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)
She grinned. “I left my car at her house.”
“Do you want me to drive you there to get it? You can stay the night with me if you want. I have the rest of this weekend off.”
Her eyes lit up. “I don’t have any dog walks planned this weekend. Most of my clients are either out of town or spending it with their family.”
I placed my hand on her hip and drew her a bit closer to me so I could lower my voice. “So, what you’re saying is, we have the whole weekend together?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
The urge to lean down and kiss her was almost too much, so I stepped back and dropped my hold on her. My chest squeezed when her eyes darkened.
“Can we leave now?”
Haven giggled. “I need to go say goodbye and thank you to Stella. I’ll be right back.”
Reaching up, she kissed me quickly, then made her way out of the kitchen.
I leaned against the counter and brought my hand up to my chest to rub at the familiar feeling I got whenever Haven was near me. Was that something I would get used to, or would I always feel this way? If I was being honest, it wasn’t anything new. The last few years I got this feeling whenever she was near me, but not as strong as over the last week.
“I’ve seen that look before.”
My mother’s words brought me out of my thoughts. “What look?”
She smiled. “The look of someone head over heels for another person.”
I couldn’t help it. I felt the corners of my mouth tip up. “I am head over heels for her. I’ve never felt this way before, Mom. Every day, it seems to grow stronger and stronger. She’s all I think about. When I’m at the ranch, I want to be where she is. When I’m with her, I’m thinking about how to keep her with me longer. It’s pure insanity.”
She laughed. “That, my dear, is called being in love. And it’s pretty clear she feels the same way about you with how she watches you when she doesn’t think anyone notices.”
I glanced to the floor and kicked at nothing. “I don’t know why I didn’t take the risk of loving her before now, but I’m glad I finally opened my eyes.”
I felt her hand on my arm as she gave it a tight squeeze. “You opened your heart along with those beautiful eyes of yours. The big thing now is not to mess it up.”
“Do you think I will?” I asked, my stomach instantly feeling sick.
A lighthearted laugh came from her. “No, I don’t think you will.”
Haven walked back into the kitchen only to have Grace and Uncle Brock arrive only seconds later.
Grace looked at Haven and smiled. “Looks like I found a new job.”
Haven let out a small squeal of delight and hugged her mother. “That’s wonderful, Mom. Congratulations.”
Uncle Brock looked my way and grinned. “I’m going to head on back to the movie. You take care, and we’ll see you next week.”
Grace shook his hand and replied, “Thank you, Brock. You’ve given me the most amazing opportunity. I cannot thank you enough.”
Uncle Brock nodded his head, said his goodbyes to Grace and Haven, and made his way out of the kitchen. My mother walked everyone to the door while I grabbed their jackets. The temperature had continued to drop, and when I opened the front door, a burst of cold wind went past me.
Turning to my mother, I hugged her. “Tell Grams I said thank you for everything. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
She kissed me on the cheek and said, “Be careful driving. If you want, dinner Sunday at our place.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Bring Haven as well.”
I smiled. “Happy Thanksgiving, Mom.”
“Happy Thanksgiving, sweetheart.”
After picking up Haven’s car from her mother’s house, we drove straight to my house. We weren’t in the door two seconds before I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. Haven melted into me, and we were soon lost in the kiss.
We broke apart, and I leaned my forehead to hers. “Thank you for coming today.”
Smiling, she replied, “I had so much fun, Nate. So did my mother. Your family is amazing.”
“I think they are as well.”
“And the job offer for my mother, you should have heard her on the way home. She couldn’t stop talking about it. And the best part is health insurance! She’s never had that before, so this is huge.”
“It was perfect timing.”
Haven nodded. “It really was.”
I took her bag and started toward my bedroom. “You know, you should bring some stuff to keep here.”
“Stuff?” Haven asked, sitting on my bed.
“Yeah, you know, like, a toothbrush, shampoo, extra clothes, things like that.”
Her brows pulled down slightly. “You want me to keep stuff here?”
I smiled. “Yes. It would make it easier for you on the nights you stay here. You don’t have to pack all your stuff up.”