Page 85 of Hard to Handle
“If she’d be cool with that.”
“Prob’ly have to ask her, but shit, I’d say go for it.The girl can use all the help she can get right now.”
Even if she didn’t necessarily want it.
Taking a bite of eggs, I chewed as I pointed my fork at Wolfe.“She’ll be over at the shop in a bit.Ed’s stoppin’ by to see what’s what.And DJ … you know, Darrell Jameson.”I chewed some more.
“The general contractor?”
I nodded.“Yep.He’s gonna take a look at the plans, help out in that regard.Work on permits.”
“And Reagan’s cool with this?”
I shrugged.“Until she tells me to stop, I ain’t gonna.She needs that bar open.It’s her livelihood, but you know Reagan.She ain’t gonna ask for help.”
Thinking back to our argument last night, I smiled to myself.The woman was nothing if not independent, and she made sure everyone knew it.One day, she’d learn that some people weren’t looking for something in return.They simply do for others because they can.
“Nope.She won’t.”Wolfe grinned.“Good thing she’s got you.”
I couldn’t help but smirk at that.
She did have me.
Even if she wasn’t quite ready for all that I wanted from her.
She’d get there.
I had faith.
Reagan
I had tossed and turned all night long.I wasn’t sure if it was due to the long nap I'd taken with Lynx yesterday or simply because I hated that I'd been in my bed alone.When I finally did doze off, I thought I heard a sound outside the bedroom window, and I ended up pacing the floor for half an hour, shotgun in hand.
Now, as I drove to the shop to meet Lynx, my exhaustion was replaced with an anxious flutter in my belly.
Truth was, I missed seeing Lynx.
Not that I wanted to get addicted to him or anything, but I still wished I could spend more time with him.Sure, it was my own damn fault.That stubborn streak was hard to beat back, and sometimes it didn’t do me any favors.Okay,more often than not,it didn’t do me any favors.Hell, my own family gave me a hard time about it.
According to my mother, stubborn was my middle name.She always said that it was probably the reason I would be with Billy forever.
“I showedyou, Mom,” I muttered to myself.
Stubborn and stupid were two very different things, I knew.And I'd proven my stupidity by staying with Billy for so long.
“Ugh.”I hated thinking about that asshole.
However, stubbornness was a trait I had been born with, something I had a hard time overcoming.
And now, I figured Lynx would eventually get tired of it, and I couldn’t very well blame him.Problem was, I had no idea how to change that part of myself.Or if I even wanted to.Yes, I could be the equivalent of a brick wall in an argument, but I was who I was.And if people didn’t like it, they could shove it.That was my thought on it anyway.
Then again, when I thought about Lynx, I didn’t want to be the brick wall that stalled out this thing between us.It was intense.Insanely so.But he was right.I was the one to provoke it every time I tried to put some distance between us.
Not that I intended to spend too much time thinking about long term with Lynx Caine.The guy was a sweet-talker through and through.As much as my heart yearned to be important to someone, I wasn’t sure Lynx was the steady, long-term kind, no matter how many sweet words he whispered.Sure, I wanted to believe.I just wasn’t sure I could.
When I pulled into the shop shortly after nine, I was surprised to see several additional trucks in the parking lot, besides Calvin’s and Lynx’s dad’s, which Lynx was currently driving.After squeezing the big F-250 into a vacant spot, I climbed out and headed toward the door.
“Damn straight,” someone bellowed, their laughter drifting out of the building.“That’s what we do ’round these parts.We help when we’re needed.”
