Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
“You do?”
He nodded. “If you’re okay with putting off my therapy for a little while, I was hoping to take you to a few of my favorite places.”
To his alarm, Tessa looked flustered. Had he pushed it too far? She didn’t know he’d been planning this day for an entire week. He wanted to share the beauty of his home with Tessa, wanted her to understand why he so loved this place. It was the best way he’d come up with to let her into his world. Not the Hollywood world where he had to dwell now for work, but his real home. The place where he’d been raised so lovingly by his folks and which he shared with all his siblings.
He wanted her to see the real Archer Davenport. But more than that, he wanted her to feel as special as she really was. And hopefully, the more he opened up to her, perhaps she might open up more with him too.
He flashed her his most charming smile. “I’ve got it all figured out. Let’s go!”
In the car, he insisted on giving her directions without letting her know where they were headed. So when they arrived at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and parked, Tessa pushed her sunglasses onto her head and turned a beaming smile his way.
“I did not peg you for an aquarium fan,” she said.
“Are you kidding? I love this place. The ocean is magical. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid.”
“I’ve been wanting to stop in. I’ve heard this aquarium is one of the best in the world.” She paused and smiled before adding, “And knowing it was the model for the Finding Nemo movies makes it seem even more special.”
He reached over and, without thinking, took her hand in his. “Thank you for letting me whisk you away for a few hours. I’ve been wanting to do something nice for you. You’ve been amazing.”
She visibly swallowed, but held his gaze until her dark lashes fluttered against her cheeks.
“I thought we’d start with the sea otters,” he said as he walked through the entrance with her, working to get used to the new boot, “since they’re about the cutest creatures on earth.”
“Otters, huh?” she said, as though happy to discover something new about him.
“Did you know otters keep their paws out of the water to stay warm?” It was a random fact he’d learned on one of his excursions here.
“I didn’t know that, but it’s adorable.” Relief flooded him as he realized Tessa was going to enjoy this as much as he’d hoped she would.
“A friend of ours works here, and I’m a member, so we’re getting VIP treatment.”
He’d arranged everything ahead of time with Avery Chandler, who worked in community outreach, and they went straight to the second floor of the sea otters’ exhibit to watch them swimming. Avery was there to meet them.
Avery Chandler was one of Finn’s friends from high school, but she’d become a family friend too. She’d had a tough time in her teens, getting pregnant in high school and choosing to keep her son. Finn had stuck by her, and they were still very close. Arch couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been for Avery, starting out as a janitor at the aquarium and working her way up. She had always felt like another sister to him, so he gave her a big hug when he saw her.
“Ave. How’s it going?”
Avery was a redhead with big brown eyes and a wide smile. Her chin looked determined, and it didn’t lie. There wasn’t much Avery Chandler couldn’t accomplish if she put her mind to it.
She returned his hug. “How’s my favorite movie star?”
“Doing much better now that my cast is off.” He immediately went on to say, “I’d like to introduce you to Tessa Taylor. She’s been taking care of me ever since I got injured.”
“It’s lovely to meet you, Avery,” Tessa said. “And I really appreciate you giving up your time for us today.”
Avery grinned. “There isn’t much I wouldn’t do for the Davenports,” she said. “They’re like family.” She pointed to the otters. “They’re all rescues,” she explained as the creatures turned somersaults in the water. “They can’t survive in the wild anymore. Some of them have survived shark attacks. We even have these surrogate mothers who take care of orphaned pups.”
“They are adorable,” Tessa said, her lively eyes trained on the water and her cheeks pink with pleasure.
Arch thought she was completely adorable, but he held his tongue. They had all day together after all. And there was so much more to come. He couldn’t wait to surprise her even more.
Avery took them to see the Open Sea exhibit next, to catch a glimpse of the sea turtles and the brilliant jellyfish as they pulsed through the water. Together, they stood before the ninety-foot window and watched as the hypnotic underwater scene played out before them.