Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“Yeah.” I go back to where I was sitting before, next to Sam. “A producer at a popular streaming service wants me to help them write a show. I don’t know any more details other than that.”
“Ohh, how exciting!” Mrs. Harris coos.
“Maybe?” I shrug. The more I think about it, the less I want to do it. I like writing novels where I can work from my house and control everything in my book. I don’t have to get a room full of others to agree with me, though having a team to help me write would be nice when I get stuck on something. But having to go into an office…that’s not really my thing.
“I’m going to head out,” Jacob says. “It was really good to see you again, Chloe.”
“It was good to see you too.”
Mrs. Harris gives Jacob a hug. “Tell Rory and Dean I said bye.”
“Are you ready to go home?” Sam asks me, and my heart flutters, remembering his offer to drink wine by the lake in the moonlight.
“Yeah,” I say, talking with my heart and not my head. “Do you think Rory will be down soon?” I fiddle with my hair, wrapping a curl around my finger. “I want to say bye before I leave.”
“She should be,” Mrs. Harris says.
“How long is she staying in town?” I ask.
“She’s leaving Wednesday evening. You’re not sure when you’re leaving yet?”
I shake my head. “I don’t really have to go back anytime, though I do miss my horse. He’s getting loved on by the little girls at the barn, so he’s more than fine.”
“It must be nice to work anywhere you want,” Mrs. Harris says.
“It is. I definitely don’t take it for granted.”
The stairs creak and Rory and Dean come down. “Success!” Rory cheers quietly. “He hardly fussed at—” She’s interrupted by the baby crying. “Son of a bitch.”
“He’s your son,” Mason starts. “So does that make you the bitch?”
“Hilarious,” Rory replies dryly. “I’ll get him.”
“We’re gonna head out,” Sam says quickly before his sister goes back upstairs. I get up from my chair so I can give Rory a hug goodbye.
“It was so good to see you again,” I tell her. “We should get lunch before you leave.”
“I brought my dice sets,” she tells me, pulling me in for a tight hug. “We could play D&D over lunch.”
“Ohhhh, yes, please!” I step back and look at Dean. “It was really nice to meet you.”
“Oh, Sam, before you leave, let me show you what Archer and I got for our league this year,” Dean says.
I assume they’re talking about some sort of fantasy sports league, but whatever it is, Sam gets excited and goes into the living room with Dean. Mrs. Harris gives Rory all of a minute before going up to “help” with her grandson, and Mr. Harris huffs about her being overbearing and goes into the living room as well, leaving me alone with Mason, who’s on this third piece of pie already.
“What were you and Sam fighting about?” I ask, debating if I should get more pie too. I never had the second piece like I wanted.
“Nothing,” he says and shoves a forkful of pie into his mouth. “Just horsing around like we used to.”
I nod and look at my phone, reading the email from Vanessa over again.
“Can I ask you something?” Mason puts his fork down on his now-empty plate.
“Sure.”
“You and Charles…it was never serious, was it?”
“What makes you say that?” My heart skips a beat and I instantly panic, thinking back to everything I said during dinner. I didn’t say anything that gave it away, did I?
“It’s my job to analyze people, and I’m good at it.”
“So you analyzed my relationship with Charles?”
“Not on purpose,” Mason says. “It’s kind of a habit now. And from what I saw, you two were never really in love.”
I look at Mason, feeling entirely too exposed. “What gave it away?” I ask quietly.
“It’s the way you look at him, or rather the way you don’t look at him.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” I rush out, heart skipping a beat. I can’t fool Mason. Hell, I can’t even fool myself.
“It does,” Mason goes on slowly. “Because I’ve seen the way you look at someone when you are in love with them.”
My throat tightens. “Yeah, and who would that be?” I finally spit out.
Mason tips his head towards me and gently nudges me with his elbow. “We both know the answer to that.”
Right on cue, Sam comes back into the kitchen. Our eyes meet and butterflies take flight. Mason is right, and now one more person knows the truth.
I’m in love with Sam. If only he could love me back the same way.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sam
“It’s beautiful out,” Chloe says quietly, and I pause before looking up at the star-studded sky. I’m standing just inches from her, having come around the car to open the door for her to get inside. It’s cooled down a lot from the heat of the day this afternoon, but not so much that it’s uncomfortable to be outside. I love nights like this when I can be out in sweatpants and a hoodie, covered up enough to keep from getting eaten alive by mosquitos without breaking out in a sweat.