Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Opening her eyes, Cynthia reached for her fork and froze as his hand covered hers. She looked up to see what she’d done wrong.
“Let’s try that together, okay?” he suggested gently.
When she nodded, he bowed his head and prayed, “Bless this food to nourish our bodies, new friends to teach us to treasure those things that really matter, and the knowledge that tomorrow brings new possibilities and hope.”
“Amen,” she whispered when he paused, as if uncertain whether to add to that blessing.
“Amen,” he agreed. “Eat.”
Cynthia forked a bite of the steamy potatoes into her mouth and moaned in enjoyment. “This is delicious.”
“Wait until you try the meatloaf. Would you be more comfortable taking off your backpack? It will be safe here.”
“No, thank you,” she answered politely before trying the meatloaf. “Mmm! This is good.”
Forcing herself to eat politely, Cynthia didn’t allow herself to shovel food into her mouth. She was so hungry, and it was delicious. Maybe not as good as her mashed potatoes, but the meatloaf rivaled hers. There was an intriguing ingredient that she tried to identify.
“What’s in your pack, Cynthia? It’s not something that will hurt you or me, is it?” Dirk asked.
Surprised, she looked up to meet his gaze. He didn’t look mad or threatened, he looked worried. Cynthia realized that his suspicion resulted from interactions with bad people. He didn’t know her. He only knew that she was the number one suspect for trying to defraud his friend and employer of lots of money.
“No.” Setting her fork down on the side of her plate, Cynthia forced herself to unzip the long zippers that ran from one side of her backpack to the other. She allowed the front flap to fall open as she reached in to scoop out BullyBoo. The faded brown bull had a bit of the tuft remaining between the small horns on his head. Setting the stuffie on the table, she displayed the inside of the bag. It was empty except for a few scattered coins at the bottom.
“Just my stuffed animal is inside. I know it’s silly, but I’ve had him forever. He’s the only thing that’s important to me. I don’t know what I’m going to do with him while I’m in jail. My family will just throw him away. I thought maybe I’d ask Piper to take care of him while I was gone, but I’m sure she thinks poorly of me…”
Silence stretched between them. Cynthia looked back down. Now he thinks I’m a complete idiot and a liar. Who would be worried about a toy?
“We’re going to figure this out, Cynthia. If you’re not lying to me, I’ll do my best to help. I will promise you now, your stuffie can stay with me until you can provide a safe home for him.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Picking up her fork, Cynthia forced herself to take another bite. She was going to enjoy the delicious food. Somehow, she didn’t think the jail cooks would put a combination of pork and beef into their meatloaf.
“Pork,” she sighed aloud.
“Pork?” Dirk repeated.
She peeked up at him. “Sorry, I was just trying to figure out the special ingredient in the meatloaf. It’s hamburger and pork sausage,” she confessed.
“Is it?” He ate another bite. “You could be right. I enjoy it. I have a few of them in my freezer.”
“Do you only eat frozen meals?” she asked.
“No, I go out for dinner with friends or grill a steak from time to time. This is just easier. I work crazy hours. When I found the company that makes these, I invested in it.”
“That’s smart. You’re paying yourself when you eat a meal.”
“I hadn’t thought of it like that, but you’re right.”
The conversation lapsed between them as they both ate quietly. He’d already finished when she popped the last bite into her mouth. Dirk pointed to her milk and commented, “You didn’t drink your milk.”
“That’s dessert,” she informed him as she reached out to pick up her glass. “Yum!”
Dirk laughed for the first time since they’d met. Cynthia stared at him in astonishment; the serious grooves etched into his cheeks had transformed into dimples. Her heart fluttered inside her chest. He was gorgeous, all strict and glower-y. When he smiled, Dirk was breathtakingly handsome and yummy. She just wanted to keep him happy.
When he quirked an eyebrow at her, she realized she was being rude. Again, she dropped her gaze down to the tabletop. This time when his hand covered hers, she didn’t look up in surprise. Cynthia squeezed her eyes shut trying to memorize the feel of his touch—warm, powerful, and caring. Please don’t let me forget this.
“Let me clean up the dishes and then we’ll talk,” Dirk suggested.
“I can do the dishes.”
“Sit and enjoy your milk. I think I can handle a couple of microwave dishes.”