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She makes a dismissive ‘eh’ in the back of her throat. “I mean, it is, in that he hasn’t been in a steady relationship since, shit, I was a little girl. But he’s also not the most public of guys, so nobody will really question it if we swing the point of view that he kept you on the down low for a while.”
“Makes sense.”
She grins, reaching out and snagging my hand to stop my self-mutilation. “Stop stressing about it. If there’s a problem with what you’re doing, you can trust me to let you know. Okay?”
I nod, squeezing her hand before letting it go.
"What are you doing tomorrow?” She changes the subject with a little too much glee in her tone.
I shrug. I hadn't really thought about it. Although Tyke hasn't said as much, I feel as though I'm under strict house arrest until the heat from Connor dies down. "Nothing so far."
"Perfect. Then you'll have time to learn how to ride."
I tilt my head, narrowing my gaze a little on her retreating form. "Say what?"
"You heard me!" She's in the hallway already, seemingly not prepared to take no for an answer. “You need a distraction, Rae, and I got the perfect one!”
I head after her with a sigh, rounding the slim doorway to be confronted with a wide chest I know all too well already. "Shoot. Sorry." I sidestep, hands raised beside my shoulders to let Digger pass.
“All good.” He frowns, lowering his tone to ask, “You okay?”
“As can be expected.” I force a smile that I’m sure looks as fake as it feels.
“Stop stalling!” Maddie calls. “We gotta find you a helmet for the morning.”
Digger glances to where she waits at the doorway to the living area and then back to me. "What the fuck is she talkin’ about? And why does she look so happy with herself?"
"Thinks she's going to keep me distracted by teaching me how to ride."
We both eye Maddie at the far end of the hall. "What?" She sets both hands on her hips.
"You think that's such a hot idea?" Digger asks.
I'm acutely aware of how good he smells, standing this close. A morning's work has done nothing to dampen the leathery spice.Or help me forget how his mouth felt on mine. How his fingers felt as they?—
"Yeah. I do think it’s a good idea.” Mads starts toward the two of us, snapping me from my reverie. "My bike's a single, and if I want her to come out with me, she's gonna need to ride her own."
"Surely somebody has a car I could use?” I suggest.
Digger smirks.
Maddie looks at me as though I've lost the plot. "Um, no thanks. Haven't been willingly contained since I was old enough to get my license. Got no intention of going back in until I'm already inside a coffin." She smirks, folding her arms beneath her tits. "Might get cremated anyway."
"She'd probably get them to burn the bike, too." Digger chews his bottom lip, eyes alight as his gaze shifts from me to her. "Take it easy. Use Charlene's bike. It's got a low seat and low gearing."
Maddie nods. "True."
"Um, who's Charlene?"
Digger sucks his lips back into a grimace and backs down the hall, turning as he goes.
Maddie rolls her eyes and jerks her head in the opposite direction. "Charlene is my mother." She starts away again. "But ain't anybody call her Mom around here."
21
TYKE
The tri-levelcontemporary monstrosity is exactly the fucking eyesore I remember it to be the last time I was here. All exposed concrete, steel, and glass, the damn architect's wet dream stands proud against a north-facing cliff on the outskirts of Pagosa Springs.
