Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76347 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76347 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Instead, he shocks me by smiling. It’s the kind of smile that sends warmth blasting through me, so much warmth that it melts the whole iceberg of doubt I have lodged in my chest.
“I had a good time,” he says, and nope, he’s not kidding. Things were going pretty well, up until the ceiling-destroying, party-crashing, cock-blocking mammal decided to literally drop in. “Can I take you on a real date?”
“I…uh…” Holy shit, did he really just ask me if he could take me on a date? Real? A real date? As in real? Yes, real. For the love of pickled onions. “Can it involve watching the stars from a field of wildflowers? Oh no! I should probably go get the food and bring it inside and warm it up. If the bugs haven’t gotten to it.”
His smile widens, and the lake of liquid heat swimming in my stomach grows to become a sea. “I placed the lids on the casserole dishes before I kissed you.”
I blink at him because that’s some serious super skills there, or I was just really zoned out. Or both. It was probably both. “So you’ll stay for dinner? If we eat it indoors, and I promise no more raccoons are going to come crashing through the ceiling?”
He nods, shocking me again. “I’ll stay. Nothing would make me happier. And Victoria?”
“Yes?” I whisper, my voice a froggy croak.
“I’m very much looking forward to watching the stars with you in a field of wildflowers. Or anywhere.”
CHAPTER 12
Atlas
Granny keeps me busy at the shop for two days. I’m sullen, annoyed, and bored since we still don’t have any more customers than we did before. This might be a front for our real mission, which is taking down bad guys, but we’re currently on a pause with that. Actually, since Ransom almost took down Ayana’s dad’s biker club by mistake—technically, it was Granny’s misunderstanding that made us target the club—we haven’t exactly had a mission. Everything’s been on pause. Then Lennox met Cass, and things were paused further. Now, we’re here. And I can only hope if Cass’ marketing campaign doesn’t start working, Granny will come up with something for us to do on the other front.
“Oh, stop your fidgeting,” Granny commands as she walks by my desk. I’m currently trying to figure out how to make an origami swan. It’s my first one, and just—shit. I didn’t know it would be this hard. I kind of thought folding paper wasn’t really an art form until I tried this. Now, I have a newfound respect for it.
“Fidgeting?” I fold the paper wrong and let out a curse. “I’m not fidgeting. I’m doing origami. There’s a difference.”
Granny leans in and snatches my mangled paper from me. She glances at the book, then with a few deft twists and folds, grunts, and then finally, a Granny laugh that sounds just short of maniacal, she sets a perfect swan down in front of me.
“You know, Orion is pretty hurt that you haven’t had any brother time with him lately. You haven’t even sat down and had a beer together, you haven’t done any gaming, and you haven’t told him a thing about this woman. You’re so starstruck that you’ve forgotten about your twin, and need I remind you that up until a few weeks ago, you both did everything together?”
I’m already bored and annoyed at the fact that Granny has tied me up for two days just so I had to be here and not do things with Victoria. I did set a date for this evening to pick out flowers and vegetable plants with her. It’s my own time, and I won’t let Granny find another excuse to keep me from spending it how I want. The drywaller guy went to her house the day before yesterday to fix the raccoon damage and repaint the ceiling, and he finished up today. I haven’t even seen it yet.
She’s laying it on thick now. The guilt, I mean.
Except…just…shit.
I haven’t had much time for Orion lately. I promised we’d do a guy’s night, and we haven’t. I haven’t told him or Lennox anything about Victoria, and I see them every single day. They haven’t really asked, but I can tell they’ve been dying to. They’ve been trying to be respectful and nice, but they haven’t said anything, which is kind of unusual for them.
They’re not being respectful. They haven’t said anything or asked anything because they’re aggravated with you for being gone all the time and hurt that you haven’t confided a single detail yet.
I basically turn into a full-on caveman as I grunt at Granny. “I’ll deal with it, but not right now. I have to leave right away.”
“On a hot date?”
“We’re picking out flowers. And vegetables for her garden.”
“How perfect. And that’s not something you could include your brother in?”