Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 138844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
“He actually quit?” I cried.
“He really did, Cam.”
Jesus Christ.
I definitely felt the relief now. It crashed down on me so forcefully that I would’ve fallen over if I hadn’t already been sitting. He quit. He’s not going back there. He quit for the right reasons. More than that, he was taking this seriously. If he’d remained dismissive about the dangers, he would’ve stayed at his job. But he wasn’t. He wasn’t going back there.
Master wasn’t going back there.
He was making changes.
I sobbed into my hands, and a heavy weight lifted off my shoulders.
Maybe I dared to hope?
He was making changes. Major changes. Changes I could latch on to and hopefully watch come to fruition.
Hopefully hope, hopelessly hopeful, hope, hope, hope.
I was hopelessly hopeful.
I whimpered and wiped at my cheeks, and Master Greer squeezed me a little tighter and kissed the side of my head.
“Want me to replace those tears with absolute awe?” he asked. “Your Owner and I had a goatee phase back in 2013 or 14.”
What the fuck—that came out of nowhere.
“I know,” I sobbed. “It wasn’t your best decision.”
KC had shown me pictures.
“What’re you talkin’ about?” Master Greer scoffed. “We looked fuckin’ hot.”
“Not because of the goatees,” I wept. I scrubbed at my face and took a couple unsteady breaths while Master Greer pretended to be offended. Or half pretended. I wasn’t sure.
“What do you know—you’re a brat,” he muttered.
I was not!
I sniffled and eased away from him. Deep breaths. Master had quit his job, and he no longer had a goatee. More than ever, I had to go home. I couldn’t stay here. I needed to see him.
“I need to be with him, Sir,” I croaked.
Master Greer’s gaze softened, and he touched my cheek briefly. “I figured you’d say that.”
I nodded once and used the bottom of my tee to wipe my cried-out face.
Christ, what a freaking day. And it was insane how quickly some of my fears and even most of the anger just evaporated. Because this was it. He’d quit his job. He was finally listening to his doctors, to KC, and to me. He was listening to his blood pressure. No words could describe the relief.
“Couple options,” Master Greer said. “I’m not comfortable lettin’ you drive off at this hour when—”
“Excuse me?” I scrunched my nose and glanced up at him. “Please, Sir, before you say something absurd, let me just borrow Corey’s or Archie’s car. I can return it tomorrow.”
“That’s the part I ain’t comfortable with,” he replied. “You’ve been cryin’ your eyes out, you’re vulnerable, and drivin’ off on your own—”
“I’m a grown man,” I pointed out. “I’m practically thirty.”
He nodded once and scratched his beard. “You know what comes before thirty? Twenty-five. You worry about turning twenty-five first, and then we can discuss—” He was interrupted again, this time by someone speaking up from behind us.
Corey. “Take my car, Cam.”
“What is it with brats interruptin’ me?” Master Greer grated out.
I pulled up one leg and twisted in my seat so I could see Corey in the doorway.
“It’s not my fault,” he said sheepishly. “Archie asked if I could eavesdrop.”
Oops?
“That doesn’t surprise me one bit,” Master Greer told him. “He didn’t tell you to offer up your car, though.”
“But it makes the most sense,” Corey reasoned. “I know you, Papa Bear. You’re gonna offer to drive him, and then you’ll spend the night alone at the condo—or you’ll drag one of us with you. But you’ve worked all day, and everyone’s tired.”
“That,” I said, totally agreeing.
“Also, I don’t need my car till the weekend,” Corey added. “Also, also! Cam drives a Mini as well, so he’ll be used to Froggy.”
He had another point there. Only, my car wasn’t green or nicknamed Froggy.
Master Greer wasn’t too happy, but he knew this was a fight he couldn’t win. I wasn’t going to let him exhaust himself further by driving me. It was nuts. I was perfectly capable of getting home on my own.
I figured out the best way to thank Archie for their hospitality when I loaded up my overnight bag in Corey’s car.
I trailed up the porch steps to where they all waited for me. Corey was literally piggyback-riding Sloan.
“Next time we see each other, I’ll have a bit of my sourdough starter for you,” I said.
Archie lit up in a way that was probably comical to most outsiders, but I knew it meant a lot to him. He was bizarrely good at baking and cooking, but there was something about sourdough starters he couldn’t handle. He claimed they always died on him.
“With instructions, please.” He hugged me to him, and I chuckled and hugged him back.
“I promise.” I went to hug the others as well, and they told me to drive safe. And I was ordered to text Master Greer the moment I killed the engine.