Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 49348 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49348 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
“I’ll work on it tomorrow after work.” I pour the two of us a glass of milk and grab the bag of chocolate chip cookies from the pantry where Grandpa Bernie keeps them in stock from the local bakery.
“Thank you. Carsynn helped make our dinner. She stopped by while I was getting the ingredients. The woman doesn’t know how to sit still for a minute, so I offered her a meal if she cut up the vegetables,” he tells me as I carry the cookies under my arm, two glasses in one hand, and my plate of food in the other. His face lights up when he talks about the new girl in town. The man is trying to matchmake. Too bad I’ve got too much on my damn plate to even think about letting my grandfather set me up on a date.
“That’s nice. Is she settling in?” He called me when I was out of town, and she applied for the small apartment I had for rent. You know, the one I built for my grandfather, who refused to move once it was all said and done. It’ll be there whenever he’s ready. In the meantime, I may as well make back what I put into it.
“You’d think she’s on cloud nine. Gone is the girl who rolled into town looking dead on her feet, wary of the world, and too damn skinny for anyone’s liking. Thank you for not requiring first, last, and a deposit. It might have bankrupted her.” He knows me well enough, and I know him well enough that if she couldn’t afford it, then he’d attempt to take care of the fee. It was easier to waive it, even though she didn’t come with a wealth of background in the renting department. Grandpa Bernie is a good judge of character, and since I was out of town, he did most of the work.
“No big deal. She’s been hanging out with your old ass voluntarily. I think I’m making out in the long run.” I wink. He grunts but helps take a few things out of my hands so I can sit down and dig into the first real meal I’ve had in weeks. “Damn, this is real good.” I’ve barely sat down before I’m shoveling a forkful of the stew and rice into my mouth. Gramps opens the bag of cookies and sets them on his lap. He’ll share a meal with you. His cookies are a whole other story.
“Of course, it is. It’s your grandmother's recipe.” He’s gearing up for more, I can see it written all over his face. Either Gramps is about to ask for a favor or he’s about to lay something out I don’t want to hear.
“What’s on your mind? Spit it out. You know I won’t say no to you,” I say in between bites.
“Good, I want you to pick me up tomorrow morning. We’ll go to the diner and then to the shop. I haven’t been in a while. You’ll probably need help with something or other, and I’m bored.” He’ll usually meet me at the diner, then follow me in his car to the shop. I’m beginning to think he missed me more than he let on.
“I can do that. Normal time?” I ask.
“A bit earlier. I want to make sure we get seated in Carsynn’s section.” And there lies his scheme. I should have seen this one coming. I nod. No use in replying. Grandpa Bernie officially got his way.
5
CARSYNN
“Wow.” I’m standing behind the counter of the diner the next morning. The early morning rush has come and gone. Now I’m slack-jawed as I watch the McCoys walk through the door. While Mr. Bernie is tall and his stature more on the lean side, Gabe is so much more. I’m not sure how to describe him. All I know is he has to duck his head in order to clear the door and that the pictures Bernie had around his house don’t scratch the surface of his grandson. The older gentleman has always talked about Gabe with nothing but pride in his voice. You’d think his grandson hung the moon. Never in my life have I ever had someone like that in my corner. A hint of jealousy hits me in my sternum even when it shouldn’t. The McCoys had their fair share of heartache, and me being all in my feelings is doing nothing but making me seem like an idiot.
“Here, you’re drooling, Cars.” I’m interrupted when a napkin is thrown at my face. I catch it with one hand. Olive is laughing, and I’m busy ducking my head in embarrassment. No longer am I the shy and standoffish girl around her. We’ve grown closer with each passing day. She teases me, and I have no problem giving it right back to her. While I’m in my mid-twenties, Olive is only twenty, a baby compared to how I feel. When she saw me taking a breather in the break room, a magazine flipped open, my eyes bulging at the most beautiful design I have seen—rich in colors, dark blue walls, mustard yellow, and big, beautiful flowers in different textures—Olive teased me about drooling then, too. At least my nose wasn’t in the same book it was last night. Shew, that would have been hard to explain, especially the spicy scene I read in the bathtub. The duke now owns his wife completely. She’s no longer a virgin of any kind. If only I could have stayed up another hour to finish the book. I break away from my thoughts on my book, and dang it, I really wish my hair were down right about now. I could use the concealment. “He’s not looking, Cars, you’re good,” she whispers once her laughter is under control.