Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29566 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 148(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29566 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 148(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
“Can I have the one with gummy bears?” Parker asks.
“Get whatever you want,” Greer answers Parker. He’s standing next to me as the kids ooh and ahh over the donuts. His voice is pitched low when he says, “That goes for you too.”
“Maybe next time,” I murmur, thinking of Spencer’s constant commentary on my body and why it wasn’t attractive to him.
Greer growls and squeezes my hip. “Fuckin’ love your curves. I dream about them every night and work my cock to them every morning. You eat whatever you want, and you enjoy every fuckin’ bite.”
My cheeks heat at his words. I glance around but the boys are distracted by the donuts. I glance up at him. “You don’t think I’m too big?”
“You’re perfect in my eyes. Don’t you ever doubt that.” He tweaks my nose. “And I plan to have my hands all over you the moment you’re ready. I’ll worship your body day and night on my knees, going to pledge my undying devotion to these curves.”
“I think I’m going to like being the cowboy’s girlfriend.” As soon as I say the words, I wish I could take them back. “I didn’t mean to assume…it’s not that…we aren’t really—”
He stops me with a firm press of his lips to mine. “If you like being the cowboy’s girlfriend, then you’re going to love being the cowboy’s wife.”
Even though the man is crazy, I still smile. I shouldn’t encourage his silly talk, but tonight, I want to believe in love. I want to believe that there could be a happy ending for me and my brothers. Still smiling, I choose the donut with pink frosting and white sprinkles.
Greer
“You doing alright?” I ask Evie after we tour the farm. The boys loved the horses. I let them ride on a little pony we have. They were both delighted. Chase didn’t even bother hiding his excitement for once.
We’re walking toward my place now, the cool evening air around us. Her hand is in mine, and this is how it should always be. I want to end every day like this, holding my girl’s hand and talking with her.
The boys are racing ahead of us, chasing each other through the tall grass and just being kids. I get the feeling they don’t get too much of that in their everyday lives. That will be something I change. With me around to protect them and their sister, they’ll be able to relax and just have fun. They’ll know a carefree childhood from this moment forward.
“I’m OK,” she answers a little too quickly. “Just tired.”
I stop walking and give her hand a gentle squeeze when she does too. “Talk to me.”
The grimace she gives me is filled with pain. “The steroid gives me a raging headache for a few days. It’s starting now.”
I hate that the medication that’s supposed to help is causing pain. “What can I do?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll go back to the apartment and take some pain relievers. Maybe hit the bed early if the boys are tired enough.”
“Or stay here tonight. Let me take care of you.” If she’s here, I can look after her. At her arched eyebrow, I hold up my hands. “Nothing like that.”
Evie chews her lower lip for a long moment. “I can't do that. The boys don't have clothes or toiletries.”
Her response tells me she’s seriously considering the idea. All I have to do is nudge her toward it. “My mom used to foster kids. She still donates backpacks filled with clothes and essentials. She won’t mind if I take a couple of them.”
She sighs softly. “I don't want us to be a burden.”
I want to reach out and touch her face. I want to pull her into my arms and crush her against my chest. “When are you going to understand that taking care of you and your brothers will never be a burden in my eyes?”
She starts to smile but winces instead. “Just for tonight.”
It only takes me a few minutes to settle the boys and Evie at my place. The three of them are streaming an action movie.
I leave them there with strict instructions not to answer the door for anyone but me. The family farm is just rural enough that no one would accidentally stumble on my place. Anyone that shows up is likely the same person that hurt them. That’ll never happen again. Not so long as there’s breath in my body.
It doesn’t take me long to get to my mom’s place. I only live a quarter of a mile down the road. I’d originally planned to custom-build my house on the east edge of the property, near the waterfront. I’d imagined long weekends spent boating and fishing.
But as the symptoms of multiple sclerosis showed up in her life, I changed my plan. I didn’t want to be miles away from my mom if she needed me. Now I’m doubly glad I live so close. If Evie and the boys ever need anything, I know my mom will look after them.