Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 111138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 370(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 370(@300wpm)
She shook her head as she walked toward MJ’s in the center of town. She should be grateful that he wasn’t. Even though she’d had no prior experience, she’d always felt he was a bit lacking in the sex department. And after Sam Brand, she was sure of it. Clayton had been too fast, clumsy, and definitely selfish. Even in her inexperienced state, she’d known how selfish he was. He’d left her nearly there more often than not, which had been completely frustrating. And he’d constantly blamed Lia for the lack of fireworks in bed. Calling her cold and frigid and boring. It had been cruel and had made her feel inadequate and belittled. But she had believed that things would improve after marriage. Looking back, Lia couldn’t believe how naïve she had been. And definitely much too desperate to get that ring on her finger.
MJ’s was usually close to empty this time on a Thursday, and she could immediately see that Daff wasn’t there yet. She smiled at the waitress and made her way toward the back of the room, to her and Daff’s usual midweek lunch table. This was a fairly new ritual, since Daff had quit her job only a few months ago, but it probably wouldn’t go on for much longer. Daff, who was doing an online course in marketing, would be temporarily managing her boyfriend’s sporting goods store while Spencer focused on launching his new store in the neighboring town of George. Her ultimate goal was to handle all the marketing and advertising for Spencer’s business.
Lia had already put in an order for two coffees when her sister stepped into the restaurant. She made a beeline for their table, stopping to exchange a few words with the waitress before sitting across from Lia.
“That man is going to be the death of me,” she complained without preamble, and Lia grinned. Daff liked to bitch and moan about Spencer, but Lia couldn’t recall ever seeing her older sister happier.
“What’s up?”
“He’s still being really stubborn about me moving in with him,” Daff said, her eyebrows furrowed and her face dark with displeasure. “I’ve already given Daisy notice.” Daff had been talking about moving in with Spencer for months. The only problem was that Spencer seemed to have other ideas. He was more traditional than Daff and uneasy about the message living together would send to his fifteen-year-old half sister, Charlie.
“He’s worried about Charlie,” Lia said. It was really sweet how concerned Spencer was about appearances and making sure his sister had proper role models in her life.
“Charlie’s a savvy girl—it’s not like she doesn’t know what Spencer and I get up to when he’s at my place. Especially since he gets home close to two every morning. I’m getting fed up with sleeping apart. But he absolutely refuses to stay over. And do you know what he asked me the other night? He asked, ‘What would your parents think if we moved in together?’”
Lia stifled a smile at her sister’s absolute disgruntlement. It was a familiar rant, and Lia let it wash over her as Daff continued to huff and puff.
“It’s just the way he is, Daff. You have to respect that about him,” she said when her sister finally ran out of steam and Lia could get a word in. Daff’s face softened.
“I know. And I love him for it. So damned much. I mean, the man is perfect. I just want us to move forward. I wish he’d hurry up and propose already.” Lia snorted at her sister’s words. Last year Daff would have run screaming in the opposite direction if anybody had mentioned marriage to her. But she was eager to take the next step with Spencer.
“Why don’t you propose to him?” Lia asked curiously. It wasn’t like Daff to sit around waiting for something she wanted.
“He absolutely forbade me to. Told me he was going to ask me, but only when he feels the time is right. The time was right four months ago. All of this now is just wasted time.” Lia tried hard not to laugh. Her prickly older sister wasn’t the most patient of people, and it was funny to see her like this.
“Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to come shopping with Charlie and me on Saturday.”
“Special occasion?”
“Charlie was invited to a friend’s sixteenth birthday party. And Spencer is being dumb about it—he actually tried to tell her she couldn’t go. Because there’ll be boys at the party.” Daff rolled her eyes. “I had a long private chat with him about trusting her and allowing her to spread her wings, blah blah blah, et cetera, et cetera. I’m so grown-up these days, it’s sickening.”
Lia laughed. Their waitress, an older woman named Suzy, brought the coffee and a huge glass of red wine for Daff. Lia eyed the glass with a raised brow, and Daff glared at her.