Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 80969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
She’s sitting on the sofa, watching some medical drama on TV. Buddy is curled up beside her.
He clambers down at seeing me and wanders over. I pick him up and kiss his head.
“You’re hardly late.” Sadie chuckles. “And you could’ve stayed out longer. It’s not exactly a hardship, being here with the cutest and world’s best-behaved baby and my little Buddy here. And then there are the cupcakes.”
“Can’t forget those.”
“Did you make them?” she asks, getting to her feet.
I nod, suddenly feeling shy.
“They’re really good, Carrie. You’ll have to make them for the diner sometime.”
“I’d like that. How was Hope?” I change the subject. Not because I don’t want to bake food for the diner, but it’s still hard for me to receive compliments. Seven years of being told I was useless made sure of that.
But I’m learning slowly.
“She was perfect, of course. She had a bottle and then passed right out. I put her down in her room and brought the monitor in with me.” She gestures to the baby monitor sitting on the coffee table. “I checked in on her about thirty minutes ago, and she was fast asleep. Haven’t heard a peep from her.” Sadie slips her shoes onto her feet and picks up her car keys from the coffee table. “So … how was the date?” Her eyes gleam at me.
I bite the corner of my lip. “Good.” I nod, feeling a blush creep up my neck. “Really good.”
She smiles widely. “I’ll ask no more.” She winks. “I’m just glad you and River are together. You two both deserve happiness.”
“As do you,” I remind her.
I’m not the only one with a bad past. Sadie had her very own Neil, too. She deserves all the good the world has to give her.
She shrugs, pulling her jacket on. “My time will come.”
I put Buddy down to the floor and walk Sadie to the door. Giving her a hug and kiss on the cheek, I thank her again for watching Hope.
Buddy and I stand in the doorway and watch Sadie walk the short distance to her car. She gets in and turns on the engine. She gives me a wave before pulling away.
I glance over at River’s house, seeing it all lit up. Knowing that, right now, he’s in the shower, all soapy and wet.
Sweet Lord. I’m getting hot, just thinking about it.
“Come on, Budster.”
I step back inside, and Buddy follows me. I shut the door behind us. I go to lock it and then stop because River is coming over. I might as well leave it unlocked, so he can just come straight on in.
I take my heels off and carry them with me down the hall, dropping them just inside my door. I go straight into Hope’s room with Buddy at my heels.
Hope’s bedroom door is ajar, leaving a glow of light inside.
I tread softly across the floor. Reaching her crib, I stare down at my sleeping daughter. I lean down and press a light kiss to her soft cheek.
“Mama loves you,” I whisper, lightly smoothing my hand over her hair. “Sleep well, baby girl.”
As I leave her room, keeping the door open, Buddy settles down on the rug in Hope’s room.
“Toilet time soon, Buddy boy. But you can chill for now.”
I walk into my bedroom and take off my dress and underwear, tossing them into the laundry basket in my bathroom. I grab some clean panties and pull them on, followed by my plain white pajama top and baby-blue shorts. I don’t need to stay dressed up for River. He’s seen me at my worst when I was giving birth. If that didn’t put him off me, then nothing will.
I go in my bathroom and brush my teeth. When I’m finished, I look at myself in the mirror.
My eyes are bright. My cheeks flushed.
I look happy.
When I think back to the person I was not even a year ago, it’s hard to reconcile that with the woman I am now. It’s crazy to believe that it’s not even been a year.
“You did it, girl,” I whisper to the mirror.
Switching off the bathroom light, I walk back through my bedroom. I glance at my bed, knowing I’m going to be sharing it with River for the first time tonight.
The thought sends butterflies fluttering into my tummy.
You know, I heard a saying once that said, Love is like a river, never ending as it flows but gets greater with time.
That’s my love with my River right there.
And it’s only just begun.
On bare feet, I walk down the hall, heading to the living room to wait for River, humming away to myself.
And then I’m smiling when I realize that the tune I’m humming is the song that River and I danced to tonight. Right before we made love.
I’m still smiling when I walk into the living room.