Page 8 of Hearts at War

It’s not like the night can get any worse, right?

“I’ll check out one of those cabins,” I muttered.

Giving in wasn’t easy. I hated to admit defeat in any situation, but if agreeing to take one of those ranch rentals was my next best option, I’d do it.

Whatever it takes to get me away from this guy, whoever the hell he is.

Chapter 4

Roarke

“Todd’s inside,” Gavin told Eric.

He nodded. “I was sitting with him in the back before I saw the apartment and all. I’ll go talk to him, Heather.”

She cast a vacant stare at the busted door but shrugged. “Thanks,” she mumbled quietly.

I was shocked that she was familiar with any words of gratitude.

Looking her over once more, finding more details each time that I did, I noticed how ragged and tired she seemed. Maybe she’d had a long day. Perhaps too many people had pushed too many of her buttons the wrong way.

But, damn, was she something else.

Uppity. Sassy. Even, dare I say it, bitchy.

Yet the longer I looked, the more I wanted to know why.

“You want to head out?” Gavin askes, elbowing me to get my attention.

“Hmm?” I flinched, jarred from checking out this raven-haired smart-ass. “Yeah. Sure.”

I didn’t want to go back in the bar, nor did I want to linger out here. Jerry was on his phone, his back to us as he kicked at the busted door that led up to his rental.

Once Heather and Eric walked inside, presumably to chat with Todd about one of the vacant cabins, I followed Gavin toward his truck.

“You all right there?” he asked after we got in and he started the engine.

“Me?” I shrugged. “Yeah. I’m fine. Why?”

“You seemed sort of stuck back there.”

Stuck? I wrinkled my brow.

“Stuck on her.”

I laughed hard. “On her?”

“Here you are, saying you’re not in the mood for any woman, yet one look at her and you’re stuck.”

Rolling my eyes, I turned toward the window. “I was not stuck on her.”

“You couldn’t look away.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“I saw what I saw.”

I crossed my arms, peeved, but not angry. “And so what if I did look at her? That doesn’t mean anything.”