Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
I turn to go, and she steps out on the porch. “Davis.”
I stop but don’t turn around, and she continues, “You’re not leaving Whiskey Run, right? Not yet. I mean, you’ll be here for awhile, right?”
I nod my head, but that’s not enough. “Davis, promise me you won’t leave without telling me and Alexis bye first.”
Gruffly, I answer her. For the first time, it feels like I mean something to someone, and it’s a woman that I would literally die to be with. “I promise, Abby. I won’t leave without telling you and Alexis bye first.”
I wait until I hear her murmur okay before stepping off her porch and making my way to my truck. I refrain from looking up at her house until I’ve backed out of her driveway, and she’s still standing there, leaning against the column of her porch watching me go.
I wish things were different. I wish I was different. I wish I was the man she deserves.
CHAPTER 13
ABBY
“Alexis, we have to leave in five minutes,” I holler down the hall.
“I’m almost ready,” she says.
I finish putting things in my purse, making sure I have my phone and wallet before going over to the mirror by the entryway. Looking at myself, I put on lipstick, seeing the blush on my face as I do so. I feel like I’ve had a perpetual blush since last night because I keep thinking about the time in the truck with Davis. The way he made me feel… Even now, I have to wave my hand in front of my face to calm down.
When the doorbell rings, I startle before going to look out the peephole. I suck in a breath when I see Davis standing on the other side. I’m holding my breath as I swing the door open and let it out in a swoosh. “Davis… hey.”
His eyes devour me, looking me up and down. “Hey, Abby. You look beautiful.”
I look down at the black dress pants, white tank top, and jean jacket I have on and then back at him. “Thank you.”
His jaw is tight. “You have a date?”
I grip the doorknob. “A date? No, Alexis has a dance.”
He widens his stance and crosses his arms over his chest. “Alexis is too young to go to a dance.”
I can’t help it. I laugh out loud. “Geez, Davis, you sound just like my dad and my brother. She’s not going to a dance. She has a dance recital.”
Alexis comes to the door and is breathless as she slams into Davis, wrapping her arms around his leg. He grunts, and it’s obvious by the look on his face that he has pain in his leg, but he doesn’t let Alexis see it. He bends over to look at her. “Well, look at you, beautiful.”
She smiles up at him proudly. “I have a dance, and I have a solo. Are you coming to watch me?”
I tap her shoulder. “Alexis, I’m sure Davis has other things—”
He interrupts me. “I’d love to come. If that’s okay, I mean.”
Shocked, I nod my head. “Of course, I mean we’d love for you to come.”
He holds up his keys. “I can drive. I can move the booster seat over to my truck if that’s okay.”
I nod and dig into my purse, pulling out my keys. “I’ll unlock my car door.” I point at the bag in the corner of the room. “Grab your bag, Alexis. We have to go.”
She grabs her bag and is bounding out the door after Davis. When I lock up and make it outside, she is instructing him on how to put the seat in his truck. He takes it all in, doing as she says before making sure she’s belted in.
I’m already in the passenger seat when he’s done, so he gets into the driver’s side.
“I didn’t even think. Am I dressed okay? I can drop you off if you’d rather I did that.”
I look at him in shock. He could wear anything and look good. I practically choke on the words. “Uh, no. You look great.”
I look out the window to avoid his gaze. When we get to the school where the recital is being held, Alexis walks in between Davis and me, holding both our hands. We go straight to the audience chairs, and I stop. “I hate to ask you this, but can you hold these seats while I get Alexis where she needs to be?”
He nods his head. “Sure. Anything you need.”
I can feel my face flame because my mind immediately goes where it shouldn’t. I point to the seats. “Mom and Dad are coming too.”
He nods, and I grab Alexis’ hand to walk away. We only get a few steps and Davis calls after us, “I can’t wait to see you up there, Lex.”
She lets go of my hand and runs back to Davis. When she stops in front of him, she holds her hands up, and he leans down. She instantly wraps her arms around his neck, and he hugs her back. When his eyes close, I can see how much this means to him. Emotion wells inside me, and when he releases her, she pats him on the cheek and then comes back to me, grabbing my hand.