Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
There was a knock on the door, and she shook her head. “Go to your room, Lou. I’m not joking. I need some time. I’ll figure out what to do about dinner and let you know.”
Her daughter’s frown deepened. “Fine. I’m sorry. Let me know if you need help with dinner because I’m hungry. The food Boomer made looked really good. I helped him with it. He showed me how to do the pasta. I can help you next time.”
Great. Now Adonis could cook. Well, of course he could.
She’d forgotten to put the roast in the Crock-Pot, and she hadn’t run to the store before she’d come home because she’d been panicked. Now she had to consider ordering in something—which she’d promised she wouldn’t do anymore—or heat up a frozen pizza. She’d meant to meal prep, but things had been crazy lately, and she’d used all her free cash to buy ingredients for the events she had coming up this week. They weren’t cheap, and the bakery was always straddling the line between making it and going under.
If she went under, what would happen to her and Lou?
There was another knock, and she realized her cheeks were wet. She was crying. Yep, that tracked. It was her default state these days.
She wiped away the tears and moved toward the door.
That was when she realized the mail was wrong. She’d placed the mail on the entryway table yesterday, and she knew the letter from the accountant who’d set up her business accounts had been on top. She’d put it there specifically because she wanted to remember to deal with it as soon as she could.
Damn it. Was Lou reading her mail now? She sighed. It was yet another thing she would have to deal with. Lou was going through something, and she needed to decide how to handle her.
She wished she could have a wistful thought about Dennis—that her heart could long for her husband to be here to help her with Lou. But he’d never been that man. Even if he was alive today, he’d shrug and tell her kids were her department and then get back to his very important research.
Daphne shook off the maudlin thought that she was alone and always had been. No one was going to magically ride in and make her life easier.
The key was getting through the tough moments and getting to…
She wasn’t sure she believed there was something great on the other side.
Still, she opened the door because it was what she was supposed to do, and Boomer was there, a reusable grocery bag in his hand. He’d turned and was starting to walk away, giving her a view of his back. And it was amazing. She was not some hormonal, sex-crazed woman who looked at men’s butts, but there was zero denying that his was spectacular.
Boomer turned, and then a magnificent smile crossed his face. “Oh, hey. I thought you weren’t going to answer. I know you said you didn’t want any, but I kind of thought you could use a break. That was probably some kind of mom lecture you gave, and that can take it out of you. I know because Big Tag is always tired after he yells at us for doing stupid shi…things. So I put together dinner for you and Lou. It’s not poison or anything. I’m actually a pretty good cook.”
She was not going to cry. She was not going to cry. She was not going to cry.
Instead she sniffled. “This is so nice of you, but I have to ask. Why would you mention poison?”
That smile deepened, giving the creases that proved he smiled a lot. “Well, in my line of business, it comes up more often than you think. We might have gotten off on a strange foot. I know it’s supposed to be the wrong foot, but it wasn’t wrong to let Lou in. I hope you see that.”
She took the bag he’d offered. “I appreciate everything you did for her this afternoon.”
He held out a big hand. “Let’s start over. I’m Brian Ward, but I’ve been called Boomer since I was in the Army. I live next door.”
She shook it. His hand was warm and big and callused. It enveloped hers and sent a surge of awareness through her. “Daphne Carlton. It’s nice to meet you.”
He held her hand in his for a moment. “It’s nice to meet you, too, Daphne. I hope you enjoy dinner, and please let me know if you need help with Lou. My door is always open. Good night.”
He stepped back and then he was walking away and she was staring at his backside. His muscular, works-out-a-lot backside. He probably had a six-pack. And those notchy things at his hips.
And a girlfriend.
Not probably on the girlfriend. He totally had one of those, and while she looked sweet and pretty, she hadn’t taken any crap. She worked security, too, so she could probably kick a little ass.