Page 23 of Moonlit Thorns

“What? Nothing, I’m fine.”

He takes my hand. “If it’s horrible, whatever you’re having to do for Asher Voss, you can leave. We’ll figure something else out.”

I know he believes that, and I know he wouldn’t judge me if I did break my deal with Asher, but he’s wrong. The only way out from under the crippling debt my father accumulated, the only way to keep our family’s estate, is for me to do this. At least there’s an end date.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

He squeezes my hand. “You know I’m going to until you’re out from under his thumb.”

I give him a sad smile. “I can handle it.” I think. “I’m going to use the restroom. Be right back.” I slip off the stool a little too quickly but catch myself on the bar.

“Maybe you should slow down on the drinks,” Luke says.

“Little late for that.” I stick my tongue out at him and half stumble, half walk to the bathroom.

When I come out, I stop, almost falling over. Galen stands beside my stool, the book I’d left on the bar in his hand. He isn’t in his sheriff’s uniform, so he must be off duty tonight.

The bar is full of people by now, and I don’t want to make a scene, but I stomp toward him and rip the book from his hand anyway, bending to shove it into the bag I have resting against the bar. Luke has to rest his hand on my back when I pop back up so I don’t stumble.

“Why do you bother with that shit?” Galen asks me in a condescending tone.

“Reading?” I arch an eyebrow and cross my arms.

“That crap is totally unrealistic.” He laughs and looks at my brother as if waiting for Luke to back him up.

But Luke shakes his head and sips his drink.

“It’s not unrealistic to think that a man can fulfill a woman emotionally and physically,” I say. “Just because you haven’t had any experience with it doesn’t mean it’s not possible.”

Galen smiles as though I didn’t just insult him. “Why would you need to be reading about fictional men when you can have me?” He puffs out his chest and flexes his bicep. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse.

I slide back onto my stool. “I already told you that’s never going to happen.”

He blows out a breath and shakes his head as though I’m too cute for words. “You don’t have to pretend anymore, Anabelle. I feel the same for you.”

I lift what’s left of my drink and down it in one big gulp. “I’m not pretending anything, Galen. In fact, I think I’ve been pretty clear about how I feel about you.”

Luke chuckles to my right, staying out of it.

“Went by the estate a few times over the past couple weeks. You’re never there.”

“Maybe you should take that as a sign.” I give him a saccharine smile.

Galen waves me off, still unable to take an insult.

Luke, my grandmother, and I all agreed not to tell anyone where I was. The last thing we want is the townsfolk gossiping about our involvement with the Vosses or my father’s apparent gambling problem. It’s not unlikely that some of them would stop doing business with the farm or the distillery if they thought we were somehow tied to the Voss family.

Thankfully, the other staff at Midnight Manor seems to be keeping my presence there quiet. I imagine they had to sign the same kind of NDA Asher included in my contract.

“I’m ready to leave.” I turn to my brother. “Can you drive me home?”

“Sure thing.” Luke gets up off the stool and bends to pick up my bag for me. “See ya around, LeBlanc.”

I walk toward the door. “Hopefully I won’t see you, LeBlanc.”

I use his last name rather than his first, hoping it will piss him off, but I don’t think it works because Galen just laughs as I step into the warm night air and look to my right. Midnight Manor is all lit up at the top of the hill.

Although I was eager to leave the grounds earlier tonight, now I feel its pull like a siren’s call. What the hell?

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