Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 38445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
"If anyone is a fucking beautiful weapon of mass destruction here, it's you," he says, his voice soft and his expression heated. "Just ask my goddamn heart." He taps his fingers on the doorframe, winks, and then strolls out.
"Wow," Mom whispers into the ensuing silence.
"I know!" I cry, flopping backward. "I've lost my mind, Mama."
"Why?"
I harumph like a crazy person because it should be obvious at this point. I'm in way over my head here, and I'm not talking about the plumbing problems. I'm taking about the crazy-hot, filthy plumber who makes my heart race. I feel things for him I definitely shouldn't.
"You're afraid," my mom guesses.
"No. Yes." I huff out a breath. "He's a mountain man on the opposite side of the country, and I'm only here temporarily." I hesitate. "He doesn't even know who I am." Or who you and Dad are.
"Those don't sound like obstacles to me, sweet girl. They sound like excuses."
My heart pounds so loud, I'm convinced she can hear it through the phone. "What do I do?" I whisper because I'm not sure I want her to hear me. I'm not sure I want an answer to that question.
She's silent for a moment, and I wonder if she thinks I'm crazy. If she thinks I'm doing something I shouldn't. "You don't have to do anything right now, sweetheart," she says. "But if Caleb makes you happy, that's worth chasing. Music is part of your life, but you can't make it your whole life. You have to give yourself room to be normal too."
Her words hang in the air, and I realize they're right. I'm hiding in a small mountain town, thousands of miles from home just for a little privacy, and here's a man who makes me feel things I haven't ever felt. Things that make me feel normal for the first time in a long time. But I don't just crave normalcy. With him, it goes far beyond that.
He's nothing like anyone I've ever known before. He's gruff and bossy and filthy. And so freaking sweet. Spending time with him is exhilarating.
Maybe, before I decide we're doomed, I need to give us an actual chance. If I end up with my heart broken…well, at least I'll know I tried, right?
What's that saying? It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? I think that might be true. Because I'd rather know Caleb, even if it ends in disaster, than spend the rest of my life wondering what—if.
"Thanks, Mama," I whisper, beyond grateful to her for being my voice of reason like always. And then I bite my lip. "Can you do me a favor and not tell Dad and Noah about Caleb just yet? I don't want them showing up to try to run him off."
Her soft laughter floats down the line. "Oh, Sutton, I'm not saying a word about him to your daddy or brother. That's your job."
I groan, squeezing my eyes closed. "Thanks," I mutter, pretty sure she isn't doing me a favor at all. My dad is going to flip out when he finds out about Caleb. But I'd rather him hear it from me when I'm ready than for him to show up out of the blue. And I wouldn't put that past my dad at all. He's overprotective and does exactly what he wants whenever he wants.
Honestly, the man is kind of a menace.
I take a deep breath, closing my eyes against the storm of emotions raging within me. I know I'm making a choice here, and I know it could be a bad one. But I can't deny that I feel something for Caleb that I never thought I could. He makes my heart race in a way that it never has before. I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff, about to jump, and I'm not sure if I'm going to fly or fall. But I have to try. For my own sake, I have to try.
I slip out of my bedroom and head down the hall. The soft hum of Caleb's voice, the way it rumbles through the room, washes over me, coming from the living room. So does the sound of Koda's exciting barking. They make the house sound so alive.
My steps grow lighter as I reach the living room, a nervous excitement bubbling inside me. As I turn the corner, the sight that greets me steals my breath away. Caleb's sitting on the floor with Koda dancing around him in a flurry. My crazy puppy yaps excitedly, tugging at the tiny toy in Caleb's hand with all his might.
Caleb's eyes light up with a warmth I've never seen before, a softness in their depths that makes my heart skip a beat. His large hands are gentle as he plays with Koda, a stark contrast to his rugged exterior. Every movement is deliberate yet tender, and it tugs at something deep within me.