“And everything else? The texts, the razor blades, and feeling like you’re being watched?”
I shake my head, shrugging my shoulders. “I’m not sure.” I sigh. “The text messages seem childish enough to be Russ, but I can’t imagine him playing the long game. If he were in town, hours away from home, he wouldn’t have just left. He’d have stayed behind and waited until we got home to make his move, whatever that may be. That, and for all that man's faults, heloveddogs. I can’t imagine him ever hurting one.”
“Lemmon probably wouldn’t think twice about hurting a dog. It’s totally her,” Mayte grumbles, humming into her mug.
“What about her friends? You think they might be involved?”
She scoffs and dismisses the suggestion with a hand flick. “You mean Dumb and Dumber? Definitely not. They’re both sweet but misguided. She probably pays them to stick around.”
Thatalmostmakes me feel bad for her, but not quite.
Movement to our right steals my attention. Sebastian dances around the counter, lifting the glass dome off the tray of pastries and plucking a couple, placing them onto a plate. My eyes follow his movements as he sways his hips to the music from the speakers; he twirls until he’s standing beside our small rainbow-painted table. He places the plate down, winking at us, and says, “On the house for my favorite ladies.”
“Quit flirting with me, Sebby!” Mayte says, fanning herself with one hand as she snatches one of the flaky pastries and brings it to her lips. She takes a bite, moaning loudly. Her eyes roll back, and Sebastian swats at her arm.
“You quit that moaning, Mayte. I don’t want the singleladies in this town to get the wrong impression! I don’t need that kind of pressure,” he jokes, bending to press a quick kiss to her cheek before sauntering off behind the counter.
“You’re the best, Seb,” Mayte says, blowing him a kiss that he grabs from the air, twisting his body to press his palm to his ass, as if placing her kiss there.
We both chuckle, loving the way his lighthearted antics momentarily rid us of the tense topic we’d been discussing.
“Okay, where were we?” Mayte asks.
I glance around for good measure, knowing no one has entered the small shop in several minutes. “Maybe if we lie low, it’ll all blow over, and whoever it is will go away.”
Mayte rolls her eyes, taking another massive bite of her pastry. She mumbles around the flaky dough, “No seas comemierda.”
“I’m not,” I groan. “I’m being optimistic.”
“All I’m saying is that you need to keep a good head on your shoulders.”
The weight of her words, and the insinuations that follow them, settles like a loaf of stale bread in my gut. Like Ryder, I never loved horror movies, but I’m afraid I might belivingone.
Chapter Forty-Three
DINNER & A SHOW
THURSDAY, JUNE 12
It’sdark out by the time I make it home, and knowing Lola, she’s probably already in bed. She’s been going to sleep early after spending hours each morning poring over her work at the barn. She’s been exhausted but refuses to quit, and as much as it pains me to see her struggle to get it done, I’m damn proud of her for it.
I’d dropped by the barn earlier to check on her and let her know a local cattle driver had a herd run off his property. The whole town has spent the last several hours searching for them, and now that they’re all home, I can’t wait to shower and crawl into bed.
The lights in the house are off, save for the one illuminating the kitchen from beneath the microwave. Lola refuses to turn it off, and I’ve grown to like it. It’s like a comforting night light leading me straight to the pantry.
“Oh!” Lola shouts from her room, my heart racing as I take off toward her room. As I get to her door, I’m met with a sound so sexy my cock swells in my Wranglers.
“Yes, that’s perfect,” she moans, voice ragged. “Ry, oh god! Yes!”
I’m panting as I edge closer to the door, delighted to find it’s cracked open wide enough that I catch a glimpse of Lola. She’s sprawled out in bed, her head thrown back in ecstasy, one ofmyshirts pooling around her waist as she plunges a hot-pink toy inside her plump, shining cunt.
I shouldn’t be out here right now, but she keeps shouting my name, and my mind is fuzzy, my dick aching for release.
I’d rather she know I’m here and send me away than not give her the choice at all, so I nudge the door open, unintentionally silencing her cries of pleasure.
“Ry?” she whispers hoarsely.
“Yes, darlin’. I’m home, and I was wondering if you needed some instruction on how to deal with this little problem you seem to be havin’.” My tongue feels thick in my mouth as I watch her expression shift from fear to surprise tolust.
