Page 20 of Hotshot Mogul

“I tried to explain to him without getting specific. But he’s not willing to consider such things.” It didn’t matter. I was leaving.

“He doesn’t take his eyes off you. I’ve seen him around with other women, er…lots of other women.” She watched me closely as Rufus and Bruce walked toward us.

“I heard. One and done.”

“He’s different with you, hon.” She shrugged. “Maybe it’s because you have a past.”

“He won’t believe that, either.”

“Hmmm.”

Rufus and Bruce walked toward us. “Let’s take a look at those trees,” Rufus said.

“Give me a moment,” I said. I went inside and changed out of my bathing suit and coverup into denim pants and a lacy blouse. I fashioned my hair into a plait so it fell over one shoulder, grabbed my bag, then went back outside.

As Callie predicted, Bruce was still there. “I’d like to come with you,” he said. Callie winked.

I hoisted my bag, heavy with the horseshoe, over my shoulder. “We could follow Callie and Rufus in the Jeep,” Bruce said. Whiskers shadowed his jaw. His eyes were vivid blue like the lake. His dark hair fell onto his forehead. Without thinking, I brushed it back. He circled my wrist and kissed my palm.

“Ahem.” Rufus stood, arms crossed.

Bruce grinned. “So, that’s a yes?”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Anneliese

I climbed in the Jeep. As we pulled away, Bruce’s cell phone rang. It flashed Mom.

He answered. It piped through his radio, and I heard each word. “Brucey? Thank goodness.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Maria Rosa just called us, hysterical. She said you drowned.”

He stiffened. “I’m fine, Mom.” His tone was flat. He sounded angry.

“He’s fine, Carter. Brucey, Bruce, did something happen? You sound so strange.”

He pulled over and gripped the steering wheel. Rufus stopped, too. I leaned toward Bruce, put my hands on his shoulders and said his name. He locked his gaze with mine. “I tried to help someone I thought was drowning. She panicked and tried to pull me under. Anneliese, my girlfriend, saved me. As you can hear, I’m okay. I’m sorry Maria Rosa worried you.”

“Girlfriend? Carter, he’s got a girlfriend. Son, we’re so happy! You never said.”

“It hasn’t been long. It happened fast.”

“Thank fuck,” a man’s voice said. Bruce gritted his teeth.

“How are you, Mom?”

“We’re both good, darling. We miss you so much. Please, I beg you…”

“Don’t, just don’t. Love you. Gotta go.”

He ended the call, looking shaken. Callie knocked on my window. “Everything okay?”

I got out to give Bruce a moment and told her that his mother called. “She was upset. Her friend had a vision that Bruce drowned. I told you what happened earlier.”

“Gotcha.” She scurried back to Rufus and I climbed back into the vehicle. Bruce turned on music and we followed them.

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