Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“I won’t.” She squeezed me tight—affection came easily to her. “Thank you for letting me go.”
“No thanks necessary. Go show them all how smart you are.”
“I will.” Lowering her voice to a whisper, she pulled me down so she could put her lips at my ear. “Listen, if you change your mind about Veronica, she could always use my car this summer. I’ll leave the keys at Dad’s.”
“I won’t change my mind.” I tried to release her, but she clung like a monkey.
“She could be good for you, Austin.”
I shook her off me. “Get lost.”
“Okay, okay. I love you.”
“I love you too.” My heart ached a little watching my sister leave. She was all up in my business when she was here, but I always missed her when she was gone.
She embraced the twins. “You be good for your dad, okay?” She pointed at each of them. “Send me pics of those weekly chore charts with all the boxes checked off.”
“We will,” they promised.
“I’m gonna miss you guys.” She opened her arms for one last hug from them both at the same time. “Now go on up and brush your teeth for bed—two minutes, just like the dentist said!”
The kids went into the house, and Mabel turned to Veronica. “Well, good luck,” she said, giving the taller woman a quick hug. “You have my number, right? Text me when you get to the East Coast. Maybe we can meet up sometime.”
Veronica smiled. “I’d really like that. You’ve been so nice to me.”
I wondered where on the East Coast she was headed. Back to New York? Home to New Jersey?
“I’ll see you at the house,” Mabel called to Xander before getting into her car and driving off.
“Guess I’ll head home too,” my brother said. Turning to Veronica, he extended a hand. “Nice meeting you. If you decide to stay in town, maybe I’ll see you around.”
“Actually, I think I’m going to head back to New York.” She tucked her hands into her back pockets. “I just have to find my way to Chicago first and hope my ex lets me into the apartment to pack my clothes.”
“Damn, that guy really did a number on you.” Xander shook his head. “What a dick.”
“I let him do it,” Veronica said quickly. “I was stupid.”
Wait a minute, she was taking the blame for the way he’d treated her? For some reason, that really bothered me. “It wasn’t your fault,” I said.
Both Veronica and Xander looked at me in surprise.
“Maybe not entirely,” she hedged. “But I certainly didn’t do myself any favors by becoming so dependent on him.”
“If my bar was up and running, I’d hire you,” Xander said. “But it will be a couple months yet.”
She smiled. “I appreciate that. But I’ll be okay.”
Earlier today she’d told me she had grit and resilience, but I sensed how scared she was. I heard the tremble in her voice. My protective instincts were kicking in, and I had to sink my teeth into my tongue to prevent myself from doing something ridiculous, like hiring her.
“If you change your mind, let me know.” Xander pulled a card from his wallet and handed it to her. “My place should be open in a couple months.”
“Xander Buckley, Cole Security,” she read. “Virginia Beach.”
“I’m not in private security or Virginia Beach anymore, but the phone number’s still good.” He gave her a flirtatious grin that bugged me.
“Private security, like a bodyguard?” Veronica sounded impressed.
“Yeah.” My brother shrugged, as if he was humble. “Just for a couple years, after I left the Navy.”
At least he hadn’t mentioned being a SEAL, which surprised me, since it was usually the first thing out of his mouth when a cute girl was around.
“I was a SEAL,” he added, puffing out his chest.
Annnnd there it was.
“I should go in,” I said. Maybe these two wanted a moment alone.
“Me too, actually.” Veronica flicked the edge of Xander’s card with her fingernail. She had long, graceful fingers, and when I thought about the way she’d caressed the wooden table earlier, my body warmed. “Thank you again for letting me stay the night.”
I folded my arms over my chest. “No problem.”
She looked at Xander, then me, her eyes lingering on mine. “Well . . . goodnight.”
“Night,” Xander said.
We watched her disappear up the driveway and around the back of the house.
Then my brother turned to me and stuck his index finger in my face. “You’re a fucking idiot.”
I’d always been a light sleeper—any noise in the house will wake me, and with the windows open, any noise in the yard will too. So when I heard the door of the garage apartment open and close, then footsteps on the exterior stairs, I got out of bed.
Peeking around the shade, I saw Veronica, looking like a ghost in a white T-shirt that barely covered her ass, reach the bottom of the steps and move on bare feet across the lawn to the patio. Perching on the edge of one of the Adirondack chairs, she took out her phone. She appeared to send a text, then she put her phone down on the edge of the fire pit and buried her face in her hands. A moment later, her shoulders began to shudder, and I heard soft, pitiful sobs.