Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 89674 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89674 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
“I want to share with you that I’m not earning as much as I used to, and I’ve hired a paralegal to assist in the office, which impacts the profits. Amelia does her best, but she’s more suited for answering phones and welcoming potential new clients. We’ll need to rely on this income for some time, possibly even years, maybe longer,” he said.
I nodded, maintaining my silence. How many different ways could I say that I wanted to live off the money I earned? Even now, with Scott taking so much money, I had way more than I wanted.
“Come home with me tonight,” he murmured quietly. “Before you say no, I won’t pressure you to stay. It’s been too long since we’ve been together. I’m hard as hell, and you know only you can relieve me.”
Since I felt the exact same way, my desire desperately nudged me to say yes. Yet, something held me back. Maybe it was the thought of Duke or Dixie, who only tolerated me being gone for the hours I had to work, or maybe I was the dumbest human being on the planet. The truth probably fell closer to the latter, but my mind insisted on upholding my boundaries and timeframes until we slowly began dating again.
“Not tonight.” The words tasted like sawdust in my mouth.
“I’m disappointed,” he replied, leaning in closer. “Have you eaten? Would you like to have dinner with me?”
No, I hadn’t eaten and needed to get home to let the dogs out of their cramped quarters, but I found myself nodding. Neither of us moved to the other side of the booth. For the first time in years, I felt the connection we had once shared tugging me closer to him.
Dash
Two weeks later
I had a knack for being sneaky—or at least, I hoped I did. Hidden behind one of the highest sand dunes, I sat crisscross in wait. I had two treats already to be devoured. Initially, I aimed to win over Beau’s dogs before moving back in with him. Now, I found I genuinely enjoyed Duke and Dixie. Many may say my actions bordered on stalkerish, and maybe they were right, but I chose to believe these were acceptable actions in my quest to win Beau back. Either way, this was my routine every Tuesday evening. To my knowledge, Beau didn’t know I was here. The dogs, on the other hand, quickly sniffed me out, darting behind the dune with me to wolf down the treats and receive a full body rub.
Based on how well cared for and well trained they appeared, I deduced Beau fed them a nutritious diet, which led me to seek out homemade dog treats. I was spending quite a bit of money on organic fresh food treats.
This evening, when they darted around the dune to greet me, they came rushing toward me, taking the turn with skidding haste, tumbling into each other to get to me.
“Hi, you two,” I whispered, extending my hands, no longer afraid that they’d gobble them up.
I offered another treat, petting each of their heads. “Make sure you keep taking care of our guy, until I can get there. Okay?”
We never had long. Beau kept an eye on his dogs. As if on cue, I heard his familiar whistle. They both eagerly grabbed the last treat and took off as they arrived, in a rush.
I sat there, digging my toes in the sand, dressed in shorts, a T-shirt, listening to the ocean churn. I was surprised that the seagulls hadn’t spotted me yet. Eventually they would. Despite the tranquility of the moment, I rose to my feet but remained crouched to check if Beau had left. Sometimes, he lingered, playing with balls and frisbees, but not this evening.
I grabbed my sack and backpack and headed off in the opposite direction.
28: The Year
Beau
One year after separation
What I loved about this townhome was the ocean view from the front windows, and the small, gated backyard. One of my first purchases was a comfortable patio table and a Weber Jumbo Joe charcoal grill. Other than that, it was a dog haven. Toys and assorted dog agility equipment to keep them busy were scattered all over the place. Duke and Dixie spent a large part of their evenings here as long as I hung out here with them.
I currently sat at the table, researching the different climbing clubs in the area. It had been well over a year since I’d taken part in a climb. If I could drive to the mountain range, I think Duke and Dixie could take the trip with me. They were well trained. Since all my thoughts these days were centered on Dash, I planned to book a trip for the four of us after the dust wore off of our rusty start.