Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 71015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
I finally got to the door and opened it wide, surprised as shit to see Tru at the door with a large casserole in her hand. “Hey,” she smiled, her bright green eyes shining. “I brought y’all a thank-you dinner.”
I opened the door wide. “Come in. We were just discussing whether to have pizza again or not.”
“Pizza, yum!” She exclaimed as she handed over the dish in her hands.
It was still hot, and I could smell the mouthwatering aroma permeating the air. “Is this Mexican?”
She nodded and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “Yep. My mom’s taco casserole recipe. It’s the bomb.”
“Did she make it through her treatment all right?” I asked as I grabbed her hand with my free one and guided her into the main room of the station.
She smiled sadly. “She did okay. She was pretty sick afterwards. I took her home and stayed with her until my dad got home. He helped make this for you guys, although he didn’t realize it at the time.”
Her mischievous grin made me laugh, which woke all the guys up in the process. Even the little shit, Dallas, raised up in his recliner, making the hat covering his face fall into his lap.
“Let’s eat, boys. Tru brought us some food!” I crowed.
I was fucking ecstatic that she’d come. So much so, that I gave her a hug once I sat the dish on the counter. “Thanks Tru.”
She stiffened slightly before moving her arms around my chest, laying her head against my shoulder.
“You deserve the moon and the stars for making my momma laugh. I’d give you a thousand casseroles just for that,” she whispered quietly.
My arms tightened around her shoulders, and a feeling started to well in my chest, making me feel full and light.
A feeling that, just maybe, would grow into an even bigger feeling.
A feeling that I couldn’t name right now, but given time, it could be something more.
Something I haven’t had for a very long time.
Chapter 7
If I have to put pants on, the answer is no.
-Tru to Cleo
Tru
“Where are you going?” Iliana asked as she eyed my outfit.
I grimaced and looked down. “I wanted to go get a new lock for our front and back door. When I got home this morning it was open again, and I think that maybe with the new lock, it would actually stay locked.”
Iliana grimaced. “Have fun. But you could’ve put on something a little more…normal. I mean you’re going to Lowe’s, not the gym.”
I flipped her off. “Says the girl who made us go out to eat at a steakhouse in our workout clothes.”
She blushed. “How was I supposed to know you’d see your crush there?”
I rolled my eyes. ‘Crush’ was such a juvenile word. What I felt was anything but juvenile when I encountered Grayson.
“It doesn’t matter. Just don’t tease me about my clothes. You know how I hate wearing clothes,” I muttered darkly, as I slipped my shoes on, sockless.
I had a problem, and it had to do with clothes.
I didn’t like dressing up.
I didn’t like dressing, period.
I was a panty and t-shirt kind of girl. The first thing to go, once I entered my house, was my pants.
Iliana was used to it. Especially when her boyfriend, Bobby, showed.
It wasn’t often that he was there since he was in the Navy, but when he was, Iliana had to make sure I knew so I wouldn’t come in stripping my clothes off.
They’ve been together since I’d known her, and I still, to this day, couldn’t see what Iliana saw in him.
Bobby was a royal dick.
If there was a royal dick family, Bobby would be the queen dick. He’s only second to one man, and that’s his brother, Colby. King Dick. Colby was not in the Navy, he was, however, on the police force.
And he was the weirdest, most condescending, slimiest man I’d ever had the privilege of meeting.
In fact, I disliked the man so much, that I stayed with my parents on the days that Bobby was in town.
Because where Bobby was, Colby was. It was kind of hard to tell the cop that he wasn’t welcome in your house. Especially since Iliana didn’t seem to have the same problem with him that I did.
“I won’t, sweetie. You don’t tease me about my chocolate fetish, so I don’t tease you about your pant fetish. Speaking of pants, you’re gonna need to wear yours when you come home, Bobby’s out for a two week leave, and he should be here when you get back,” Iliana said excitedly.
I held the grimace in check, but only barely.
Fucking wonderful. There went my weekend.
“Okay, I’ll see you in a few. I’m just running to get a new doorknob. Maybe Bobby will put it on for us?” I asked hopefully.
She grimaced. “Probably not. You know how tired he is when he gets out. He’ll most likely just hang out with Colby and play Call of Duty since it just came out.”
I sighed. Perfect.
I’d have to call my dad to come put it on if I couldn’t.
“Alright, see ya later,” I said as I walked outside to my mom’s Jeep.
She’d let me borrow it after I’d dropped her off from her treatment two days ago, letting me use it for however long I needed.
Which, hopefully, wouldn’t be long since I intended to go to a dealership and take a look at the cars this afternoon on the way home from the hardware store.
Lowe’s was my new favorite store, which officially made me old.
Especially when, thirty minutes later, I was standing in front of the electronic locks thinking it’d be cooler than shit to be able to unlock the door with my phone.
“Hey, sexy,” a cool, deep voice said from directly behind me.
I looked over my shoulder and stiffened. Shivers danced over my skin (not the good kind), and bile started to crawl up my throat as the person I’d been looking to avoid later showed up exactly where I was. How fucking lucky was I?