Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“I’ll take one more,” I say, handing her my glass.
She follows Cricket into the kitchen.
I take my phone out of my pocket and check for missed calls or messages from Dylan, even though I would’ve felt it vibrate against my leg. Since our hug, he’s been a little less abrasive. I expected more of a pushback when I asked him to watch Carter this evening. Surprisingly, he agreed with little more than an eye roll.
A part of me wonders if he doesn’t secretly enjoy spending time with his brother. I never asked him to watch Carter in Boston. They spent little time alone together. But in the few days we’ve been in Alden, they’ve been together a ton.
Maybe it’s because there aren’t a ton of alternatives. Or maybe the slower, small-town life is as good for him as I hoped it would be.
There are no messages, so I type out a quick text to check in.
Me: Are you and Carter doing okay?
I expect it to take a long time for him to reply. Instead, he surprises me and sends a selfie of himself with his brother in the living room. A drama about a boy doctor is on the television in the distance.
My heart warms.
Me: I love you guys.
There’s no reply.
I sigh, putting the phone back in my pocket. “Sorry. I just wanted to check on the boys.”
Scottie smiles. “No worries.” She shifts in her chair. “You know, when I was eight, I lost my father to cancer.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. Clearly, that was a long time ago.”
I give her a small smile.
“But what I want to say is that my mother cried and had her moment. Then she picked herself right back up and lived her life. I don’t know how she did it, looking back. But I remember thinking that if she could smile again, so could I. We didn’t realize it then, but she helped us heal by healing herself. She went out with her friends and took us to the movies, and we took vacations. And eventually, she started dating again. Mom wound up married to the best human in the world.”
“That’s great, Scottie.”
“So while I don’t know what you’re going through and hope you don’t think I’m putting my nose where it doesn’t belong, I just wanted to share that with you. I have experience on the child side of that coin. Thought it may help.”
Her words touch me—not just because of what she said. It’s that she said it. That she cared enough to share something so private with a woman she doesn’t really know.
“Thank you,” I say. “It means a lot that you told me that.”
“Of course.”
Voices grow louder as Della and Cricket return.
“Just try it,” Della says, taunting her. “He’ll blow more than his mind.”
“You are filthy.” Cricket hands me my glass and then takes her seat. “You don’t have to do . . . all of that to keep a man happy.”
Scottie and I exchange a grin.
“So, Gabby . . .” The way Della says my name tightens my stomach. “What did you think of Mr. Stetson?”
“Who?”
“Your neighbor. Jay Stetson.”
Oh, crap.
The look on her face makes it abundantly clear that she either heard about what happened or . . .
I gulp.
Jay wouldn’t have told her . . . would he? I haven’t said a word to anyone about falling off the damn porch. But if he didn’t tell her, that leaves the other option.
Della licks her lips. “I saw.”
“You saw what?” Cricket asks, looking between us.
I take a long—too long—drink of my paloma. The tequila burns down my throat, splashing into the pool of liquid that’s been churning for a while. Heat shoots through my veins as my mind settles on Jay.
“Oh, it’s no big deal,” I say, practically breathing fire from the drink. “One of the rails on my back deck broke, and I fell off it into the bushes.”
Della does that thing with the corner of her mouth.
“I was in a towel,” I say quickly before she can out me. “And Jay had to come over and help me out of it.”
“Out of the towel or out of the bushes?” Scottie asks.
Della bursts out laughing.
I give Scottie a look.
“Hey, I’m just saying . . .” Scottie whistles through her teeth. “I’d shed my towel for that man. Have you seen him shirtless? Hot damn.”
“He was nice but a little distant.” My brows pull together. “I wouldn’t say he was unfriendly. Just . . .”
“He’s just Jay.” Della shrugs. “I can be over here in a string bikini, bent over my lawn mower, and the man doesn’t look at me twice.”
What? With those curves? How is that even possible?
Cricket sighs. “He’s always polite. And he sometimes stops and talks to Peter if he’s working on the front lawn. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen him with a woman.”