Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77874 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77874 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
I wonder how this man doesn’t know how big his heart is. “That’s good with me.”
“Fine. What’s your address?”
“I’ll text it to you.”
“You’re just trying to get my number,” he responds, but gives it to me and I text him my address.
We walk to our vehicles together, and as East goes for his truck, I say, “Hey.” He stops and turns to me. “I’d like you to come eat dinner with me, but you don’t have to. If you don’t show up, I’ll respect your wishes, but I hope you do.”
He doesn’t reply. Just shakes his head, gets in his truck, and drives away.
CHAPTER FIVE
Easton
I should just go home.
No! Easton Gordon Swift, you have to go!
Ella Gracie Swift, no I don’t! I sigh, then say out loud, “It’s stupid,” into the truck with my dogs and my imaginary dead sister.
It’s not stupid to have friends. You deserve friends. I want that for you. Don’t you see that more than anything in this world, I want you to be happy?
I do see that. I wish she didn’t. Wish she would just let it go and give up on me. I wish Archer would too. He’s hanging on to this hero complex of his longer than I thought. “I’ll go,” I say.
Even more confusing than why I’m talking myself into it with a sister who’s no longer here is the fact that Archer wants me to go. I don’t understand him. I’ve spent my whole life knowing I’m a burden, feeling unwanted, knowing life would be easier for so many people without me around, especially my brothers. They had way too much responsibility because of me, and now here’s Archer, taking my shit on himself.
I follow the navigation to Archer’s house. Because I left before him, I get there first. He lives in town, while my house is on the outskirts of Birchbark. He’s in an older neighborhood with sidewalks and fenced-in backyards, houses down the block.
It doesn’t have the space my place does, not secluded where a person can just breathe. I think I’ll always need space like that, to feel like I have my own world to go to, and for the first time I wonder if that’s weird. If it’s one of those things that makes me different.
I should have asked him to my house instead, but I don’t ever have anyone there. Well, Rhett has been, and Morgan and Dusty, but that’s it.
A moment later Archer pulls into the driveway.
“We still have time to run,” I tell Pretty Girl and Casanova, but then Pretty Girl licks my face, and I know she’s telling me it will be okay.
I get out and release the dogs from the seat belts.
“You came,” Archer says.
“Did I?”
“Always so damn grumpy. I’m beginning to think you don’t like me.”
But the thing is, I do. I don’t allow myself to like many people, to think about them or get close, but I like Archer…can’t stop thinking about him. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t, and that truth makes me want to get back in the truck, pull away, and never stop driving. “They might jump on the furniture. I’ll try to keep them from it if you want me to, but Pretty Girl is allowed at home.”
“I don’t mind if your dogs get on my couch, East. I’m a lot more laid-back than you think I am.”
The dogs come with me as I follow him down the driveway to the front door. He unlocks it and motions for me to go inside. It looks like…well, an older house. It’s clean and decorated homey, nothing too fancy or loud. Lots of greens and blues. I walk over to his fireplace, photos of his family and Cass and Meadow on the mantel.
“Why don’t you have with Tripp Cassidy that family you told me you wanted?” My stomach is twisty for a reason I don’t understand. Hell, I don’t even know if Cass is queer, but my gut tells me he is.
“Because I’m not in love with him. I don’t see him that way. He’s a brother to me, and that’s how he sees me as well.”
“Never?”
“Nope. Haven’t even kissed him. You can let the dogs off the leash. And it’s late. Are burgers okay with you?”
I unhook the leashes, nervous they’ll do something Archer doesn’t like and it will make him not like me…or me not like him… Though it’s not like he truly likes me anyway.
“East?”
“It’s food, so they’re fine.”
He chuckles. “Man after my own heart.”
I follow him into the kitchen while the dogs sniff around. He washes his hands, puts a bowl of water down for the dogs, then pulls ground beef from the fridge.
I’m in Archer Thorn’s house, and I can’t figure out how I feel about that.
“Do you like to cook?” he asks.