Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
“I’m always up for that.” She climbs onto the mattress and lies back. “I have news.”
“Oh yeah?” I start on her pants, pulling them down. “What’s that?”
“I’ve been given the go-ahead,” she says while I’m kissing her stomach.
I stop once the words sink in. Resting my hand on her hip, I look up to be met with her smiling face, and ask, “The go-ahead? Like all the way?”
She giggles, but then she grabs the front of my shirt and pulls me to her. “Yes, sir,” she purrs. Kissing me, I lean forward until we’re both lying together. Our legs tangle as our tongues dance. Pulling back just enough for eye contact, she whispers, “This time, I want to feel all of you. You think you can handle that request, counselor?”
“Trust me, baby. I can handle it.”
Dane stands from the couch and comes to where I’ve been working at a desk in the corner of the library. “Let’s take a walk, Loch.”
My gaze finds Tuesday, hoping to read her reaction to the sudden invitation first. She shrugs and quirks an eyebrow. She’s basically no help, which makes me chuckle. Guess I’m on my own. “All right.” I close my laptop and follow him out the front door of the château.
“Since you and my daughter are leaving tomorrow, I thought it would be good to have a quick one-on-one talk,” he says, glancing at me from the corners of his eyes.
I’ve gotten along well with her parents. Allison left us last week, needing to return to take care of her business. It’s been the four of us since—sharing meals, playing board games, and spending time together. Tuesday’s recovery has gone so well, which adds relief in the aftermath of what happened. “Yes, I’d like that.”
Pointing into the distance, he asks, “You see that?”
“What?”
“All of it. It’s all going to be Céline’s one day, just like the house in Rhode Island is hers now.”
“That’s very generous. I know she loves visiting.”
We start walking toward the nearest grove of dormant trees. “I have a feeling that you’re going to be in her life for a long time to come.”
Forever.
The only word that comes to mind when thinking of her. Not sure how the future in-laws will react to my plan of moving forward with his daughter, though. I say, “I hope so.”
“Companies aren’t built on hopes. They’re made of hard work, taking calculated risks, and focusing on goals.” He stops and approaches a tree to rub a leaf between his fingers. “You understand that as a partner at the law firm.”
“I do.”
“When you choose somebody to spend your life with, they need to share your vision and dreams, take those risks with you, and work hard to achieve those goals. Marriage isn’t built on hope. It’s built on substance.” He chuckles. “Love. Romance. The beauty of sharing a connection with someone so deep that you can’t imagine this life without them.” Turning to look me straight in the eyes, he asks, “How do you feel about my daughter?”
“I love her. More than anything.”
He studies me and grins. “You’ve sacrificed work and your own life to be by her side while she recovers. You’re a good man, Loch.” He shakes my hand. “If you had intentions of moving things forward more . . . well, since you’re an attorney, I’ll use your language—legally. You have Sofie’s and my blessing. What you’ve done for her and us can never be repaid, but we’d be honored to welcome you into our family one day.”
“That means a lot to me. Tuesday changed my life for the better, and I don’t want to live a day without her being a part of it.”
“I know you’ll treat her right, but a word of warning. She can be a firecracker.”
“All the better.”
One block from the coffee shop where we met . . . that’s the location of the hotel where Céline Schroder was staying.
After showing a copy of the police report proving she was mugged and had amnesia, the hotel manager pulled her suitcases from a locked room in the back office. “Our policy only requires us to hold them for ninety days. I told our GM that we should give it a while longer. This felt different since it was everything, not just a jacket or shoes left behind.” Then she hands a notebook to Tuesday. “This was found in the safe. We didn’t mean to pry, but we had no choice since no one came to claim the belongings. We hoped it would lead us to you.”
“You read it?” Tuesday asks, holding it in her hands and looking down at it like she wouldn’t have minded if she never saw it again.
“I was going to turn it in to the police.”
She says, “They have all the information. I had it in there just in case anything happened to me.” Tuesday glances at me. When she turns back to face the manager, she says, “I appreciate you holding my luggage. Also, if it hasn’t already, I’d like to settle the bill.”