Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29566 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 148(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29566 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 148(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
I blink back tears. I can still remember the way I felt that day, the hopelessness of realizing that it was all on my shoulders. “I’ve managed to avoid social services and keep the boys out of trouble. But even simple things are hard. I have to be careful when I enroll them in a new school. I have to keep Chase from picking fights with the other boys. And Parker, he’s still so young. He doesn’t understand why his family doesn’t look like everyone else’s.”
I remind myself that crying does no one any good and pull my fingers from Greer’s. He lets me go. For some strange reason, that hurts. “So, now you see. My life is complicated.”
“Complicated doesn’t scare me,” he says softly as he starts the truck engine.
Neither of us says a word on the drive back to the apartment. He walks me up the steps to the door even though I insisted he didn’t have to. I tried to reassure him that I’m fine, but he’s still hovering.
“Wait, Evie,” Greer reaches out and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. His fingertips brush my face, just like they did earlier. “Go on a date with me tonight.”
He knows about my complicated life, and he’s still asking me out. Before I can respond, the front door flings open.
Chase pulls his body to his full height, trying to look more serious and grownup than he is. He steps onto the porch next to me and demands in an angry, bitter tone, “Who is he?”
I put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. “This is Greer. He’s a friend of mine.”
Greer nods to Chase. “Hey, man.”
Chase scowls at him in return. He scowls at everyone these days. “Hey.”
“Why don’t you go put on the water for the noodles?” I ask Chase. “I’ll be inside in just a minute.”
After giving Greer one last lingering look, Chase stomps inside to do what I ask.
I offer Greer a tight smile, knowing this is the moment when he walks away. “We’re a package deal.”
“I told you already. Complicated doesn’t scare me.” Without waiting for my reply, he steps around me and knocks on the front door.
Chase opens the door with Parker right beside him. They’re both staring up at him and he quickly kneels so he’s at eye level with the boys. “Here’s the deal, fellas. I like your sister.”
“Eww, gross,” Parker says.
“Why?” Chase demands.
Greer chuckles at their responses. “Hear me out. She says y’all are a package deal which sounds pretty good to me. Now she won't go out with me unless you guys are in on it. So, what do you say to pizza and the arcade? Would you do a guy a favor and come along on the date?”
The boys let out matching whoops of excitement, and I realize it’s been a long time since they’ve gotten to do anything fun. Anything that lets them enjoy their childhood.
Greer is grinning at them. “Get your shoes. Be ready in five.”
As soon as they’re out of earshot, racing down the hallway to find their stuff, I cross my arms over my chest. I do my best to scowl at him, even though it’s hard. Because that was about the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to my brothers. They’ve always been underfoot in other people’s eyes. “I can’t believe you just did that.”
Greer strides into the kitchen. He cuts off the stove where Chase had already put a pot of water on to boil. He turns to me then and smirks. “You said you were a package deal. Well, I’m a man who’s used to handling big packages.”
Greer
I’ve learned a lot about my girl today. I’ve learned she has asthma, a stubborn streak a mile wide, and two little brothers that she’s been raising on her own. That last fact just about guts me. She needs people around her. Community.
We have that here in Courage County, but I don’t think she’s let anyone besides Martha in. Even then, I doubt Martha knows a lot about what’s really happened. Evie likes to play her cards close to her chest, which is fine when it comes to everyone else. Not me though. I want to know everything about her and the life she’s led.
Parker’s eyes go wide as soon as I open the door to my truck so he can climb inside. He spots my Stetson on the back seat and picks it up. “Cool hat. Can I wear it? I could be a cowboy. I bet I’d be the best cowboy. Do you have horses? I’d be good at riding them too.”
“Don’t be a dummy. Anyone can wear a cowboy hat,” Chase chides his younger brother.
“Don’t call your brother dummy,” Evie says gently.
“You already made me stop calling him shithead,” Chase points out, clearly grumpy that another insult is being taken from his vocabulary.