Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
At least one of my prayers was answered when Scottie finally stopped protesting and got interested in one of his apps. He sat down on the couch and started playing with it, as if his tantrum had a magic off button, and I’d somehow hit it.
The house was growing colder by the minute. I grabbed my coat and threw it over my shoulders before taking the blanket Josh slept with and draping it over Scottie. I curled up next to him on the couch and began to pray again for Josh’s safe return. My hands trembled as I tried his phone for what seemed like the umpteenth time.
“Please, God. Bring him home safely,” I whispered.
I wasn’t a religious person and felt like a bit of a fraud asking God for help when I didn’t acknowledge Him on a daily basis. But in times of trouble, I seemed to gravitate toward praying—which must have meant I knew someone up there was listening.
When the door suddenly opened, a rush of adrenaline hit. It was so dark that I couldn’t immediately make out who it was.
“Carly?”
I shot up from the couch. “Josh!” My voice cracked.
He wrapped his arms around me, enveloping my body.
“Oh my God. Are you okay?” he asked.
I broke into tears. “I was so worried about you.”
“Me? I was freaking out about you being home alone with Scottie and no electricity. My phone died, but I heard on the radio that half of New Hampshire is out.”
“I was so scared that you’d gotten into an accident.”
He pulled back to look at me, his hands wrapping around my face. I could barely make out his expression in the candlelight. Josh pressed his forehead gently against mine, and we just breathed together for a few moments. I suspected he understood why I’d freaked out so badly.
“Oh, man,” he whispered. “I’m sorry you were scared.”
With his face so close to mine, I ached for him to kiss me.
“I didn’t realize you would think something had happened to me,” he said, brushing his thumb along my cheek. “I couldn’t call you, and I was taking it slow. That’s why it took so long.”
“Josh...”
“What, baby?”
The sound of baby rolling off his tongue gave me butterflies.
“I’m just so glad you’re home.”
He spoke into my hair. “Me, too.”
I’d spent the last few weeks trying to deny my feelings for him, but everything came barreling to the surface tonight.
He finally let go of me and turned to Scottie, still sitting calmly on the couch. “How is he so quiet?”
“We had a good ninety minutes of major outbursts before he wiped himself out and decided to just play with his apps.”
Josh rubbed Scottie’s back. “That must have been so hard.”
“It was...but I handled it. I was more worried about you than anything else.”
Josh reached for my hand, and I sat down next to him, our fingers threaded together. It was a simple gesture, but felt very intimate.
“I’m sorry I scared you. I can only imagine how much it reminded you of the night Brad...” His voice trailed off.
“It did. That’s probably why I overreacted. But it wasn’t just about my trauma... I didn’t know what I would do if something happened to you.”
His eyes flickered in the candlelight. “When Scottie eventually gets a placement, and we go our separate ways, I want you to know, I won’t regret a second of this experience, Carly. It’s hard to believe I was ever dreading it.”
I squeezed his hand. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Likewise, Pumpkin.”
A sudden burst of light broke us out of our private moment.
The electricity is back!
He looked around. “Holy shit!”
“Maybe the magic word was pumpkin all along! The second you said it, the lights came on.”
Scottie began to laugh hysterically and bounce up and down on the couch. He was so freaking happy and immediately logged on to YouTube.
Josh clapped his hands together. “I think we need to celebrate with some backwards Elton John and a bottle of wine. What do you say, Carly?”
“That sounds absolutely divine.”
Josh went outside to unload the pellets from my car. He refilled the stove and started a fresh fire.
As I reveled in the peace of knowing all was well again, I thought about how unexpected life can be. I’d always yearned for a sense of family. Having come from a broken home and being an only child, I’d always felt alone, despite my mother’s best efforts. The only real exception had been my time with Brad. But here, with this makeshift family, I felt far from alone. At least for the time being.
That night, before I went to sleep, I found a note from Josh by my bedside.
A Thank You from The Trappist Monks of St. Francis:
Not all heroes wear capes. Some are blonde with lemon pits. I don’t know if I could’ve handled Scottie with no electricity for ninety minutes. I would’ve wanted to blow my brains out. You were amazing holding down the fort tonight, Pumpkin.