Page 119 of Love Me Reckless

A dusting of snow fell during the night, and the cold has turned it into a layer of tiny crystals that glitter like cut glass. I think of my crew up on the mountain, climbing up the towers and testing the machinery in preparation for another day of fun for our guests.

Will I still have a job when I report for my shift tomorrow?

My phone buzzes in my pocket as I’m scraping the windshield. I climb back into the cab for warmth. It’s Zach.

“I cruised through that neighborhood a little while ago,” he says. “Saw your truck still there.”

That my best friend is watching over us makes a lump thicken in my throat. “We’re just about to head out.”

“How’s she holding up?”

“Like a champ.”

He laughs. “Any idea what she’s going to do?”

“You mean about her family and the business? No. We’re goingto visit her mom today. And that house she wanted to buy for the art center.”

“Okay.” In the background, the hum of his cruiser’s engine rises, like he’s accelerating. “Are you going to the ranch?”

“I don’t know. She’s calling the shots.”

“The fiancé finally stopped calling the sheriff.”

I rub the back of my neck. “She’s never going back to him.”

“Good.”

“Beyond that, the future is a bit murky.” And from what I can tell, Kirilee doesn’t know what’s ahead, either. A part of me is completely content to let the hours leapfrog into the next, with no plan, but there’s a nasty little voice in the back of my thoughts slowly turning up the volume that it’s all going to fall apart.

You’re too different. She’s a lady and you’re a brute. You’ll never give her the life she deserves.

“What do you two need from me?” Zach asks.

I wipe down my face with my palm to gather my thoughts. “I, um, might need help finding another job.”

“Why? I thought you liked your mechanic gig at the ranch?”

I lean back into the seat. “I do. But it won’t be long before the boss knows who I am and what I did.”

“You didn’t put a gun to her head, force her to run.”

“Doubt they’ll see it that way.”

“They can’t just fire you.”

“I like your optimism.”

The sun peeks over the trees, shining bright, lemony rays over the snow-covered landscape. “Tomorrow, maybe Kirilee could hang out with Sofie while I’m at work? I don’t want her to be alone right now.”

“Good idea. Ava and Hutch are still in town. Sofie asked them for help with a couple of projects at the house, I bet they would love to have Kirilee, too.”

We end the call with Zach pledging his support and me promising to keep him in the loop.

When I return inside, Kirilee comes down the hallway dressed in fitted black pants, boots, and a moss green sweater that matches her eyes. Her long hair is tied back in a loose braid I can’t wait to unravel as soon as we get home. After wrapping it in my fist.

“It was supposed to be my travel outfit,” she says with a shy twitch of her lips.

I take her hand and tug her to me. “Where were you headed?”

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