Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
The heart monitor speeds up as I kiss her again, stealing her breath and that sweet fucking smile, claiming both as my own.
Right up until Dillon interrupts us, clearing his throat from the doorway.
I glance up at him, torn between frustration and relief. It’s been fucking hours since we last heard from him. Easton and Ashton Gannon, his new deputy, have both been by to check on Heidi, but they had no news about Don fucking Waters.
“Tell me,” I growl, ready to know one way or another.
"We found Don," he says without preamble. "His sorry ass is in jail."
A weight falls off my shoulders. For the first time since I heard that prick’s voice on the phone, I take a full breath. "Thank fucking God," I growl as Heidi relaxes beside me, exhaling a tiny breath.
"How's my bakery?" she asks, her voice small.
Dillon gives her a sympathetic look. "Not great, sweetheart."
Her shoulders slump, tears welling in her eyes.
"Hey, hey," I croon, cupping her face between my palms, careful not to jostle the oxygen cannulas. "Don't worry about that right now, okay? We almost lost you today. We can replace everything in the bakery. We can't replace you."
She nods, her bottom lip quivering. "You're right. I just..."
"I know," I murmur, pressing my forehead to hers as Dillon’s phone rings. He slips out, leaving us alone again. "But my whole goddamn life lost color and meaning today, angel."
"Mine too," she whispers, her gaze flitting across my face. "When I thought I'd never see you again, I... I didn't want to die when I just found you."
"Jesus," I groan, kissing the fuck out of her again. "Your bakery is going to open, Heidi. I swear to you that we'll make it happen."
“Okay,” she whispers, resting her head against my chest as her eyes drift closed again.
I’m not sure if she believes me or not, but she will. When it comes to her, I’ll never fail again. Even if I have to move heaven and earth to make it happen, she’ll have her dream. I won’t stop until she does.
Chapter Twelve
Heidi
Two Weeks Later
"I can't see anything, Alessandro," I complain, fidgeting with the blindfold covering my eyes.
"I know, Sunshine. That's the point." He chuckles from the driver’s seat of his truck, and I can practically feel those dimples flashing at me.
Huffing, I cross my arms over my chest. "I don't like this game very much."
"Patience, angel,” he croons. “It'll be worth it. Trust me."
“You keep saying that,” I grumble, but I’m not really irritated. I think it’s sweet that he wants to surprise me. He thinks he’s pretty slick, but he’s not. I know he’s been working on this surprise since I was in the hospital. Every time he thinks I’m not looking, he’s on his phone. If I didn’t trust him completely, I’d be worried.
But I’m not because I know what kind of man he is. He’d never do anything to hurt me. He loves me. I feel it every single time he touches me. I see it when it looks at me. This man is crazy about me.
And I feel exactly the same way about him.
The truck slows and then comes to a stop before I hear him kill the engine.
"Stay put," he instructs. "And no peeking."
I grumble under my breath as his door opens and shuts. Curiosity is killing me. What is he up to? I have a feeling it has to do with my bakery, but I don’t know what because there was no saving the building or anything in it. Until the insurance company cuts me a check, I’m in limbo. And because I lost everything thanks to arson, my stay in limbo might be a lot longer than I’d like.
But I’m trying really hard to stay optimistic. One day, I will have my dream bakery. In the meantime, I’m planning my dream wedding to the man of my dreams. It isn’t precisely the future I envisioned when I moved to Silver Spoon Falls…but it’s a pretty damn beautiful future, nonetheless.
My door opens, and Alessandro’s spicy scent envelops me as he helps me out. My feet barely even touch the ground before he wraps his arms around me from behind, his hard body pressing against my back.
His lips brush my ear and then the side of my throat, sending a shiver down my spine as heat rushes through me.
"What are you doing?" I breathe, melting into him.
"Kissing my fiancée," he growls, reaching for the blindfold.
A second later, it falls away, leaving me blinking against the sudden sunlight. I glance around, my brows furrowed. We’re in the parking lot across from the coffee shop.
And then I see the sign hanging over the door of the building next to the coffee shop—my sign.
I suck in a sharp breath.
"Alessandro," I gasp. "What did you do?"