Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 137310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
“I thought you could pretty much come and go as you please.”
“I like to be disciplined about it so if Annie tunes into the real world, she doesn’t think I’m taking advantage.”
He rolled her, stating, “You’re gonna be late today.”
“Harlan.”
He slid his fingers between her legs.
“Harlan,” she whispered.
He smiled.
Then he kissed her.
Then he went about negating any bullshit about rainchecks.
Hugger was in his chair at the window, he had his phone out, and he was looking at the careers page of the Denver Art Museum.
They had three openings.
None of them in Di’s field.
Di had finished with the painting the day before, and now she was sitting at the big table in the middle of the space, bent over a tiny square of wood, peering through a big stationary magnifying glass, working on it with some brushes.
It was mid-morning.
And this was when Annie wandered in.
She stopped, looked at Di, then to Hugger, then to Di, and Hugger, back to Di.
Di’s head came up, and when Annie just stood there, she called, “Hey, Annie.”
“Hey.” She took another step in. “Is your father okay?”
Hugger straightened, taking his feet from the sill.
“I think so,” Diana said slowly. “Why do you ask?”
“You said there was some threat.”
Hugger relaxed.
Seemed it took approximately twenty-seven hours for Annie to process shit.
“We’re just being cautious,” Di told her. “Everything should be fine and Hugger won’t have to be with me every day.”
Annie looked to Hugger. “Are you a professional bodyguard?”
“No, I’m a biker.”
Annie nodded like this made perfect sense to her.
She then looked to Diana. “I’m having brunch this Sunday. Would you and your bodyguard like to come?”
Hugger did not miss the Oh shit! look on Di’s face before she hid it and said, “Full disclosure, Annie. Hugger is also my guy.”
Annie appeared confused. “Your guy?”
“My boyfriend,” Diana explained.
They hadn’t had that conversation, but it was good to know she knew where they were at.
Annie’s gaze drifted to him. “Oh, how lovely. You’re looking out for your girlfriend.”
“Yeah,” he said.
“Very gallant of you,” Annie remarked.
“Thanks,” he replied.
“Do you like brunches?” Annie queried.
“I’ve never been to one,” he said.
Annie’s eyes got about two times bigger than her round lenses. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Never?” she pushed.
“Bikers aren’t big on brunches,” Diana butted in.
“Well then, you must come. You’re missing out.” She turned to Diana. “My place. Ten. See you then,” she said like they wouldn’t be working in the same building for the next two days.
And with that, she wandered out.
Hugger looked to Di. “What was that ‘oh shit’ look you had when she invited us to brunch?”
Di glanced at the door then waved her hand at him in a come here gesture.
He hauled his ass out of his chair and went there.
“Three possibilities,” she whispered like Annie might overhear. “She’ll remember she asked people to brunch, and when we all show at ten o’clock, she’ll be prepared to host a brunch. Or, she’ll remember, just too late, so we’ll all sit around for two hours while she prepares brunch. And we’ll all do that constantly reminding her she might want to go back to the kitchen and finish what she started. Or, she’ll totally forget, we’ll show, and she won’t be there because she decided to spend the day in Sedona.”
He grinned at her. “This doesn’t surprise me.”
“There is a fourth possibility, that being we’ll show to find she burned her house down while preparing brunch.”
He laughed softly before he said, “We’ll go prepared and have donuts before.”
“You’re good with brunch with Annie?”
He needed to un-narrow his world, and he was starting now.
“Sure, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because she’s Annie, and she might forget who you are by Sunday.”
He laughed again, bent to touch his mouth to hers, and when he pulled away, said, “I’ll weather that blow if it happens.”
She smiled brightly up at him, and damn, but he liked her smile.
“See things have progressed while I been away.”
They both turned to see Big Petey strolling into Di’s workshop.
“Petey!” Diana cried, like he’d been away years, not days.
She got up from her chair and raced around the table to throw her arms around him.
Hugger watched Pete’s eyes close as he enveloped her with his arms and gave her a tight hug.
When they broke, Di asked, “How’ve you been keeping?”
“I ain’t been eatin’ as good, that’s for sure.”
“So obviously that means you’re coming over for dinner,” Diana stated.
Hugger wanted some just them time when she wasn’t at work or getting over dealing with heavy shit.
But for both Pete and Di, he’d deal with it.
Pete gave him a glance, and when Hugger gave him a nod, he turned back to Diana.
“Sounds good.”
“Awesome,” she gushed.
“Here to check in and give you two an update.”
“Let me drag another chair over,” Di said.
“Don’t you move,” Hugger ordered.
Di looked to him.
But Hugger just walked to his chair, dragged it over, her chair, and rolled it over, and the chair behind her desk, and he rolled that over too.