Seventeen
Montana
After being informed that I was finishing my senior year via virtual school, I’d spent the afternoon getting things set up on my laptop from the school. At first, I’d been upset about this. Sure, I’d get my diploma, but I wouldn’t have an actual graduation. Then I realized there would be no one at my graduation. Momma wouldn’t be there. What was the point? I just needed my diploma after all.
If I allowed myself to think about my high school in Monroe and my senior class, I got sad. They would be having senior prom and the senior picnic soon. Momma had been sick, and I’d not attended any of the senior events this year. Now I wouldn’t even be walking up on the stage to get my diploma with them or anyone. But life happened, and mine had turned against me.
Towel-drying my hair, I stared at myself in the mirror. Today hadn’t started out bad. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. It had been nice. Really nice. Than had been different, and I’d enjoyed being around him. And riding Jack had been exciting.
The front door opened and closed, snapping me out of my thoughts. I hung up my towel and brushed my hair. Than had gone to get our dinner from Linc’s house about thirty minutes ago.
Checking to make sure I looked okay, I thought about drying my hair, but I was starving, so this would have to do. Besides, Than had seen me like this already. Just because he was being nice to me didn’t mean he was suddenly going to find me attractive.
Than was already sitting at the bar with two plates full of food and a sparkling water beside each one when I came out of the bedroom. He’d even added a napkin and flatware. How…domestic and not at all something I’d have imagined him doing. He was being charming, and as much as I wanted to enjoy this new Than, I was suspicious.
He glanced over at me as he was lifting his bottle of water to his lips and paused. The way his eyes slowly traveled down my body made me feel warm, tingly, and insecure, all at the same time. Than wasn’t the first guy I’d been attracted to, but he was the first one to cause that odd sensation.
“Come eat,” he finally said, then took a drink from the bottle and turned back to his food.
It smelled like an Italian restaurant, much like it had last night, and my stomach growled. I wanted to devour that bread, but with Than sitting beside me, I wouldn’t be doing that.
Ugh, there I went again, caring what he thought of me. I had to stop that.
“Jayda made the dairy-free lasagna first for Stevie. The kid wanted more Italian tonight so that’s what we are having. Jayda didn’t have the real cheese lasagna ready yet when I got there,” he explained when I pulled the stool out and sat down, then took my napkin and placed it in my lap.
“It smells wonderful,” I said, anxious to taste it.
“It is.”
He hadn’t said anything about the fact that I wouldn’t be gone during the day now. Did that mean he would have to stay here too? If he didn’t like me before, he was really going to start hating me now. My threat to Jericho had made me a burden on people who hadn’t done anything to deserve it.
“My, uh, having to do the virtual-school thing—I mean, I won’t have a car to go anywhere, and there isn’t anyone I’m going to tell about Jericho. There is no need for you to be here all the time. You can have a life.”
He cut his eyes at me. “You trying to get rid of me?” The teasing lilt to his tone wasn’t expected.
“Not exactly, but you have a life and friends.”
He shrugged. “I talked to Linc. Since you can’t go to school, he said taking you to the house and bringing you around my friends would be okay. Neither of us wants to stay in this cabin all the time.”
My eyes widened in surprise. He was going to bring me around his friends? Who was he going to tell him I was?
“What about my identity being a secret? I mean…you have a girlfriend, don’t you?” Who I didn’t want to meet. She was probably stunning.
He laughed. “I don’t do girlfriends. Too much commitment and drama.”
My curiosity was piqued about the girl he’d talked to on the phone. But admitting I’d heard him having phone sex was a no way in hell . I took a bite of my lasagna and momentarily got distracted by how delicious it was. I bit back a moan. I glanced at the pan he’d brought it in and saw there was more than half left. I was going to want more of this.
“It’s good, huh?” he said.
I nodded as I chewed. I wished I could cook like Jayda, but Mom hadn’t been much of an eater, so we never cooked unless it was a holiday in our house. We ate a lot of salads with low-fat salad dressing. Carbs like this was not something Momma had ever bought.
“That’s divine,” I replied after I swallowed, wanting to shove more into my mouth like a starved little kid. I refrained since I had an audience.
“Jayda can cook,” he agreed. “She’s better than Wilma, the cook at our house, but if you ever repeat that, I’ll deny it.”
Before taking another bite, I pointed out the obvious. “And who would I tell that to?”
He smirked. “You’ll be around the guys I live with regularly, starting tomorrow. I have to work, and instead of leaving you here alone all day, I’m going to take you with me to work. We always need some help at the front desk, too, so if you get done with your work in time, I can show you things to keep you busy.”
While I savored my next mouthful, I let that information sink in. He was taking me to his work. I didn’t even know where he worked.
Once I swallowed, I asked him, “Where is it you work?” since he was so sure his boss wouldn’t mind me being there. I’d thought he must work for Linc, but considering I didn’t know what Linc did, I was lost.
“Carver’s Bootleg Whiskey.” He drawled out the words with a grin.
“Like the bottle of whiskey you had last night,” I said.
He nodded. “Only whiskey a Carver will drink. Our own.”
“Your family owns it then.”
“Yep. Great-grandfather was a bootlegger. He made the best moonshine this side of the Mississippi. My grandfather started the distillery, using his father’s recipe, but made it the way whiskey was supposed to be made since it was no longer illegal. The Bootleg in the name is a nod to his father for teaching him the science of it.”
That was cool. I had more questions, but he’d been sitting there with his forkful for a while now, so I shut up.
“How do you feel about action movies?” he asked.
The change in topic took me by surprise. Picking up my water, I took a drink to wash down the food before responding, “I prefer them.”
Momma had hated them, so we normally watched romance comedies.
A slow smile spread across his face, and my insides warmed.
“Perfect,” he drawled, then glanced over at the television. “When we’re done, let’s watch a movie. I was thinking something classic. Like Bourne Identity .”
This day was getting weirder with every passing minute.
I narrowed my eyes as I studied him. “Why would you want to watch a movie with me? First, you take me horseback riding, and now this. What is it you’re not telling me?” There, I’d asked it. Point-blank. Gotten it out there.
First, his lips quirked, and then he threw his head back and laughed. Crossing my arms over my chest, I waited. It was a legit question, and his laughter could be a cover-up. I wanted him to answer me.
When his eyes met mine again, there was nothing but amusement in them. “I’ve never had such a difficult time getting a female to relax around me.”
“Well, how many of them have you loathed at first sight and made sure they knew it?”
“I didn’t loathe you,” he said, turning back to his food.
“Uh, yeah, you did.” I wasn’t letting him deny that.
He glanced at me while holding a forkful of lasagna up to his mouth. “I didn’t like that I had been given the job of babysitting some girl who was blackmailing the governor. But I’ve gotten to know you, and you’re not so bad.” He stuck the food in his mouth then.
I stared at him for a moment, then looked back at my plate. Okay, that sounded believable. I wanted to believe him. Having him hate me had been miserable. Plus, it would make my secret attraction to him less annoying.
I picked up my fork and cut through the noodles.
“When you said classic, I was thinking more along the lines of Raiders of the Lost Ark ,” I told him, then put some more of the cheesy goodness in my mouth.