Page 55 of Dashing for Love

Chapter 22

Matty

IPULL TO a stop sign, and once I make sure no one is behind me, I bang my head against the steering wheel.

What the actual fuckety fuck am Idoing?

Do I like her? Is doing this in secret a good idea, or is it the absolute worst idea in the history of worst ideas?

Probably the latter.

A honk sounds behind me, and I straighten and keep driving, waving my hand in apology to the extremely irate old lady who is now—what thehell?—speeding past me and flipping me the bird?

Really?

That’swhat we’re doing this morning?

I’m too stunned to do anything but laugh, and ooh, boy, this woman is displeased. Her frown deepens and she waves her middle finger to and fro, hitting the gas and whipping in front of me.

Guess I’m the asshole this morning in more ways than one.

I swing back to my house to grab Killer before heading to the clinic, spiraling all the way. Even Killer’s sweet little face licks can’t pull me out of my worries.

I need to figure out if I really like Goldie the way I liked Dawn.

But sheisDawn.

The whole thing is still a bit of a mind-fuck. And I can’t get last night out of my head. The way we came together, wrapping around each other in the safety of the dark. The way weactuallycame together.

I can’t believe I’ve had video sex with my best friend’s little sister.

I can’t believe I came last night with my best friend’s little sister.

Jesus. I really am a walking romance novel right now.

The problem is, I’m not sure I’ve got a happily ever after waiting for me. What if we try this, and we flame out? I’m super boring, and Goldie is the exact opposite. She’ll tire of me eventually. Probablyfasterthan eventually. What happens to my relationship with Willa? Sure, she’s got Reid now, and that’s been an adjustment, but Willa—hell, her entire family—they’ve been such an integral part of my life. What if I lose that? Because it’s not like my own mom and dad are over there waving and yelling for me to come over and get cozy. They left this town the second I graduated high school, fleeing like they’d robbed a damn bank. And the years leading up to their departure weren’t that cuddly to begin with.

As if on cue, Willa texts and invites me to dinner with her and Reid that night.

I drop Killer off with Liv and watch him sniff around, then curl into his cushy kingdom behind the reception desk. Honestly, that dog has a better life that me. I can guarantee that I wouldnotget the kind of love and attention he does if my headwas shaped like an apple, I shook almost constantly, and my cream-colored hair was almost see-through.

Reid knowssomething is up when I arrive at their house that night. The second Willa leaves the kitchen to go to the restroom, he pulls his Investigator Reid hat on and turns on me.

“What is going on with you, man? Is it Dawn?”

I flinch, and Reid sees it.

His eyes narrow. “Talk to me. What’s going on? We’ve not caught up since the masquerade thing. Did she like Cowboy Matty?”

I swallow.Boy, did she ever.“Yeah. It was, ah, it was great.”

Reid lifts a single eyebrow. “It wasgreat? The hell does that mean,great?”

“It means it was great! She’s great.”

“So what’s happening now? Have you seen each other since?”

“S-sort of,” I stammer.

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