Page 20 of Hire A Cuddler

I throw my hands up. “Cassie!”

She shrugs as if it’s no big deal. “Please, Baker’s a cop, he can do stuff like that, and the fact that this Ridge guy is sending my best friend enough flowers to start her own shop, I should see if he’s legit.”

I keep quiet and take another bite.

“Did you know he lives in Whiskey Run?”

I shake my head. Hell, I’m finding out that I don’t know a lot about Ridge Beckett.

“Yeah, he lives in that huge house that was built out by the lake last year.”

“Okay.”

“And well, from what you told me, he was telling the truth about his past. He was raised in foster care and aged out of the system.”

I try not to let her words affect me, but they do all the same. I have been wondering if he lied about that to me. I keep thinking back to when he told me he was a foster child. It was that story that made me want to hold his hand. Since I’ve found out who he really is, I’ve wondered if he told me that sob story because he knew it would break me.

“And…” she starts and then stops.

“And?” I ask her.

“And, well, he obviously regrets what he did.”

My mouth falls open. “Cassie, he lied to me.”

“I know it doesn’t make it right, but why did he lie to you… did you ask him?”

I shrug. Maybe I did ask him, but that whole meeting on the porch is a blur. I barely paid attention to anything after he dropped the little bombshell where he said we wouldn’t be fucking, we would be making love.

She leans forward. “Look, I know he did you wrong, but it’s been a week. He’s called you ahundred times, texted you, sent flowers to you, and all I’m saying is that maybe you should hear him out… that’s all.”

I set my sandwich down and take a drink of my water. The truth is, he is wearing me down. I have missed talking to him, and I’ve spent so much time replaying his messages and rereading his texts. I shouldn’t forgive him… but maybe I should hear him out.

“Okay,” I say.

Cassie’s mouth drops open, and she shakes her head. “Okay? Really? There’s no way it was that easy… I even left the best for last.”

“What do you mean?”

“Remember a few months ago I told you that someone bought that huge empty building across from the elementary and junior high schools?”

I think back, and I do remember that. “Yeah, but no one had any idea who it was or what the building was going to be turned into. Even the planning commission was keeping it hush-hush, and it’s crazy that it hasn’t hit the Whiskey Run grape vine yet.”

She claps her hands excitedly. “Right, well I know.” She rolls her eyes. “Well, actually Baker figured it out.”

I can already guess, but I ask anyway. “Who is it?”

“Ridge Beckett. The word is he bought it, and he plans to put in a community center for kids.”

I sit back in my chair with a thump. This makes it all even more confusing. He can’t be that bad of a guy if he’s planning something like that. “Well, hell….”

Cassie laughs because she knows exactly what I’m thinking. “See, I told you. Hear him out, Haven. See what he has to say.”

I press my lips together and finally give in. “All right. I’ll listen to what he has to say.”

12

KING

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