Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20337 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 102(@200wpm)___ 81(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20337 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 102(@200wpm)___ 81(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
I watch her for another moment, and then slip inside the house to make a phone call of my own. She asked me yesterday why I hadn't left, and I didn't lie to her. For six years, all I wanted was peace and quiet. Now, the thought of not having her voice ringing out fills me with dread. The thought of not hearing her laughter every day makes my stomach twist into knots. She belongs with me, bringing sunshine into my life. That's the future I want. Not solitude in the mountains, but a lifetime of arguing about ridiculous shit with her. A lifetime of laughing with her. Nothing else will suffice.
When she leaves here, I'm going with her. After the fire, the department's insurance paid the three of us who survived a hefty settlement. I haven't touched mine. Haven't touched most of what I make from renting out the cabins either. It all sits in the bank, accruing interest. It's enough to hire someone to take care of things out here. Hell, it's enough to never have to work again if that's what I decide to do.
There's time to figure that out later. But I saw the look in her eyes yesterday…the glimmer of fear, the first inkling of heartbreak. She's preparing to lose me. I'll be damned if I stand by and let that happen. If I let her feel that fear or watch her heart break little by little until her time here is up. I'm solving the problem now, and then I'm telling her how I feel about her.
We're not spending another fucking day without her knowing that she owns my heart just as much as she does my body. I wanted to tell her last night, but I stopped myself. Today is Valentine's Day. It's probably cheesy as hell to tell her today, but I'll be cheesy for her. Hell, I'll be whatever she wants me to be so long as it ends with her in my arms for the rest of my damn life.
That's all that matters to me.
I grab the phone off the kitchen island and dial Nell's number.
"Deacon! How's your new assistant working out? Is she awesome?" she asks as soon as she answers. "Are you calling to tell me that I'm a genius and you're sorry for being a grouch about it?"
"You're a genius and I'm sorry for being a grouch about it."
Her silence speaks entire tomes. "Holy crap," she finally whispers. "She is awesome. What happened? Why do you sound so happy? Oh my gosh. You like her!"
"She is awesome," I say softly, striding down the short hall toward my bedroom. "And she'll be your sister-in-law if I have my way."
Nell squeals in my ear.
"I need you to find someone to look after shit up here for me, Nell."
"Seriously?" she gasps. "You're leaving?"
"Yeah, I go where she goes."
"Oh, Deacon," my baby sister whispers. "I'm so happy for you. I'm going to miss you so much!"
"I'm not gone yet," I say dryly.
"When are you leaving? Do I get to meet her first? You wouldn't let me meet her the other day," she complains. "You said I'd scare her off. Rude, by the way."
"Yeah, I was wrong about that. She's crazier than you are."
"I am not crazy."
"Whatever you say. Can you deal with the problem or not? I can't live like this. It's driving me insane. I want it done now. I can't wait a week."
"The cabins are a problem?"
"They are when she's leaving in a week and they're standing between me and my future," I growl. "I need to get someone hired to look after them so I can start making plans."
"I'll see what I can do," Nell says. "Maybe Ford can handle things for you. He needs something to do to keep him out of here and out of my hair anyway. You'd think owning a fancy ski resort would keep him busy, but no. He's always in here, scaring off the tourists."
"If you'd marry him, maybe he'd stop growling at all the tourists."
"What? Ford doesn't want to marry me," she says like I've lost my mind.
"Nell, the man's been waiting for you to marry him since he met you."
"Whatever. We're just friends," she mumbles. "Get off my phone so I can work magic for you."
"You're my favorite sister."
"I'm your only sister, you big idiot," she says. "But I love you too."
Chapter Eleven
Cordelia
"Where did your crazy mountain man go?" I ask Tyr, squatting to scratch his ears when he butts his head against my leg in a silent demand for attention. Deacon was on the porch just a minute ago, but I guess he's gone back inside now. He must have gotten tired of watching me act like a lunatic.
I don't even care if he was judging me though. I found signal in the dead zone he calls home. It's been a good day. I got to catch up on what the girls are doing. Apparently, I'm not the only one busy falling in love. We're falling like bricks all over the place. Tabitha met a mob boss in Vegas. Cleary woke up married to a tattoo artist, also in Vegas. Gem is getting it on with an ex. Peyton is hooking up with a billionaire. Mandy is banging the guy who pretended to be her photographer. And Devyn is head over heels for her brother's best friend.