Total pages in book: 196
Estimated words: 186555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 933(@200wpm)___ 746(@250wpm)___ 622(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 933(@200wpm)___ 746(@250wpm)___ 622(@300wpm)
He nodded but didn’t clear up what they’d talked about. Instead, he got a funny look on his face, and I’d bet a finger it was his version of a protective expression. “He’s been alone a long time. Like, a long time. My whole life, he’s had some girlfriends, and none of them lasted that long. With my dad Billy not here and my uncles moving away, he doesn’t have that many friends, not like when he was in the Navy; he knew everybody then.”
I wasn’t sure where he was going with this so I stayed quiet, sensing there was more on his mind.
“My mom told me to tell you that it takes him a while to trust people.”
“Your mom said that?”
“Yeah, she asked me.”
“About your dad… and me?”
Amos nodded and took another sip. “Don’t tell him I told you, but you make him smile a lot.”
There went my heart again.
“You look… you know, like that, and… whatever. I don’t care if you like him, and I don’t care if he likes you. I want him… you know… to be happy. I don’t want him to regret being here,” he said in a way that told me he meant it, but still felt kind of loaded. Like he was giving me his blessing to follow what my heart was asking for. Not that I even really knew what that was.
“In that case, thank you, Am. I’m positive your dad doesn’t regret anything when it comes to you.” The urge to talk to him about how confusing his father was, was right there, but I wouldn’t do it. Refused to, more like it. “Changing the topic, I guess, I’m staying over tonight and sleeping on the couch since everything is shut off over there. Will you help me bring some of my groceries over, please? I can make dinner, and maybe we can watch a movie or you can let me listen to that song you’ve been working on—”
“Nope.”
I laughed. “It was worth a shot.”
Amos did that tiny smile as he rolled his eyes, and it just made me laugh more.
* * *
It was the gentle squeeze on my ankle that had me prying an eyelid open.
The room was dark, but the high ceilings reminded me of where I was, where I’d fallen asleep. On Rhodes’s couch.
The last thing I remembered was watching a movie with Amos.
Opening my other eye, I yawned and spotted a big, familiar figure hunched over the other end of the couch. Amos was slowly sitting up, his dad’s hand on his shoulder as he muttered, “Go to bed.”
The kid yawned huge, barely opening his eyes as he nodded, more than half asleep, and stood up. I’d bet he had no idea where he was or even that he was on the couch with me. Sitting up too, I stretched my arms up over my head and croaked, “‘Night, Am.”
My friend let out a grunt as he stumbled away, and I smiled at Rhodes who was back to standing. He was in his uniform, his belt off, and he had the gentlest expression on his face.
“Hi,” I grumbled, dropping my arms. “What time is it?”
Rhodes looked tired but okay, I thought, yawning again. “Three in the morning. Fell asleep watching TV?”
I nodded, muttering, “Mm-hmm,” and closing one eye as I did it. Oh man, all I needed was a blanket and I’d pass right back out. “Everything okay?”
“Some hunters got lost. I didn’t get service out to call and warn you two,” he explained quietly. “Come on then. You’re not sleeping down here.”
Oh. I nodded again, too sleepy to be hurt he’d changed his mind. “Will you watch me walk back to the garage apartment then? Make sure the coyotes don’t get me?”
Rhodes suddenly frowned. “No.”
“But you said—”
He was fast, coming over, his hands going to my elbows and guiding me up to standing. Then his hand slipped into mine, like he’d done it before a million times, his palm cool and rough and big, and he started pulling me to follow him.
Where were we going?
“Rhodes?”
He glanced at me over his shoulder; his facial hair was thick over his jaw and cheeks. I wondered, not for the first time, if it was soft or kind of bristly. I’d bet it tickled.
And just like that, I realized he was leading me toward the stairs. The stairs up. To his room. Someone had hinted once where it was at.
“I can sleep down here,” I whispered, not alarmed but… something.
“You want to sleep down here with the bat?”
I stopped walking.
His laugh was so soft I didn’t know whether that surprised me more than the fact he was getting me to go upstairs… with him? “Didn’t think so. My bed’s big enough for both of us.” He let out a soft breath. “Or I can take the floor.”