Read Online Wild Mustang Man by Carol Grace - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carol Grace
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love again, never marry anyone again. Because you never know how fast things can change. How cruel life can be. I had everything, then in the blink of an eye, I had nothing. Except Max, of course. If it hadn’t been for him, I couldn’t have gone on living.”
“I see,” Bridget said, looking away, but not before he saw her blink back a tear. Was that tear for him?
“Can you understand that?” he asked, his brow furrowed with concern.
“Of course, but it’s been...how long?”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s been two years or twenty. I’ll never forget the emptiness, the deep hole I couldn’t climb out of.” He shook his head, knowing he couldn’t make her understand. No one could who hadn’t gone through it
“Is that what Molly would have wanted?” she asked, her eyes boring into his. “That you stay single and raise Max on your own?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Probably not. It’s not about Molly. It’s about me and how I’ve pulled out of that black hole and how I never want to fall into it again. Do you know you sound like my father? But it’s no good playing “what if.” What if I’d died first? I’d want Molly to marry again. But the fact is she’s dead and I’m here. I have to do what I have to do.”
He clenched his hands into fists. Of course he would have wanted Molly to marry again, to find someone else. He wouldn’t have wanted her to grow old alone. It was different for him. He liked being alone. He could almost see the years stretching ahead of him like a straight, four-lane highway. Imagined Max growing up, moving away and leaving him alone on the ranch. For some strange reason he felt an unexpected emptiness around his heart What in the hell was wrong with him today? All this talk about the past and the tragedy that had left him alone had made him question his future, the future he thought held no surprises. Now he was starting to wonder.
“Would it make you feel any better to blame me for what just happened? We could go halves at least,” she suggested with a wry smile.
He shook his head. In spite of his determination not to let Bridget tempt him, in spite of his apology, his treacherous gaze took another look at her, lingering on the swell of her breasts, remembering, despite his vow, how they’d felt in his hands. He imagined how she’d look without that shirt, without that lace bra. He would never know. “About the pictures,” he said, yanking himself back to reality.
She hopped off the fence, took her camera and fiddled with the adjustments. Was it his imagination or were her hands shaking?
Bridget took picture after picture without knowing what she was doing. They might all be overexposed, like her feelings for Josh. They could be blurry and out of focus, which was how the world looked to her at this point. She didn’t care. All she wanted to do was to get out of there before she made more of a fool of herself than she’d already done. She’d thrown herself at a man who was wedded to his mate forever. Like a humming bird—or was it a penguin? Destined to live out his life paying homage to her memory.
To fill the awkward silence while she took the pictures, she told Josh she’d met his old high school classmates.
“You didn’t tell them about the men’s cologne, did you?” he asked, his eyebrows drawn together in a frown.
“They already knew.”
“Oh, fine. Now the whole town will know.”
“It’s a small town,” she noted.
“You’re observant”
“I’m sorry, but there are men who would be flattered to be chosen as the Wild Mustang Man.”
“Well I’m not one of them.”
“I understand that,” she said stiffly. “But since you are the chosen one, at least I hope these pictures will convince the client that you are....”
Josh glanced off in the direction of his house. “Oh, Lord,” he said. “It’s my mother,” he said. “Is that it? Are you finished?”
He doesn’t want me to see her, or he doesn’t want her to see
“I see,” Bridget said, looking away, but not before he saw her blink back a tear. Was that tear for him?
“Can you understand that?” he asked, his brow furrowed with concern.
“Of course, but it’s been...how long?”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s been two years or twenty. I’ll never forget the emptiness, the deep hole I couldn’t climb out of.” He shook his head, knowing he couldn’t make her understand. No one could who hadn’t gone through it
“Is that what Molly would have wanted?” she asked, her eyes boring into his. “That you stay single and raise Max on your own?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Probably not. It’s not about Molly. It’s about me and how I’ve pulled out of that black hole and how I never want to fall into it again. Do you know you sound like my father? But it’s no good playing “what if.” What if I’d died first? I’d want Molly to marry again. But the fact is she’s dead and I’m here. I have to do what I have to do.”
He clenched his hands into fists. Of course he would have wanted Molly to marry again, to find someone else. He wouldn’t have wanted her to grow old alone. It was different for him. He liked being alone. He could almost see the years stretching ahead of him like a straight, four-lane highway. Imagined Max growing up, moving away and leaving him alone on the ranch. For some strange reason he felt an unexpected emptiness around his heart What in the hell was wrong with him today? All this talk about the past and the tragedy that had left him alone had made him question his future, the future he thought held no surprises. Now he was starting to wonder.
“Would it make you feel any better to blame me for what just happened? We could go halves at least,” she suggested with a wry smile.
He shook his head. In spite of his determination not to let Bridget tempt him, in spite of his apology, his treacherous gaze took another look at her, lingering on the swell of her breasts, remembering, despite his vow, how they’d felt in his hands. He imagined how she’d look without that shirt, without that lace bra. He would never know. “About the pictures,” he said, yanking himself back to reality.
She hopped off the fence, took her camera and fiddled with the adjustments. Was it his imagination or were her hands shaking?
Bridget took picture after picture without knowing what she was doing. They might all be overexposed, like her feelings for Josh. They could be blurry and out of focus, which was how the world looked to her at this point. She didn’t care. All she wanted to do was to get out of there before she made more of a fool of herself than she’d already done. She’d thrown herself at a man who was wedded to his mate forever. Like a humming bird—or was it a penguin? Destined to live out his life paying homage to her memory.
To fill the awkward silence while she took the pictures, she told Josh she’d met his old high school classmates.
“You didn’t tell them about the men’s cologne, did you?” he asked, his eyebrows drawn together in a frown.
“They already knew.”
“Oh, fine. Now the whole town will know.”
“It’s a small town,” she noted.
“You’re observant”
“I’m sorry, but there are men who would be flattered to be chosen as the Wild Mustang Man.”
“Well I’m not one of them.”
“I understand that,” she said stiffly. “But since you are the chosen one, at least I hope these pictures will convince the client that you are....”
Josh glanced off in the direction of his house. “Oh, Lord,” he said. “It’s my mother,” he said. “Is that it? Are you finished?”
He doesn’t want me to see her, or he doesn’t want her to see
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