“So, that’s the whole tour. You have a nice patch of grass in the back, which will be mowed every week. Snow removal is extra, but a big, strong man like you, I doubt you would wantanyone to do it for you,” she laughed. “So, all that’s left is the contract.”
“I haven’t agreed to take it,” I snapped, hating how quickly this was moving.
“Oh, right,” she chuckled. “Well, I’ll just be outside. Take your time looking around.”
Seconds later, she was out the door, and I was left inside, staring at what my life would be if I took the damn house. It wasn’t what I wanted, but what more could I really offer Cassidy? She was healing and in no danger, and I was about to head back on the road. I should have had more time, but Deke was pressuring me to get back in the ring, to work my way back up to where I had been before my injury.
Looking around the house once again, I knew what I had to do. Cassidy didn’t want me in her house anymore. Even if I wanted to stay, the choice wasn’t in my hands.
I just wasn’t sure how I was going to make it through the withdrawals.
40
CASSIDY
Glancing at the calendar,a deep pit of longing hit me hard when I counted yet another day that passed where I didn’t see Sam.
He hadn’t stopped by once since he moved out over a week ago, and I only had myself to blame. I practically shoved him out the door. It was the right choice for me, but not seeing him every day was nearly killing me.
There weren’t any phone calls.
No midnight visits at my house.
No sneaking in the back of my shop.
Our relationship had, for all intents and purposes, reached its limit. We were over, and there was no taking that back. The night he moved out, my nightmares returned at full force, and since then, I hadn’t gotten a single night of sleep that lasted more than a few hours. I was exhausted, but in the end, taking care of myself was for the best.
Grabbing a marker, I crossed off February 5th on the calendar like I was tracking my period. In reality, I was counting the days since I last felt his thick cock inside me or his body wrapped around mine.
God, I missed that.
“You look way too sad for such a happy person.”
I spun around, nearly jumping out of my skin at the deep voice. Pressing my hand to my heart, I tried to calm the racing in my chest and gain some semblance of normalcy, but I hadn’t realized I wasn’t alone in the shop. How had I gotten so distracted that I hadn’t heard the bell chime over the door?
Maverick cocked a grin at me, setting a book down on the counter. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Oh, no. It’s fine. I was just—” I fumbled over my words, desperately hoping the sheriff hadn’t caught me pining away for a man who clearly didn’t want me.
Grabbing the book, I forced a smile on my face. “This is a good book.”
“I’m sure it is. Not for me, though.”
“Really? You seem like a Jack Reacher sort of guy.”
Leaning on the counter, Mav’s swagger shot out like an arrow to my ovaries. And I would totally fall to his charms if my heart and vagina weren’t already invested in another man.
“What gave me away? Is it the muscles? Or maybe my dastardly good looks?”
I scanned the barcode, shooting him an amused look. “I was going to say the overinflated ego, but sure. We can go with what you said.”
“I’m hurt. Really. My ego is just the right size.”
“For a hot air balloon,” I jested.
Even I could see that the sheriff was not only sexy but extremely charming. And if I weren’t infatuated with someone else, I might flirt back with the man. Mav had always been a good friend, but that tended to happen when the same people you grew up with as a kid and teenager became the same people you socialized with as an adult.
“Now, I think I’m going to have to put that snub to the test.”
