Page 26 of Rescued By the Mountain Man Cowboy
“For fuck’s sake, Madi.”
Laughing, she grabs her empty cup, her shoulder-length blonde hair dancing wildly in the breeze. “I’m serious! That’s a tragedy. You are hot. You’re funny. You are a secret nerd. Men would be so lucky.”
“How am I a nerd?” I raise my brow, following as we head back.
“Those science fiction books you love, for one.”
“Sci-fi is a perfectly acceptable genre that people read,” I defend.
“The tiny figurines you 3D print and paint?” she asks.
Oh, man. I miss my printer.
“Art. It’s a respectable hobby.”
Chuckling, Madi links arms again. “Fine. But, just saying, nothing wrong with being a nerd. I find it lovable.”
“Gee. Thanks,” I deadpan.
Madi leans in. “What I walked in on was hot.”
“Not what it was, Madison.”
“Luke’s hot. I can say that, objectively.”
“He’s like ten years older or something,” I make as an excuse.
“Um, do you not remember the age gap between Gabe and I?”
I do, actually. Watching them together, you never think about it.
“Exactly,” she grins, as if reading my mind.
I swear, she secretly can.
“He’s white,” I try again.
“And? Pecker Pete was Irish.”
“You know what I mean,” I sigh.
We stop just at the tree line, keeping our distance from the cabin.
“Your parents grew up here,” she reminds me.
“Sure, but my Halmis migrating with all their Korean ideals. They still had to adhere to most traditions,” I remind her.
“You’re twenty-six. You’ve been living alone across the country for almost six years. Do they honestly still think you’re going to end up with an Asian boy?”
“Think? Babe. They expect it.”
“Still?” she asks, her face in disbelief.
“While my Halmis are alive? Yeah.”
Suddenly frustrated, I gaze at the rustic cabin Luke has made his sanctuary. Alone, all the way out here. Not many possessions, just enough, as if one day, if he needed to pick up and run, his entire life would fit in his truck.
And yet…there’s something charming and tempting about getting lost and hiding away from the world.
