Page 52 of The Unbuttoned Ranger
She caught up to Ursula who was piling a paper plate with finger foods.
“I’m leaving.” CaDee told her.“I wanted to check to make sure you’re still wanting Carsen to spend the night.”
“Of course. The twins were excited when I mentioned the sleepover. He’ll be fine. I promise. Go and enjoy yourself and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” She grinned mischievously.
“Thank you again.”
Ursula gave her a side hug.“Have fun,” she whispered in her ear.
Chapter Twenty
“I have tequila…and tequila. Sorry, I only come out here when I need a break.” Sharp shook the full bottle.“But no glasses.”
“I haven’t had tequila in a long time.” CaDee sat in a camp chair near the fire that Sharp had built.“So, this is your man-cave, huh?” She looked over at the camper.
He sat and opened the bottle, handing it to her first.“I found I needed a place of my own sometime.”
She lifted the bottle and drank, spilling a drop of the liquor on her chin. She wiped it away and handed him the bottle.“You mean like when you wanted to bring women back? Did you break the rules by sleeping with me in your childhood bedroom?”
He gave her a side glance.“You might get me to a certain extent but I’m not a player. You’re the only one I’ve had there, or here, in many years.” He took a long swill from the bottle.
“Emily said you are a player.”
He stretched his legs and hooked his ankles. He stared out over the calm lake water. The full moon cast blue figures on the murky waters.“You seem to know me so well. What do you think?”
She sipped more from the bottle.“I feel safe with you and that says a lot. I haven’t felt safe around many people in a long time.”
“What did your ex do to you?” he asked, hoping to earn her trust. She hesitated, so he continued, “Last year my recon team arrested a notorious kingpin. In court, he swore revenge against anyone involved. He followed through on that threat.”
“How many were shot?”
“Four.”
“How did he find out who you were?”
He sighed. “We don’t know. After the ambush, we wanted to investigate further but were stopped.”
“I’m sorry this happened to you.”
The softness in her tone made the hairs on his neck stand. “And I’m sorry that some man hurt you.” He stood and held out his hand to her. “Come on. I want to hold you and eat pie.”
Her smile was infectious. There was no hesitation as she laid her hand in his and he helped her to her feet. “I thought you’d never ask.” Together they headed for the camper.
****
Dante stood along the shadows of the treeline watching CaDee holding the man’s hand as they disappeared inside the camper.
An anger unlike anything he’d ever felt washed through him, erasing any compassion he had for her. The whore should be with their son not fucking some cowboy in his tin can.
He stayed locked in place for nearly an hour until he couldn’t stay put any longer.
Then he took the shortcut through the woods to his car that he’d parked a mile away on the country road.
Instead of going back to his motel room in Fin’s Creek, he decided to check out the local honky tonk. Maybe he’d get lucky himself.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sharp got out of his truck and looked around at the lot of the Steubenville motel, the place looked abandoned except for two vehicles. One registered in Chicago and the other Texas. He only recognized one.
