Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Luna nodded, and her attention went right back to the television. Skid watched her for a moment, and it wasn’t long before he was drawn into the show's whimsical storyline. Luna giggled at a silly part, and Skid couldn't help but laugh right along with her.
He sat with her for several minutes, then nudged her with his elbow. “I gotta get going, kid. You be good to your momma.”
“Okay.” He got up, and as soon as he started out of the room, Luna called out, “Bye, Skid.”
“Bye, kid.” Skid was sporting a wholesome smile as he made his way back over to me. “You gotta a good kid in there.”
“Yeah, she is pretty great.”
His eyes skirted over me flirtatiously as he added, “Her momma is pretty great, too.”
“Oh, thanks, Skid.” I didn’t want to give him the wrong idea, so I skimmed right over the compliment and asked, “So, where you headed off to?”
“Gotta make a run downtown to pick something up for one of the brothers.”
“They keep you busy, don’t they?”
“Yeah, but that’s just part of it.” He shrugged. “Hopefully, it won’t be long before I get my patch, and I’ll be done with the bullshit. Until then, I’ve gotta keep bustin’ it, which is why I’ve gotta get to gettin’.”
Before I realized what he was doing, Skid leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. It was a sweet gesture, but there was meaning behind it. I knew that. He knew that. But he just played it off with a wink and made his way for the door. “I’ll see you girls later.”
And that was it.
He was gone, and I was almost relieved.
I couldn’t help but wonder why I wasn’t drawn to him like I was Grim. I knew the answer. I was drawn to the darkness in Grim. I had a similar darkness inside of me, and somewhere deep inside, there was a piece of me that wondered if we could help each other find the light.
It was a silly thought.
I knew that, too, but I had it just the same.
It was that feeling that later led me into the kitchen. I was going to cook Grim a home-cooked meal. I figured it was the least I could do since he was the one who’d paid for all the groceries. I grabbed the pork chops from the fridge and set to work, and it wasn't long before Luna came in to give me a hand.
We made fried pork chops, little green peas, and Luna’s favorite mashed potatoes. We set the table and put dinner on the warm stove, thinking Grim would arrive at any moment. But he didn’t.
We waited until after seven, and there was still no sign of him.
Luna was hungry, so we made our plates and ate. After she was done, I gave Luna a bath and carried her to bed. With a heavy sigh, I tucked her into bed and kissed her softly on the forehead. "Goodnight, punkin."
“Night, Momma.”
I turned out the light and returned to the kitchen. I cleared away the remnants of our dinner and wiped down the counters. I wasn’t quite ready for bed, so I went into the living room and watched TV. One hour rolled into the next, and still no sign of Grim. It was clear he wasn’t coming home, so I turned off the TV, locked the doors, and headed into the bedroom.
I crawled into bed next to Luna and quickly nestled in the covers. The bed was super comfortable, and with the sound of Luna’s rhythmic breathing, it didn’t take long for me to become drowsy. I was just starting to feel that tingle of approaching sleep when I heard a loud thud at the front door.
My eyes snapped open, and my heart pounded against my chest as I tried to listen for another thud. I didn’t hear anything more, but I still felt the urge to go check it out. I glanced down at Luna, and she was still sleeping peacefully, so I was careful not to wake her as I eased out of bed.
The floorboards creaked beneath my feet as I tiptoed down the hallway. I looked around but didn’t see anything in the living room or kitchen. I walked over and looked out the window, and yet again, I saw nothing. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me until I glanced down and saw a pair of boots on the bottom steps.
I leaned in for a better look and gasped when I found Grim leaning back against the door with a bottle of liquor in his hand. I eased the door open as I whispered, “Grim? Are you okay?”
He looked up at me with red eyes and grumbled something under his breath. I opened the door further and stepped outside. Grim’s words were slightly slurred as he said, “Awe, hell, I’m sorry. I... I didn’t mean to wake ya.”