Page 26 of The Fear
“Very true. And then they are going to come looking. Who knows what kind of trouble they will get into in the meantime,” Ronnie added. “You have to watch them carefully, too, you know.”
“How am I supposed to do that, though? The whole seducing him thing? If I decide to do that, I mean?” Hala asked. She needed tothink.
This…was a massive step for her. How did she even know she was ready to even be thinking about it?
“Well, I don’t think you were having too much trouble a few minutes ago,” Gia snarked at her, as Hala kissed Dog Grady on his fuzzy little head. He was a very affectionate little puppy. She was already in love. She needed to see how much the pet fee was at her apartment…it might be worth it.Thispuppy, exactly. “When you were trying to get him naked in the barn and everything.”
“Ah! No more details, please!” Greer said.
Genny patted Hala on her head, before putting her own puppy namesake in back with their mama. “Just keep doing what you are doing, Hala. Guys are rather easy to seduce when you work at it. I’m going to go find my man and seduce him again tonight, too.”
“Not listening,” Chantal said. “There are some things a sister does not want to know.”
“No kidding, Chantal, No kidding. I heard you and Gene. I heard you last night. I have been scarred for life.”
Hala kissed her puppy one more time before putting him back with his brothers and sisters.
Why did guys have to be so complicated?
But one thing was clear. She wasn’t going to let him go on thinking he wasn’t good enough. That just wasn’t going to happen. Grady Hiller was agoodman. It was time he saw that, too.
She and Gia were the last ones out of the barn. Gia looked at her, a considering look in her eyes. “You’re seriously okay?”
“Yes. It’s the weirdest thing. He gets me all twisted up in knots, and I get shaky, and hot, and—I haven’t felt this way about a man in years, Gia. And yet, when he was holding me, I didn’t feel afraid,at all.How can a guy make you feel like the world is shaking apart around you…and safer than you’ve ever been in your life—at the exact same time?”
These were questions she wouldn’t even feel comfortable asking Greer and Ayla. But Gia…was different. Older, for one thing. And her experience almost three years ago with Jason Clarke was far too similar to Hala’s. Clarke had nearly choked Gia to death that day. But Hala and Greer and Genny had interrupted him and saved her. Hala and Gia had grown so much closer since that night. Hala…it had happened to her over a year before Gia. They had sort of clung to each other as they’d healed ever since.
“That is a question I have yet to answer. But…let’s get back out there. I have a feeling we’ve been missed.”
“Thanks, by the way. For saving my bacon with my brother. But…what were you doing that far away from the crowd with Hudson anyway?”
“That is a question I have yet to answer.”
Well, that required some investigating too.
Later…much later. She had to come up with aplanfor Grady Hiller.
Somehow.
Without screwing everything up.
17
Billy was there again.Jessica filled the coffee mugs for Max Hiller and that old guy Mr. Fields. But she was more aware of the man who had entered the diner than she was the two old coots who always looked at her like they were so much better than she was. Because they were wealthy ranchers and she was just the diner girl. Not good enough for their sons or something. They had always been that way.
Well, she didn’t need them. There was a guy out there waiting for her. She just had to find him. She really hoped Billy was going to be that guy.
“You take your break,” Jessica told Dinah. “I’m going to take care of the guy who just entered.”
Dinah just looked at her. “I’ll be back in fifteen.”
Of course she would. Dinah never took a minute longer than she was entitled. Such a goody-goody. Dinah’s panties would catch fire if she ever did anythingbador unchristian. People like her disgusted Jessica.
Going to die an old maid. Jessica had told her that dozens of times before.
Not Jessica. She wanted a guy who had a future. One who could get her out of this hellhole completely. Even when she’d been with Brenton she’d had towork.He hadn’t made enough money for her to stay home completely. Not that she would have liked to do all the housework and kids stuff, but at least she wouldn’t have had to behere.
She hated it here.
