Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 91434 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91434 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
I watch her walk inside the house and head back to mine, sliding into bed and smelling her all around me. I drift off to sleep with the alarm set for six thirty so I can be at the shop by seven and help her unload. It’s something I’ve been doing also, just to make sure everyone knows she’s with me.
I pull up to the shop at the same time as Harmony gets there with her box of cakes. Everleigh steps out of the truck wearing acid-washed jean shorts with a loose white tank top that is tucked in. Her hair is piled on top of her head in a messy bun. She smiles and shares a laugh with Harmony as I walk over to them.
“Morning, ladies,” I greet them, and Harmony smiles at me.
“Morning, Brock,” she replies. After the first morning, she’s not that shocked to see me. “I’ll see you later,” she tells Everleigh before walking away.
“Did you unload the car?” I ask, and she shakes her head. “I’ll go get them.”
I help unload the car and watch her place the plastic bins to the side before she hands me a cup of coffee. “There you go, good sir,” she jokes, and I smile.
“Have a good day,” I say, leaning and kissing her. “I’ll call you later.”
She nods and someone comes to the truck, so I don’t have a chance to ask her if she is okay before I walk away. All day long, I feel a heaviness on me, and when I leave at three thirty to go get Saige, the truck is closed.
I pull up her number.
Me: Was going to drop by and say hello.
Getting into the truck, my phone buzzes.
Everleigh: They wiped me out. I had nothing left to sell. I think I might make fifty more donuts for Monday and see if they sell out.
Me: I have no doubt.
Everleigh: Good answer.
I put the phone down and make my way to the school. Waiting by the fence, I watch the door and see Saige run out. “Daddy!” She runs to me, waving her arms all around.
I catch her in my arms and lift her, kissing her neck. “Hey, baby girl.” I turn and walk to the truck with my arms wrapped around her and her laughing since my beard tickles her neck.
“Daddy.” She tries to push me off, and I finally let her go when we get to the truck.
“How was your day?” I ask as she climbs into the back seat.
“Good,” she answers at the same time my phone beeps from my back pocket.
Pulling it out at the same time I shut the door, I see it’s from Everleigh.
Everleigh: Dropped off a couple of cupcakes for Saige. Left them at the front door.
I get into the front seat and feel a fullness I don’t think I’ve ever felt before. She went out of her way, knowing that I used to always get cupcakes with her on Fridays, and dropped them off at my house. I then get really pissed she didn’t go inside and drop them off. But I’m not sure how she was going to do that with no key.
Me: Thank you, baby. I’ll let her know you dropped them off. Also have to get you a key for my place.
She doesn’t answer me, and when I pull up to my house, I immediately see the box. “Everleigh dropped off some cupcakes for you,” I tell Saige, and her eyes get big as she gets out. She runs straight to the door and picks up the box.
“Daddy, it’s heavy.” She picks it up and then looks at me. “There is a note on top.” She looks down and reads it. “Here are some sweet treats to go with your pizza night. E.”
“That was nice of her,” I say, trying to gauge how she feels.
“She’s the best, and she’s really pretty.”
“She is,” I agree, letting her into the house. “You know, we were friends a long time ago.”
“Really?” she asks. “You knew her?”
“Yeah,” I reply, not ready to give her the full story just yet. I will eventually, but for now, let’s just go with we were friends.
“Was she pretty back then too?”
“Oh, yeah.” I smile at her. “She was the prettiest of all the girls.”
“Did you like her?” she asks as she pulls out a cupcake that has a mountain of icing on it.
“I liked her a lot,” I admit, not sure we should get into the whole I love her yet.
We spend the night camped out on the couch watching movies, and I have my phone next to me in case Everleigh texts, but she never does. I don’t even know what she’s doing.
When I slide into bed after nine, I take my phone and text her.
Me: Going to bed.
I think about adding that I miss her, but I don’t and instead just press send. I put my phone on the side table before crashing. When I get up in the morning, it’s just after eight, and I reach over expecting her to be there. Getting out of bed, I walk out and see Saige is sitting on the stool in the kitchen eating a cupcake.