Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 113934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
I dug my fingers through my hair. “Shit. Okay, well, are you still going to head back today? I promised my dad we’d go fishing or else I’d follow you.”
Skylar chuckled. “I’m perfectly fine with driving back to Waco by myself. But how will Michelle get back? We drove together.”
“If she doesn’t mind waiting until tomorrow, I can give her a ride.”
Covering the phone, Skylar said something, talking to someone else. Then, she said to me, “Do you think you’ll have time to look at the leak? And she said, as long as you didn’t mind, she could ride back with you. I think she’s glad to be getting out of that stupid Tupperware party we have to go to tonight.”
“I don’t mind at all. I’ll have my dad come with me to Michelle’s place. Let me swing by your house first to send you off, and then we’ll head over to Michelle’s.”
“Perfect! Thank you, Wyatt!”
Smiling, I replied, “Anything for you, angel. When are you planning on leaving?”
“Well, I don’t want to get back too late, so maybe an hour or so.”
I glanced back out at my dad. He was shutting the hood of his truck. “Let me get cleaned up, and then I’ll head on over.”
“Okay, I love you. Be careful driving.”
“Love you, too, and will do. See ya soon.”
“See ya soon.”
***
Shutting the trunk, I walked up to Skylar. “You sure you don’t want to just wait and go back tomorrow?”
With a sweet smile, Skylar placed her hands on my chest. “You know I can’t. I promised Katelyn I’d cohost her Pretty Chef party. Stop worrying. I’ll be fine.”
Michelle giggled. “Sky, it’s Pampered Chef. Sweetie, if you’re cohosting, don’t you think you should know what the company’s name is?”
Dismissing Michelle with a wave of her hand, Skylar stared up at me. “I’ll call when I get to the apartment. I love you.”
My hands came up and cupped her face. Her gray eyes sparkled, and I couldn’t wait to get back to Waco, so I could fall asleep and wake up to those eyes.
“I love you, too. Be careful driving.”
Lightly brushing my lips across hers, I kissed her. I could taste the sweet tea on her lips, and I wanted to moan.
Damn, I love this girl.
“Mmm, that’s a nice send-off.”
Giving her a wink, I kissed her again and leaned my forehead on hers. “I’ll miss you.”
“For the love of God, you’ll only be apart for a day! How do you think I feel? My fiancé is hours away from me. Hours! I’m going to have to resort to phone sex.”
I closed my eyes and tried to drown out Michelle’s voice. “Please tell me she’s going back to UT.”
Skylar giggled. “I think she is.”
Glancing up to the heavens, I whispered, “Thank you, God.”
“I heard that, Wyatt. Remember, we’re driving back together. Alone. With me in charge of the tunes.”
I gasped. “I never agreed to that!”
Michelle shrugged and then flashed me a smirk.
“All right, you two, behave. I’m going to head out. Love you both.”
Holding the door open, I helped Skylar into the driver’s seat. She started the car and rolled down the window.
Leaning in, I gave her one more kiss good-bye. “Love you. Be safe, angel.”
She smiled big and waved to Michelle. “Will do! See y’all tomorrow. And don’t think I don’t know that you’re happy about getting out of the Tupperware party, Michelle!”
Michelle laughed as she called out, “It’s Pampered Chef, Sky! Pampered Chef!”
I stepped back and watched until she turned the corner and was out of sight. I couldn’t shake the bad feeling I had. I should have talked her into waiting until tomorrow. My hand went to the back of my neck where I rubbed it.
“Stop worrying, Wyatt. It’s good for her to be independent.”
“I know,” I softly said. “I can’t shake this weird feeling I have.”
Michelle walked up next to me. “She’s not the fragile Skylar she was when you first met her. She’s so much stronger, and doing this is good for her.”
I nodded and then pushed out a breath. Turning to Michelle, I said, “Let’s call my dad and have him meet us at your place to get that pipe fixed.”
“Sounds good to me.”
***
A little over two hours after Skylar had left Marble Falls, she texted to say that she was at the apartment.
Another two hours later, and I breathed a sigh of relief when we finally got the hot water heater up into Michelle’s attic.
Standing at the bottom of the ladder to the attic, Michelle called up, “Seriously, had I known this would happen, I would have insisted we call someone. I’m so sorry, y’all!”
My father chuckled. “She has no idea how this is getting me out of cleaning out the spare room.”
I laughed. “You know Mom isn’t going to let it go. She’ll be on you tomorrow.”