell of an ass. When she walked with that annoyed anger, her hips swayed just so. Damn, it was one hell of a sight.

“Hey, Joze!” I called out. She slowed, but she didn’t stop. “Taking it slow. I’d say I nailed that hurdle.” She gave me a So? look over her shoulder. “So what’s next?”

She gave a huff. “Not taking it too slow.”

I’d just driven Josie Gibson wild with want. I’d turned her on in about every way a guy could turn a girl on. If she hadn’t been watching me, I might have done a flip. I’d turned on my fair share of women, but Josie wasn’t just another woman I was hoping to get into bed later. I wanted to turn Josie on for a million other reasons, reasons I hadn’t known existed until I’d seen that look in her eyes and felt her breath catch in her mouth. “So it would be okay if I finally took you out on an official date now?”

“A date? Do you even know what one of those is?” Josie stopped when she reached the fence and turned to look at me.

I shrugged. “I’ve been doing a little research—asking around. I think I’ve got the basics, and I was hoping you’d help me fill in the rest.” It was true. I was a twenty-one-year-old man who didn’t know what a real date or true dating was. It was all new to me, like so much of what I’d experienced with Josie lately. I’d enjoyed every step of the journey.

When Josie had climbed to the top of the fence, she smiled at me. “I can help you fill in the rest.”

JOSIE AND I were on a date. Like a real one. It might have only been in the bed of my truck at the local drive-in theatre, and her parents might not have known about it, and we might not have even kissed yet . . . but it was the best fucking night of my life.

Josie had met me at the vacant gas station on the highway a few miles north of Willow Springs after I got off work. She showed up in that same dress she’d worn the first night I’d stayed with the Gibsons. She’d gone and curled her hair and everything. Josie looked great no matter what she wore or what time of day it was—even at five in the morning when she had bed head and sleepy eyes—but that night . . . Damn, my throat ran dry the instant she stepped out of that huge truck of hers. It hadn’t been the first time she’d taken my breath away, but it was the first time I got to put my arms around her right after. It was the first time she hadn’t taken my breath away only to slip into the arms of someone else.

It was pretty much the best night ever. And we’d only been ten seconds into it.

The Mountain-View Drive-in theatre was normally only open on weekends in the summer, but they always did a special showing the week of spring break when all the kids were out of school and looking to do something. Also known as looking to get into trouble. The drive-in and I had shared plenty of troublemaking times. Thankfully, the same staff from a couple summers ago wasn’t still there. Otherwise, I never would have gotten in.

The movie had been playing for a while, but I couldn’t say what was playing or who was in it. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off of Josie. I’d replaced the old mattress in the bed—that had seen its fair share of wear and tear—with an inflatable mattress from the sporting goods store in town. Easier to clean and not so . . . used. I figured Josie would appreciate that, even if she never would have said anything about it. It wasn’t the first time we’d shared a bed, but it was the first time we’d shared a bed on a date. I knew better than to believe we’d be using my inflatable bed the way I was used to utilizing a bed, but I hoped we’d get somewhere. When all I’d done was hold her hand or have my arms around her, even a small kiss was a big deal. So yeah, I was hoping for a kiss. Not expecting one, but definitely hoping for one.

“The movie’s up there you know,” Josie said, glancing over at me. She knew I’d been staring at her. That was fine, I wanted her to know. I wanted her to know I couldn’t not stare at her.

“Why would I want to watch a movie when I’ve got you right here?” I grinned at her and scooted a little closer. Scooting closer and a grin couldn’t hurt a guy’s chance of getting a kiss. With my arm running down hers, I noticed something. “Shit, Josie, you’re shivering.” I’d already given her my jacket, and I’d brought every blanket I could snatch from the Gibsons’ house without arousing suspicion, so I sat up and started unbuttoning my shirt to give to her.

“No, don’t do that. I’m fine. I don’t want to undress you one layer at a time.” She zipped my coat up higher and burrowed into it.

“Believe me, I have no problem with that. None whatsoever. You feel free, anytime, every time, to undress me layer by layer until you are warm and satisfied.” I unbuttoned another one to prove my point.

Her hand reached out to stop mine. “Keep your shirt on, Romeo.”

“Why? When we both know you like me best with my shirt off.”

She wiped her hand over my grin, which did nothing but make it grow. “Wrong. I like you best with your ego off. Wanna try again?”

I was about to reply when another shiver ran through Josie. I suppose picking a drive-in movie for a date smack in the middle of March in Montana wasn’t wise. Better luck next time, Black. Pushing away my hopes for what could-have-been, I got ready to stand. “Come on, Joze. Let’s get you out of here before you freeze.” I’d be sure to pick somewhere that didn’t make my date chatter for our next one.

“No, I don’t want to go,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m enjoying myself.”

My forehead lined. “You’re shivering yourself.” I wasn’t cold, but I was probably too focused on Josie to notice the cold, and I’d likely built up an immunity after sleeping in my truck for a few months. I wanted to stay because I wanted to be with her, but not at the expense of her getting hypothermia.

“I’m not leaving, and that’s that. Can we get on with our date now?” She brought the blankets up under her chin and returned her attention to the movie.

I sat there, watching her again, and smiled. Josie wasn’t a laid-back, easy-going woman. She had some serious spunk and fight. Some guys might have been intimidated by that, but Josie’s spunk was what caught my attention years ago. The fight in her had kept my attention. She was the only thing that had my attention. I needed to do something right then so badly my muscles ached from holding myself back. Taking a deep breath, I bolstered up my courage. “I might not have any more blankets, but there are other ways to get you warm.”

Josie’s eyes flashed my way. “What other ways?”

I scooted down until I was propped up on an elbow beside her. My heart was already thundering, and I hadn’t even touched her. “Well, there are lots of other ways, I guess . . . but I had one particular way in mind.”

“What ‘particular’ way is that?” Her voice was a few notes high, and then she licked her lips. She knew.

I leaned in closer until my mouth was just barely above hers. “This way is what I . . .” The fight I’d been battling all night, all month, the past fifteen years, finally became too much. My mouth covered hers, and when it did, Josie let out a small gasp. Shoving my hat off, she weaved her hand through my hair, and pulled me closer.

Oh, dear god . . . Her mouth moving against mine was enough to send me straight through the roof, but then her mouth parted and her tongue pressed into mine, and I almost lost it. Lost whatever I’d been holding on to, whatever had been weighing on me and holding me back. I almost lost it all with one kiss from one girl. If that didn’t make a man stop and reexamine his life, I don’t know what did.

She continued to kiss me like she was finally letting go of everything she’d been holding back while I tried to keep up and hold on to everything so I didn’t let myself go . . . all the way. Because that was the place I wanted to go with Josie. I’d already unzipped the jacket of mine she had on, but I craved more. One hand was twitching, ready to go for the hem of her dress. The other hand wanted to close in on her chest. I drilled my twitching hand into the mattress above her shoulder, bracing myself, but when Josie’s body rocked under mine, sliding so she was directly beneath me, my hand trying to reach for her breasts didn’t need to try any longer because it was there.

“Shit, Joze,” I panted between her unyielding kisses. “I’m sorry. I’m trying to behave.” I squeezed my eyes closed, separated my mouth from hers for a moment—just long enough to gain some traction of control—and forced my hand away from a very nice part of her body.

“It’s okay. You can touch me.” She looked up at me. “I want you to. Just because we’re kissing and touching and . . .” Josie’s hips rocked gently, and I was fairly certain if she did that again, I’d go cross-eyed. “Let’s touch. Let’s make out. Let’s do all of those things you’ve held back from us doing.” I lifted an eyebrow and held onto my last scrap of willpower. “Okay, so not everything everything, but just because we’re not ready to go there tonight doesn’t mean we can’t do more than kiss.” Grabbing my hand, she moved it until it covered her chest again. She lowered my other hand until it curved around the outside of her thigh. As if that wasn’t enough, Josie’s hands slid inside of my shirt, one crawling up my back, the other sliding up my stomach. “Kiss me.” Her lips pressed into the corner of my mouth gently. “Touch me.” Her hand curled into me, her fingernails digging into my skin in a way that made me gasp. Smiling at me, she added, “Preferably both at once.”

I had to give my head a swift shake and pull both of my hands away from the spots she’d adhered them before I could reply. “I’m glad you’ve got that much faith in your willpower, but I don’t have that much in mine.” Josie had taken my breath away again, but in a way I liked even more than the first way. “I’d love to keep touching and kissing. Screw the movie . . . But, Joze, I don’t know how to hit the brakes once I get going. I don’t know how to pull back when I’m supposed to or when you want me to. I don’t know how to stop.” I hated admitting that to her, but I knew the only way we would make us work was if I was honest with her.

“Well you haven’t exactly had a lot of practice, have you?” She smiled and pulled the hand on my stomach out of my shirt so she could cover my cheek.

“Try no practice.” I knew I should probably roll off of Josie and go ice my nuts, but the way she was threading my hair through her fingers as she studied me with that playful look in her eyes made it difficult. Actually, it made it impossible.

“You want to get some?” Josie asked. My immediate response was a wide grin to which she gave a sigh. “Practice. You want to get some practice.”

“And this practice entails . . .?” I didn’t really give a damn as long as she stayed right where she was and kept running her fingers through my hair.

“Touching. Kissing.” She lifted her eyebrows. “Fully clothed.”

I exaggerated a grumble, but I was anything but disappointed. I’d wanted to touch and kiss Josie Gibson for so long, I didn’t care if she told me I had to do it wearing Saran Wrap. The one time I had touched her intimately, I hadn’t fully enjoyed it. She might have been drunk, but I wasn’t. I knew what I was doing, and I knew the girl I was touching wasn’t mine. The girl I wanted to love loved someone else. My best friend.

“I would love to kiss”—I dropped my mouth to her neck and skimmed my lips down it until her skin erupted in goose bumps—“and I would love to touch”—my hand combed into her hair, my fingers trailing through it and giving it a light tug that made her gasp—“you as long and as much as you’ll let me.” Moving my face over hers, I felt the skin between my brows crease. “But you’re right. I don’t have a lot of experience knowing when to quit. Or how to quit. These past couple of weeks, I’ve taken things slow because I kept my hands and mouth to myself, but now . . . Now that I’m touching and kissing you, it won’t be as easy to take things slow. I’ll need you to tell me when to stop. And you have my permission to knee me in the balls if I don’t. I want to make this work, but I need your help.” Saying all that when my breathing was already erratic should have earned me some sort of award.

“You’ve got my help,” she said. “Now would you stop worrying so much and kiss me already? I’ve been waiting weeks for you to finally cross that line, and now that you have, I’d like to get back to it please.”

Letting one hand slip under my bulky jacket, I formed it around her waist. “You know I can’t resist you when you say please.”

She winked. “I know.” Tossing the covers over our heads, Josie’s mouth reconnected with mine at the same time her hand returned to my stomach. Her fingers traced patterns into my skin as her mouth played with mine, sucking and nipping and smoothing and all of the things I didn’t know could make a person’s toes curl. Before, a kiss had been nothing more than a prelude, a stepping stone, a necessary evil. A means to an end. I’d never paid attention to a kiss because it had never been anything more than a segue to sex.

But that kiss, with that girl . . . that was something else entirely. If a person could only choose one memory to take with them into their next life, that would be the one I’d take. That would be the one I’d carry through all of my lifetimes. I didn’t need to have lived them all to realize that memory I was making with Josie was the thing men sold eternities for. It was the thing I’d sell mine for.

I managed to keep my hands on her waist and in the bend of her neck, and as each second passed, it became easier and easier to keep them from straying into newfound “danger” zones. A few weeks ago, those areas had been my primary targets. Now they were danger zones. Irony was really making me its bitch.

When Josie’s fingers trailed along my belt line, skimming just below the surface, I let out something between a sigh and a groan before returning the favor. She might have been in a dress, but fingers skimming the area just south of the navel packs a powerful punch even through clothing. When she moaned around the kiss we were tangled up in, I came close to hiking up her dress, lowering my fly, and making her moan again and louder. Then, like she knew the internal war I was fighting, Josie’s mouth slowed and her hand moved away from the sensitive skin. She knew what she was doing. She knew how to “make out” and when and how to tap the brakes. That was a relief since everything inside of me was dying to punch the gas. A minute ago, I’d been in control. Thirty seconds and one moan from Josie later, I was utterly out of control. Right then, I was back to having a grip. I was returning her slow, soft kiss when something thumped the outside of my truck, jolting us.

“Hey, Black, why’d you pay to come to a drive-in if all you were going to do was fuck your date?”

Josie froze as my eyes narrowed. “Watch your mouth, Mason,” I ordered, peeking my head out from beneath the blankets just enough so he could see my murderous expression without catching a glimpse of Josie. I didn’t mind Colt finding out about Josie and me, but I wasn’t sure if she was ready yet. Even if she was, that probably wasn’t the best time.

“What? It’s not like fuck isn’t your second language and we all know that whoever that girl is beneath you is a far cry from a lady, so don’t tell me to watch my mouth again, asshole.”

I was ready to jump out of the back of my truck to see if Mason had such a loud mouth when I stood toe-to-toe with him, but Josie grabbed my belt buckle and tugged me back down.

“Hey, sweetheart, you do realize you’re with Garth Black, right? The guy who wouldn’t know commitment if it crawled up his ass and took residence.”

Josie gave my belt buckle another tug, and I could almost hear her thoughts—they were that strong. Why would you want to go out there with him when you can be in here with me? Exactly. No reason I’d rather go flick Colt’s hat off his head when Josie’s body was beneath mine and keeping it warm. “At least that’s not what’s shoved up my ass most nights of the week.”

Colt raised his middle finger at me as he tapped my truck again. “Way to go all out and get your truck washed for your date tonight. This thing used to be black, right?”

If Colt thought he could teach me a thing or two about trucks, he must have forgotten which state was listed on his birth certificate. “I’ll get around to washing my truck, Mason. When it rains.” Josie was still covered and quiet, but when Colt took a few steps closer, I shifted. In addition to the blankets, I was blocking her from his view. “It’s a truck, god dammit. You don’t have to wash it and wax it and tweak its headlights to get it to perform.”

“Whatever you say, Black. Whatever you say.” Colt shook his head and walked toward the concessions. “Enjoy your night.”

I watched him until he was out of sight before twisting around and sliding the blankets back. “I really hate that guy.”

Josie wore an amused expression. “You don’t say.”

“Why in the hell did he have to be here tonight? My night was about perfect until he showed up with that overly white smile and tanned face.”

“I didn’t know he was coming, but he said a couple of his brothers would be in town for the weekend. Given the limited choices for entertainment, I suppose it’s not a huge surprise we’d all end up in the same place.” Josie hadn’t let go of my belt buckle, but instead of tugging on it forcefully, she was tugging on it playfully. “Do you want to talk about Colt the rest of the night or would you like to get back to what we were doing?”

Damn, there was a special place in heaven for a girl who could tell you what she wanted without a hint of shame. “Colt who?” My hands found places on her as I shifted back on top.

Then she shoved my chest away and pivoted on top of me. Josie’s eyes gleamed before she lowered her mouth to mine. “My turn.”

IF A MAN could die from making-out exhaustion, I figured I was close. I didn’t know some of the things Josie had taught me could be done with a mouth. I also didn’t realize that having a woman basically hold me captive and have her way with me could be so freeing. With the addition of a bit of boob fondling and a whole bit more of Josie rocking her hips into mine, we’d had a successful, insanely-sexy-without-actual-sex make-out session. Josie was showing me all sorts of things I could do that I never would have thought possible.

The second movie had already been playing for a while when I simply had to come up for air. Or hydration. Or sustenance. Something. “Are you warm now?” I cupped her face with both hands. She certainly felt warmer. Actually, she almost looked flushed.

Her lips moved to the corner of my mouth. “I’m definitely something now.” Her lips moved to the other corner. “But I wouldn’t say warmer is the first thing on my mind.” To prove her point, her hips slid down mine again.

I wasn’t sure who, but one of us was close to giving in. An intermission was in order. Plus, the clothed grinding was nice and all, but my dick had to be close to being rubbed raw. I needed a few minutes to calm my shit down, rehydrate, and tend to my wounds. “Come on. Break time.” I checked to make sure Colt wasn’t in sight then grabbed Josie’s hands and pulled her up.

“I thought we had one of those when you took a breath ten minutes ago.” She grinned at me as she finger-combed her hair and straightened her dress.

After zipping my coat back up on her, I redid all of the buttons she’d managed to get undone on my shirt and tucked it back into my jeans before leaping over the side. “You’re right. I’m weak. You are the making out champion.” Josie grabbed my hands to steady herself before jumping out of the bed. “But whatever you just did to me in there, I flew past warm straight into hot. I need one of those slushie things to cool down, and I need the sugar before I go into hypoglycemic shock.” Making out with Josie burned a hell of a lot of calories.

“You’d better get two so you’ll have reserves.” Josie grabbed my hand as we headed for the concessions. Everyone else had gotten their drinks and snacks during the real intermission, so it was mostly quiet inside. That was part of my plan. I still didn’t know how Josie felt—well, after that make-out session, I knew how she felt—but I wasn’t sure if she was ready for us to be a public item yet. As much as I wanted the whole damn town to know we were together, I also knew we would give the rumor mill enough fodder to keep its channels busy into next year. The hometown sweetheart hooks up with the trailer-trash bad boy. I didn’t want Josie at the center of a bunch of malicious gossip, and the only way to protect her from that was to keep us a secret.

I opened the glass door to the concessions and let her pass through before following. “So? Since you seem to be the making out pro, how would you rate my skills? On a scale of okay to mad.” I wrapped both arms around her as we wound through the concession gates.

She tapped her chin and glanced back at me. “Let’s see. Your lips are swollen. My lips are swollen. My hair’s a mess”—she lifted my hat for a moment—“and your hair’s a huge mess.”

“It’s always a mess. Why do you think I rarely take that thing off?” I mumbled as we continued weaving up to the cashier.

Josie laughed then unexpectedly arched her back so her backside curved into my . . . “We stopped making out five minutes ago, and you’re still . . . excited. And either I wet myself, or you made me just as excited.”

My mouth dropped open. Josie slid her fingers beneath my chin, pushed it closed, then planted a kiss full on my lips. The pubescent male cashier looked like he was about to bust something. That made two of us.

“Damn, Josie. Saying stuff like that is not helping cool me down.”

Since we’d finally made it up to the gaping cashier, Josie lifted onto her tiptoes and moved her mouth to my ear. “I don’t want you cooled down. I want you back in that truck and on top of me.”

A shudder ran down my back. Leaning into the counter, I locked eyes with the cashier—whose eyes were locked on Josie. “Do you sell slushies by the gallon?”

The cashier fumbled with a few cups. “This is the biggest size we’ve got.”

“Perfect. I’ll take two.” One to drink and one to ice my balls with. Josie giggled and went to grab a couple of licorice ropes. “What are you so happy about?”

She was beaming. Her face was practically glowing, and I wasn’t sure if she was walking or floating. “You. Tonight.” She motioned between us. “This. Everything. There’s a lot to be happy about right now.”

Josie. My Josie. For the first time, I felt like she actually wanted to be mine and, contrary to popular belief, I hadn’t done anything to royally screw it up. I grinned back. “There’s a hell of a lot to be happy about right now.”

The cashier cleared his throat. “That will be twelve-fifty.”

“Did you get the licorice ropes?” I asked the cashier. He nodded. “I didn’t think you liked licorice, Joze.”

“I don’t,” she replied, winding one around my wrist. “They’re not for eating.”

Holy shit. As if my dick needed to get any harder. The cashier was back to gaping at Josie like he was close to throwing himself at her feet and worshipping her. Get in line, jackass. The sooner I got the Josie-worshipper paid, the sooner I could figure out what Josie had in mind for us and those licorice ropes. Pulling out my wallet, I opened it and found. . . nothing. “Shit.” I double-checked all of my pockets to make sure I hadn’t misplaced the cash I’d gotten earlier.

“Double shit,” Josie said. “I left my purse in your truck.”

“I wouldn’t let you pay anyways. Besides, I had money earlier . . . I just must have misplaced it.” I triple-checked my wallet. The cashier shifted and gave me an impatient look when the concessions door opened and someone else filed into line. Too bad. They’d have to wait because I needed my slushies and licorice ropes.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m good,” Josie said, setting her hand on my forearm.

“No, it’s not okay.” I almost threw my wallet on the ground when it came up empty a third time. Where the hell had the cash gone?

“I got it.” A fifty-dollar bill slapped down on the counter as Josie froze and my jaw set.

“I don’t think so.” Picking up the fifty, I held it in front of Colt’s face and dropped it at his boots.

“Hey, no need to be ungrateful and throw money around. This is a fifty-dollar bill.” Colt picked it up and spread it out in front of my face. “I know the last time you saw one of these was when your mama was still home and turning tricks to put beans and bread on the table.”

I shoved his hand and the money out of my face.

“Colt!” Josie hissed, shouldering up beside me. I was keeping it in, holding myself back, but just barely.

“Josie, what the hell are you doing here with this piece of trailer trash?” Colt crossed his arms and looked from me to her. “Oh, wait. I forgot his trailer went up in flames. Let me rephrase. Josie, what the hell are you doing here with this piece of trash?”

“Colt, so help me God . . .” Josie turned on her glare and aimed it his way.

“Just answer the question, and I’ll leave you two alone.” Colt took a couple of steps back as Josie glared at him.

“Answer the question? How’s this for answering the question?” Stepping shoulder to shoulder with me, her hand slid inside of mine.

Colt studied our entwined hands, his face shadowing. “I thought we had a good thing going.”

“It wasn’t a bad thing”—her voice was cool and removed—“but we weren’t going anywhere.”

Colt shook his head and made his way back toward the door. “And you think that wherever Garth Black’s going to take you will be so much better and farther?”

“No, I don’t think that. I know that.” Josie flashed him a big smile.

He paused with his hand on the door. “It’s too bad you’re going to end up another knocked-up piece of trailer trash. I thought you’d be different than the rest of these small-town girls.”

Josie didn’t flinch, but I sure as hell did. Leaping over every rail Josie and I’d just wove through, I didn’t stop until I was a foot from Colt’s face. The guy had the sense to look fearful for his life. “You’d better shut that big mouth of yours, turn around, and leave now, because I am holding on by a thread, Mason.” I was trembling, but I didn’t touch him. “A fucking thread.”

Colt shoved the door open then glanced back at Josie. “When you’re done with this guy, you know my number.”

Josie made her way to me as the door slammed in my face. I glared at Colt’s back until he jumped into the bed of his fancy truck where a few other guys were camped out.

“Garth?” Josie stepped in front of me with a concerned expression. “How are you doing?”

I exhaled a heavy breath and forced my fists to unclench. “I’ve been holding back so much tonight, I’m about to snap. That’s how I’m doing.”

“Yeah, you look pretty close to snapping, too. Let’s get you out of here.” She pushed open the door, waved a quick sorry at the cashier, and we walked toward my truck. Josie slipped her hand in mine, and a portion of the rage boiling just below the surface vanished. “Better?”

“Better,” I replied, watching Colt’s truck as we passed it. He was with his brothers. From the way his hands were moving and his pissed off expression, he was informing them of what had just happened. When a couple of his brothers leapt up, looking outraged, I pulled Josie a little faster. I knew what hot-headed guys like the Mason brothers would do because I was hot-headeder than them all. They were going to come kick my ass for “stealing” their brother’s girl.

That was fine. Whatever, they could kick my ass into the next millennium. Big whoop. What I cared about was not Josie getting mixed up in the middle of it. They wanted to teach me a lesson? Fine—they could do that when Josie wasn’t anywhere around. I’d take a hell of a lot more than a serious beating to get to be the one Josie crawled into bed with at night.

I opened the passenger’s side door for her and closed it behind her. “Are you okay if we head out now?”

“Since a certain someone kind of put a damper on it, yeah, let’s go.”

I crawled in beside her. From the rearview mirror, I saw Colt and his brothers motioning at my truck. If Josie wasn’t with me, I would have thrown open my door, marched toward them with my arms out, and shouted some sort of challenge and profanity at them. But Josie was with me, and that made all the difference. I fired up the engine and shifted into drive.

Josie’s hand rested above my knee as she scooted across the bench toward me. “Thanks for the . . . movie.”

I waited for her to fasten her lap belt before moving. “That was the best damn movie I’ve ever seen.” Checking my rearview to make sure the Mason brothers weren’t tailing us, I headed for the exit.

Josie leaned her head on my shoulder. “You know what Colt said back there was a bunch of bull, right? You’re not a piece of trash, and if he says that to you again, it will be me shouting about hanging on by a thread.”

I gripped the steering wheel harder, trying to vent some of my pent-up anger on it. “I know what I am, and I’m okay with that. I know to the Colt Masons of the world, I am a piece of trash. I give a shit what he thinks about me. All I care about is that the Josie Gibsons don’t think I am.” I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her closer. “At least not anymore.”