Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 85399 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85399 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“I haven’t read a book in a long time. I think the last one was that yellow parenting book we read together when you were pregnant with Michael.” He chuckles. “We spent so much time memorizing all of that shit and didn’t use any of it.”
“No, but it made us feel more prepared.”
He slides his arm under my head and pulls me into the crook of his arm. I nestle against him, lacing one foot over his.
“You got a new freckle,” he says.
“What?”
“You have a new freckle.” He touches the side of my nose. “Right there.”
I laugh. “How would you ever know that?”
“I know every freckle, mole, and scar on your body, Lo. I’ve committed every inch of you to memory.”
I grin against him.
“That’s the shitty part of this whole thing,” he says. “You think I don’t find you attractive—that I don’t want to be with you. That I don’t appreciate you. But you couldn’t be more wrong.” He strokes my side. “Assumption is the mother of all fuckups. Maybe I assumed you knew, or maybe I just got lazy with telling you. But I’m going to tell you all the things, all the time now. You’ll get sick of hearing it.”
My heart swells so big I think it might burst.
“That runs both ways, Jack.”
“How do you mean?”
My stomach twists so hard that I squirm. “I feel like a jerk.”
“Why?”
“I’ve made it clear that you didn’t tell me things or make me feel certain ways. But I probably didn’t tell you things or make you feel certain ways either. And I never considered that.”
He strokes my arm. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay. I need you to be honest with me. Did that ever hurt your feelings?”
“Maybe not in those words.”
“Then how?”
He flexes his feet, causing his legs to tense. It’s clear he’s as uncomfortable with this as I am. The easy solution would be to change topics and not address this one at all. Besides, we’re already on the same page.
But if we want to leave Story Brook with clear air and a fresh start, we need to leave all this here.
“I haven’t exactly been the supportive wife lately,” I say. “I can’t think of the last time I told you that I appreciate you. Because I see all you do—I know the hours you put in and the time it takes you away from us. Would I rather you see us some too? Yes. Sure. Do I think you need to be gone so much? No. But you’ve never mishandled our finances. I’ve never wondered if you were having an affair.” I blink back a surge of feelings. “I might’ve given this family the best of me, but so did you. Just in another way.”
He pulls me close and kisses the top of my head. “I’d do anything for you. You are my life, and I’ll listen and change and work on whatever I need in order to keep us together and happy.”
I love you so much, Jack Reed. “I will too. It’ll be a team effort.”
He chuckles.
A scratching sound rattles the door.
“Sounds like your friend needs to potty,” I say.
Jack kisses me again and then climbs out of bed. He throws on a pair of boxer briefs. “I’ll let him out. Need anything from the kitchen?”
“I’m good.”
He starts toward the door and looks at me over his shoulder. “That you are.”
I straighten the blankets and pull my hair out of my face, securing it with an elastic despite its wetness. I’ll deal with it in the morning.
Jack’s voice drifts through the cabin as he encourages Snaps to venture into the dark yard to do his business. Soon the door clicks shut, and Jack’s footsteps grow closer as he comes down the hallway.
Snaps leaps from Jack’s arms onto the bed. He races in a full circle once, twice, three times before sitting on my leg and barking.
“I think he wants me to move,” I say.
Jack slips in the bed beside me and, despite a protest from the puppy, pulls me into his side once again.
“Take that,” I say to the dog.
His head cocks to the side.
“What are you going to do with that thing when you come home?” I ask.
“Well, Snaps is a part of the family now. We’re a two-for-one deal.”
I laugh. “You’re telling me that if I don’t let the dog live with us, you won’t either?”
“I’m saying that if you don’t want the dog to live with us, I’ll offer you lots of incentives to change your mind.”
“Well, I do love a good incentive.”
He chuckles. “Come here, Snapsy.”
The puppy jumps from his sitting position on top of my leg all the way across the bed and into Jack’s arms. He nuzzles against him.
“Let’s figure this out with the two of you,” Jack says. “Snaps—what are your grievances with my wife?” He looks at the puppy and nods. “Okay, that’s fair.”