Page 13 of Filthy Rich

“Hey, what’s up?”

“You’re never gonna believe who’s down at the Mail Order Mountain Men Ranch.”

“Who?” I try to sound enthusiastic, but I’m not sure it’s translating.

“Buck Dalton!”

“The country singer? How do you know?”

“Yes!” she squeals. “Buck freaking Dalton!Mrs. Robinson posted it on the town gossip page. Apparently, she has it on good authority from an employee. This is exactly what I need to get my mind off Ryder.”

I keep my mouth shut about the nosey employees down at the ranch because I realize that’s not the point. “I forgot about Ryder. Are we still thinking about him? The guy is like twenty-five years older than you, isn’t he?”

She drags in a deep breath and sighs. “Yes… and he’s my ex-boyfriend’s dad, so that’s why we’re obsessing over Buck instead.”

“Wait. So, why would a country star be out here trying to find a date?”

“Dunno. Maybe he wants a real love with a mountain girl.”

I shuffle around the money Christopher hoped to buy my dreams with, and I guess I’m sighing because Sasha says, “You don’t sound good. How’d the date go? Why are you answering the phone? I figured I’d leave you a voicemail.”

“I’m an idiot. That’s how it went. The guy wants to build a ski lodge on this side of the mountain.”

“Okay…”

I set down a bowl of milk for the tabby cat I found out on the road last week. Her ribs were showing when I picked her up and she had fleas, but I’ve got her cleaned up and eating. I think she’s going to make a full recovery. “Okay, what? He lied to me.”

“You’re sabotaging yourself, Trish. What happened tonight?”

I drag in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Ethan filmed us up at this park in the pines.”

“Ethan? What was he doing there? What wereyoudoing?”

“Stuff,” I sigh, stroking the black and tan cat down the center of its back. “It felt so good, and for a second, I let myself get wrapped up in letting Christopher take over, but… it was a mistake. He only offered me that money because he was toying with me. I’m sure I sounded so stupid.”

“Or,” Sasha crunches into a chip, “he really likes you, but honestly didn’t have time to tell you about the resort. I’m thinking you’re transferring what happened with Ethan to your morality issue for taking money from a man you kinda like.” She clears her throat and takes a drink of something. “Damn. That was good. I thoughtyouwere the armchair psychiatrist.”

“Sure, but—”

“No. Don’t do that. Don’t tell yourself it’s broken before it breaks so you don’t have to feel anything. You do this,Trish. You’ve done it since I met you. You avoid people and relationships, and you stay inside all the time so you don’t have to feel anything. Then, you finally convince yourself to try this dating thing, and you ditch a perfectly good guy, who you had a connection with, because he was too aggressive, when, if you ask me, aggressive is what you need.”

“What?”

“It’s true. You need a man who’s going to take you by the throat and tell you what he wants. It’s the only way.”

I laugh. “No, it’s not. There’s this whole other way where a man is just nice, and love happens gently and with sweetness. You should try reading one of those books.”

“But those other books are so boring.Besides, you need the kind of love that’s smacking you in the face,” she laughs, “and on the ass if that’s what you’re into. You need someone who’s going to hold you accountable. Someone who can make you take a day off and make you relax. Christopher sounds like that guy.”

I know Sasha is trying to help, and part of me knows that she’s not completely wrong. The ski resort is pie in the sky, and I overreacted. That said, my head is going in circles.

“Okay, well… on that note, I think I’m going to take a bath and try to forget this night ever happened.”

“Love you,” she says before she hangs up the line, and though I have full intentions of stripping down for a bath, I’m stopped by a solid knock on the door.

Chapter Six

Christopher

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