Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 132649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Her parents still looked a little shell-shocked to see him, but her father rallied faster than her mother.
“Have you been treating my daughter poorly, Mr. Abbott?” His voice was thick with displeasure, and it was a little disconcerting to see her usually mild-mannered father narrow his eyes intimidatingly at a man she knew he admired.
“Call me Trystan, please, and in answer to your question, I wasn’t very kind to her at first. But you know Iris, it’s impossible to continue being an asshole around her. And let me tell you, I tried my damnedest. I wanted to meet you both so that I could inform you that your daughter has changed my life. And to thank you in person for raising such an amazing woman.”
Iris found it hard to swallow past the lump in her throat as she stared at this man who had undoubtedly changed her life as well. She would never be the same after this. And she damned sure knew that she didn’t want to face the rest of her life without him.
Her parents looked confused, even alarmed, and Iris leaped in to do some damage control.
“Long story short, my reason for being here no longer exists, but until they fix the roads I can’t leave. Trystan has been kind enough to host me, despite my showing up pretty much unannounced on his doorstep.”
“Best thing that ever happened to me,” Trystan inserted happily and Iris facepalmed before facing her parents again with a determined smile.
“So, as you can see, I’m fine. Nothing at all for you to worry about and hopefully I’ll be home soon. Now what’s been happening with Robbie? And how’s business? Any interesting events coming up?”
“You want us to talk about that with Trystan Abbott sitting there?” her mother asked in horror.
“Just pretend he’s not here,” Iris waved her concern off with a breezy hand gesture.
“But he’s right there,” her mother pointed out unnecessarily.
Trystan snorted again, and when Iris slanted him a glance he was suspiciously straight-faced.
Her parents somewhat hesitantly began to tell her about Robbie’s crush, about a few new interesting upcoming events. The geyser at home had burst. Mrs. Desmond next door had fallen and broken her hip.
They soon grew comfortable with Trystan’s quiet presence, and conversation flowed freely between Iris and her parents.
Until…
“So, Mr. Abbott, why won’t you let my daughter interview you?” Rosa Hughes abruptly shifted topic, and both Trystan and Iris froze. “She’s ever so good at what she does. She once interviewed Mrs. O’Malley down the road for her primary school newspaper. And everybody said she was the cutest little reporter, with her earnest questions about Mrs. O’Malley’s missing rabbit. The rabbit was found not two days after the story ran.”
“Mum, please …” Iris groaned, writhing in embarrassment. Her mother always whipped out the rabbit story when she spoke about Iris’s journalism career. That, to the older woman, was the pinnacle of Iris’s achievements. Then again, Iris hadn’t given them much else to brag about after that when it came to her chosen career.
“It’s not about Iris, Mrs. Hughes. I agree that your daughter is extremely talented. It’s about me. I’m not in the best place right now. I have a lot of decisions to make about my future and I’d rather not talk to any reporters until after I’ve made them.”
Her mother’s face contorted in sympathy, and she nodded. Iris tensed, knowing what would come next.
“Is it because of that accident? I’m so sorry that happened to you.”
To his credit, Trystan merely nodded curtly in response to her words.
“Thank you, and yes, it’s partly about that and partly because I have to make changes. I have to create a safe space in my life for someone vitally important to me,” Iris’s head swung sharply toward him, but he kept his gaze fixed on the screen.
“I wish you luck with that. It was ever so nice meeting you. Jason would agree, but I think he’s a little starstruck right now. He’s never this quiet.”
“I’m quiet because I can’t get a word in edgewise, woman,” her father grumbled, and Trystan chuckled. “Now if you’re done embarrassing our daughter, I have something to say to Mr. Abbott.”
“Of course,” Trystan nodded with a smile, which her father didn’t return.
“If you break my little girl’s heart, young man, I’ll break your legs. And don’t think I can’t, I know three different types of martial arts.”
“Dad…”
“Jason, what—”
Trystan ignored the shocked exclamations from both women and nodded solemnly at the thin, balding fifty-something-year-old man glaring daggers at him through the screen.
“If she’d give me her heart, sir, it would be my greatest treasure and I would keep it safe for the rest of my life. But until the day she entrusts it to me, it’s not mine to break.”
Her father seemed satisfied with that answer, and once again Iris felt herself on the verge of tears at Trystan’s words.