Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“Yes! Surprisingly so.”
Maeme continued smiling as she put way more food on a plate than I could possibly eat. Walking over to take the seat by Dovie, I studied her closely, making sure she was as good as she appeared to be.
“Do you see my shoes?” she signed.
I laughed and nodded.
“These pancakes are delicious,” she signed.
“Better than Pop-Tarts, I take it?”
She nodded her head vigorously.
“Of course they are,” Maeme said, placing a plate in front of me. “Good home-cooked food beats that ole processed junk every time.”
I didn’t disagree, but I felt a twinge of guilt that Dovie had had very little of that in her life too. I’d not cooked for her enough, and our groceries weren’t exactly healthy.
Dovie nudged me with her arm, and I turned to look at her. She picked up one of the strawberries on my plate and stuck it in her mouth, grinning. She was trying to lighten my mood. When you lived running with no one but each other, you got to know each other really well. I didn’t have to tell Dovie what I was thinking. She’d already figured it out.
“Is there something we can do around here to help? Clean? Yardwork?” I asked Maeme, wanting to pay her back for all this.
Maeme placed a cup of coffee in front of me, prepared the way I liked it. Had she really remembered that small detail from my apartment? It seemed she was incredibly perceptive. This shouldn’t surprise me. She’d noticed Dovie’s shoes after all.
“I was thinking we’d relax. Let you girls get settled,” Maeme said with a smile. “I thought of going to the nursery and picking up some perennials. If one of you has any interest in that, I could use some help in the gardens.”
My ears perked up at the idea of getting to plant something that wouldn’t be left behind and forgotten. I’d always loved flowers, but after planting them and having to leave them so many times, I had stopped trying. It made me sad to think they’d be forgotten and neglected. Like I had been.
“I love gardening,” I told her. “I’m sure Dovie will enjoy being outdoors as long as she has a book in her hands.”
Maeme beamed at me. “Then, we have our day all set.”
This was all too easy. Too … pleasant. I’d learned a long time ago never to get comfortable.
A day filled with sunshine, gardening, sweet tea, lunch on the back porch, and lemon cookies couldn’t have been more out of place for both Dovie and me. Although Dovie hadn’t done much in the way of gardening. She had read mostly while sitting on the porch swing. During lunch, Maeme had shown interest in communicating with Dovie. She’d asked Dovie how to sign several things. Seeing Dovie this relaxed and enjoying being around other people gave me joy as much as it did guilt. I’d been unable to give her this life.
While I sat in the bedroom and thought about our day and how all too perfect it had seemed, I worried that I was making a mistake, trusting this. Letting my guard down wasn’t a luxury I could afford. Even if Dovie had been given a day unlike any she’d ever had. As much as I wanted all of this for Dovie, I knew it would be fleeting, and we’d have to leave here soon too. What if she got too attached?
My phone dinged, alerting me of a text, and I picked it up to see Storm’s name on my screen. I’d not put his number into my phone. So, that meant …
Scowling, I wondered how long it had been here. Since he’d put the tracking on it?
Getting a new phone needed to be at the top of my list once I had my things back, and hopefully, the money I had stuck under my seat in an empty tampon box was still there. If men were raiding my car, they’d overlook a tampon box. Right? God, I hoped so. Why hadn’t I kept the money on me? But then where was one supposed to hide a pound of one-hundred-dollar bills?
Did you have a good day?
I read it twice before responding.
Why is your number in my phone?
Because seriously, this was just another invasion of my privacy. I didn’t want his number.
I put it there. Now, answer my question, little siren.
Little siren. I couldn’t decide if that was an insult or not. Sirens weren’t good mythical creatures, and they led men to their death. I was assuming it wasn’t meant as a complement.
It was lovely, thanks to Maeme.
I caught myself watching to see if he was typing and dropped the phone as if it were suddenly on fire. I didn’t care if he was texting me or not. Standing up, I walked over to the curtains to close them before changing into the silk pajamas that Maeme had left on the bed for me.