Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 120708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
“What kind of secret?” I asked wearily.
He giggled. “The only kind there is, silly!”
I laughed and hit my forehead with my hand. Okay, this would be easy to handle, no problem. “Of course, silly me! Okay, I promise I can keep a secret. Hit me with it.”
Blayze frowned. “I can’t hit you with it. It might hurt it.”
It was my turn to be confused, but then I realized it was my choice of words. “No, I mean go ahead and tell me the secret.”
Then what Blayze said finally registered.
“Wait, what do you mean it might hurt it?”
“The baby rabbit I snuck into the barn yesterday.”
My eyes widened in shock, and I nearly fell back on my ass. “The baby rabbit?”
He nodded. “She’s really pretty. And Renee, my friend from Sunday school, told me I could have the puppy too.”
This time I let myself sit. “The…the puppy?”
“Yeah, they were moving and stopped by so that Daddy could give Renee’s daddy a name of some guy he knows in Colorado where Renee is moving. She showed me the bunny and puppy that were in the backseat of her daddy’s truck. She said they were giving them away. So, I took them.” He said it with a little shrug, so matter of fact that I almost laughed.
“What did you do with them?” I asked.
“I put them in the barn, back in a stall that Daddy or Mommy aren’t using.”
“You’re hiding a puppy and bunny in your folks’ barn?” I asked, making sure I got the secret right.
“Yep! I’ll take you to see them later.”
Oh, heck no. I would definitely be spilling this secret, but to whom? Lincoln or Brock? I figured Brock was the safer pick.
I forced a smile. “Blayze, I think this is really big news. Such big news that you really should tell your daddy about it.”
“But Renee said I had to keep it a secret, or she’d get in trouble.”
I rubbed my temples. This was not territory I was used to dealing with. “Um, well, I think if you keep this a secret much longer, you’re going to be the one getting in trouble, Blayze. You need to come clean and tell your folks about the rabbit and puppy.”
His face went white as a sheet.
Tanner and Brock walked into the dining room and saw me on the floor. They both frowned.
“Why are you sitting on the floor?” Tanner asked.
I jumped up and went to make an excuse, when Blayze suddenly decided that coming clean in that moment was the right thing to do. “So, Daddy, I have a rabbit and a puppy, and Miss Timberlynn said I needed to…what was it? Come clean?”
Brock drew his brows in tight and then looked at me. I held up my hands. “Nothing to do with this at all. Nothing. At. All.” With my hands in the air, Tanner came to my side.
Brock looked back down at Blayze. “What do you mean, you have a rabbit and puppy?”
“Renee…she gave me her rabbit and puppy.”
Brock closed his eyes. “Lincoln is going to…I don’t even want to think about it, to be honest with you.”
Tanner tugged me closer to him, clearly trying not to smile.
Brock’s phone rang, and he pulled it out. “It’s Paul,” he said with a confused expression. “Hey, Paul, what’s going on?”
Brock kept his face neutral, but at one point I swear the corner of his mouth twitched with a hidden smile. “No problem, Paul, the gate’s open. Completely understand.”
He hung up and looked down at Blayze. “Your life has been spared, son. Renee confessed to giving you the rabbit and puppy. Paul had already promised them to another family in town.”
I was positive we all let out a collective sigh of relief. Blayze took it a step further. “Good thing Renee came clean too, huh, Dad?”
Brock laughed. “Yeah, buddy. It’s always best not to keep secrets.”
Blayze nodded. “Hear that, Miss Timberlynn? You shouldn’t keep secrets.”
And with that, he turned and headed out of the room as Brock and Tanner both looked at me.
“I only promised to keep the secret when I thought it was going to be something cute!”
Brock nodded. “Best you learn this now, Timberlynn. If that boy asks you to keep a secret…”
“Run,” Tanner and Brock both said in unison.
Chapter Twenty
TIMBERLYNN
Christmas Day
Lincoln walked over, wrapped her arm around my waist, and pulled me off to the side. “Okay, you cannot leave me in the dark until we get alone time with Kaylee. She’ll understand if you tell me first.”
I gave her a confused look. “Tell you what first.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t play innocent. You and Tanner! I’ve never seen him look so utterly happy.”
I knew if I could look at myself right now, I’d most likely be blushing. Good grief, if I kept getting embarrassed like this, I wouldn’t ever have to wear makeup again.