Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 72856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Cheyenne we’d seen quite a bit since her house was the closest to Jack’s house.
A lot of things had happened in the last couple of weeks.
Aaron ‘Fatbaby’ Sims was moved to a burn center in Dallas where he was currently recovering from the disfiguring burns that due to the wreck his wife had caused.
Aaron’s wife, Lynn, had been charged with attempted murder and would likely get sentenced to twenty-nine years in prison. My hope was for the death sentence, but Tai told me that was highly unlikely to happen.
Jenner’s Heating and Electric closed down, the news that one of the owners had been hiring people to exact retribution against those customers she felt had somehow wronged her didn’t exactly sit well with people, and their business dried up quickly.
The reporter, Candice Paige, lost her job and basically tucked tail and moved out of state.
The fire department had also filed a civil suit against her, but the word on that hadn’t gotten back to us as of yet.
Me, well my story with my old job wasn’t quite as cut and dry.
People had been all over the salacious details of my alleged crimes when that article first ran. They rushed to judge without looking into the facts. People were all gung ho about thinking the worst of someone. Sadly, the retraction didn’t make as big of a splash as the article had; it was buried within the pages of the paper, and it sure seemed like most people missed the fact that I had been a victim and was framed for a crime I didn’t commit.
I was still being treated like someone who got caught attempting to blackmail her ex.
Hence, the reason for the job change.
Tai, though, had been the one to suggest that I apply elsewhere.
I looked down at my hand and smiled at the diamond sparkling on my left ring finger.
It was so beautiful, and I remembered, just like it was yesterday, how happy and excited I was to see Tai get down on one knee…even if it wasn’t as romantic as I’d always hoped it would be.
***
Two weeks ago
“Want to go to breakfast before you have to be at work?” Tai asked me.
I applied the last swipe of mascara as I replied with an, “Of course. Our regular spot?”
“Where else is there to eat?” He asked, a smile in his voice.
I smiled down at my phone.
“I can be there early if you can,” I said, backing away from the mirror. I was wearing my headphones, so I dropped the phone into my pocket.
“I’ll be there in about twenty. That should give you enough time to get your shoes and socks on,” he said.
I looked down at my bare feet.
“How’d you know I was barefoot?” I teased.
I hated wearing shoes and socks.
I was a flip-flop kind of girl.
Which meant that my shoes and socks were the first things to go when I got home and the last things to be put on before I left.
“I know you like the back of my hand,” he said with confidence.
“Oh really?” I said.
“Really,” he confirmed.
“What’s my favorite color?” I asked, walking into the bedroom after spritzing on some body spray.
“That bright, eye-hurting green,” he replied. “The same color as your comforter.”
I smiled, running my hand over said ‘eye-hurting green’ comforter.
“What’s my favorite food?” I asked.
I could practically hear the smile in his voice as he said, “Tacos. But not homemade tacos. You like those gut-hurting Taco Bell tacos. The kind that make you run to the bath…”
“Hey!” I interrupted him. “We do not talk about that, Mister!”
He had the audacity to laugh.
He’d been very understanding about my bathroom…problems. In fact, I wasn’t even embarrassed about it anymore.
Well… maybe I was still a little embarrassed, so I guess I was more resigned to the fact that he knew all about it.
I knew there was no way around that little problem, and it was something I’d likely deal with for the rest of my life.
“What about my favorite book?” I tested him.
The line was quiet for a few moments while I heard him get into his truck and start it up.
I shoved my feet into my shoes and got up, making my way to the front door.
“That’s easy,” he said. “It’s the one that’s in your nursing bag. Twi-fight or something.”
I burst out laughing.
I couldn’t help it.
I knew for a fact that he’d read Twilight.
And he’d liked it, too.
I’d heard from Baylee that the two of them had had a lengthy conversation about the book.
He never indicated that he’d read it before, so I didn’t call him out on it.
“Twilight,” I said.
And yes, I did keep that book in my nursing bag on the off chance that I got some free time.
Most of the time, though, I didn’t.
Which was why I kept that book in there specifically, because I could pick it up even if I hadn’t read it in months, and know exactly where I’d left off.