Total pages in book: 244
Estimated words: 236705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1184(@200wpm)___ 947(@250wpm)___ 789(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1184(@200wpm)___ 947(@250wpm)___ 789(@300wpm)
“What I mean is . . . I just think it would be great to see you with someone who makes you happy,” Nisha adds, “I would love to see that. Bet I’m not the only one of your friends who wants that.” With a playful grin, she gestures to the rest of the table.
TJ lifts his old-fashioned, a smirk on his face. “I’d love to see that, O.”
“I definitely would,” Holden puts in with a grin.
Soon, the whole table is chiming in with their plans for my romantic future.
“I can see him with someone funny. A guy with a wicked sense of humor,” Hailey says, and I want to say yes, and I found him.
“Someone who likes animals,” Nisha adds, and she couldn’t be more spot on.
“That’s always a plus. Hey, free vet care when you’re in Tahoe,” Tobey says, and I want to loosen all this tension in me and say Tobey, you were not wrong, you were not wrong at all, and your vibe detector is perfectly calibrated.
“Someone you can travel with. We love to travel,” Steven suggests, and the coil winds tighter because that’s true as well. That’s so damn true.
“And someone you can just hang out with wherever you are,” Brooks puts in.
Stop reading my mind.
Jillian lifts her glass. “It’s always a bonus if a man is good in the kitchen.”
There’s a pause before River weighs in. “Or the bar,” he adds, but there’s a note of hurt in his voice, and a tick in his jaw, and something like sadness in his gorgeous brown eyes.
He is finally looking at me.
And I’m looking at him across the table.
Seeing everything I’ve ever wanted. Seeing the only man I want.
My throat tightens. My chest squeezes. A jack-in-the-box winds tighter inside me.
I clench my jaw, try to take a deep breath.
Try to let all these inconvenient, untimely, far too big feelings go.
Try to remind myself that later, I’ll find the perfect moment to tell River. Maybe outside. Or on the deck. Or I’ll sneak into his room.
Or.
Or.
Or.
Fuck the perfect moment.
I can’t take this a second longer.
I rip off the Band-Aid all at once, stripping my whole heart bare at the dinner table. “I’m not getting on Boyfriend Material. Because I already met someone,” I say to everyone. “And he’s all of those things. He’s everything.” My gaze lands on River as I say the last words. “He also happens to be my best friend, and I’m in love with him.”
River freezes.
I can’t read a thing from his features except shock.
Complete and absolute shock.
In fact, everyone is wearing the same goddamn expression.
And holy hell, that felt freeing. Like an elephant floated off my shoulders holding just the string of a balloon.
I push back my chair, catch my breath, then point to the door, putting my PR voice back on. I’m cool and calm as I scratch the back of my neck like that was no big deal. “I think I’m just going to get some air. But hey. Those were some great mashed potatoes.”
And just like that, I leave.
22
RIVER
Tobey thrusts his arms in the air. “Called it! I was right. Like a Navy Seal. Like a badass vet.”
Nisha slaps a hand over her cousin’s mouth. “This is not about being right.”
TJ just smiles, watching the front door snap closed, like he’s proud of his friend.
Everyone else appears fascinated with their food.
I don’t move because I’ve never felt like this before. Warmth floods my body, fills all my cells. It’s like I’ve drunk a happiness potion and I’m glowing.
I’m just so damn joyful I’m not even sure I know how to speak, to move, to live.
Except, even though I feel great, Owen probably feels terrible.
He has no clue I’m floating on Cloud Nine.
No idea he said everything I’m feeling.
And just like that, I unfreeze.
I lift a finger, consider saying something clever, but all that comes out is, “Excuse me.”
I head to the front door, yank it open, walk down the steps that have been swept free of last night’s snow, and into the frigid night.
Holy igloo.
Wrapping my arms around myself, I rub my palms on my biceps, my gaze swinging left and right, hunting for the man who just professed his love for me.
Only he’s nowhere to be seen.
What the what?
I rush down the stone path to the sidewalk. It’s been shoveled, and some of the snow has melted, but there are still a few inches, and Owen clearly has polar bear blood.
I sweep my gaze to the left, and the street is empty. The night is quiet. Stars wink on and off above in the dark blanket of the sky. I turn right to the corner and there he is.
Walking back to the house.
My heart goes haywire, thumping madly in my chest. And the cold melts away as buzzy, warm tingles slide down my spine.