Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Two hours later—with way too much of that time spent stressing over what I was going to wear—I stood in front of Gannon’s house. It was an adorable historical home. White with black shutters and a nice-sized front porch. Gannon had two rocking chairs and a small little table out front. Planter boxes hung off the railing, and I smiled at how cozy it all looked. His mother surely had a hand in decorating. An American flag hung from one of the porch columns, and on the other was a Naval flag.
I quickly looked around and then knocked on the door. I wiped my hands on my dress and drew in a deep breath. Why in the hell am I so nervous?
When the door opened, I glanced up…and had to fight to pull in a breath of air.
Gannon.
Still as handsome as ever. No—he was even more handsome than the last time I’d seen him. And when he smiled down at me, I felt like a teenage girl all over again, right down to my weak knees and fluttering stomach.
I tried to appear as cool as a cucumber while I smiled and then simply said, “Hey, Gannon.” When my voice cracked, he smiled wider, and that damn dimple appeared.
Oh yes, indeed. It was good to be home.
Gannon
I opened the front door to find a set of beautiful gray eyes looking up at me. I wasn’t sure how long we stood there, neither one of us saying a word. Then I saw her smile, and I had to force myself to remember how to swallow or form a simple word like “hello.” Because the one woman whom I’d compared all the others against was standing at my front door.
The woman I had loved since I was ten years old stared at me with a stunning smile on her face.
“Hey, Gannon.”
I blinked a few times and let my eyes take in the sight before me. Fuck, I had forgotten how beautiful Adelaide was. It happened every time I saw her. I always wondered how I could forget how stunning she was, but in reality, I never forgot…because she often visited my dreams at night.
“Addie,” I whispered, doing a quick once-over of her body. She was dressed in a light-blue sundress that showed off every single curve of her perfect figure. She wore white sandals and her brown hair was pulled into a bun that sat on top of her head, with little wisps of curls falling around the back of her neck.
I cleared my throat and repeated her name. “Addie.”
With a wider smile, she asked, “Is, um…is now a bad time?”
Pushing the door open so she could walk in, I replied, “No. I just got home from the gym. Come on in.”
Adelaide stepped into my house, and I caught the scent of her perfume as she moved past me. I smiled, drawing in another deep breath and leaning in closer.
“Do I smell?” Adelaide asked with a nervous laugh.
“No.” I softly chuckled. “You have on that perfume from Lancôme.”
She gifted me with another brilliant smile. “I do. It’s the only perfume I wear.”
My eyes widened in surprise.
“Don’t be surprised, Gannon. You have…or at least had…a good nose for perfume. Everyone compliments me on it.”
“It does smell good. I don’t think I’ve bought perfume for anyone since.”
It was her turn to seem surprised before she looked away to examine the room. “What a nice place,” Adelaide said. “I love how you decorated it.”
Nodding, I glanced around the living room. My house wasn’t as big as some of the other homes on Captains Row, but it was a good size at twenty-seven-hundred square feet. It was historical, which was common for a lot of houses in Seaside. Especially on the street where I lived, which is why it was coined “Captains Row.”
“It’s so charming, Gannon. I love the light-yellow wall color and the bay windows, and how you added a little bench under the window.”
“Thank you,” I said with a wink. “My plan is to add a built-in bench there eventually.”
“Is this all the original woodwork?”
“It is.” I looked up at the crown molding. “It’s the reason I bought the house. So much of the original wood, including the floors, are still here and in great condition.”
After spinning in a circle, Adelaide looked back at me. “Can I get a tour?”
I ignored the slight squeeze in my chest at the simple sight of Adelaide standing in the middle of my living room. “Absolutely.” I motioned for her to walk forward. “The kitchen is through the dining room. Head on in.”
“I love the black-and-white floors,” she said as we walked into the kitchen.
“Thanks. With this being such an old house, there isn’t that open floorplan that everyone wants now. I do want to see if I can knock this wall down and open it up to the living and dining areas at some point.”