Page 97 of Holding The Reins

Ginger

One handed, baby, while I eat.

We all know that Nash has never let anyone inside his thorny fortress, until you waltzed your ass back into town. You don’t see the way he looks at you, CeCe. He doesn’t look at you like you’re a fling. He looks at you like you’re his endgame. Also, people who are just having sex don’t have arguments, just saying.

I put my head in my hands and blow out a raspberry as my phone dings again. When the hell did Ginger get so philosophical?

Andrew

I haven’t heard back from you, and Gary would like to set a date and time. Can you confirm?

I flip my laptop open and start searching for flights, coordinating with my schedule for next week because it’s busy with it being the last week before the Sundown Festival. I make some quick selections just to get it over with. I take a deep breath and type.

Set the meeting for Wednesday, I am booking a flight for tomorrow morning. I’ll leave after we sign.

Andrew

Will do. You should see a scanned copy of the contract in your email soon, have a look over it and let me know what you think, they’re ready to sign as soon as we do.

You know, Andrew, I would’ve appreciated you telling me you were offering showings of the condo.

Andrew

I haven’t listed it, obviously. You would’ve needed to sign for that, this is a friend of a friend. Just so happens they’re looking for something downtown. Figured it would be easier than readying the house and waiting weeks for it to sell. I don’t have time for that, I’m in court for the foreseeable future. I’m ready to move on now. I just want to put this all behind me too.

Something about his words still sting and I hate that they do. If this is what it feels like after ending things with Andrew, Nash is going to absolutely ruin me.

By the time I get to the big house, Mabel and Cole are at the table. Mabel is shoveling eggs and bacon into her cute little mouth and Cole is reading the newspaper, his booted ankle resting on his other knee.

“You off today?” I ask him

“Yeah, first Saturday in months.”

“Nice.” I smile at him. I wish he’d find someone to make him happy. He’s gruff, but he has a heart in there, one that was crushed but I’m sure he doesn’t want to be alone forever. In a lot of ways, he’s like Nash—afraid to get his heart broken again. Afraid of losing that control.

“I’m riding when I’m done eating. Nana Jo is walking me back. Will you watch me ride, Auntie? I’m jogging today,” Mabel says.

“Of course, baby.” I ruffle her hair and grab a plate to start piling eggs and toast onto it, as Mama comes into the kitchen in her trademark yoga pants and a t-shirt.

“Hey, baby, glad to see you home this morning.”

“Aren’t you home every morning?” Cole snickers.

I freeze. “Most,” I say quietly.

Cole looks at me with one eyebrow raised. “You got someone on the sly, CeCe Rae?”

“Hush your mouth, it’s not what you think,” I say back.

“Mmhmm,” Cole muses. “Hope you made a better choice this time than Andrew, such a d-bag,” he says, shaking his head.

“Thanks for the reminder,” I say sarcastically,

“It’s not like you could’ve known, he fooled us all at first.” Cole says as he makes a face at me like he’s ten years old.

“Speaking of Andrew… y’all, I have to go to Seattle,” I say, changing the awkward subject of my love life.

Everyone stops what they’re doing and looks at me.

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