Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Jerico was by her side when she turned back to step out. He helped her stand up out of the car and wrapped his arms around her. Aspen melted against his chest. Under her ear, she could hear his steady heartbeat.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered, taking solace from the corded strength of his body. She knew Jerico wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her.
Her heart lurched in her chest as he tangled his fingers in her hair to hold her closer. What was so magnetic about this man? Aspen didn’t care. She was just so glad he was there.
“Is she okay?” an older male voice asked from the doorway of the house closest to where she had parked.
“She’s good. Just lost and scared. She’s fine now,” Jerico called back.
“I was worried about her. Just too much dangerous stuff out there now to come out and check on her,” the man said apologetically.
“I appreciate you keeping an eye on her. I’ll take her home now,” Jerico assured him before saying softly to Aspen, “Let’s go home. Can you follow me?”
She nodded and forced herself to take a step back and nod. “Sure. I’m fine.”
“I’ll go slow and keep you in my mirror. Let’s get you ready to go.”
Jerico held the door as she slid back into place before leaning in to fasten her seatbelt. Aspen watched his gaze roam over the scattered contents of her bucket in the passenger seat and floorboard. “You’ll tell me what happened later.”
When she nodded, he pulled his phone from his pocket. “Grab your phone and put this call on speaker.”
He waited until she’d found her phone on the passenger seat and then called her. Jerico waited patiently until she found the speaker button. “Set it in the cupholder. We’ll talk as we drive.”
Not waiting for her to answer, Jerico stepped back and closed her door with a solid thump. She watched him in her mirror as he walked back and jumped into his truck. Seconds later, he pulled around her and waited a short distance in front of her.
“Come on, little girl. Let’s get you home,” Jerico invited.
She nodded and realized he couldn’t see her. “I’m coming.” Pulling away from the curb, she followed him through that intersection and down to a light.
“How about if I tell you about my afternoon?” Jerico asked.
“Okay,” she agreed out loud after a delay, feeling silly because she’d nodded again. He can’t see you!
“After we returned to the truck, we grabbed lunch on base. I had something that was supposed to be stroganoff. My grandma would have argued about that label.”
“Why?”
“It didn’t have noodles. My grandma Betty always made her own noodles fresh when she made stroganoff.”
“Grandmas know how to make fun treats like that,” Aspen commented as she stuck right behind him in the light evening traffic. She could feel the tension easing from her shoulders.
“She’d always let me help her. I have the recipe. Would you like to make some one day?”
“What do you do?”
“It’s like making bread dough, but with more eggs and no yeast to make it rise. Super messy and fun,” he told her.
“I’d try it. You know, if you want to.”
“We’ll do it. Two more turns and we’re home. Look—there’s the best Mexican restaurant in town,” he said, and she knew he was giving her landmarks so she wouldn’t get lost again.
“I love La Mesa Mexicana. It has the best tacos.”
“Soft ones? Those are the only ones I like.”
“Really?” she squeaked in amazement. “They do have them, but the hard shells rock. They make the tortillas there.”
“Hmmm. Maybe I could try them. For you. Here’s our turn. Galaway Street. I always laugh. My neighbor on the corner has a concrete goose on the front porch that she dresses up. Can you see what he’s wearing?”
Peering out the window, Aspen saw something yellow. “I think it’s a raincoat.”
“Perfect. It’s going to rain tomorrow. That goose is always right about the weather. It wears a bikini when it’s going to be hot.”
Aspen couldn’t keep the giggle inside her mouth. She wanted to see that.
“We live here in the white house. You pull into the garage.”
“Oh, no. I don’t want to kick you out of the garage. It’s your house.”
“I’ll have to leave early. First one out has to park in the driveway,” he decreed.
That made sense. “Okay.”
After pulling into the empty space, Aspen took a few minutes to organize her cleaning supplies. She shook her head. Why hadn’t she done this while she was waiting for him to come find her?
“Come on, little girl. Let’s go in. You must be exhausted.”
A yawn stretched her jaw at that suggestion. She was totally wiped out. Swinging her legs out, she took his hand and let him tug her to her feet.
As she stepped away, Aspen remembered, “My phone. I have to charge it.”