Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 22109 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22109 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
I want to kiss her bye, but I don’t. With one last long look, I walk away.
The ride back to the clubhouse gives me time to think about everything tonight. Ellie fit in with the club. She’s not judgmental, and she seemed like she really enjoyed meeting the other women. When I brought her to Whiskey Run, I just wanted her close so that I could look after her and make sure she was safe and taken care of. Those reasons are still here, but there’s more to it now. I want her to stay here. I want her to be happy, and I’m wondering if there’s any way she could be happy here... with me.
Chapter 8
Ellie
I didn’t sleep a wink all night. I tossed and turned most of the night until I eventually gave up. I cleaned the apartment, which didn’t need it. I sat on the couch and flipped through the television stations, and before I knew it, I was still awake with the sun glaring through the curtains. Darn it!
I spent the morning walking around the apartment complex, then stopped at Sugar Glaze bakery for a breakfast turnover. I really wanted the cinnamon roll but knew I needed some protein. Tara, Jason’s wife, hooked me up, though. She sat and ate with me, sharing half an egg sandwich and half a cinnamon roll with me.
“So seriously, how are you liking Whiskey Run?”
I want to lift the plate and lick the cream cheese icing off it, but I hold myself back. “Uhm, I actually love it. I have never lived in a small town before; as a matter of fact, I’ve never even visited a small town like Whiskey Run before. Everyone has been so nice.”
She nods her head. “I love it here. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.” She takes the last bite of her cinnamon roll. “What about Gray? You two seem happy together.”
I’m debating on how to answer. I don’t know if Gray’s friends know the whole sordid truth about our relationship, but I’m saved from answering her when the bell over the door jingles, letting us know someone has come in.
Tara rolls her eyes and smiles. “I guess my break is over. I’ll be back.”
The bakery starts to pick up with people stopping in before work. I clean up my mess, and on the way out the door, I wave at Tara. “Thank you for breakfast... and the talk.”
Tara comes around the counter and hugs me. “Meet me for dinner tonight... Red’s Diner.”
I’ve walked past Red’s Diner a few times but have never been there to eat. I know I’m limited on funds, but I can’t refuse her. I can eat soup or something else small. “Sounds good.”
I walk back to the apartment and barely get in the door before there is a knock. I look through the peephole, and Gray is standing on the other side. I smile, happy to see him even if I didn’t expect him this early.
“Hey!” I say as I swing the door open. It’s then I notice all the stuff in his arms. “What... what is all that?”
“Can I come in?”
I open the door wider to let him in, and when I’m about to close it, he says. “Wait, there’s more.”
He walks out onto the porch and then comes back in with another load. I watch him do it another time and then realize I should have offered to help. “Gray, what is all this?”
He walks over to the pile of stuff and starts taking it out of the bags. “Don’t be mad. I wanted to get a few things for you and the baby.”
I stop next to him. “A few things? It’s way more than a few things, and Gray, it’s like nine in the morning, how did you get all this?”
He shrugs and keeps pulling stuff out. “The store in Jasper is open twenty-four hours, and I went early this morning.”
He seems genuinely excited, and even though I hate that he spent all this money on me, I don’t want to ruin this for him. While I’ve watched him unload everything, I didn’t realize that he had divided everything into two piles. “Okay, so this is for the baby. There’s so much I know you need to pick out. I wasn’t sure what you wanted to use for bottles or if you planned to breastfeed, so I had to limit it to some clothes, blankets, diapers, and a few toys.”
“Gray...”
He doesn’t stop, though. He moves to the other pile. “And for you. I researched things to help a pregnant woman sleep. I bought a tea kettle and an assortment of tea.” He holds up a big pillow shaped like an S.
I point at the pillow. “What is that?”
“Okay, so I guess this is some kind of miracle pillow or something. Pregnant women swear by it.”