Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 44850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
He put my corsage on my wrist and told me how beautiful I looked. His eyes twinkled and pride was bare on his face. It was so prevalent on his face that even at ten, I could see it. For the first time in my life, I felt beautiful. I’d always loved Jansen but that was the moment that I knew he truly felt I was his daughter. From that moment on, he was and always will be my dad.
I thought the night couldn’t get any better. That was until this large horse and carriage pulled up. It was white and blue and covered in twinkling lights. It looked just like Cinderella’s carriage. I knew right away what Jansen had been doing. We all knew how good he was when it came to building. He built me that carriage. I knew he had. I didn’t have any doubt. I remember just standing there, taking it all in. I could tell he had bathed and groomed the best horses we had on the ranch, and they were beautiful. Their manes and tails had been braided in an intricate mermaid braid with these sparkly diamonds woven in. Later, I found out that he had asked Mom for help with that.
I felt exactly like I was part of a fairytale and overcome with emotion and gratitude, I threw myself into Jansen’s arms. He held me there on that step, kissing the top of my head, asking if his princess was ready for the ball. We rode in the back of that carriage down our driveway, waving at everyone.
The night only got better when we pulled up to the school. My superhero, football star brother, White, was dressed as a coachman. He “drove” us there. Once we stopped, Jansen got out and told me to wait. White jumped down from the carriage to help me out and put my hand into a waiting Jansen’s. The icing on the cake was to see the way big-mouth Reba and her entourage stood around watching with their mouths hanging open.
I danced the night away in the arms of my hero.
My dad.
I shake off the precious memories of the past and concentrate on the here and now. I can’t get lost in the past. I have to make sure I keep my parents distracted while Slater escapes.
“You look tired, baby girl,” he says, in that rough, country drawl of his that always makes me smile.
I always figured if I ever fell in love, it would be with a man like Jansen. I mean, isn’t that what every girl wants? To have a man as loving and protective as their father? The thought makes me smile. Slater is about as far from Jansen as you can get. He’s funny though and he does make me feel special. It’s early on, but…
Holy Shit. What am I doing?
I can’t be in love with Slater. I just can’t. That’d just be stupid.
“I’m good. I just didn’t sleep a lot last night,” I murmur, not looking into Jansen’s eyes. I mean, that’s not a lie. I didn’t sleep that much. Of course, I’m not about to tell my dad why I didn’t sleep. I look up at the clock nervously. Is he dressed yet? Is he using the window, or did he lie and decide to come downstairs?
“Here,” Mom says coming over with a plate. “Sit down and eat, Marigold. Food will do you good. You’re running yourself ragged lately,” Mom scolds me, her voice gentle. I know I’ve been worrying her lately. Sometimes I forget with all the craziness that I have the best parents in the world.
“Okay.” I smile as I answer her, and I’m rewarded with her wink.
I grab a piece of bacon on the plate and just as I’m biting into it there’s a large scraping noise above my head. I look up knowing that it is my room directly above me.
My room where Slater is.
I start coughing—loudly. Then, I throw in a wheeze to make my parents pay more attention to me rather than the noise. Dad starts slapping me on the back, and I mut have him panicked because he slaps me so hard bacon shoots out of my mouth landing in Mom’s eye who is leaning over me.
“Jan! Hurry! Give her the Heimlich maneuver,” she begs.
“Damn it, Lovie, she’s breathing. You only do that if there is no airflow.”
“Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure,” he mutters, still slapping. I’m dying to stop but if Mom catches Slater in my bedroom she won’t stop until Slater has me knocked up with a ring on my finger. That’s just how my mom operates.
“Pretty sure?” mom cries. “Damn it, Jan.”
“I’m a horse rancher, Lovey. Not a damn doctor.”
“I’m going to call 9-1-1,” she snaps.
I hold my hand up to stop her. “I’m—I cough again to make it look good—okay.”