“You think Ellie is like her?”
“Of course, she isn’t,” he yelled. Then he took a calming breath. “Ellie is kind and sweet and honest. Doesn’t mean I have anything to offer her.”
“Except a man who will love and take care of her. Put her first. Treat her how she deserves to be treated. Cherish her for who she is. If she gets into a relationship with the wrong person, they will use her, walk all over her.”
He clenched his hands into fists, hating the thought of his Ellie with someone like that.
“Just stay out of my business, Clint.” He turned and stormed away. He’d done the right thing. He had.
He just wished he fully believed that.
* * *
She trudged her way home, trying to avoid the icy patches. It was growing darker and even though the streetlights were on, she wished she’d brought a torch. She’d thought once it stopped snowing that it would get warmer, but she was sadly mistaken. At least her house was nice and warm. She’d had all these ideas of what her life would be like once she left her parents’ house. Only, nothing was working out like she thought. The house she’d thought would be a haven felt scary and overwhelming.
The people in the town were nice, but she hadn’t met anyone she might make friends with. They all seemed to be in their own groups and she was left on the sidelines. She felt lost. And more alone than ever.
And it was all Bear’s fault.
He’d shown her what life could be like with someone who cared about her. Or who she thought had cared. But he hadn’t texted her except for that one night. And when he’d started to boss her around, she’d thought…well, she’d hoped…yeah, she was stupid. She’d thought that he would check back to see if she’d followed his order to see the doctor. So, she hadn’t gone in the hopes that he’d come storming in and …what? Spank her? Fuck her?
Both, please.
What an idiot she was. He hadn’t checked in on her again. He didn’t care. And she was on her own.
She kept her head down as she walked, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. She still hadn’t bought a new car so she was stuck walking everywhere. She needed to get a winter coat, but the shops in the small town were far too expensive, so she was stuck wearing the one Clint had left her. Which she was grateful for. But it was huge and at some stage she needed to return it to him.
She wasn’t concentrating on her surroundings so she didn’t see the truck outside her house. She should have, of course. But she blamed her inattention on tiredness. She wasn’t sleeping well. She spent most nights huddled under the covers with her new teddy bear, who she’d named Jeremiah Bear Junior.
She missed Bear so much.
“Do you always walk around without paying attention to your surroundings, little girl?” a deep voice asked.
With a startled gasp, she looked up to see Clint scowling at her. He was leaning against his truck, his arms were crossed over his wide chest, he had a cowboy hat secured firmly on his head, and he was wrapped up in a warm jacket.
She took a step back. Even though she knew Clint, she couldn’t help but feel a bit intimidated, especially since he was glaring at her disapprovingly.
She gasped in a breath, her hand to her chest. “What are you doing? You gave me a fright.”
“I was standing here for five minutes, watching you walk up the path. You didn’t look up once. You didn’t watch your surroundings. Anyone could have snuck up on you and hurt you.”
She looked at him in alarm. “Is that what you’re here to do?”
His eyes widened, his arms dropping to his sides as he gaped at her. “Of course, I’m not.”
“Why are you here then? Is it for your jacket?” She started to take it off.
“Leave that on, little girl. It’s too cold to be stripping off. Especially for a little thing like you. I’m not here for the jacket. You can keep it.”
“I was going to give it back,” she said defensively.
“What are you doing walking around in the dark in this sort
of weather?”
“It’s not late. I’ve just finished a shift at the diner. I’ve got a job now.”
“Yeah, Bear told me.”