Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 60864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
It seemed like the question caught her off guard, but I’d rather ask than assume.
“Not often,” she said. “A glass of wine once in a while.”
“Well, working at a vineyard, you get your fill of wine,” I said. “I have a bunch of stuff down there in the cellar. There’s a wine cabinet with the stuff I’m saving, but anything else is fair game if you need to cook with it or just want a glass. A lot of it is stuff my brothers made. Blends from the vineyard. Some are really great, a couple of them are terrible. It’s a crapshoot.” I laughed, and she responded with a nervous laugh of her own.
“I think I am going to go change and get ready for bed,” Jodi said. I nodded.
“I’ll grab some extra towels for you.” I began to walk past her toward my linen closet when she grabbed my arm. I stopped and looked into her eyes, which were searching mine.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked. “Why are you being so nice?”
I shrugged. “You need help. I am in a position to provide it. That’s it. It’s how my brothers and I were raised.”
She searched my eyes for a few more seconds, and the grip on my arm lessened. She nodded, and a slight smile curled one side of her ruby lips.
“Thank you, again,” she said. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Jodi made her way to the office, grabbing her bags and bringing them with her into the hall bathroom. I went into the closet, grabbed the extra linens and put them on the bed. Then, I reached into the cabinet and grabbed an extra comforter quickly before heading back into the kitchen. Gandalf was following me, ready for his supper which was already twenty minutes late.
I patted his head, grabbed his food, and filled his bowl, crouching down beside him as he began to tuck into it. I listened as Jodi made her way into the office and shut the door. The sound of the lock engaging on one door was followed closely by the other.
“What do you think, old boy?” I asked Gandalf. “Am I making the smart move?”
Gandalf seemed less interested in my problems than he was in his food.
“That’s what I thought,” I said.
12
JODI
Tuesday morning dawned gray.
Since I didn’t blast out of sleep due to a sharp beeping sound across the room, I realized I didn’t set the alarm on my cell phone the night before. Instead, I woke slowly, and for a few brief moments before opening my eyes, I didn’t remember what had happened the day before.
I was comfortable and warm, and I drifted around in the cozy partial light for those couple of seconds before I flopped over on my belly and didn’t hear a loud creaking sound. There were all kinds of realizations coming at me that morning, that particular one telling me I wasn’t in the stiff bed of my rental room.
That morning, that silent flop was the crack in my fantasy that reminded me not only was I not in my rental room, but it was because my brother had tracked me down. Opening my eyes, I looked through the window and saw the heavy cloud cover threatening a rainstorm to come any second. I let out a long sigh as everything that happened the day before trickled back into my mind.
I didn’t want to get out of bed. I just wanted to stay there and not have to deal with anything. The fact that the bed was far more comfortable than the one in my rental room didn’t help matters. I just wanted to pull the blanket up over my head and pretend I hadn’t woken up yet.
That only lasted a little while. As much as I wanted to just stay there and not have to deal with anything, I knew that really wasn’t a viable option for my day. There were a lot of decisions looming right there in front of me, and I needed to make them.
I said goodbye to the cozy, comfortable nest in the bed and dragged myself out. A visit to the bathroom and the shock of cold water straight from the tap onto my face cut through the remaining fog, and I got dressed with a clearer mind.
The house seemed very quiet, and I thought I might be alone in it, which felt strange and uncomfortable. Derek might have scooped me right up and saved me the night before, but I didn’t think we were quite at leaving me alone in his place yet. Especially not without at least a heads-up.
But as I moved toward the kitchen, I realized it wasn’t wishful thinking but the actual smell of coffee luring me closer. When I stepped into the room, I found Derek sitting at the table, sipping coffee. Gandalf sat at his feet with Derek petting him adoringly. The giant dog was looking at Derek like he was contemplating jumping into his lap for a good cuddle.