Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 126589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
“What are you doing?” Cat asked the question a split second before Beth could. They both stared at the bare-chested man in Beth’s backyard in bewilderment.
Gideon leaned on the handle of the pickaxe he’d been so expertly wielding not twenty seconds ago and wiped his sweaty forehead with his equally sweaty forearm.
“And where are your clothes?” Beth asked, unable to tear her eyes off his chest. “It’s freezing, you could catch a cold.”
She sounded like someone’s gran. Not her own, of course. Granny June had never sounded like a granny and she would roll over in her grave at any insinuation of the sort.
He grinned at her unrepentantly and Beth wondered if this was some small measure of revenge for the pre-curtain closure peepshow she’d put on for him every night of the last week. He hadn’t mentioned her peekaboo slow dances at all since she’d started them last Friday, but she knew he’d watched. She knew because of the way he’d looked at her during lunch last Sunday. And she knew because of the wicked glint in his eyes right now.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” he asked, directing the question at Cat. “I’m fixing this dangerous eyesore.”
“I told you I was going to pave over it,” Beth reminded him.
“And I told you I’d fix it for you. You’ll have your pond back.”
“Oh,” Cat gasped softly, her hand going to her chest. Her eyes were shimmering and Gideon’s eyebrows shot upward in alarm. Pregnant, hormonal Cat was an emotional wreck and it was hard to predict what would set off the waterworks. “You loved that pond, Beth.”
“I did. I loved that pond. This won’t ever be that pond.”
“No it won’t,” Gideon said regretfully. “And I’m truly sorry I wasn’t here to take care of it for you back when you needed a helping hand, Scrappy. But—while this won’t ever replace that pond—maybe it could be in remembrance of lost loved ones? A place to sit and reflect, and mourn and rejoice?”
Cat’s jaw dropped, but he ignored her, keeping his eyes glued to Beth’s face.
“Sometimes, Gideon,” Beth said her voice sharp, while she allowed a soft smile to play about her mouth. “You make it very, very hard for me to hate you.”
His lips stretched into a big grin.
“Good. Now, if you two lasses don’t mind? I’ve got a lot to get done today and you’re distracting me.”
“We’ll be in the living room,” Beth said. “Do you want something to drink?”
“Beer?” The hopeful note in his voice made her laugh. She had, in fact, bought a six pack of the craft beer he liked earlier in the week…just in case.
“I’ll see what I can find,” she said.
“I won’t hold my breath then,” he replied, and she laughed again.
She and Cat went back inside but before Cat could verbalize the question Beth could see swimming in her friend’s confused expression, Beth held up a finger.
“Hold that thought,” she told Cat, before going to the fridge and grabbing a beer for Gideon.
Cat watched in clear bemusement as Beth ambled through the French doors to the patio.
Gideon had gone back to loosening the cobblestones around the pond.
“Hey,” Beth called and he looked up at the sound of her voice. His eyes lit up like a child’s at Christmas when he saw the beer in her hand.
“Where did you dig this out?” he asked once she got close enough to hand it to him.
“Bought it in the week.”
“For me?” he asked unnecessarily, and she nodded mutely. He hooked a burly, sweaty arm around her waist and drew her close, ignoring her squeal of horror.
“You may be a smartypants and a ruthless cocktease, Scrappy, but I appreciate the hell out of you for this.” He planted a hard, hot, and hungry kiss on her mouth and she made a muffled sound of pleasure and protest.
He released her as quickly as he’d grabbed her and she swayed for a second before she found her footing again.
“Enj-j-joy the buh-beer.” Her stutter made him grin but she knew it wasn’t malicious. The jerk was just happy that his quick kiss had had such a potent effect on her.
She wobbled back inside on unsteady legs where Cat sat on the couch in her living room. From that vantage point, there’s no way her friend hadn’t seen the kiss.
Cat didn’t say anything though. She sat quietly while Beth brought her some milk and a slice of chocolate cake. She waited for Beth to sit down as well, but still didn’t say a word.
Eventually, Beth sighed and gestured toward her friend with her cake fork.
“Just spit it out, Cat. I can see that you have questions.”
“You’re sure you don’t want to give Adam another chance?” Cat asked, licking frosting from one of her knuckles. Beth had told Cat about her less-than-ideal date with Adam the following day.