Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“That sounds lovely.”
“Why don’t you and your mother come to Thanksgiving at the ranch?”
I was pretty sure my eyes went as wide as saucers. “Oh, no, we couldn’t intrude like that.”
“What do you mean? Your mother and my mother are friends. Besides, with this being the first holiday since Granddad is gone, I know Grams would love to have as many people there as possible.”
“It’s at her house you said?”
“Yes, she insisted on hosting. Said it would keep her mind busy.”
Glancing at the table, I said, “I can’t imagine how it is for your grandmother to lose her husband so suddenly. Especially after being married that long.”
“She’s a tough cookie. Why don’t you talk it over with your mom and see if she’d like to come?”
I nodded. “I will. Thank you for the invitation. That was sweet of you.”
Nate reached across the table and took my hand in his. “Haven, once today is over, it’s not back to usual for us. I hope you know that.”
My heart started to race as I asked, “Are you…are you saying you want to date me?”
He grinned. “Oh, I want to do more to you than simply date you, sweetheart.”
My cheeks heated, and I pulled my hands free and placed them on my face to cool down my warm body.
Nate shot me a wicked grin. “I think we should go back to your place now.”
I raised a brow. “Really? What for?”
“You need to pack a bag.”
Confused, I shook my head. “A bag? For what?”
“I want you to come stay with me at my house. I can help you with the dog walks this week as well. Since it’s Thanksgiving week I’ll have a few days off.”
My eyes blinked a few times. “You want to do that again?”
“Hell, yes, I do. It was fun and good exercise, if I do say so. And if I’m being honest, I want to spend as much time with you as possible.”
Chewing on my lower lip, I debated whether it was a good idea. I wanted to spend more time with Nate and learn more about him and his family. And I wanted the same for him: to learn more about me, the job I loved, and what my future held. Were we moving too fast, though? I nearly laughed. I had been in love with this man for as long as I could remember, and he was asking me to stay with him at his beautiful home. He also told me that he loved me. I’d be crazy if I said no.
“Okay, I would love to come and stay with you.”
A brilliant smile lit up his face. “And you’ll talk to your mom about Thanksgiving?”
“Should you ask Stella first?”
Nate laughed. “Grams will say the more the merrier.”
I nodded. “I’ll talk to her later today about it.”
Leaning back in his chair, he looked at the pizza. “Should we take it to go?”
“Cold pizza and a movie sounds like a grand plan.”
Nate winked. “I like that plan too.”
“This is the perfect spot for this dog park,” Doug said as he stood in the middle of the field. “You’ve already got water and electricity here, so that’s an expense you won’t have to take on.”
Sophia and I followed Doug as he looked at the plans and the plot of land donated for the dog park. We wouldn’t own it, but the owners gave us a ninety-nine-year lease.
He nodded. “This would be a great project for us and a wonderful way to give back to this community that has been there for me for many years.”
We both smiled at Doug.
Sophia cleared her throat. “I can get you a copy of the plans so you can work up a bid. Once we have decided on a contractor, the bank will contact them, and all withdraws will be made to you...or um…them.”
Doug looked up from the plans he was studying. “That’s fine. For my portion, I’d like to do it pro bono. So, the only costs will come from my subcontractors that I use if I don’t have someone in-house to do the work. I have a few on my payroll, like the electrician I’ll use for this project. That fee will be pro bono as well as the plumbing.”
I shook my head a little and leaned closer to Doug. “I’m sorry, what did you just say?”
About that time, Nate walked up and put his arm around my waist, causing a shiver to run down my spine. This connection we had found within the last twenty-four hours was still new to me, but I wasn’t about to complain.
“How’s it going?” he asked, looking around at us.
“Well,” Sophia started. “Doug just dropped a huge bomb, and I think Haven and I are trying to figure out if we heard him correctly.”
Doug laughed. “I try to find a project each year that I call my passion project. A way to give back.”