Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26865 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26865 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
“I bet I looked like a monster to you when we met.”
“No. I could tell that you could be dangerous if you had to be, but I didn’t think you were a monster. You’re way too handsome to be a monster. Besides, there was something about you that made me feel safe. I was only afraid of one thing when I met you.”
“What was that?”
She bats those blue eyes at me. “Disappointing you.”
“You couldn’t disappoint me. You’re a walking dream.”
She feels like home to me now, and I don’t want to be anywhere else.
I exit the shower first and wrap her in a big, warm towel. She prances to the bedroom and opens one of her little suitcases. She removes three dresses and lays them out on the bed. I look them all over one by one.
There’s a sundress with little blue flowers, a yellow, knee-length cotton one, and a short, black, sleeveless one that ties around her neck. I touch the black one. “This one but only if you have a sweater. The riverfront gets chilly at night.”
“I thought that one too. I have a black sweater to match.”
“Then it’s settled. I told you I was gonna pick the sexiest one.”
“What are you wearing?”
“How about some jeans and a T-shirt?”
“You own jeans? I’ve only ever seen you in dress pants and swim trunks.”
“And naked,” I tease.
She puts on her dress and I tie it for her. She does a little twirl. “How do I look?”
“Like a sexy little doll, baby.”
She goes back to the bathroom to fix her hair while I dress. When she returns, she stops dead in the center of the room and smiles at me.
“What?”
“I like you in jeans and a T-shirt. It shows off your muscles.”
“It’s good to know that my muscles turn you on. Are you ready to go?”
“I can’t wait.” She slips into her shoes.
The drive to Nashua takes us over two covered bridges, and Samantha gets just as excited about the second as she did from the first.
“What’s the city like?”
“Nashua is the second largest city in the northeast, but you wouldn’t know it. It’s very clean with very little crime. It sits right on the river so the views are amazing, and the city center is made up mostly of refurbished textile buildings.”
“It sounds nice.”
“It is nice. It’s changed a lot since I was a kid. It’s funny. At one time, it was a manufacturing town. Now it’s the home of some of the largest tech and financial firms in the country.”
“I guess everything can change, right?”
“In the blink of an eye.”
Just like my life. A week ago, I was a man with a singular purpose. Legitimizing my family business was my only passion. Now, all I can think about is making and raising babies with this beautiful girl. Yeah, everything can change in the blink of an eye.
We arrive at the Peddler’s Daughter, and I help Samantha out of the car. She takes her first real look at Nashua. “This isn’t the kind of city I’m used to. It’s like those towns in the holiday TV movies.”
“I think they’ve made some of those here.”
There’s a fire burning in the stone fireplace, and men in kilts play bagpipes by the bar. The hostess greets us and seats us at a quiet table near the fire. I ask her to bring us a bottle of Pinot Noir. I don’t usually drink, but tonight, I want to celebrate.
“I have an idea,” Samantha whispers as though her idea is some trade secret.
“What is it?”
“Since we’re in an Irish pub, let's order only Irish food off the menu.”
“Do you like Irish food?”
“I don’t know what Irish food is.” She laughs.
“Okay, better let me handle it then.”
“You’re an expert on Irish food, then?”
“No, but I’m becoming an expert on you.”
I study the menu until our waitress returns with the wine.
“We’re ready to order,” I tell her. “We’ll start with the Irish nachos, then the potato and leek soup. For our entrée, she’ll have the cottage pie, and I’ll have the bangers and mash. Oh, and for dessert, the bread pudding.”
The waitress writes down our order and departs.
“How did I do?” I ask Samantha.
“I don’t know what most of that was, but it sounded Irish to me.”
“I promise you’ll love it.”
“I know I will.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I’ve loved every minute since I met you. That’s how.”
I pour the wine and then take her hand in mine. “Me too, sweetheart. Me too.”
We finish the entire bottle of wine as we work our way through the four-course meal. The food is great, but I’ll eat cardboard if it means being able to spend time like this with Samantha.
As I glance around the place, I see that I’m not the only one mesmerized by the light shining from her. I catch several men at the bar stealing glances in her direction. I feel a little defensive at first but quickly realize that she’s oblivious to the attention she’s getting. They can all eat their hearts out. This girl is mine.