Page 52 of Redemption

“Sure, but not every night.”

“Don’t you have plans though? I don’t know, dates?” I don’t know why I said it, only that I’m a jealous fool.

“Kinda hard to date when no one in town likes you,” he said in a stage whisper.

That guilt hit again, that he must be lonely and all I did was grunt and snap at him when he tried to be nice and talk to me.

“No girlfriends then?”

“No boyfriends then?” he shot back and then I saw him frown and look away, like he hadn’t meant to say that.

We rode the rest of the way in silence but it was heavy, expectant, not comforting like it had been before and I didn’t know what to do with that.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Jack

It was the crack of dawn when I heard the mooing.

I snuffled in my sleep, confused about what was happening until I heard another moo, then another.

“What the?” I grumbled, squinting. I lifted up on one arm, peering around the blankets on the bed and dislodging Teddy.

I got out of bed, heading for the window but cracked my knee on the new dresser I’d built. I wasn’t used to it being there although I was damn proud of my work. I rubbed the sore joint and brushed aside the drapes to look out the window and came face to face with a cow.

I yelped and the cow mooed in response.

“What thefuck?” I exhaled. I ran from the room and to the front door, tossing it open and took in the view.

Multiple cows were dotted around the cabin and the house, just munching on all the luscious green grass and swishing their tails, flicking their ears nonchalantly. I was struck dumb for a moment before I pulled myself together and headed to the house.

I jogged up the porch and banged on the door. It was a Saturday morning so I didn’t expect anyone to be up this early except Kat. I knocked a few more times but there was no answer. I stepped back off the porch and cupped my hands around my mouth.

“Wake up ladies!” I yelled, before knocking on the door again. The cows just watched me, stalks of grass dangling from their lips as long, gross tongues slipped out and snaked them back into their mouths. I shuddered and turned back to the door, raising my fist to knock again but it swung open.

Daisy and Tilly greeted me. One was happy, one was not.

“What the hell do you want?” Daisy glared at me.

“Do you see the cows?” I asked, jerking a thumb over my shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m not blind,” she snapped back then she realized. “Ohhhh….”

“Where’s Kat?”

“I’m here,” a sleepy voice sighed, and I looked over Daisy’s shoulder, ignoring that Tilly hadn’t removed her stare from my bare chest. Kat’s blonde hair was tangled around her and her face creased from her sheets. She rubbed her eyes and she looked so damn fuckable in all her sleep-rumpled sexiness that I lost my breath.

She glanced up and saw me, her eyes lingering on my chest and I swear Iaccidentallybounced my pecs. It’s just my body’s reaction to her and I can’t help it.

She folded her hands across her white tank top but not before I was treated to the view of her hard nipples and my senses crumpled.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

I pointed over my shoulder. “I know I’m new to all this, only a month in now, but I feel like these shouldn’t be here?”

Her blue eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as she took in the cattle. She pushed past her sisters and nearly body-checked me on her way out to the porch.

“What the hell?” she yelped, her eyes running over the cows dotted around the grounds. Then she whirled on me, her finger poking me in the chest.

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