Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 30892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
I didn’t realize how much I needed those words until she said them. She’s healing a part of me that’s still grieving, still missing my father.
After a few quiet moments, the proofer dings. It’s time to put the donuts in the fryer, and I watch Sadie work. She’s incredible, the care and concern she puts into everything she does. She’s going to be an amazing mom to our kids one day.
I hope I got her pregnant yesterday. If not, I’ll have to keep trying. I need a life where I have daughters who look like their mother. I want to give her that big, happy family. We’ll raise our babies on the Maple land then one day, our babies will be raising the next generation of farmers.
When she’s done with the donuts, the afternoon rush begins. I don an apron and hairnet, helping her where I can. But mostly, I stand back and watch in amazement as she handles the flow of customers. She asks Old Man Teller how his hip is doing and talks with Pearl about her part-time job at the flower shop. She sneaks a gluten-free treat to Leo and Lyla, Old Man Teller’s grandchildren.
When it’s dinner time and the customers have finally gone, there’s only us left in the shop. I flick the sign to closed and help her clean the kitchen. She’s been up since the wee hours of the morning, and I know neither of us got enough sleep last night.
There’s a knock at the door, and I hurry to get it.
She smiles when she sees the bags from Ernie’s Diner. “You had dinner delivered.”
“You’ve worked hard on your feet all day,” I explain. If I’d had the ingredients, I would have made her a home-cooked meal. When she’s living at our house on the farm, I’ll have a warm dinner waiting for her every night. We’ll eat together on the back porch, sharing about our days and watching our kids jump through the sprinkler.
Dinner is a quiet affair and when we’re done, she asks, “Can you stay the night, or do you have to go back to the farm?”
I already texted my brothers that I wouldn’t be around for a day or two. They understood. The advantage of running our family farm is we all pitch in and help each other out to keep the place going. The next time one of them needs time off to be with their girl, I’ll be right there for them. “I can stay the night, but only if you promise not to steal my virtue.”
“Your virtue is safe, but maybe not the covers,” she teases.
Upstairs, I pleasure her again and again until she’s sated in my arms. Her head is resting on my t-shirt, her taste is still on my lips, and I’ve never been happier. “Spend the day with me tomorrow. Let me show you the farm.”
“I’d love to see your place,” she yawns again.
“Sleep now,” I tell her, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. I can’t wait to show her my house tomorrow. Pretty soon, it’ll be her new home, and I want her to love it just as much as I love her.
Chapter 11
Sadie
“And you took your salt pills?” Barrett asks.
I barely suppress a giggle. I mentioned my fainting disorder to Barrett this morning when he asked about the pill I swallowed. He hasn’t stopped hovering over me since. I think he expects me to just fall to the ground at any moment. “Yes, I took my pill, and I’m fine. It doesn’t happen often.”
He looks doubtful for a moment. “But you feel fine now.”
“I told you. I faint sometimes but not all the time. I feel great today. Now, come on. Show me this house of yours.”
He finally relents. “But you’ll tell me if you feel bad.”
“Promise,” I tell him, just so we can get out the door. Last night, we spent the night together in my bed. There’s just something about having him beside me. He really is my teddy bear.
We get to the Maple Farm just as the first ribbons of light burst through the darkened sky. Sunrise looks different with Barrett. Before him, it always came with a sense of relief, like I’d finally made it through an overwhelming battle. But now, I see it as a new adventure. A chance to spend more time with the man that’s quickly becoming my whole world.
He pulls his truck into the driveway. It’s a two-story farmhouse. It’s a cheerful yellow color with red shutters.
The porch is bare, but I imagine putting a couple of wicker chairs and some throw pillows on it. Maybe I’d even hang a fern or two.
“Your house is incredible,” I whisper right as a big mutt comes bounding onto the porch. He’s almost as tall as me when he throws himself onto his hind legs and begins to cover my face in doggie kisses.