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)
This man breaks my heart. “I want to share it with you. You gave me a butterfly, and now I want to build a wooden car with you.” I don’t want to scare him, but the truth is, I want to do everything with East. Want to share everything with him.
“Okay.” He points to the sink. “Now wash your hands.”
I chuckle. “Yes, sir.” I go to the sink and do as he said. “How do we make dinner?”
“I hope you know you’re about to learn my secret recipe. You should feel lucky.”
“I do,” I reply, meaning that in more ways than one. East’s gaze snaps to mine, watching, studying, before he nods.
He walks me through every step, the two of us making chicken, fettuccini Alfredo, and a salad for dinner.
When it’s done, I feed the dogs for him, and then we sit at the table to eat together.
“I went and saw Rhett,” he says about halfway through the meal. Weeks ago, he never would have told me that, and I can’t help but swell with pride for him. “Shit. You know that. I said that’s where I was earlier.”
“I still want to hear about it if you’d like to share.”
He goes quiet for a moment, one of those where he’s lost in his head, and I wonder what’s going on there, before he replies, “It wasn’t anything special. I told him about Gracie’s…and said he should give Morgan a chance.”
“That was nice of you, supporting your brothers that way.” How did I live my whole life in this town and never saw how estranged the Swift brothers were?
“Like I said…it was nothing.” He takes another bite, chews, and swallows. “Invited him over here…when Morgan and Dusty come to see the dogs. Don’t know when yet, but he said he would come. Think I gotta work up to it.” Another bite, and he doesn’t make eye contact, but he’s letting me in. Easton is talking to me, and I want to jump for joy but also hate that it’s so hard for him. I also notice he still says they’re coming to see the dogs and not him.
“That’ll be nice. It’ll be good for you guys to spend some time together. I can tell how much Morgan and Dusty care about you. Rhett too, that night at the jail.” But I just don’t know Rhett as well as the others.
He shrugs, then twists some noodles around his fork. “I know you’re busy and stuff. You have work, and your family, and…hell, I don’t even know when, but…” Easton sighs, then looks up at me. “Will you be here too?”
“Yes. Fuck yes. I’d be honored to be here.” He rolls his eyes and tries to look away, but I reach out, take hold of his chin, and he lets me. “I’d be honored to be here, sweetheart. When I said always, I meant it.”
He offers another sigh. “I don’t know that anyone deserves you.”
My heart softens, that feeling inside me for East growing by the second. “I’m nothing special.”
“Yeah, you are.” Then he clears his throat and points to my plate. “Eat. You like it?”
“It’s fucking delicious.” We finish our meal without talking about anything serious, then take the dogs out, before East pulls a small card table from the garage and we set it up for the puzzle.
I open the box, and we pull out all the pieces and directions.
“Damn. This is hardcore.”
I snicker. “It is, but they’re fun. At least I think so. I feel rewarded when I finish, and once you get the hang of it, they’re pretty easy.”
And then…we sit side by side for hours, working on the puzzle. We talk about movies we like and cars he’s worked on, and I talk to him about my friendship with Cass and Meadow. It’s the easiest conversation we’ve had, one where nothing heavy comes up, and I feel a lightness in East that’s rare. These moments mean so much to me, I want to soak them in. The more I’m around East, the more I realize he’s what I want.
“I’m glad he’s good…about Meadow. Not everyone would be,” he says.
“No, they wouldn’t be. This world is fucked up that way. Just don’t get why we can’t hope everyone finds their happiness no matter what it looks like.”
“She’s a great kid.”
“Yeah, she is. There’s not a thing in the world Cass wouldn’t do for that girl. She’s his whole damn world—especially after April left. He stepped up to the plate in a way not many people would, and he does it easily.” I worry the conversation will take a more emotional turn, but I also don’t want to shut down anything East wants to talk about.
“Makes sense the two of you are so close. You’re both good men.”
It’s so damn hard to stop touching him sometimes, and part of me thinks East needs it, craves it, so I brush the back of my hand against his cheek. “So are you.”