Only Mine (Honey Mountain #5)(2)

My blood boiled, and I closed my eyes and counted down from ten. I’d always been a bit of a hothead, but I would not let this little encounter affect my day.

Not a chance. I pulled the nozzle from my car, placed it back where it belonged, and climbed behind the wheel.

As I pulled out on the road, my phone rang, and I answered as my twin sister Charlotte’s voice came through my Bluetooth.

“Hey, big day today, right? Are you ready to meet Wolf?”

There was something about my sister that always grounded me. All four of them, actually. We always had one another’s backs, and I could tell them anything.

“Yes. I just got cut off at the gas station, and this guy was such a dick!” I shouted.

She chuckled. Charlotte was the yin to my yang. The calm to my storm.

The peanut butter to my jelly.

“Did you get your gas?”

“Yes.”

“Then let it go. You’ve got an important meeting to focus on. Although, I don’t know how I feel about you actually taking this job. That would mean you’d be living in the city most of the year. It’ll be just like college again, and I won’t get to see you every day.”

I’d attended the university here in San Francisco, so the city was definitely my second home. I sat at a red light and reached for my tea, taking a sip. The warmth of the chai relaxed me a bit.

“It’s not far, and you know I’ll come home often. Plus, the season runs from October to April. I can spend summers back home. Look how often Hawk and Ever are back there. He’s an actual player, and she works for the team, too. So, if they can make it work, so can I.”

“Touché, sissy.”

“Are you on your way to school?” I asked. Charlotte taught kindergarten, and she was made for the job. She was sweet and loving and kind, and I adored her.

“Yep. They’re all getting pumped up for Halloween, so that’ll be fun. A boatload of sugar and five-year-olds is never a great mix. But, they’re framing the house today, so that’s exciting.”

My sister had married her childhood crush, Ledger Dane, not too long ago. They were building a big home in Honey Mountain. I was the last Thomas girl to remain single, and I did not see that changing anytime soon.

I’d never been that girl. You know, the one caught up in the fairy tale.

The one waiting for a man to show up on a white horse and rescue me. I’d never needed rescuing. Never, ever longed for that.

I could charge the tundra on my own white horse.

That wasn’t to say that I wasn’t a big fan of the male species.

I was.

I loved men. I just grew bored of them quickly, which was fine by me. The thought of the white picket fence and raising a houseful of rug rats had never appealed to me. I loved my nieces and my nephew fiercely, and that was enough for me. And at the rate my sisters were getting married and knocked up, I’d have plenty of little humans to spoil.

I wanted to practice law. Challenge myself. Travel the world. Experience… life.

“That’s so exciting. I can’t wait to see this masterpiece all done.”

“Me either. So, let’s talk about this final interview. How do you feel?”

“I feel like I’m going to own it. I know they have a backup candidate, so apparently, if Wolfgang doesn’t jibe with me, they may have him meet the other guy. But Duke and Roger have already told me that I’m their first choice and that I should prepare to hit the ground running tomorrow, as they have an entire itinerary lined up with agents to meet with over the next two weeks. So, I just need to woo the man’s offspring. How hard can that be?”

“For Dylan Thomas? It’s a piece of cake.” She chuckled. “Go in there and kill it. I can’t believe you’re going to be jet setting all over the place. At least you brought enough clothes with you to last much longer than that.”

“I plan on it. And, I have my lucky earrings.” My fingers moved to my earlobe, and I twisted the gorgeous pearl stud. Charlotte knew I’d wanted pearl earrings just like our mom wore every day when we were growing up. She’d saved up and bought them for me before my first interview. I’d worn them every day since.

“Ahhh… so you’ve got Mama with you, too.”

“Always,” I said. It was true. I’d felt my mother’s presence with me more than a decade after she’d passed away.

“I love you. Go kill it the way you always do.”

“Love you, Charlie. I’ll call you after.”

I pulled into the parking garage and found the Rocky theme song on my playlist. It was my go-to pump-me-up music. I turned up the volume and closed my eyes as I listened. My dad and I had bonded over these movies when I was young, and this song made me feel like I could do anything I set my mind to.

Once I’d completely channeled my inner badass, I made my way inside. The security guard, whom I’d met the last few times I’d been here, smiled when he saw me.

“Well, looky here. Miss Thomas is back for more. You aren’t letting those powerful men push you around, huh?” he teased and held up his hand, and I gave him a high-five.

“Good morning, Deacon,” I purred. “Do I strike you as a woman who gets pushed around? Never going to happen. Today is the big day, so I’ll let you know how it goes. Hopefully, you’ll be seeing lots more of me.”