Riding and Regrets by Bailey Bradford Read Free Book Online

you want to paint?”
    Prissy was already reaching for Seana and nodding her head. Jody handed her over and caught Noel’s sardonic smile. Jody put a hand over his heart and hoped that his wounded impression wasn’t a total bomb. Noel’s soft chuckle eased some of the tension that Jody’d been carrying around for days.
    “I’ll take her bag,” Noel offered, and Jody handed over the small backpack with the change of clothes and blanket in it. “She’ll be fine. I’ve seen little kids coming in all morning, and they’re all happy within minutes after their parents leave.” Noel’s eyes rounded. “Not that I mean the parents were making them unhappy! Just that some of them cry and scream and— Yeah, I’m just going to shut up.” Noel set the bag on the floor by his desk. His cheeks were tinged pink, and he looked so adorable that Jody actually trembled with the desire to touch him.
    “I know this is a bad time for you and all,” Noel began, only to bite his bottom lip and tuck his chin down.
    Jody’s throat went dry. He wanted to hear the rest of what Noel had been about to say, but he also didn’t want to hear it. His heart raced and his palms grew moist in the moments before Noel finally raised his head back up and looked at him.
    “I’m being completely unprofessional here, but it seems like you could maybe use a friend,” Noel eventually said. “I know I could.”
    “A friend,” Jody repeated, disappointment colouring his voice before he could stop it. Noel’s cheeks darkened. Jody realised he needed to explain his own reaction, otherwise he’d be the biggest asshole in town. Possibly even in Montana. “I’m sorry, man. I mean, yeah, friends are great and all. I just— The guy I was kind of messing around with, he decided we could only be friends once he found out I had Prissy. So the friend thing kind of caught me off guard, I guess.”
    Noel frowned and scratched the back of his neck. “Why would he say that? Seems really shi—” He coughed and covered his mouth for a second. “Oops. Language. Seems like a really crappy thing to do.”
    Jody agreed, but he wasn’t going to bad-mouth Frankie. Whatever his reasons for it, Frankie had the right to call it quits. “It wasn’t like we were dating-dating. We just, you know. Messed around.”
    Noel eyed him with an expression Jody couldn’t decipher. “Well, at least he didn’t break your heart. That might be the way to do it, actually.”
    “What’re you talking about?” Jody asked. Maybe Noel was a tad…off.
    “I mean, I keep getting treated like crap when I’m in a relationship. I’d thought the screwing around thing was juvenile, but now it seems like maybe that’s the way it ought to be done. At least for guys like me. No broken heart that way.” Noel sucked in a deep breath and exhaled noisily. He grinned at Jody. “So, if you’re interested in being that kind of friends…”
    Jody’s cock came roaring to life and he quickly swept his cowboy hat off to hold it in front of his groin. It was a dead giveaway, and Jody had absolutely no problem reading Noel’s look that time.
    “I’ll take that as a yes.” Noel took three steps and stopped just short of being inappropriately close to Jody. “I wouldn’t hide that if I were you.”
    “We’re in a daycare,” Jody squeaked out.
    Noel nodded and reached into Jody’s shirt pocket. “We are, and okay, maybe you should cover it because of that. Here’s my number.” He typed his information into Jody’s phone, then tucked it back into Jody’s pocket. As he did, Noel pressed his hand firmly against Jody’s chest. “Call me, text me, whatever. I’m working six a.m. until four Monday through Friday, and eight to three every third Saturday. Other than that, I’m all yours.”
    Noel purred those last three words and Jody whimpered. He thought he managed to make some sort of assenting sound or gesture before turning and darting out of the place.
    God, Noel was so out of