Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 75240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“It was my sister’s,” I explained, walking toward her. “She used to wear it every day, and gave it to me to fix the day before she died in the car accident.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“And you’ve been wearing it since?” she guessed, voice soft and low.
I nodded my head.
“I have,” I said. “Thought I lost it at the hospital, but then I woke back up with it on.”
“I put it there,” she admitted, walking ahead of me to the kitchen.
I stopped by the door, picking up my phone and keys that were laying out nicely on the entryway chest of drawers where Angie kept all of her junk mail and keys, as well as her purse.
Apparently, it was the place where I was to put my keys and belongings now, too, seeing as I’d left them on the kitchen table when I’d emptied my pockets last night.
The moment she was back to me, she handed me a Tupperware bowl full of leftovers, and a travel mug full of coffee.
I smiled at her, hooked her around the neck with my hand, and pulled her to me.
Elise screeched in annoyance when her mother got into her space, and immediately took exception to her hair, and started tugging on it.
Angie giggled and looked up into my eyes, ignoring the fact that her daughter was now trying to rip her hair out.
“Thank you,” I whispered to her.
“For what?” she whispered right back.
“For everything,” I answered. “I wouldn’t be here without you.”
Her face turned troubled. “You really wouldn’t. You’d probably be better off not involved in all the shit Troy likes to put me through.”
I was shaking my head before she could finish.
“I would’ve been there,” I told her. “I was working the courage up. Eventually I’d have gone for it, whether you’d given me the in or not.”
Her mouth kicked up in a small smile.
“But that’s what I want to talk to you about,” I said carefully. “I want you to go file a restraining order.”
Her eyes widened.
“I tried to do that and they said I couldn’t without proper proof.”
I waved her off.
“You have proof,” I told her. “Go talk to Luke. He’s going to be waiting for you.”
“Luke?”
I nodded.
“The one that you saw last night. The blonde that was really large that you were staring at with those dreamy eyes,” I informed her.
Her face blushed.
“I was looking at his graying hair, not dreamy like or anything. But just looking.”
“Uh-huh,” I snorted. “I also want you to go talk to a lawyer.”
She was already shaking her head.
“The lawyer is my brother in law,” I told her before she could protest. “He’s aware of what’s going on from my part in it, and he’s willing to do this for free. A: because I asked him to. B: because he takes some pro-bono cases occasionally since he can claim on his taxes that he gave free legal advice, and they give him a tax break.”
She pursed her lips.
“I told him you couldn’t pay him. I also told him I wouldn’t be paying him because I liked getting between your leg…” she slapped her hand over my mouth.
“You’re too smart for your own good,” she muttered darkly.
She looked so freakin’ cute when she was mad.
And the fact that her daughter was pulling all her hair out of her bun, scattering her curly mass of hair all over her head, made it even cuter.
“Tomorrow morning, on the way home, I’m going to run by the daycare and sign her up.” I pressed one kiss on the tip of her nose, and she sighed. “I’ll see you later.”
She pursed her lips.
“Yeah.”
I patted her ass. “Don’t forget to call me tonight.”
Her eyebrows rose.
“Yeah,” I told her. “I’m going to be a man like that. So sue me.”
I’d originally told her when we first started this dance that I didn’t like talking on the phone. It’d been a comment about being on the phone in general when I’d had the hospital asking me questions about my insurance.
When I’d finished the call, I’d told her that I hated phone calls, and wished that everyone would just switch over to text messaging or emails.
Now, she loved pointing out every little thing that contradicted my earlier words.
“Go to work, big boy.” She pushed me lightly.
I stepped back, and Elise took Angie’s hair with us.
Angie squawked, and I hastily disentangled Angie’s hair from Elise’s fist.
“Naughty girl,” I cooed to her.
Elise patted my face, still fascinated that I’d shaved it.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, little girl,” I pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Don’t give your momma too much trouble.”
Angie snorted and took Elise from my arms.
“Say bye-bye!” Angie waved Elise’s hand.
I’d just made it out the door, halfway to the truck, when Elise did just that.
“Bye-Bye!”
My mouth dropped open and I turned.
“Did you just say bye-bye?”
I turned my hand and rewarded Elise’s words with another wave, which she promptly returned.