Page 5 of Branded
I dashed out the side yard.
I made it to my car, unlocking the driver’s side with shaking hands.
And then I did what I should have done the moment Oliver issued the invitation?—
I ran.
Or…drove.
Escaped.
Three
Smitty
She was gone.
Hell, I should have known that she wouldn’t stay, just because I’d asked…or okay, maybe ask was less than accurate. Because I’d commanded that she stay like she was a dog.
Right.
I should work on that.
But I got a little stupid when it came to one Kailey Henderson.
Probably because she had the prettiest pair of green eyes I’d ever had the privilege of seeing. Long legs and shining brown hair. Pale blue glasses that sat atop a freckle-dotted nose. A top lip fuller than the bottom. High cheekbones. Long lashes.
I’d spent a week studying her every chance I could steal a look.
And I was ready.
To convince her to give me a chance.
Yeah, I was big and clumsy and not the prettiest to look at. But I was great at making people laugh, and I was loyal and I was strong.
I could be a good partner.
I could.
I just needed to prove to Kailey that despite my big and unwieldy body, my tendency to be a bit of a loose cannon on the ice, that I could be good for her.
Of course, I didn’t really know her.
But I knew…nothing about her.
Shit.
That probably wasn’t the best thing for a man who wanted a woman to love me.
So, plan one was to find out all the things about Kailey I could. Likes. Dislikes. All the small things that would just make her smile. All the big things that were important to her.
Then I could prove to her that I would make her happy.
I could make someone happy.
I could.
Striding out of the showers with my towel slung around my neck, I ignored the groans as I strode to my stall.
