Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 104037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Hate to think it, but she and Trevor deserve each other, and neither deserves my beef Wellington.
As tough as I try to act, I’m feeling tattered, knowing I’ll never be what she wants. So why try for any more? Focus on me. Easier said than done.
A text vibrates my phone, causing me to look down. I expect to see a message from my mother, but it’s from Willie at Deer Lake. My car is ready for pickup.
Great. Now I have more to deal with.
I look into the mirror, adjusting my hair, and trying to keep myself from crying. I’m exhausted and it might be time to call it a night. The note stuck to the mirror catches my attention before I walk away. I love you. L. So few words have such a big impact. Another mystery I hope to solve one day.
The L reminds me of Laird, but I don’t want him to think I’m seeing someone else. I carefully unstick the note from the glass and cross the room to tuck it into the nightstand drawer.
Just as it lands, I glance down one more time, rereading it as if I don’t know it by heart, like the handwriting, already, and then close the drawer.
I return to the laundry with Laird still on my mind. It’s only been a few hours since we’ve parted, but I can’t help but wonder if he’s also thinking about me. With my phone in hand and Laird on my heart, I text: Want to go to Deer Lake with me?
28
Poppy
There’s no horse. And no armor in sight.
But when I trot down the last remaining stairs and see my sexy boyfriend sitting in a stunning matte black Ferrari convertible, I’m not disappointed.
“Need a ride, beautiful?”
“I sure do.” Nodding toward my apartment, I ask, “Up there, or are we talking about cars?”
Laird chuckles and hops out of the car. Coming around, he stands in front of me. With me needing two steps to come close to eye level with him, I still lift to close that gap. Taking me by the waist, he kisses me. It’s not sweet, nor is it polite. I wrap my arms around his neck and sink right into the fantasy of this man.
When we part, he says, “I missed you so fucking much, baby.” There’s no smile on his face or laughter in his voice. This man missed me as much as I missed him.
“I love you,” I say, not wanting him to ever think time apart means anything less than I’m madly in love with him. I get the smile just like I got the guy and stare into amazing eyes. “I missed you, too.”
“I’m glad.” That smile becomes a full-blown smirk, and then he asks, “You ready for Deer Lake?”
I sigh, the fun suddenly gone. “I guess. It must be done.” He takes my hand and escorts me to the car. I add, “I appreciate you driving me to pick up my car. We have hours ahead of us.”
“Me trapped in tight confines with the most incredible woman I’ve ever met for hours on end? Yeah, I’m good with this plan.” He opens the door for me, winning bonus charm points. Not that I’m keeping score.
“What happened to the truck?”
He runs around and slides his body into the lower sports car. I’m surprised he fits since his legs are so long. He shuts his door and turns to me. “It’s been a while since I’ve been able to drive the Roma. I wanted to take her out for a spin.” He pulls away and then adds, “And I was hoping to impress you.”
“You impressed me the moment you told me it was tempting to let the bears get me.”
Laird bursts into laughter, the sound saturating the inside of the car and filling my heart. After talking to my mom last night, I went to bed thinking about how quiet it was in my apartment. It wasn’t for lack of sound, though, that’s subdued most nights too. It was lonely without my giant of a loving man.
The space I wanted turned out to be space I didn’t need. The call with my mom made me realize the love I didn’t have is found in him. But more importantly, he’s not said anything about me being gone other than he missed me. This man will give me anything I need, even to his own detriment.
I won’t treat that lightly.
Still chuckling through a heavy breath, he reaches over and holds my hand. “Will you ever forgive me?”
“You were forgiven the moment you stopped to help me when my car broke down.” I shrug with a laugh of my own. “I knew you couldn’t be all bad if you were worried about me.”
He gives my hand a little squeeze before returning it to the steering wheel. “We’ve come a long way, baby.”