Sea Breeze 03 - While It Lasts Read Free

wheel tightly. When Jeremy started with something like that I never liked what he was going to say next. Last time he’d asked me that the next thing he said was I should really start driving my Jeep again because Josh would want me to.
    “Don’t , Jer ,” I replied.
    “It’s time to take the ring off , Eva.”
    My hands stung from the death grip I had on the worn steering wheel. The gold band on my finger dug into my skin reminding me it was there. I’d never taken it off. I never would.
    “Jeremy , don’t .”
    He let out a long heavy sigh and shook his head. I waited patiently for him to say more and was so thankful when we pulled into Mrs. Mabel’s. I all but jumped out of the truck before it came to a complete stop in my determination to get away from him before he could say more. The engagement ring Josh had put on my finger couldn’t be removed. It would be as if I was forgetting him. Like I was moving on and leaving him behind. I’d never leave him behind.

Chapter Two

    Cage

    This could not be my room. It was the size of the closet in my bedr oom at my apartment . I dropped my duffle down onto the twin bed that sat crammed in the corner of the tiny room. On the opposite side, a small, round bedside table barely had enough space to fit between the side of the bed and the wall . Then at the other end of the nar row room was a shower. The cem ent floor had a drain in th e far corner and a small shower head came out of the wall. A simple rod and dark blue shower curtain w ere the only barrier s between the shower and the bed. I was pretty sure if I got too carried away in the shower I’d get the bed wet. My phone started ringing in my pocket and I pulled it out to see Low’s name lighting up the screen.
    “Hey , baby,” I replied backing up and sinking down onto the bed. Surprisingly the mattress wasn’t bad.
    “So , how is everything? Are they nice?” Just hearing Lo w’s voice made me feel better—n ot so alone.
    “I’ve only met the guy’s daughter and the next- door neighbor.”
    “Oh, so there’s a farmer’s d aughter?” T he teasing tone in Low’s voice made me chuckle. Yeah, there was a farmer’s daughter alright but it wasn’t what Low was thinking.
    “There’s a farmer’s daughter but she hated me on sight. Crazy I know , and to think , I thought it was impossible for a female to hate me until after I bagged her then forgot her name in the morning .”
    “She hates you? That’s… odd.” Low’s voice trailed off like she was in deep thought.
    The loud sound of the barn door swinging open caught my attention.
    “Low, I gotta go baby. I think the old man’s here.”
    “Okay, be on your best behavior. ”
    “Always,” I replied before hanging up and slipping my phone back into my pocket.
    “Hello?” a deep burly voice called out.
    I walked out of the small broom closet they’d stuck me in and headed for the sound of his voice. As I turned the corner , I stopped short. The dude was huge. At least six-foot- seven and three hundred pounds of hard muscle. The straw cowboy hat cocked back on his head showed that he was completely bald.
    “You Cage York? ” he asked. His serious e xpression reminded me a lot of C oach but that was as far as the similarities went. Coach was not this fucking massive.
    “Yeah,” I replied and the man’s eyes narrowed and he took a step toward s me. It took every last bit of my self- control not to back the hell up.
    “Boy, your Daddy ever tell you it’s rude not to respect your elders? I expect any kid your age to respond to me with a ‘yes sir’. That understood?”
    Really? What the hell was C o ach thinking? This would never work.
    “ When I ask you a question I expect a response,” the giant growled.
    Fine. I’d give him a fucking response, “No.”
    His frown grew deeper and annoyance flickered in his eyes. I had a lot riding on this damn job but I wasn’t one to handle this kind of shit well.
    “No, what ?” he asked in a