Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 94716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
I vehemently disagreed.
It’d been two weeks, six hours, and thirteen minutes since we’d met. Each and every minute that passed, was another minute to my tipping point. I was extremely close to falling in love with this man, if not already, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Yes, I knew that eventually he would be deployed. I knew that he had a chance of dying over there, but I was determined to make sure we worked. To make sure I could be the soldier’s perfect girlfriend, I would support him in every way possible.
“Hey,” Adam said, pulling him into a half hug before he pulled back away from him.
Adam’s eyes slid over to mine, but didn’t offer to give me a hug. Adam’s cold demeanor didn’t seem to register with Jack, which I was forever grateful for; I didn’t want to come in between the two best friends. I wanted Jack to be happy, and I would try my best to make sure I got along with Adam, even if I had to suck in my attitude.
“Hi, Adam.” I said solemnly.
He nodded, then opened the door wide to let us inside before closing it behind us. We entered into a house straight out of Southern Living. Everything was absolutely beautiful.
From the outside it resembled an old pier and beam farmhouse, but on the inside it was modern, with hints of country living. The open floor plan living room and kitchen was absolutely to die for; the bar that separated the two rooms was filled to the brim with food. With what I assumed, were Adam’s parents and brother crowding around picking at the food as they stood leaning against it.
I was proved right when a woman that reminded me of Samantha off the TV show Bewitched, walked up to me and gave me a huge hug.
Not knowing what to do, I hugged her in return.
“I’m so glad to finally meet you!” She gushed.
“Mom,” Adam sighed. “How about you let her get into the house before you start the hugging shit.”
“Language, Adam!” She snapped.
She grabbed a hold of my hand and started to drag me towards the other three at the table. I knew instantly that the dark haired, exceptionally handsome one in a bright red skintight shirt and faded blue jeans was Tai, Jack’s brother. The other two were most definitely related to Adam.
“John, this is Jack’s girl, Winter!” She said enthusiastically. “Winter, I’d like you to meet my husband, John. Are you thirsty?”
“No, thank you. It’s nice to meet you, John.” I smiled at him.
“You know, you kind of resemble that orphan girl that sings.” Tai said with a smirk on his face.
“Very original. Ten points for you.” I snarled sarcastically.
Jack laughed beside me and pulled me into his side. “Be nice, Taima.”
Tai raised his lip at Jack. “Don’t start. Do you want me to tell your girl here your name?”
“I already know Jackopa’s name, so you can’t use that threat.” I quipped.
They froze when I said that, and I had to wonder what I’d said that made them all look at me like I’d grown a third nipple in the middle of my forehead. “What?”
Jack sighed beside me. “I don’t tell people my name. It’s a sensitive subject.”
Tai and Adam nodded like they knew what he was talking about, and it only made me that much more curious to find out what he was talking about. However, I decided to save it until later, just in case I had to torture it out of him.
“I saw you had a pond. Do you have any fish in it?” I changed the subject.
John nodded. “Just stocked it last spring with some bass. There were catfish in there from the last time the boys went to the lake, too. You can try to feed them. I don’t normally start this early in the year but it’s worth a try.”
“Can you show me later? Stormy and I used to go to the lake all the time, but we finally gave up when neither one of us could stand pulling the hook out of the fish’s mouth.” I told them.
Snorts of amusement followed my statement.
“Why on earth would you go fishing if you weren’t willing to do that?” Tai asked the unspoken question on everyone’s mind.
I shrugged. “We thought it was a good idea at the time. Neither one of us had a clue what we were doing. I caught a fish by sheer luck, not even sure what exactly it was, now that I think about it, but it was the most awesome thing in the world. That was until I tried to touch it and it wouldn’t sit still. Then it stung me or something. It died because I wouldn’t get close enough to it again to take the hook out. I ended up just cutting the line in hopes that it would live. I figured it would just be a cute little accessory. You know, like a lip ring.”
Everyone digested that, and, finally, Adam spoke up. “You know, when Jack gets back from his tour in eight months, we should really go fishing, just so you know that it’s fun.”
“Well, yeah. That sounds great. How do you know when he’ll be back when we haven’t even heard that he’s leaving yet? ”
Silence.
Cue the crickets.
Jack took my hand and led me to the front door. “I’ll show her the pond.”
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
Ahh, hell. I was crying. I hated crying. It always made my nose stuffy and snotty, and since I was a redhead, that meant that my face got bright red. Almost as red as a tomato. I wasn’t a cute crier at all.
“All right, Jackopa. Tell me straight.”
He let out a small laugh. “I got my orders yesterday, but I hadn’t planned on telling you until tomorrow. I didn’t want to ruin tonight for you.”
I was touched by his thoughtfulness. “When do you leave?”
We both ignored the hitch in my voice. “I have another two months at Fort Sam Houston, and then I’ll deploy for six months.”