Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Ladybug nuzzles my shoulder, asking for extra pets and maybe an apple. I just happen to have one, so I offer it to her, and she happily munches away.
“You’re just a precious girl, aren’t you?” I pet her neck and kiss her cheek. “You’ve been good for our boy. Jake sure loves you.”
Her head comes around at the sound of his name, and I smile.
“Yeah, you love him, too, don’t you? All of you do. I think you’ve helped each other heal from some shit that no one should have to deal with.”
I brush her back, enjoying the feel of her hair under my palm.
When the horses are cared for, I pull my phone out of my back pocket to check it and then swear when there’s nothing from Polly.
It’s been five days without even one word from her. Summer advised me to let her catch her breath, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let her ghost me.
If she’s decided that a relationship with me isn’t what she wants after all, well, she can damn well say it to my face.
Grimly, I make my way back to the house. It’s starting to get dark, and Jake should be home from practice soon. He’ll want dinner and to tell me all about his day and about how excited he is for tomorrow night’s game. So, there’s no time now to go find Polly and figure out what’s going on.
I’ll go to her store tomorrow morning, right after she opens, to have a talk with her.
When I get to the house, I see Mom’s SUV parked in the driveway, and I pick up the pace, waving when she steps out of the vehicle.
“I was just going to call you to see if you were home,” she says with a smile. “I guess I should have done that before I drove over here, but it didn’t occur to me.”
“I was finishing up at the barn. You have good timing. Come on in.”
“Okay. I brought you and Jake dinner. I just have to get it out of the back seat.”
“I can do that.” She opens the back door, and I fetch a big insulated bag and raise an eyebrow at her. “How many are we feeding?”
“You’ll have leftovers for tomorrow,” she says with a laugh. “I made some clam chowder and fresh bread. There’s salad, too.”
“Sounds delicious. Thank you.”
I follow her into the house and then to the kitchen, and Mom sits on a stool by the island as I unpack dinner and set the pot on the stove to heat it up.
“Jake’s not home yet?”
“No, ma’am. He should be on his way soon, though. What’s on your mind?”
“What’s going on with you and Polly Allen?”
I pause and look at her in surprise. “Excuse me?”
“I know you’re both adults, and I think it’s wonderful because I’ve always loved that girl, but I’d like to know. I assume it’s serious, since you flew her across the world and bought her a bunch of fancy things.”
“It’s serious on my part,” I confirm. “But I haven’t talked to her much lately. She’s been busy.”
“Are you going to marry her?”
I frown and cross my arms over my chest. “I was not expecting this conversation today.”
“I know. I would have asked at family dinner, but unlike your older brother, I don’t like putting my children in the hot seat in front of an audience.” She smiles widely. “So? Marriage? Babies? I’m not getting any younger, you know.”
“Mom.”
“What?” She simply holds my gaze, not ashamed by this line of questioning in the least. I think I get my gumption from her.
“I don’t feel comfortable telling you that I love her when I haven’t even told her that yet.”
Now Mom’s face goes all mushy. “Oh, that’s sweet. And what are you waiting for?”
Good question.
I turn on the burner under the chowder and then face her. “You know, not everyone falls in love in the span of a weekend and ends up married just a couple of months after that.”
“I was lucky,” she agrees with a nod. “But you’ve known Polly a long time. Her brother is your best friend. It’s not like you started out as strangers. Is the sex bad?”
“Mom!” I toss my head back and laugh, and she smiles back at me. “I’m not having that conversation with you.”
“I think Jake would be an excellent brother.”
“I think you’re rushing things.” I walk around the island to her and kiss her temple. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, my sweet boy. I’m sorry that Remington is so hard on you. You don’t deserve that.”
“He would say that I do.”
“You mark my words: If anyone else in the world spoke to you the way he does, he’d punch them out.”
“Probably.”
She rests her head against my chest and hugs me close. My mom has always given the best hugs.