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“To the grocery store or should we grab something to eat first.”
“Eat.”
He nods and turns to head back toward the Stud Farm. When he pulls into Bella Italia, I smile.
“You remembered.”
“Of course,” he says as he parks. “I love every new thing I learn about you, so you better be damn sure I’ll remember the details.
He hops out as I try to pick my jaw off the floor. What the heck do I even say to that? And more importantly, why do I believe him?
When Griz opens my door for me, offering me his hand, I get the first inkling that I just might be in danger of losing this bet.
SIX
Griz
It’s beena few days since Monty started working for me and things couldn’t be better. She fits into my life like a missing puzzle piece.
We’ve also settled into a new routine. We eat breakfast together and then she usually starts cleaning while I go out to the barn. I come back in for lunch, then help my brothers finish up their projects while Monty curls up on the front porch with a book until it’s time for dinner.
I took Monty to the library in town the day we went to run errands, and she picked out a whole stack of books. I even found us two copies of The Hunger Games series, which we’ve been reading together. She’s so adorable when she talks about it over breakfast.
My girl has gotten more comfortable around me in the last week, thank god. I hated the suspicious glares she shot my way when I opened doors for her or complimented her cooking. It was like she was waiting for a catch, or for me to play a cruel joke on her.
A few days ago, however, I caught her out on the porch, leaning over the railing, smiling at the sunset. The golden light caught in her auburn locks, giving them a fiery glow as the sun faded into the west. She looked over her shoulder at me, a pure, genuine smile blooming across her face. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t hardly keep from falling over, for that matter. I want her to always look at me that way.
Since then, my beautiful woman has smiled more, even offering up little pieces of information about her hobbies and interests. She still doesn’t say much about her parents, but I know she’ll tell me when she’s ready. I just hope it’s soon. I only have three weeks left to win her over.
The calendar feels like it’s been hanging over my head all week, which is why I’ve decided it’s time for Monty and I to go on our first date.
I can’t call it that though, of course. If I asked her out on a date, she would turn me down so fast my head would spin. So instead, I have to be sneaky about it.
I take a deep breath as I head up to the front door. I made sure to be done early today so I could catch her before she started to make dinner. Smiling, I see my girl curled up in her favorite chair on the front porch.
“Hey,” I greet her. She jumps a foot in the air, looking up in a panic.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” she exclaims, scrambling to stand. “Is it five already? I’ll get dinner started right away–”
“Woah, hey, everything is okay,” I assure her. My heart fucking breaks when she flashes me her crystal blue eyes, rimmed in red. Monty slams her eyes shut, then blinks them open, the panic and fear mostly gone. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I just got done early today,” I say softly, my brows furrowed in concern. She doesn’t have to tell me how shitty her parents were. They clearly had something to do with her being so jumpy and doubting every good thing that comes her way.
“Oh,” she breathes out. “Right. Of course.” Monty shakes her head, trying to play it off. I see her, though. I see her scars, her fragile heart, and her determination. She’s so damn beautiful, and she has no idea.
“I was actually thinking we could go into town tonight for dinner. I’m done early, it’s been a long week, and I’m in the mood for a steak,” I say casually.
“Sure,” Monty says, seemingly happy to be talking about anything that draws attention away from her. One day soon, she won’t want to hide from me. For now, I’ll take any excuse to spend the evening with her.
“Leave in about an hour?” I ask.
“Sounds good. I’ll be ready.”
I nod as I head inside, grinning as soon as I’m out of her sight. I feel like fist pumping, but I know that getting her to agree to dinner was the easy part. As soon as we pull up in front of The Capital Grille, the nicest steakhouse in town, she’s going to know that something is up.
My phone buzzes with a text from my brother, Wyatt. He needs my help with a fence post. I hurry out the back door and over to the south field. Wyatt is there with our other brothers, Remy and Kai. I duck between the fence bars and head their way.
“What’s up?”
“I need to replace that section there,” he says, and I turn to see that some of the fence has been dislodged by something.
