Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
I felt a new surge of energy. “Pizza and a movie sound good to me. What kind of pizza do you want? I’ll call it in and pick it up on the way home.”
Sutton giggled.
Smiling, I asked, “What?”
“It’s just weird.”
“What’s weird?”
“You live with me, and it’s our home, and that struck me as strange for a moment.”
I stepped closer to her and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “I like hearing you say it’s our home.”
“It doesn’t bother you that Jack lived there, does it?”
Her question threw me for a loop, and from the look on her face, I wasn’t entirely sure she meant to ask that question out loud. “Not at all. It’s your house, and you love it, so that makes me love it too.”
Sutton opened her mouth to say something, then shut it. Studying me for a minute, she finally said, “I’ll stop and pick up some beer; I don’t think we have any.”
I closed my eyes and placed my hand over my left pec. “The woman knows the way to my heart.”
Laughing, Sutton pushed me lightly. “I am married to you, after all. It only took me a day to realize you like to have at least one beer after work.”
“You got me there.”
We stood there, smiling at each other like two kids who weren’t sure what to do next.
“Okay…you still like pepperoni and cheese?” I asked.
“Yep.”
“I’ll get the food, you get the booze. See you at the house in a few.”
“Okay,” Sutton said as she set the alarm and then stepped out and locked the door.
We walked in silence to her car, and I opened her door for her.
“Drive safe, Brody,” Sutton said softly.
“Same to you.”
I shut the door and watched as she backed out and drove away. Turning on my heels, I headed to my truck with a goofy-ass smile on my face.
Sutton
The second I pulled out of the parking lot, I called Palmer.
“Miss me already?” she asked when she picked up.
“Brody punched the living daylights out of Jack!”
“Wait—what?”
“Oh my God, Palmer, I know this sounds so wrong, and I’m so confused. But I was also so turned on watching Brody lunge forward and hit Jack. It was the best thing I’ve ever seen!”
Palmer giggled. “Lord, you are so weird. What happened? Where did you see Jack?”
“After you and Harlee left, he came into the store. Brody stayed in the back room while I went to see who was there. You forgot to lock the front door, by the way.”
“No, I didn’t. I locked it, Sutton.”
My heart dropped. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
“That means…”
“Jack has a key to the store.”
I hit the steering wheel and cursed.
“What if he goes back?” she asked.
“I set the alarm, and I know for a fact he doesn’t know the code. I changed companies, as well as the password and code, when I left him.”
“Thank God. Lord knows what that crazy man would do if he got into the store without you there.”
I made a mental note to call the locksmith first thing in the morning. “I’ll have the locks changed tomorrow.”
“Good. Now back to the punching.”
“Oh, right. So, I walked out to see Jack standing there. I immediately went behind the counter to put distance between us, and he started going on about how he can’t believe I won’t drop the restraining order. I wasn’t scared, but that’s probably because I knew Brody was in the back. The next thing I knew, Jack started to walk toward the counter, and then I heard Brody come out.”
“What did he say? What did he say!?”
“He said something like, ‘Take another step toward my wife and my fist will be in your face!’ Not going to lie, it was hot.”
Palmer burst out laughing, and so did I.
“Jesus, Sutton. You want the guy bad. So tell him.”
“We’re friends, Palmer.”
“Who are both in love with one another. Anyone who sees the two of you looking at each other knows how you feel. Why can’t you see it?”
I sighed. “I know Brody has feelings for me…but I’m not sure they’re those kinds of feelings.”
“Ugh! I really wish someone would punch you in the face.” She paused. “Hey, did you bring a vibrator home?”
“No.”
I must have waited a beat too long to answer because Palmer said, “You are such a terrible liar. Which one did you snag?”
I sighed and dropped my head down on the steering wheel as I waited for the light in front of me to turn green. “The rabbit one.”
“I knew it! You should have seen your face when Harlee was talking about it. Are you going to try it out tonight?”
“Are you insane? No! Brody is there, and we’re having a movie night.”
Palmer whistled. “A movie night, huh? Sounds cozy.”
“It’s two friends enjoying some pizza, beer, and a movie. That’s all.”