Page 12 of Pulled Away

Yes, I do.

But my girl is fiercely independent, and she hates the thought of me spending money on her. She thinks I haven’t noticed that she feels a certain way about the discrepancy in our earnings, but I have. I wish she’d realize that I don’t care about how much money she makes. I care about her. One day, I promise myself. One day she’ll realize that what’s mine is hers.

“If anyone can do it, it’s Aspen,” Carter says, echoing my thoughts. “Anything else you need?” he asks, toeing a piece of rotten wood that’s fallen away from the trash pile.

“No, man. That’s it. Appreciate the help.”

“No sweat. I’m off then.”

I’m a bit surprised at his abrupt departure. Normally, he would at least try to coax me into getting a beer.

“Do you mind if we stop at the store on our way home?” Hadley asks, hooking her arm in mine as we walk to my car.

I suppress a sigh. I need to get back home to get some work done.

“We were at the store yesterday.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. You know I hate to ask, but I forgot to get a few things. I wasn’t thinking…straight yesterday. I’m sorry for being a burden,” she mumbles, keeping her eyes on the ground.

Unlocking my car, I hold the door open for her but stop her from getting in. “Hey, look at me.” I wait until she does. “Don’t ever think that you’re a burden to me. You’re not, and you never will be.”

“You mean that?” she asks, her eyes searching mine.

“I mean that,” I confirm, watching in relief as she gets in the car with a smile on her face.

“It’s strange,” Hadley muses as we’re driving to town. “It looks like nothing’s changed since I’ve left.”

I shrug. “There’s not much that needed to change.”

She makes a noncommittal sound that has me glancing at her.

“I think it’s admirable what Aspen’s trying to do.”

I nod, my brows furrowing and stopping myself from saying that she’s not just trying, she’s doing it. It’s unnecessary because I’m sure Hadley didn’t mean it that way.

“How long have you been together?” she asks when I don’t answer.

“Just over a year.”

I can’t stop my smile when I think of the last year. Aspen came out of nowhere. I wasn’t looking for a relationship when I met her, but from the first time I saw her, I was entranced. It wasn’t about her looks. Don’t get me wrong. She is stunning. I’ll never tire of searching out the flecks of green in her beautiful brown eyes or sifting my hand through her long hair. She calls it a dull brown, but there’s nothing dull about how it shines golden in the sunlight.

But that wasn’t what entranced me. Did it make me look, yes, I’m a man after all, but it was the way she looked at me as if I was the only person on this earth. It was the way she smiled as if she knew a secret that nobody else knew. It made me want to dig around and discover every last thing about her. And when I did, I loved every single thing I discovered.

“And you’re happy?”

“Happier than I’ve ever been.”

I wince the moment the words leave my mouth, but it’s too late to take it back. It may be the truth, and I don’t feel guilty about it, but I could have been more sensitive about it.

“Huh,” she says, staring out the window.

“Huh, what?”

“I’m happy for you. Surprised but happy.”

“Why are you surprised?”

“She’s not the type of girl I pictured you’d fall for.”

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