Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
“Perfect.”
“The glasses are in the end cabinet.”
She nodded, then walked over to the fridge and took out a Miller Lite. She placed it on the counter next to me before grabbing a glass from the cabinet. I continued making the sauce while she opened the bottle and poured herself a glass of wine. After she put the bottle back in the fridge, she went back over and sat down. “It smells really good.”
“Hopefully, it’ll taste good, too.”
“I’m sure it will be great.”
Once I had everything ready, Elsie helped me carry it to the kitchen table, and we both fixed ourselves a plate. I waited for Elsie to take the first bite, and to my profound relief, she smiled and said, “Wow. This is really good.”
“I’m glad you like it.” I took a quick bite, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that she wasn’t exaggerating. It really was good. Silence fell upon us as we both continued to eat. I didn’t mind the quiet. I was used to it, but I couldn’t help but notice how Elsie’s eyes were skirting around the room and the way she was shifting in her seat. It was clear that she was troubled by our lack of conversation, so I asked, “So, what did Lace and the girls say about us going out tonight?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, come on. I’m sure they had plenty to say.”
“Yeah, you could say that.” She shrugged with a smirk. “But I could never repeat what they said. That would be a breach of trust.”
“Hmmm, I see.”
“But I will say, they were all pretty curious why you waited until now to ask me out. So was I, actually. I mean, we’ve known each other for six years. Why now?”
“I guess you could say I finally came to my senses... I just hope I’m not too late.”
CHAPTER 7
Elsie
My mother told me never to settle. She assured me that there was someone out there who would be the answer to all my prayers. She said to wait for the man who was willing to see me through rough patches, laugh with me, cry with me, and most of all, fight for me. And that man would love me in the way that I deserved.
She said I would know when I found him, and she was right. I did know.
I knew the day Wyatt gave me that journal that he was the man my mother had told me about. I’d been waiting five years for him to realize it, too, but I knew in my heart that he was worth the wait.
Like they say, ‘the longer the wait, the sweeter the kiss.’ As far as I was concerned, no truer words had ever been spoken.
I reached across the table and placed my hand on his as I told him, “You’re not too late.”
“Glad to hear that.”
He held my gaze for a moment, then we both turned our attention back to our dinner. When we finished eating, I helped Wyatt clear the table, and once we had everything put away, Wyatt grabbed our coats from the entryway, then asked, “You ready?”
“Sure.”
I thought we were about to head to the movies, but instead, Wyatt led me outside to his backyard. I had no idea what we were doing until I saw all the little white lights and the fire. Not only had he strung lights from every tree, but he’d also set up a movie screen and a projector. It was the most romantic thing I’d ever seen. As I gazed at all the twinkling white lights and the flickering fire, I whispered, “Oh, Wyatt. This is so beautiful.”
“You like it?”
“I love it.” I followed him over to the fire, and once I was seated, Wyatt offered me a blanket and a fresh glass of wine. “I can’t believe you did all this.”
“I wanted to do something special for you.”
“Well, you definitely did that.”
A proud smirk crossed his face as he walked over and started setting up the projector. As soon as the Lost Boys appeared on the screen, I gasped, “You didn’t!”
“It’s one of your favorites, right?”
“It is!” I looked at the screen, then back at him. “I can’t believe you remembered.”
“It wasn’t all that hard. It’s one of my favorites, too.”
Once he had everything the way he wanted it, he came over and sat down next to me. He tossed one of the blankets over him, then nestled back in his chair. Even though we’d both seen the movie many times before, the flickering light of the fire and the twinkling of the little white lights made it feel like it was the first time.
We talked a little bit, shared our favorite moments of the movie and discussed other movies we wanted to see in the future, but mostly, we just sat back and enjoyed watching our favorite movie together.