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“Does he have any friends? Anyone else I can talk to?”
“Not that I know of.”
“You said he had references. Can I speak to them?”
“You can try, but I wouldn’t hold your breath. If they haven’t been burned by him yet, they will be.” She opens her purse and shoves her card at me. “Shoot me a text and when I dig up some names, I’ll pass them along, okay?”
“Great, thanks.” I shove the card into my pocket. “Can you tell me anything else?”
Sam stares at me for a long moment before she abruptly stands. “Warren is attractive. He’s smart, and he’s clever, and he’s going to make you feel like the sun revolves around you. Don’t fall for it. He’s a selfish, petty bastard. And now my conscience is clean.”
She turns and walks away. I watch her go, not sure what to make of that conversation at all, but I stay in my seat, completely disquieted. She seemed angry still, even after all this time, like the wounds are still fresh. Like the memory of Warren still haunts her. I can’t imagine it’s the money she cares about—six thousand dollars to a girl like that is nothing. But it’s the other stuff, the lying, the selfishness, the way he made her feel special.
She sounded like she loved him. For a little while, at least.
I’m not going to have that problem.
Loveis the last thing I’ll ever associate with War.
Sam’s right, he’s a petty asshole, and he’s manipulative and controlling and maybe even a psychopath.
I should take her advice. Instead, I pull out my phone and send a text.
Up for another date?
War gets back right away.I didn’t know that was a date. I would’ve followed through with my kiss if I’d realized.
I smile despite myself. Even knowing he’s a liar and a fake, I can’t help myself.Too late for that. Missed your chance.
There’s always next time,he says, and I can picture him smiling down at his phone.
Come to the farm tomorrow afternoon. We’ll go for a hike and maybe you’ll get your do-over.
Chapter6
Melody
Ishade my eyes as I crest a hill and head into the scrubland surrounding the farm. The grazing lands stretch out around us and I angle toward a corpse of trees, a small wooded area that sits between our property and the bordering land.
War keeps pace. He strides along like he’s enjoying himself. I’m surprised by how at home he seems on the rough trails. He’s in joggers and a tank top that shows off his ink-covered arms, and I keep stealing glances at his chest and his mouth and thinking about that near-kiss, and the flirtatious texts I sent him, and Sam Silvan. He might’ve done the same thing to her that he’s doing to me, but if this is some kind of game, I don’t know where it’s supposed to end.
“I almost took you riding,” I say when we pause at a ridge and enjoy the landscape around us. Small, gnarled trees, brown and green bushes and tufts of grass, rocks strewn into the weeds and thistles.
“I’ll ride a mechanical bull, but I won’t ride a horse.”
“Why not? Afraid?”
“I wouldn’t call itafraid. More like realistic. I’m not interested in letting one of those things break my neck.”
I laugh at him and regret not putting him on horseback now that I know he’s uncomfortable about it, but talking is easier on foot. “Here I was starting to think you were fearless.”
“I told you, I’mnotscared.”
“Right, that’s what a big, brave man would say, isn’t it?” I stride off and he follows. “I’ve been wondering something. How come you’re still hanging around?”
“Because you keep texting me.”
“You think I’m going to change my mind about going home.” I glance at him and he doesn’t deny it. “But I’m not going to.”
