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Chapter Eight
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2024-10-29 12:41:58
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Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Nine
Chapter NineJosieโHey, babe.โ I lean the broom against a stall and kiss the top of Everlyโs head. โHowโs the horse doing?โShe and Aunt Kim went to the vet to check on the sick gelding and just got back. Iโve been in the barn all morning and have successfully brushed all the burs and mattes out of Freyaโs mane and tail. It was a slow process, both because her hair was a mess and because sheโs still unsure if she can trust humans yet.โEw, Mom, you stink.โโOh, I do?โ I lift my arm and fake-sniff my armpit. โI donโt think so. Wanna check for me?โEverly shrieks and dodges away. โMom, gross!โLaughing, I wipe sweat from my brow, realizing that itโs already noon and Iโve been out here all day.โHeโs really sad,โ Everly says, face falling. โHeโs skinny and dirty and he has pneumonia. The vet said heโs a fighter, though, and seems like he wants to get better. I got to pet him for a long time.โโYou pet the vet?โ I raise my eyebrows. โAnd he allowed it? I think I need to talk to this guy.
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-10-29Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Ten
Chapter TenJacobI turn down the aisle, arms full of an array of animal treats. Weโre low at the clinic and our bulk order wonโt be in for a few more days, thanks to a shipping delay. I just need a bag of horse treats and then I can rush out of here, going to my next farm call before hopefully calling it a day. Itโs Saturday and the clinic is open until one in the afternoon. Normally, I donโt schedule any farm calls on the weekend, but Iโm making up for one I had to reschedule during the week due to an emergency.Itโs a constant game of catch-up and I know I really need to just bite the bullet and hire another vet to help with my workload. If the day ever came that I did have my own family, it would be nice to spend more than a few hours a week with them and not have to constantly check my phone for missed calls or texts from clients.I round the corner and start down the aisle when I see a woman I donโt recognize looking up at a shelf. She reaches up but canโt grab whatever she want
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-10-29Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Eleven
Chapter ElevenJosieโNight, Ev,โ I say and step out of her room, closing the door behind me. Yawning, I go down the narrow hall into my room, waiting a beat for Mr. Meowester to run in ahead of me before going in and closing my own door. My body is sore and exhausted from all the physical work Iโve done today, and Iโm ready to crash into bed, listening to the peaceful chorus of crickets outside my window.I go to pull off my shirt and my fingers sweep over my sides, right where the handsome stranger gripped on to me to keep me from falling. It sends a jolt through me, and I quickly shake my head, not wanting to admit how pathetic it is. But itโs been so long since Iโve felt the touch of a man, and there was something about said handsome stranger. It wasnโt just the fact that he was incredibly good-looking.Because he is.Heโs tall and muscular, with stubble covering his sharp jaw. His eyes were a gorgeous shade of light blue, contrasting with his dark hair. He was wearing a simple t-
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-10-29Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Twelve
Chapter TwelveJosieThe second I hit snooze, I plop back down against my pillow. It feels like only a minute passes before it goes off again and, this time, I force myself up. Aunt Kim handled feeding the horses in the morning all week so I could get Everly off to school. Now itโs my turn and I donโt mind getting up to take care of them at all.But Iโm just not a morning person.Forcing myself up, I have to blink rapidly to keep my eyes open. Once my feet hit the floor, Iโm feeling more alive and less like a zombie. Itโs cloudy today and looks like itโs going to rain. I quickly get dressed in leggings and a t-shirt and pull a hoodie over top, knowing Iโll be cold when I first go outside.Careful to be quiet so Aunt Kim can sleep in, I feed the dogs and Mr. Meowster and then let the dogs out. Thankful for the automatic timer on the coffee pot, I fill up a to-go mug and head outside. The horses nicker to me as soon as I open the barn doors, eager for their hay. Taking a sip of my coffe
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-10-29Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Thirteen
Chapter ThirteenJosieโItโs legit.โ Louisa sets the stack of papers down on the kitchen table, looking around at all of us. Mom, Dad, Louisa and Ruby all got to Silver Ridge this morning after I called them yesterday to tell them about Aunt Kim. Elijah is on his way, though he doesnโt really need to be here.It was Aunt Kimโs wish not to have a funeral but, instead, be cremated and have her ashes scattered in the pasture. But not where the horses graze because she wasnโt sure if eating human remains was bad for horses or notโwhich is something she oddly specified in her will.โAre you sure?โ Dad asks, not doubting Louisaโs skills as a lawyer, but more out of shock of everything that happened. He just lost his sister, after all.โYeah. She had a lawyer draft this all up and he was good. They thought of everything and even set aside the funds necessary to cover the inheritance tax.โโYou get taxed on things you inherit?โ I echo, spinning my empty coffee mug around in my hands. โThatโs
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-10-29Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Fourteen
Chapter FourteenJacobโHey, buddy,โ I tell the gelding, whose name is now Pongo, Monday morning. After a somewhat quiet weekend, Iโm refreshed and ready to tackle another busy workweek. Pongo softly nickers to me, picking his head up. I smile, happy to see how the horse is progressing. โWe might be able to wean you down a bit on these treatments.โ Iโm holding a nebulizer, talking to Pongo as if he understands every word I say. Iโve always talked to animals like that and have always thought they understand more than we realize. Most people just donโt know how to listen.I slip the nebulizer over his nose, going slow. He didnโt like the feel of it at first but after doing five treatments a day, heโs used to it by now. I start the treatment, petting his neck for a few minutes to keep him calm. I clean his wounds while the neb treatment finishes and then clean the abscess on the miniature horseโmy other patient at the barn. Itโs looking good but is healing slower than Iโd like, so I go i
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-10-29Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Fifteen
Chapter FifteenJosieWhy am I getting the feeling that Jacob Harris, DVM, doesnโt think Iโm fit to take over Aunt Kimโs position on her rescue? All his questions and poking and proddingโall with that smug look on his faceโmade me think he was trying to set me up to fail.โItโs like he just knew I didnโt know what he was talking about, but jokes on him because I know I donโt know all that much which is why Iโm going to bust my butt to make this work,โ I angry-whisper to Riley. I open the passenger-side door of the truck for him to jump up into. I go around and get in, slamming my door with more force than I meant to.Letting out a breath, I close my eyes and lean back. Riley gently paws my arm and I open my eyes and hold his paw.โThanks, buddy. And youโre right. Getting angry wonโt solve anything. Getting to work will. So, letโs go.โThe temperature dropped again, so I zip my jacket and start the truck. I realized on the way here that the heat doesnโt work. Weโre close enough to warm
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-10-29Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Sixteen
Chapter SixteenJacobโDr. Harris?โI look up from my computer, sandwich in hand. I had two more appointments after Josie and my mind kept flitting back to her. And itโs not because her eyes shimmer or because I remembered the way the faint outlines of her nipples were visible through her t-shirt. Due to the heat-wave the last two days, the A/C in the clinic was turned up and no one realized it was still blowing out on full-blast until later in the morning.No, itโs not because my body is reacting to Josie and her somewhat annoying optimistic personality. Itโs because sheโs going to have a harder time taking care of those horses than she thinks, and, as the only vet in the area, itโs going to fall back on me. Plus, any decent human being would want to make sure the horses are cared for.โYeah?โ I lean back in my desk chair and Darla, one of the secretaries, steps into the office.โIโm so sorry to interrupt your lunch break,โ she starts, and I wave my hand in the air, letting her know
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-10-29
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Bitter Loveย ย ย Epilogue
EpilogueJacobNew Yearโs EveโฆโDo you have it?โ Rory asks, eyes wide.โI regret telling you anything,โ I hiss, kicking her under the table.โYou needed to tell me so I could help,โ my sister counters and eyes Everly, whoโs about to burst with excitement. โDo you have it?โโYes,โ I whisper-yell back. โI didnโt set this whole thing up only to forget the ring.โ Weโre at Josieโs house, and a glistening blanket of fresh snow fell overnight, giving me a perfect excuse to go on a trail ride through the woods.Where Iโm going to propose to Josie.Iโve known sheโs the only one for me since the moment I first kissed her and not long after that everything became clear to me. We tried taking things slow, figuring out our lives together, but being apart is painful and any night I lay down to go to sleep and Josie isnโt next to me fills me with a sense of emptiness.I love the nights when Josie, Everly, and I sit around the living room, playing a game or watching a movie together. And getting up a
Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Forty Five
Chapter Forty-fiveJosieโAm I doing it right?โ I take a few quick steps forward, moving my hands above my head.โNo.โ Everly shakes her head. โThatโs not even close. Watch and follow me.โ She shows me the dance move again and I canโt for the life of me follow along. Iโm not very coordinated when it comes to any sort of dancing.Everly and I both laugh when I trip and almost fall, catching myself at the last minute on the pasture fence. Weโve been out here for the last half-hour or so filming videos for social media. Phoenix Horse Rescue and Rehab is official now, though weโre still waiting for our tax exemption paperwork to come back from the IRS. Louisa helped me file everything before she left two weeks ago, and while I read online that some charities got their paperwork back within weeks, itโs most likely going to take at least three months before we see anything.โJust watch, by the end of summer. Iโm going to be a TikTok dancing sensation.โEverly laughs a little too hard and th
Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Forty Four
Chapter Forty-fourJacobโIs everything okay with the horses?โ Crystal walks swiftly back to the desk in the barn. โI saw Josie leave in a hurry and she looked like she was holding back tears. Did we get blood work back already and it wasnโt good news?โFuck.I didnโt want to lie to her. I didnโt want to start something with anything less than total honesty. But nowโฆnow I think I ruined things before they had a chance to even blossom.Swallowing hard, I keep my face neutral. โNothing has changed since this morning with the horses.โโOh, good. That scared me. Did Josie just get emotional?โโYeah. She got upset,โ I say and Iโm telling the truth. I need to focus on my job, but my mind is blanking. It takes me a few seconds to get my brain working again, forcing myself to think about anything but Josie. โPongo can go for a walk and the thoroughbred can go in an outside run next to the gray mare. Put her out first and bring her in last. He was very buddy-sour at the auction and got upset w
Bitter Loveย ย ย Chatper Forty Three
Chapter Forty-threeJosieโTime for bed,โ I tell Everly, plucking the TV remote from her hands. โItโs late and you should have showered and packed your backpack for the morning already.โEverly goes to protest but yawns instead. Both Louisa and I see it, so she knows thereโs no point in arguing.โCan I borrow something from your closet?โ Ev asks as she starts up the stairs. โIโve worn everything I brought a million times already.โโYou havenโt been in school for a million days,โ I counter and turn my head as I sit on the couch. Iโm exhausted and ready to crash into bed myself. โBut yes, you can borrow something.โโThanks, Mom.โ Everly hurries up the stairs and I take a mini break on the couch. I lean back, letting my eyes fall shut. I can hear Louisa in the kitchen, struggling to get the cork out of a wine bottle. I only have an old-fashioned corkscrew here, not a fancy electronic one like she has at home.โHey, Mom,โ Everly calls from the top of the stairs.โYeah?โโWhy do you have D
Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Forty Two
Chapter Forty-twoJacobMy ringing phone stirs me from my sleep. Blinking my eyes open, I reach for it on my nightstand and then realize itโs not there, but in the pocket of my pants which I discarded on the floor. It hurts to pull myself away from Josie, whoโs still sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her, I practically fall out of bed to grab my pants, dragging them over so I can get my phone from the pocket. Itโs an unknown number, and I send the call to voicemail. If itโs an emergency, theyโll be directed to a call center who will then, in turn, call me back. That number is one I do know, and Iโll answer.But itโs a holiday, for fuckโs sake. All I want to do is sleep next to Josie, feeling her small body against mine. The second before I flop back down, I look her over. She looks so fucking good in my bed. I want to wake up to this every damn morning. Her hair is messy, and she has pillow creases on one side of her face. Wanting to remember this moment, I scan my eyes over her again
Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Forty one
Chapter Forty-oneJosieI glance in the rearview mirror, gripping the steering wheel tightly. The roads are still wet from last nightโs storm, and there are branches and leaves scattered on the pavement. But, despite my nerves, my hopes are soaring high right now.Iโm on my way home with my first official personal rescuesโand my new thoroughbred is related to my childhood dream horse. If thatโs not fate, then I donโt know what is. I decided to name him Loki, continuing with Aunt Kimโs Norse God theme, and Everly wants to run an online contest for the rescueโs social media followers to name the gray mare.Weโre taking them, along with the three ponies Jacob is hauling, right to the clinic. He already talked to Crystal, who set up stalls. Theyโll stay there until we can be sure theyโre healthy and not contagious; though, Jacob told me not to be surprised if the mare needs to stay longer. Sheโs in rough shape and lacks the light in her eyes Pongo has, looking like sheโs completely given
Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Forty
Chapter FortyJacobA loud crack of thunder rattles the window, waking me up. Josie is still asleep in my arms, and it feels so fucking good to have her here with me like this. Itโs more than just thatโฆit feels so fucking right and I canโt explain it.The wind presses against the side of the motel, shaking the door. The worst of the storm was supposed to get here around midnight, and it seems like itโs right on schedule. We fell asleep with the bathroom light on, and it flicks off along with the rest of the power when another gust of wind blows. This time, Josie startles awake, sitting up a bit with a gasp.โItโs okay,โ I tell her. โThe power went out.โโOh. Right. Itโs storming.โ Her voice is thick with sleep, and she lays back down, resting her head on my chest. I tighten my grip on her and she hooks one leg over mine. I kiss her forehead, listening to the storm. Josie slides one hand across my chest, running her fingers up and down my arm until she falls asleep again.Iโm tired and
Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Thirty Nine
Chapter Thirty-nineJosieJacob holds my hands above my head, pinned against the door behind me. His lips press against mine and I stand there, too shocked to move, too stunned to react. In the back of my mind, a voice tells me to push him away, to tell him to stop.Because he still vexes me and Iโm not done being mad at him yet.But my willpower is gone, resolve chipping and crumbling at our feet. Why would I want him to stop when it feels this good, and each fleeting second that passes by makes it harder to forget just what I was so angry about in the first place.My eyes fall shut and I part my lips, kissing him back. Jacob lets go of my wrists, sliding his hands down my arms as he moves his mouth from my lips to my neck. I gasp, feeling heat flood my veins and my heart pounds in my chest.โJosie,โ he breathes, stepping in closer. His hands land on my waist and he grabs the hem of the scrub top in both fists, balling it up. โTell me to stop and I will.โ He brings his face back to m
Bitter Loveย ย ย Chapter Thirty eight
Chapter Thirty-eightJosieWell, shit.I step inside the room, wanting out of the rain. Jacob steps in right behind me, and weโre both thinking the same thing. Because there is only one full-size bed in this room, not two.โMaybe thatโs a pull-out couch.โ Jacob strides in, going right to the little sofa next to the bed. โNope. You take the bed, Iโll take the couch.โShivering, I take my coat off and hang it on the back of the door. My torso is dry, but the rest of me is soaking wet and Iโm freezing. โIโm smaller. I can sleep on the couch.โโItโs fine,โ Jacob presses. โIโve spent many nights on hay bales using horse sheets as blankets.โโIn comparison, the couch isnโt so bad.โ I set my purse and the little bag of supplies I bought from the motel office down on the small table, and then lean over to unzip my boots. I stepped in a puddle on my way into the office and just one sock is soaked, which annoys me more than having them both being wet. โDo you mind if I turn the heat up?โโNo, g
