Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
“How’s it going?” I give his hand a shake, and he smiles at me before looking down at the woman at his side.
“My wife is here for a few days, so it’s good. Babe, this is Denver. Denver, my wife Steph.”
“Nice to meet you.” I lift my chin then reach out and tag Bre’s hand when I see her trying to scoot away, probably to go hide out at the table or in the bathroom. “This is Aubrey. Bre, this is Scott and his wife Steph. Scott’s the guy who overhauled my engine last year.”
“Nice to meet you both.” She ducks her head slightly, and I give her hand a reassuring squeeze before dropping it so I can wrap my arm around her shoulders. She doesn’t pull away like I expect her to. Instead, she tucks her body closely against mine like she’s using me as a shield.
“You guys mind if we join you for a couple games?” Scott asks, looking between Bre and me. I want to say I do mind, but Bre needs this. She needs to come out of her shell and see that the world around her isn’t as scary as she thinks it is. I love her shyness; it’s one of the things that drew me to her from the beginning. It made me want to protect her. It also made me want to show her it’s okay to open up and let her hair down. I know she’s sweet. I also know she can be funny when she drops her guard; it just takes her awhile to do that with people she doesn’t know. And sadly, her looks and that shyness tend to throw people off. It makes those just meeting her think she’s a snob, when that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“You okay with that?” I ask Bre, dipping my head down to look at her.
“Yeah, sure.” She smiles, but it doesn’t quiet touch the nervousness in her gaze.
“Awesome, I’m gonna set us up.” Scott kisses the side of his wife’s head before letting her go to move back toward the table.
I give Bre’s shoulder a squeeze to get her attention, and when she looks up at me, I drop my voice. “You good here with Steph?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll be right over there.” I nod to the table, and she looks in that direction.
“Okay.”
I want to drop my mouth to hers, but instead I touch my fingers to her chin and slide my thumb across her bottom lip before I let her go. I move toward Scott but stick close in case Bre looks like she might take off.
“I love your boots,” Steph says, and I see Bre jolt at the compliment.
“Thanks. I really like yours too, and your jacket,” she replies softly.
“Thanks, I got it in Oregon a few years ago. Where did you get your boots? I need to get a pair.”
“Anchorage, but it was about five years ago. I doubt Macy’s still has them,” Bre answers.
“Bummer.” Steph laughs, and Bre joins her. Hearing that laughter, I know she’s good, so I move to the other side of the table where Scott is picking up a pool cue. I gather all the balls again to start up a new game then turn when Scott speaks softly. “Is she the Aubrey you’re always talking about? Lyra’s mom?”
“One and the same.”
“I see why you’ve stuck around these last few years.” He smirks, and I shrug.
I have stuck around the last few years for her, but I’ve also stayed because of Lyra. That little girl holds my heart. Since the moment I held her slight weight in my arms at the hospital not long after she was born, I knew I would do everything within my power to protect her and be there for her. It hasn’t always been easy, not while seeing the life I want just out of reach. A life where Bre, Lyra, and I are a family. The only thing that’s helped me through is knowing in my gut that, in the end, things will work out in my favor.
When I hear Bre laugh, I turn to look over my shoulder. Like she senses me, our gazes collide and I smile, watching her cheeks darken. Yes, in the end, I’ll get what I want, but I will also be giving Bre what she wants and needs too. There has always been an undeniable connection between us.
My mom always told me that when I found the girl I’d want to spend my life with, I’d just know. I knew that was Bre, even when I was a teenager, and now years later, I still feel the same. That’s why I have never been in a serious relationship with another woman, because at the end of the day, no one would ever be her.