Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 91438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Cheyenne and Sam were at the front, holding a young girl of four or five between them.
She was wearing all white, and her eyes were wide as she stared at the preacher in front of her.
My mind wandered as the ceremony continued, and before I knew it, everyone around me was standing as they said a final prayer over Pru…or was it Piper?
Hell, I didn’t know.
Was it okay to think ‘hell’ in church?
Lord knew I didn’t need any more black marks on my soul.
I was fairly sure God looked down upon people like me.
I looked at the huge wooden cross hanging in the front of the church above the pulpit, and thought about where my life had taken me in the last two months.
I’d been scared beyond belief the day I was released.
Scared that I was going to be alone forever, homeless and jobless.
Now, I was practically living with a man, the man that I’d fallen in love with, but hadn’t formally told yet.
I was at a job I loved, working with animals that I loved even more.
And I had my two best friends at my side. One of whom was happily married to my twin brother.
My parents were happy – and together – once again.
The only thing that was missing from my life were my three other brothers, and they would all be home soon according to the letters I’d received from them.
And then there were those criminal charges.
The ones that were just recently dropped.
I seriously couldn’t ask for anything more.
Oh, I take that back, I did want more. I wanted to marry Silas.
I wanted kids…kids that I knew would probably never happen.
I wanted a house to call my own, one that Silas and I built together.
I wanted a nice car that I bought myself. I wanted to wake up every morning beside the love of my life.
And I wanted Silas to be that man.
I wanted everything.
“Hey,” someone interrupted my thoughts.
I blinked and turned to find Sebastian standing at my side.
“Yeah?” I asked.
He nodded across the room. “Dad asked me to get you.”
I smiled. “Okay. Where does he want me?”
Sebastian grinned. “My guess would be next to him in some form or fashion.”
Nodding, I walked next to the big man that was entirely too nice looking for his own good.
Although, in my honest opinion, he had nothing on Silas.
That beautiful salt and pepper hair. Those big bulky arms. Tight clipped beard. Luscious lips. Strong, sexy stomach. And those eyes.
He really had it going on, and I still couldn’t figure out what he saw in me.
Especially with him standing in the sun like that, a bright smile on his face.
He took my breath away.
Once I reached Silas’ side, he held his hand out to me, and my heart skipped a beat.
Sebastian disappeared, and it was just the two of us under the bright noon sun.
“Where’d you disappear to?” He rumbled, eyes full of concern.
I would’ve answered him, but a rude voice cut into our conversation like nails on a chalkboard.
“You’re an asshole, and I hope your face rots off,” a woman hissed at Silas.
I blinked.
Well, that was harsh!
But seriously, the whole damn day had been full of everyone treating Silas like shit!
First his son, and now this woman.
What the fuck was going on?
“I don’t understand,” I said. “What’s she talking about?” I asked softly, looking up at Silas.
Silas’ head hung like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“That,” he said, keeping his head down. “Is my ex. And it looks like she was just talking to my ex-wife.”
I knew the ex-wife.
The ‘ex’ was new, though.
I also couldn’t figure out what she was doing there.
“I take it they don’t get along,” I surmised.
He laughed humorlessly. “No, I don’t think they do. And it’s understandable.”
Yeah, from the explanation he’d given me about the two of them, it was understandable.
I’d probably hate him a little bit, too.
It’d help if Silas explained what had happened and why he’d acted like that, but he didn’t.
He thought he was doing them a favor by not saying anything to them or informing them of why.
“What is the ex- girlfriend doing here?” I asked.
Silas shook his head. “Not a clue. But I try not to have much of anything to do with her if I can help it.”
I had nothing to say to that.
From what Silas had told me of his ex, she did have a reason to warrant her snotty behavior.
And I couldn’t say that I wouldn’t do the same exact same thing had I been in that situation.
I would like to think that I was a better person than that, but right now Silas was my world.
I could even imagine having kids with him, something that would bind us even tighter together.
I’d be lost if I found out he’d cheated on me with his wife on the side…one I hadn’t realized he even had.
Wanting to change the subject, I asked, “How did the talk with Sam and James go?”
His mouth clenched and the strong muscles of his jaw started to work.
“Not good. They’re justifiably pissed,” he answered. “Don’t like that I’ve had men on them without their knowledge.”
I wondered if I should’ve said anything to that, but he sighed.
“I needed to tell them, it’s just hard to give my own kid more ammunition against me,” Silas finally admitted. “And I’m sorry that I took it out on you that I didn’t want to tell them. Getting mad at you was easier than telling them that Shovel is back in the picture.”
I blinked.
I never even thought that it was hard for him.
I just thought he didn’t think that his sons needed to know.
It’d never crossed my mind that he was scared to hear what his son would say.
“You want to dance?” I suddenly blurted.
He looked down at me. “In the sun?”
“There’s music,” I said defensively.
He laughed. “I’ll dance with you, honey. Just not here.”
I smiled. “Where then?”
His face got close to mine, so close that I could practically taste his lips on my own.