Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 38445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
I throw my head back against his chest, laughing. Somehow, this wild mountain man manages to make me feel like the only woman in the world. I think he's right, though. He will love my dad, and my dad will love him. How can he not when he sees how much Caleb loves me?
We stand there for several long moments, just holding each other, before the doorbell chimes. Koda immediately goes crazy, running in circles and barking his crazy little head off.
"Koda, chill," Caleb says, his voice firm.
Koda looks at him and yaps as if to tell him to eff right off with that crap. Caleb doesn't get frustrated though. He never does. He simply chuckles at my wicked little dog and shakes his head.
"Everything is going to be just fine, Sunshine," he murmurs in my ear, rubbing soothing circles on my back.
"I'm ready," I whisper, slipping my hand into his.
He brushes his lips across mine before leading me to the front door.
I take a deep breath before reaching out to twist the doorknob, pulling it open. My parents stand on my front porch, their warm smiles instantly putting me at ease. My mom is petite and poised in a floral-print dress. Her curly hair cascades down her shoulders. My dad stands by her side, tall and sturdy, his plaid shirt hugging his broad shoulders. Even from here I see the familiar glint of mischief in his blue eyes.
"Mom, Dad," I greet, stepping forward to welcome them inside.
"Oh, Sutton!" my mom cries, rushing forward to envelope me in a fierce hug. I'm enveloped in her familiar coconut and pear scent. Despite the reason for their visit, I can't help but grin into her shoulder.
"I've missed you so much," she whispers against my hair, kissing the top of my head before letting me go.
My dad steps forward then. "Hey there, baby girl," he says before wrapping me up in his arms. The strength in his embrace sends a wave of relief washing over me.
I cling to him for a long minute, feeling like a little girl again, the one who just needed her daddy to fix everything. Except…I'm not that little girl anymore. I haven't been her in a long time. I'm all grown up now, and I want nothing more than for the two most important men in my life to get along.
"Please be nice," I whisper. "I love him."
My dad's heavy sigh speaks volumes. "So I've heard, Sutton Diane. But I didn't hear it from you."
I bite my lip, fighting a grin. He's not really mad, even though he wants to pretend he is. I don't think my dad has ever actually been mad at me. "Oops?" I say.
"Oops, my ass," he mutters, making me giggle. "Introduce me to your man before I decide to become a mountain man my damn self."
"You'd make a terrible mountain man, Bentley," Mom says. "You nearly drowned last time you and Kasen went fishing."
"That's because Kasen can't be trusted in a goddamn boat," my dad grumbles. "I don't know why Liv ever let him get one in the first place."
"She didn't," Mom sniffs. "Cash paid him fifty thousand dollars to trip Logan at the CMT Awards. He used it to buy a boat."
My Uncle Kasen, Dad's best friend, is kind of crazy. Actually, my dad and all of his friends are kind of crazy. They've been terrorizing Nashville for years.
"Little dove," Dad croons, releasing me to pull my mom into his arms. "You can't possibly still be mad at me about that. It was ten years ago, and I wasn't even fucking there."
My mom huffs at him, which makes him squirm. I bite my lip, fighting a giggle. My dad hates when my mom is mad at him. It drives him crazy.
Caleb watches all of this unfold from the living room entrance, leaning against the door frame with Koda held close to his chest. The little troublemaker has finally calmed down but not without a fight from what his fur tells me.
Caleb winks at me, grinning.
I reach for his hand, tugging him closer to me. Once he's standing beside me, I clear my throat, trying to get my mom and dad's attention before they do something embarrassing like start making out in the middle of the living room. My dad is shameless, so I wouldn't put it past him.
"Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet Caleb," I say softly, introducing him to my parents. "Caleb, this is my mom and dad."
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds," Caleb says, handing Koda to me before extending his hand towards my parents. His voice is steady, confident—a stark contrast to the chaotic whirlwind inside my chest.
My mom pulls him into a hug. "Thank you for watching out for my little girl, Caleb. You call me Cami."