Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
“Love you, Mom. Love you, Dad.”
“Love you, sweet pea. Where’s your water?” Mom asks. She’s forty-five and barely looks it. Good genes, eating semi-healthy, and drinking lots of water is what she says keeps her youthful. She doesn’t push much on any given thing, except sunscreen and water.
“By the front door, and yes, I’m wearing sunscreen.” Did I mention Mom and I are both big on reuse, reduce, recycle? Apparently, my grandma on my mom’s side was a big-time maximalist. She was so bad Mom developed what she calls anxiety over-clutter. There were many times Dad would come home after working out of town and the house was cleaned top to bottom, bags of clothes, shoes, and décor stacked at the door. Mom isn’t a minimalist by any means; we have furniture, wall hangings, and décor pieces she likes. And never once did she try and make me get rid of things I wasn’t ready to let go of. Sure, I donated toys that weren’t used, same with clothes, and while I’m an only child, I am not in any way spoiled to the point I need or want a certain lifestyle. We thrift, garage sale, and antique together when we feel the urge. Dad jokes it helps keep his wallet thick for his hobby—saltwater fishing.
“Good girl. Text me later. I think Dad’s going fishing, and I’m going to hit the grocery store, maybe meet up with Jessie to gossip about our husbands and kids.” Our neighbors to the left are older, adorable, and make me hope that one day, I’ll have a marriage like theirs or my parents'. Jessie and Al are older than Mom and Dad, have grandkids, and still the four of them get along like there isn’t twenty or so years between them. Al and Dad will go fishing together, the ladies will lunch, and when the men folk return, they play cards well into the early hours of the morning.
On the right side though. Well, I’m awarded a pleasure every morning with the view from my balcony. A reason to be an early riser for an entirely selfish reason.
Talon Scott.
Every morning like clockwork, he steps outside of his back door wearing only a pair of shorts, barefoot with a mug of coffee in his hand. I watch as he walks to his dock, looks at the tide, checks on his boat, and does a full-body stretch. He’s the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome.
“Can you pick me up a few things? I’ll send you money or bring home cash,” I offer.
“As long as it’s food, we’ve got no problem buying for you, honey. You know that. Send me what you want.” I’m not sure Mom is prepared for the long list. After looking at my finances from my first job, it was clear eating out is going to have to be kept to a minimum. Therefore, I’ll be bringing my lunch for the entirety of my life.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” With the heat hitting record-breaking temperatures this early in the summer, the days are hot and the nights are hotter. Especially when I’m in bed by myself envisioning what Talon would do to me if he let himself go.
“We’re fine. You wouldn’t let us help with college. The least we can do is provide you with room and board, pick up some food, and breathe comfortably knowing where you sleep at night,” Dad says, killing the moment of me thinking about Talon. He’s not wrong, though. I didn’t let them pay for my schooling. Scholarships and grants covered the majority; everything else I worked the weekends to pay for. Dad may have huffed and puffed at times, yet I also saw the pride shining through when he thought no one was watching. He did things his way too, working from the ground up, digging ditches to now being the engineer he is on the cusp of retirement. Still, he won’t stop. Dad told both of us he’ll do contract work to keep busy and I believe him.
“Fine, fine. I’m out of here, or I’m going to be late. I’ll send you a text with my list. Thank you, love you.” Mom kisses the side of my head. I pull away and head toward Dad. I know if I pass him up, he’ll give me a ration of hell. And I don’t have a whole heck of a lot of time at this point.
“Love you, too,” he says as I give him quick hug and kiss, then I’m walking through the living room, heading toward the front door to grab my water. I look down at my watch, noting the time. Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Talon.
2
TALON
“Motherfucking shit.” I look up from washing my boat after a charter of night fishing. Those are few and far between, require way more planning, and include too much drinking. There aren't enough energy drinks to deal with them on a weekly basis. The past few weeks, I’ve been trying my hardest to stay away from Kelsey Rae. She sure as shit makes it damn hard, seeing as she’s my neighbor. Now the damn woman works where I do and the other woman in my life had a hand in making that so. My mother is a menace to society, poking her nose where she shouldn’t. It’s not like I could tell her to make Kelsey quit or give her less hours. I’m not that much of a dickhead.