Page 14 of Cuddling Carly

There it is, he first thought. The confirmation that my Daddy radar is correct. But that thought quickly faded as more pressing ones shoved to the forefront.

“Where did you get that?”

“That’s not important right now. I’m worried—”

“It is important. Someone was obviously spying on her. That pic was taken through a window.”

The mayor looked incensed, but after her posture stiffened and the angry look faded, she said curtly, “While I do not condone the way this information was obtained, I’m still glad it was brought to my attention.” Clearing her throat, she continued. “The reputation of this town is on the line. What if we invested in a business that was later discovered to be run by a…freak…or pervert…or whatever she is.” Shaking her head angrily, she added, “It was best we knew this before we sank any funds into a partnership!”

Anger was starting to bubble deep within Wade and soon it would reach a boiling point. He didn’t like to lose his temper, and he sure wouldn’t with a lady. But at the same time, he wasn’t going to sit there and let people be cruel to Carly.

“Where did she go?”

“I don’t know.”

“Was she okay after you confronted her with this?”

Now the mayor looked a bit ashamed. “She was understandably upset.”

Resisting the urge to tell Maria Sanchez exactly what he thought about her actions, Wade rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath.

“I’ve got to find her.” He wasn’t talking to Maria.

Turning around, she called after him, “Wade! This was the best thing for the town!”

He didn’t dignify that with a response as he climbed in his truck and fired it up, glad the roaring engine dulled the sound of the mayor still trying to talk to him outside.

About to pull out, he saw Kelly walking down the sidewalk toward the mayor.

Rolling down his window, he called out, “I know what you did to Carly.”

The snotty woman hurried to his truck. “You can’t be defending her! Surely Maria showed you the photo! You really want a woman like that—”

“What I want—and what I’ll get—is you staying the hell away from her. Understand me?”

He didn’t wait for an answer.

Pulling away, he glanced in his rearview mirror and was rewarded by the sight of Kelly in an angry huff there in the street, watching him drive off.

Well, that was worth something, he thought. But it didn’t come close to making up for what they’d done to his Little Carly.

Now he just had to find his babygirl and tell her that everything was going to be all right.

Daddy would make sure of that.

Chapter Nine

“Come on. You can make it. Please?”

Carly knew it was silly to beg her car, but as it chugged up and down the winding, escalating roads of far West Texas, she figured it couldn’t hurt.

It was cooler there than it had been back home, thanks to the higher elevation. She knew because she’d just been out of her car fifty miles back to pop the hood and add some oil. Now, she feared she’d have to do that again before she made it to Mountainville.

She still couldn’t believe she was going to that fabled destination. But what was left for her back in Valley Spring? Kelly had told the whole town she was a Little. There was no mistaking the way folks had looked at her—some snickering, others whispering, while a few just quickly crossed the street to avoid her—when she’d stepped out of her car to meet with Mayor Sanchez.

And if everyone in town knew, that meant word would get around to Wade—if it hadn’t already.

Carly felt bad for standing him up. She’d been so excited about their date! Heck, she’d been excited about everything. This was supposed to be her big day! The one where she officially started the process of owning a bakery and going out with the hottest cowboy on the planet! After the county fair, it seemed as if the sky was the limit.