Read Online A Long Goodbye by Kelly Mooney - Free Book Online Page B

that it’s pretty much just been Daddy and me against the world for so long that I’m afraid to disappoint him. He has given me everything any girl could possibly want. But…”
    “But what?” I pressed her for more information because I was dying to know everything that made this girl tick.
    “Well, let’s just say he wants me to be a certain kind of woman with this certain man from our town, and I really don’t want to be that daughter he wants anymore.”
    She looked so sad. It hurt so bad to hear her confession that I wanted to march back home and convince her father that he was wrong about Ashton. “It’s normal, Grace, to want to be the person that you feel comfortable being, and not what people want you to be. I think you should tell him how you feel. You may be pleasantly surprised.”
    She smiled softly, but I could tell she was trying not to cry. “You don’t know Daddy.” She swiped at her eyes, but kept her smile soft and directed at me. I stopped the questions immediately since I didn’t ever want to be the cause of tears in Ashton Winslow’s eyes again.
    ~~~
    You could hear the sound of boots stomping on the dance floor and banjos playing before we even got inside the bar in the Lower Broadway section of town. She’d been quiet on the ride here from the restaurant, and I couldn’t help but feel responsible for bringing her down with all that daddy talk. I grabbed a hold of her hand making sure every single guy knew that she was not only mine, but not to even look in her direction tonight.
    Because that was the thing about Ashton, even though most guys usually see her as this unapproachable tight ass princess, she looked and acted nothing like she normally did. That skirt and shirt, well, let’s just say Mother Nature did a fine ass job when they made her. As I said before, she had curves that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on, because even though those very curves most likely would do me in, I still wanted to hold on with both hands and take that ride regardless.
    “What’ll it be?” I asked her as we sidled up to the bar.
    “I’ll have whatever you’re having.” She looked out to the dance floor, her eyes all lit up as if she could barely wait to test the boots she had on.
    I handed off the shot and the Bud I ordered each of us. She grimaced. “What’s this?”
    “It’s what I’m drinking. You said the same, so I got you the same. It’s Southern Comfort, it won’t kill ya, but it may loosen you up a bit.”
    She opened her mouth to say something, but instead shot me the sexiest ‘don’t dare me face’ before she clinked her drink with mine. “To loosening up,” she said grinning, and then woofed it down. Unable to take my eyes off her, I waited until hers found mine. Slowly, Ashton traced her bottom lip with her tongue, licking the remaining alcohol away. I was dumbstruck frozen watching as she did it and I was pretty fucking sure she knew just what it was doing to me.
    Ashton grinned, leaning into me, pressing her chest against mine. “Whatcha waiting for?”
    Still checking her out, I took the glass off the bar and tilted it back letting the amber liquid glide down my throat, watching her, wondering what those pretty little lips would taste like. She lifted the beer bottle to her lips, taking a long swig. “You going to ask me to dance or should I go find another partner?”  I had to admit to myself I really liked this feisty version of Ashton.
    I followed her to the dance floor watching her ass shake with each step. “You taking the lead or am I,” I asked, grinning and teasing her. She put her small hand in mine, her other on my left bicep, while I placed my hand around her waist. “You ready, girl?”
    She smiled through two songs and two dances of me pushing her around the floor when a slow Lady Antebellum song had come on. She was breathing heavier than I expected after only two dances, and I almost asked her if she wanted to sit this one out, but changed my