Page 40 of Savage Rancher
I clear my throat. "It's new. Very new."
“It’s got to be. He just moved back to town. Right?" Harper frowns. “You didn’t go out with him before he got here?”
"Of course not." Mark and I weren’t happy, but unlike him, I’d never cheat. "We’ve only been together a few days."
"Jake Callahan," Harper repeats. She raises her glass and taps it to mine before taking a sip. "I think I remember him. I remember all the girls being equally intrigued and scared by him. He was quiet, intense, kind of scary hot, right?"
"That's him." I shiver, remembering the way he used to climb through my bedroom window and into my bed, one hand slipping into my panties as the other covered my mouth so my dad wouldn’t catch us, his voice low in my ear, whispering all the scandalous ways he was going to make me come. Scary hot? Try scorching.
And that hasn’t changed.
"So now he's back, and you're dating him? Or…?" She raises her brows.
“Yeah. Definitely ‘or.’” I bite my lip. “I’m not sure you date a man like Jake Callahan.”
“I wouldn’t know,” she admits kind of wistfully. Then she lowers her head to mine, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Details, woman. You have to tell me everything. How did this happen?"
How much do I say? "We had a thing in senior year. It didn't end well. My dad didn't approve, and he made Jake leave town."
"Your dad made him leave?" Harper sits back, processing. "Emma, that's archaic."
"I know.” The thought of it still upsets me. I take a sip to settle myself. “I thought Jake just ghosted me, but I found out later that my dad forced him out, and your dad helped him."
Harper’s mouth drops open. "What?"
I nod. "Yeah."
“Dad didn’t tell me that.” Harper’s gaze goes distant, as if she’s trying to work something out in her head. Finally, she shakes her head and refocuses on me. "So now Jake’s back, and you guys are picking up where you left off."
"Something like that."
Harper grins. "Is he as hot as I remember?"
I can't help but smile. "Hotter."
"Damn." She takes a sip of her coffee, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "I haven’t seen him yet. What's he like? All broody and intense?"
"Very broody. Very intense."
"And the sex?"
"Harper!" I flush. There aren’t words invented that can convey what it’s like to have Jake Callahan love you.
"What? We're best friends. You're legally obligated to tell me these things."
I laugh despite myself. "It's good. Really good."
She grips my arm, looking me in the eye. "Really good, orreallygood?"
I raise my brow. “You want me to take a picture for you?”
“Would you?” She laughs as I nudge her with my shoulder. After she calms down, she says, "Okay, I'm officially jealous. You've got a hot, broody ex-boyfriend-maybe-new boyfriend, and the sex is amazing. Meanwhile, I'm stuck going on terrible Tinder dates with guys who still live with their moms. And I have to travel at least a couple of hours to have an awful time, because my dad will arrest anyone who even looks my way."
I grimace. It was bad enough having my protective dad. I couldn’t imagine my dad being the sheriff. "You'll find someone.”
"Yeah, yeah." She waves a hand. "But seriously, Emma. I'm happy for you. You deserve this. You've been through a lot the past couple of years—the divorce, your dad’s accident, and now dealing with Eli's bullshit the past few weeks.”
I still, waiting for Harper to say something about the coincidence of me hooking up with Jake and Eli disappearing.
