Free Carter's Treasure by Amy Gregory Page A

know her inside and out—yet.” Carter let the single word hang. The smoke billowing out of Brody’s ears meant he understood. “But…I am getting to know her little by little. I know she’s sweet, funny, beautiful, and from watching her with you and Joey, I know she’s got quite an ornery streak. I personally find that hysterical. I know she’s timid and shy and I get the feeling she’s fairly innocent.”
    “Which,” Brody interrupted, “is why you’re going to leave her alone.”
    “If not me, then who, Brody? You going to chase off every man that comes along?”
    “It’s been working up to this point.”
    “Maybe for you, but what about her?” When Brody didn’t answer, Carter shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere.”
    “You don’t know what she’s been through.”
    Brody was right. He didn’t know, and the scenarios that ran through his mind all made him sick to his stomach. He had dated enough women who had brothers to know this was not a common reaction. Something about the whole night was off. The melt down she’d had during the confrontation with Dylan, the way Brody had been treating him all evening, and now this? Something was way off.
    “You know what, Noland, you’re right. I don’t know what she’s been through, and I told her when she was ready, she could tell me. I’m not going to push her, but I’m not stupid. She’s been through something obviously traumatic, and I’ll be here for her when she’s ready. I won’t push. Just like I won’t push her for anything else. Ever .”
    “I’m not buying that shit.”
    This guy was a real piece of work. Luckily for Carter, one of the many things he’d learned from his parents was patience . It was a necessity on the track, but in this situation, it was a godsend. He blew out a breath and looked toward the door Molly had disappeared through moments ago. He could imagine her sitting close to the window, even though the blinds were closed. He pictured her listening to every word through the thin walls. It wasn’t as if either one of them was trying to keep their voices down.
    Carter had heard the story of his parents’ whirlwind relationship a thousand times. How they met and it was love at first sight. How his dad fell madly in love with this beautiful girl in the library while in college and offered to walk her to her dorm when she was finished studying. They were engaged a month later. Married three months after that. But he never heard anything negative from his grandfather. Surely he must have been a little nervous, like Brody. But Carter knew he had never heard of any knock down drag outs over it.
    Love at first sight could happen. It worked for his parents and they’d been happily married for over thirty-five years. He felt it with Molly. With every fiber of his being, he felt she was his. His, as simple as that. Carter’s heart swelled and his anger faded. His to cherish. His to protect. His to love.
    He took another deep breath and turned back to Brody. “We can play this however you want. You can fight me all you want or we can get along, but at the end of the day,” Carter waved his hand toward the door, “It’s still her choice. And I’ll do whatever I have to do to prove to her how much I care for her. It might be quicker than rationally possible, but I’m falling fast for that girl. And like I said, I’m not going anywhere .”
    Carter nodded toward the door and snickered out loud. “Now I’m willing to bet money she’s sitting right inside that door, listening to every word we’ve said. And there’s only one of us that looks like an ass right now.”
    Carter patted the door to the motorhome twice. “Goodnight, Gorgeous. See you at breakfast.” He turned back around. “It’s your call, Noland.”
    As he walked past Brody, he gave him a hard pat on the back. “Night.”
     
    ~
     
    Molly and Carter sat together the next morning, eating breakfast at a plastic table outside Brody’s utility