Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 19408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 97(@200wpm)___ 78(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 97(@200wpm)___ 78(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
“You know I can’t stay mad at you long, but you hurt me, Daddy. I appreciate your apology, but you have to know I’m going to make my own decisions and you may not like some of them. There might be a time you’ll need to pick me up when I’m crumbling. Though, I have to tell you, it may be too soon for some, I love him, Daddy. And not just a toes-in-the-water kind, it’s more of a diving headfirst, plunging into love.” My nerves are frayed. Telling my dad something I should have probably—okay, not probably but definitely—told Wolf first. Now, I’ll be praying that he didn’t hear that. Knowing him though, with his supersonic hearing, Wolf will know and be sure to have another surprise up his sleeve, kind of like Dominic.
“Kind of figured that out by the way you had no problem going right to him, and that little tidbit of information he thought only your ear could hear. Well, it was loud enough. Might want to work on that with him. If you do ever have children, they’ll hear everything.” And just like that, he’s making me cry and laugh at the same time.
“Wolf is just Wolf. What you see is what you get. He’s got a heart of gold. I mean, for goodness’ sake, he bought a donkey because I mentioned the chickens and cows needed a friend. Mind you, this was when I thought he wasn’t around. He’s a good person, Daddy. I promise you, my heart didn’t steer me wrong.”
“I hear you, loud and clear, pumpkin. Let’s go see what your momma has Wolf doing in the kitchen. Knowing her, we’ll have a spread for breakfast, and do me a favor?” he asks.
“What’s that?” His arm wraps around my shoulder as we walk towards the kitchen.
“Go easy on your momma. Don’t mistake her silence for what it was. She didn’t like last night one bit. Me with my mouth and you slamming out the door. I got more than an earful for my behavior, deserved every bit of it too.” He nods his head, and I know he’s right, but it still hurts.
“I’ll take that into consideration.” My eyes focus on Wolf. He’s standing at the kitchen counter, his back to me, flipping pancakes. Those muscular arms of his that hold me when I’m falling apart. Wolf is in his everyday grey shirt, denim jeans, and boots, making me want to bypass this whole shebang, go home with him, and get us both sideways.
“Oh, goodie, my turn. Though, if you’re not careful, I may just steal this handsome man of yours. You didn’t tell me Wolf knew how to cook.” Mom abandons cutting fruit beside him, grabs my hand, and walks me back to where I just came from.
“He’s a man of many trades, Momma. You don’t have to say anything. I know you don’t like to get in the middle of when Dad and I start our bickering. It’s not easy when you have two hardheaded family members with a side of drama queen,” I joke, not wanting her to feel bad.
“Well, know that I’m sorry and I love you. Parents don’t always say the right things or do it right. It comes from the heart though,” she states.
“I love you. Now, are you ready to eat? Because I’m absolutely starving.” It was a shitty situation, one that doesn’t need to be talked to death. And actions speak louder than words, and it seems like both of my parents are willing to give Wolf a chance.
“Let’s go eat, then.” Wolf, my parents, and food, that’s what today was meant to be all about.
Seventeen
Wolf
This past month has been one fuck of a learning curve between getting Reese settled down here permanently and making sure her parents were okay with what was going on between us, then Mom coming over while the Millers were at the house. I think seeing how Mom brought not only Reese but her parents as well into the fold eased a lot of their hesitations.
The icing on the cake, though, that would be this clusterfuck over the last few weeks of dealing with what was once a loyal bartender turned sideways. It caused me to be at the bar more often than not. Sometimes I’d be rolling into bed when it was time for her to be up and feeding the animals, her decision, not mine when it came to doing the chores. Reese would do the morning feeding, and I’d do the evening. There were times when she and Mom would come up to the bar, put on an apron, helping me out while I caught up on paperwork. Thank God today the new bartender is able to be out on his own and I’m able to be home at a reasonable fucking hour.