Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
I can’t remember the last time he hugged me. I sure don’t remember the last time I hugged him.
I swallow thickly and wrap my arm around him to pat his back too. When we separate, Mom has fresh tears trailing down her cheeks again, but this time, I think it’s for a good reason. She stands, hugging me tightly, and I whisper into her ear, “I’m sorry, Mom.”
She grabs my face when I pull back. “You are the best of both of us—Charles’s wildness and my heart.”
I would never, not in a million years, consider my dad to be wild, but I guess, once upon a time, he was. So I take the compliment as she intends it and say, “Thanks.”
CHAPTER 27
DANI
Things are going well—with me and Kyle, and with him and his family—so I should’ve known better than to let my guard down. That’s when the universe likes to throw an Uno Reverse at you and ruin everything good you’ve got going. It’s happened to me before, but I’m still surprised when I look out my kitchen window shortly before the Thursday lunch rush starts and see Kathy, Kyle, and a guy in a Polo shirt and jeans staring at the fence between my yard and Kathy’s.
I’m outside, demanding to know what’s going on before the screen door slams behind me.
“We’re measuring and marking for the fence line,” Kathy informs me. That’d seem innocuous enough except she has an evil smile on her lips and a hungry look in her eyes. “Nothing for you to be concerned about.”
She waves me off, literally flicking her hand at me like I’m going to leave her to it, but I’m instantly on alert. If someone tells you not to worry about something, you should absolutely get all up in that shit. Immediately. Most likely, they, like Kathy, are trying to pull a fast one on you.
“Ma’am,” Mr. Polo says, holding his hand out to me over the chain link, “Zach Rollins. I’ve been hired to do an official survey of Mrs. Wilson’s property.”
I look at his hand but don’t shake it. Partially because I’m feeling suspicious of this whole thing, and partially because I’m in food service mode and not risking any contamination.
He narrows his eyes at the rebuff but isn’t too put off, continuing, “I need to come on the other side of the fence to confirm the lot boundaries, if that’s okay?”
“I’m not doing anything to help her.” I cut my eyes to Kathy, glaring nastily. “I wouldn’t piss on her if she was on fire, so I’m sure as shit not letting some guy she hired come onto my property.”
Zach looks to Kyle like he’s going to help, but Kyle’s standing with his feet planted firmly in the dirt, his arms crossed over his chest, and his jaw set in stone. He has on sunglasses so I can’t see his eyes, but I don’t miss the tiny upward tick of his lip like he’s fighting off a smile at my crudeness.
“Well, that’s just it, I’m afraid,” Zach says, leaning over the fence and staring back and forth at it from the front yard to the back fence line. “I’m not sure it is your property until I complete my survey.”
“Excuse me?” I snap, stepping closer to the fence in question, and he jerks back.
“It’s on my land, so it’s mine.” Kathy sounds like a selfish kid on the playground who’s claiming it’s their ball, so you have to follow their rules. “But my property actually extends several inches that way.” She makes a shoving motion like she’s moving the entire fence toward me.
“Like hell it does,” I hiss. “This thing was here when I bought my house and when you bought yours. It’s been surveyed at least twice, if not more times, and signed off by the city.”
“Be that as it may,” Kathy says airily, lifting a shoulder, “it might be inaccurate. And I do want to make sure the fence is done precisely so we don’t have any further issues between us.” Her smile is reminiscent of the cat that ate the canary.
This is another one of her ploys. It has to be.
“Mr. Rollins, are you a licensed surveyor? Experienced? Receiving any bribes from Kathy for doing her dirty work? Because we all know she wouldn’t dare get her claws muddy.” I’m looking for her angle. She always has one, so this time won’t be any different. And I can beat her at her own game. I have before. I just need to catch up to her, quickly, which I can also do.
He recoils, looking insulted. “No, of course not! To the bribe part. To the rest, yes. I’ve been licensed for ten years and have done hundreds of surveys. You can look me up if you’d like.” He points to his left chest where his company name is embroidered. But anybody can do that to make themselves look official, so I’m still not convinced.