Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
“But you love us,” Colby says from the backseat. Kale glances over at me. I do love them.
“We’re home.” Kale pulls up to the front of the house. Every time he says home my stomach gets a flutter inside it. “Let me.” He gets out of the car, coming around the other side and opening the door for me before taking my hand.
“Thanks.” Colby gets out too, running to the door and punching in the code for it to open. “I remember not too long ago you weren’t even going to let me in this door.” His hand that’s holding mine tightens. “Now you won't let me leave.” This time I do smile at him.
“You had your chance to run then. Too late now.” I laugh as he pulls me inside, slamming the door shut behind us.
“I’ll get the ice cream.” Colby takes off running leaving us alone for the first time since our fight earlier.
“I was an asshole.” Kale stops walking. I turn to face him. “I saw you before you even stepped foot on my doorstep.” He lifts his hand, cupping my jaw as his finger brushes against my hand. I lean into his touch. “I drove down to the store where you were working and I watched you. You were smiling and laughing. Lighting up the entire room only the way you can. You looked so fucking beautiful that it was hard to look away from you. Then I got pissed.”
“Why?” I step closer to him, wanting to touch him. Needing him to tell me what got him so upset. I place my hands on his chest. He closes his eyes for a moment.
“I wanted you for myself, but I didn't think I could have you.”
“So you decided to be a jerk instead?”
“I thought you would quit. Then I started getting worried that you really would quit.” He must have been driving himself crazy. It actually makes sense. He would do something jerkish and then it would be followed with him moving us to a better part of the house. “I also thought if I let you in I might not be able to let you go. My life had been so dark for so long that once I got a glimpse of your light, I knew I’d never be able to live without it again.”
I run my hands up his chest. “I kinda like that you want to keep me. Keep us.” It is nice. Kale was willing to fight to get us back. As annoyed as I’ve been at him, it means the world to me.
“That’s good because you’re staying. You’re my family now.”
“Because you love me?”
“Yeah, I love you.”
I pull him down toward me as I rise to my tiptoes, meeting him halfway. “I love you too, Kale. All of you. Even when you’re being grumpy. It’s adorable.”
“Adorable?”
“Kiss me already.” His mouth comes down onto mine as he pulls me tighter into him. I moan into his mouth.
“You guys made up.”
Kale grunts but releases me from the kiss. Colby is standing there with a gallon of ice cream. A loud bang has us all turning toward the front door.
“What the hell now?” Kale drops his arms from around me and stomps over to the door.
“See. Adorable.” He’s like a bear with a thorn in his paw.
“Summer.” Chief Dane’s voice sounds from outside. I think Kale forgot to shut the front gate. He jerks open the door.
“You don’t have a warrant.”
“But you did assault Colten.”
“He had it coming. He was talking about my woman's ass. You would have too if he said something about—"
“I’m going to stop you right there,” Dane half growls, sounding a lot like Kale. I walk over to the door.
“See. Then you get where I’m coming from.” Kale steps back and starts to close the door. Dane’s hand comes out, stopping it. I duck under Kale’s arm to stand in front of him. He lets go of the door to wrap his arm around my waist and pull me flush against him. It’s then I see it isn't just Chief Dane that came along. A handful of people from the diner are here too. This town loves gossip.
“I’m fine.”
Dane looks me over while Khloe is full-on smiling.
“I’m guessing you’re not going to need that house?” she asks.
“No,” Kale answers for me his response clipped and to the point.
“Isn't falling in love supposed to make you happy? He’s still an ass,” Len, the owner of the diner asks, looking at his wife Candice.
“I’m happy,” Kale barks. I bite my lip to keep from laughing. Dane’s lips twitch. His wife wraps herself around his arm and leans into him.
“As you can see, I’m fine. It was nice of you all to come and try to save me.”
“We kinda came to check out the pool,” Connie says. A few others nod in agreement.