Page 69 of Holding The Reins

“Janelle finally agreed?” CeCe asks.

“Agreed is an overstatement. They settled. She’s keeping the house.” Jo grimaces.

“Shit.” CeCe bites her lip in thought and my dick stirs at the sight. “Maybe a pretty girl like that is just what he needs to have around to distract him from her. I feel for him.”

I sit and look from Mabel to CeCe and wait. Nothing.

“I’m sorry, hold up a minute. Auntie can say shit and doesn’t have to put a dollar in?” I ask Mabel.

She and CeCe share a grin.

CeCe pats me on the chest as she breezes by me on her way to the other side of the table. “Put my dollar in when you put yours in, cowboy.”

She and Mabel start to laugh. I shake my head and lean over to pop the two dollars in the boot.

Mama Jo and Mabel start into a deep discussion about school starting in a week and what she still needs supplies wise. I feel my phone buzz in my pocket.

Rae

Do you ever sleep?

I look up and meet her eyes across the table then answer her under the table text.

Not really, no.

Rae

Are you even human?

Human enough to notice how pretty you look in the morning.

I’ve officially hit rom-com actor lame, and I don’t even give a fuck.

Rae

What I look is tired. Some hockey player/part-time cowboy kept me up all night long talking.

Good thing your boss gave you the day off then.

Rae

I’m surprised. He’s such a hard ass.

He’s not that bad, I hear he can be fun in the sack.

Rae

Yeah, but he has a cardinal rule, like I said, hard-ass.

Someone should tell him rules are meant to be broken.

Her eyes meet mine again across the table and hold me there for a beat as she grins.

“Baby, can you come with me?” Mama Jo interrupts our under the table banter. She’s looking at CeCe. “To take Mabel shopping for school clothes next week?”

“Of course.” CeCe smiles at Mabel then looks back to her mom. Mama Jo looks at me, then CeCe before turning her attention back to Mabel who’s happily shoveling pancakes into her mouth.

I clear my throat and stand. “Gotta go make sure Wade isn’t putting this poor girl through the wringer,” I say. I don’t want to leave but I can only hang around for so long before it will get weird.

---