Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“Oh, is Maverick going?” Grandpa asks. There’s a twinkle in his eye that I ignore.
“No. This weekend is the Kincaid family camping weekend. I guess the entire family goes.” I say it almost as if I’m not sure, but I know for a fact that if your last name is Kincaid, you’re on that camping trip.
“And you’re not going?” Grandma asks.
“I’m not family, Grams. Maverick and I are friends. The ladies and I have become close friends as well, but this is a family-only event.” What I don’t tell her is that Maverick invited me. He insisted that Ada and I were as close as family as we could get, but I declined. He once told me they never bring anyone to any Kincaid camping trip unless it’s a fiancée, wife, or someone they know for sure could be either.
I’m not that person.
Not in Maverick’s eyes, no matter how insistent my heart is that I could be that person for him. We’re just not there. We’ve shared some amazing moments. Moments that I will cherish in my heart for the rest of my life, but that’s all this is. That’s all we are.
Ada and I stand on the front porch, waving goodbye to my grandparents before heading back into the house.
“Well, it’s just you and me, kid,” I tell my daughter. She wiggles for me to let her down, so I do, watching as she toddles to the basket of toys that sits in the corner of the living room. She dumps that basket out every chance she gets. I feel like I pick it up a hundred times a day. “We’re going to work on learning to pick up our toys,” I tell her, pointing my finger at her. She shakes her hand at me and babbles. I bite down on my cheek to keep from laughing. I’m trying to be the authority figure, and this kid makes me laugh.
“You light up my life, Ada,” I tell her, blowing her a kiss. She smacks her hand against her lips and tosses her hand out, sending the love right back to me.
My heart is full.
I take a seat on the couch while she plays. Jordyn and the other Kincaid ladies have gotten me into reading. I’m reading a new release from Rebel Shaw, and I can’t seem to get out of it. I even woke up before Ada today. Instead of going back to sleep, soaking up the extra time, I read instead.
I’m addicted.
I’m just getting into a spicy scene when my phone rings. Carefully marking my page, I set the book down before I pick up my phone. I smile when I see Maverick’s name. “Aren’t you supposed to be doing family things?” I tease, answering his call.
“We’re doing all the family things.” He laughs. “What are my girls doing?”
He’s been doing that a lot since that night—the one where we took things to the highest level, only to get up the next day and act as if the entire night was just a dream. We woke up naked, curled in each other’s arms. Maverick acted as though it was no big deal, slipped into some shorts, and grabbed a fussing Ada, telling me to take my time.
“Nothing much. Ada is playing with her toys, and I was reading.”
“Anything good?”
“Yeah, it’s one that Alyssa and Jordyn suggested.”
“So, it’s one of those spicy books.”
I can feel my face heat. “Yep.” I am not ashamed of what I read, but that doesn’t mean that I want to discuss it with him. My friend. The same friend that I keep crossing all kinds of boundaries with.
“Read me some of it.” I can hear the teasing tone of his voice.
“What? No. You should be spending time with your family.”
“I’m here. We’re getting ready to go on a hike. I still wish you would have come with us.”
“Family only, Kincaid. No breaking the rules.”
“Whatever,” he grumbles. I can clearly see him rolling his eyes in my mind. “Can I talk to Bug?”
“I can try. She’s pretty enthralled with her ladybug and the tool set my grandpa bought her.”
“Hang up. I’ll call back and video chat. If she can see me, she’ll be more interested.” He sounds excited at the idea.
“You do know she’s a one-year-old, right?” I tease.
“Me and Bug are tight. Besides, I know my girls. They want to see me, and I want to see both of them.”
Insert racing heart here. “Okay. Call me back.” I end the call quickly and blow out a heavy breath. “He’s a lot, Ada,” I tell my daughter, not that she’s listening. Just talking to him has me yearning for what I know we will never be. I need to distance myself from him, but I’m at the point where I’ll take Maverick in my life however I can get him. Pathetic, I know, but that’s what happens when you feel for someone the way I feel for him.