Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 94106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
I didn’t understand, but turned to look where Mark had been motioning. My heart skipped a beat.
Oh my God.
Ford.
He was sitting on my front porch in the dark.
“I…I…wasn’t expecting him.”
“I can see that. Are you going to be okay?”
Physically, yes. Mentally, probably not. “Umm…yeah…sure.”
I wanted to get out of the car, but I couldn’t seem to figure out how to move.
Luckily, Mark was a gentleman. While I sat there staring at the man sitting in front of my house, he got out and walked around to the passenger side and opened my door. Extending a hand, he helped me out of the car. Though my feet still didn’t move.
Mark smiled sadly. “I’d give you a kiss on the cheek, but I have a feeling that might get my teeth knocked out. So I’m going to just say goodnight. Do you want me to walk you to the door?”
“Ummm… No. I’m good.” I took a few hesitant steps and turned back. “Mark?”
He looked up.
“Thank you for being such a good friend.”
He gave a resigned nod. “Anytime, Val. Anytime.”
Somehow I managed to put one foot in front of the other while Mark pulled away. Ford stood when I got to the steps.
“Hey.” His voice was raspy, and he looked a little disheveled, but God, he was so damn handsome. Any waning emotions I felt over losing him came barreling back. My pulse started to race full speed ahead just being near him, yet my mind was screaming Run the other way! He had such an intense, magnetic pull over me that it was like fighting gravity.
“What are you doing here?”
He looked down, and I thought it was an act of shame. Oh my God. Is this a booty call?
“Can we…go inside?”
My emotions were jumping all over the place. One minute I felt hope and warmth, and the next I was angry and cold.
I walked up the stairs, brushing past him. “Go to a bar, Ford. I’m sure you’ll have no problem finding someone to go home with for the night.”
“What? No.” He reached out and grabbed my arm. “That’s…that’s not why I’m here.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I meant, could we go inside to talk?”
I looked into his eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. And maybe a little fear. I nodded. “Okay. Come on in.”
My keys jingled in my hand, shaking as I dug them out of my purse and opened the lock. Ford followed me in.
I pointed to the living room. “Just give me a minute. I’ll be right out.”
I took off my coat and hung it up, then headed straight to the bathroom. I needed a minute to get my head screwed on straight. Though five solid minutes didn’t even begin to do that, so I went back out just as discombobulated as I’d been when I walked in.
“Do you want something to drink?” I certainly needed something.
Ford shook his head. “No, thanks.”
I went to the kitchen and poured a very full glass of wine.
“Your house is really nice. I like the lampshades.”
That made me smile. He’d picked the one thing Ryan hated most. “Thank you. I forgot you’ve never been here.”
Ford was sitting on the chair, so I took a seat across from him on the couch. His elbows were on his knees, and his head was in his hands. I’d initially thought the disheveled look was because he was drunk, but now I could see it was stress.
“Is everything okay?”
He shook his head. “No.”
Oh God. I felt that freeze of panic. “Is Bella okay?”
He nodded. “Yeah, yeah. She’s fine. Everyone is fine.”
“Okay…”
He continued to stare down at the floor for the longest time before looking up into my eyes. “Actually, that’s a lie. Everyone isn’t fine. I’m a fucking disaster.”
I set my wine on the table. “What’s going on? You’re making me nervous.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry.” After a minute, he got up and moved to the couch next to me. He took one of my hands in his.
I attempted to hide the jolt his touch sent through my body by staring down at our joined hands.
Eventually, Ford put two fingers under my chin and lifted so our eyes met. “I don’t know where to start.”
“Just say whatever is on your mind.”
The two fingers he’d used to lift my chin were still resting beneath it. His thumb reached up and stroked my cheek, tenderly. “I’ve missed you so much.”
I closed my eyes. I wanted to hear those words more than anything, but I was afraid to believe they meant more than they did. The last month had been so hard, and I didn’t want to go backwards.
Ford squeezed my hand. “When I went to Chicago, I found out my father had been having an affair.”
“What? How?”
“It’s a long story, but basically, the real estate agent mentioned a few things that didn’t add up—like meeting my mom a few times when I knew she’d never been to Chicago.” He shrugged. “I followed a trail and wound up face to face with a woman my father had been with for years.”