Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 114647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
She was wearing blue jeans and a black polo shirt that was tucked into her pants. Her beautiful hair was down, pinned up half way with a contraption that looked like a claw of some sort. Her jeans were molded to her body perfectly, and I quickly looked back down at my gauges to keep my mind in line.
“Yes, we can speak with a few. Make sure we find someone that will keep Janie’s best interest at heart.” Todd confirmed.
“Actually, I have the perfect person in mind. She’s also fiercely protective. I think she’ll be perfect.” I said as my eyes locked with Shiloh’s.
Clarity slowly took root in her eyes as I ironed out specifics, and she nodded her head in understanding and agreement before I’d even finished explaining the situation to her shortly after I’d hung up.
“I feel like a weight has been removed from my chest, and I can breathe again. I’ve been dreading this day, going on six months now. They’d told her she needed to finish some sort of therapy session, and then the visitation would start. I’d hoped that she would flunk out or something, but of course not. She was always so determined to do something when someone told her she couldn’t. Now I know she’ll be safe, and I can count on you to watch over her and protect her.”
“I’ll make sure that everything stays in Janie’s best interest, James. Always.”
***
“That movie was shitty.” I declared as soon as the credits started to roll.
“It’s the best movie ever! How could you say that? They died together. They’ll never live without each other again.” Shiloh cried.
“She also didn’t remember him. How torturous is that? I would never wish that on the person that I loved.” I grumbled, upset that the fucking movie upset me so much.
“If that person was truly in love with you, then it wouldn’t matter. You’d remember and that woman would be there, waiting. That’s what love is about. Sickness and health.” She explained, wiping her eyes with the edge of the blanket that was covering her lap.
We’d just finished watching The Notebook, and she’d cried for the last twenty minutes of it. I’d reluctantly agreed to watch yet another romance, and she’d given me this shit. At least the other two we’d watched were somewhat uplifting.
“I liked How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days better.” I grumbled.
She laughed at me. “You would. Sweet Home Alabama was my favorite in high school. The other was a close second. This one always made me sad, so I didn’t watch it much.”
“Then why the hell did we watch it now?” I asked.
“I wanted to see if you’d watch it. Tomorrow’s Twilight.”
“Fuck no. I’m not watching that shit.”
She turned on the couch and surveyed my expression. “Please?”
Fuck me. Just like Janie. If she added a droopy lip, I was a goner. “Jesus.”
“Come on, what will it hurt?” She asked, practically bouncing in her seat.
“My pride.” I muttered.
She leaned closer to me, putting her face inches away from my own. I could smell the sweet smell of her skin. Something that smelled like tangerines. I could see the mirth shining in her dark melted caramel look of her eyes that were boring into mine.
Then she did the one thing that always got me. Curled her lip down in a pout. My eyes zeroed in, begging me to taste her; but before I could make the move, she retreated to her side of the couch. Although, I noticed that she left the pout firmly in place.
“One condition.” I demanded.
“What?” She asked cautiously.
“You have to go on a date with me. Sunday. All day.” I declared.
She looked at me wearily, but nodded her decision. “Deal. As long as you let me choose what we do.”
“Deal.”
Chapter 9
Never do a Texas girl wrong. Even if she doesn’t have a gun, her daddy will.
-Tips on living in Texas
Shiloh
“I love you, baby. I’ll see you in just a few short hours, and then we’ll go watch your movie. Okay?” James said, crouched down in front of Janie, holding both of her hands.
“Okay, daddy.” She said and stepped back from him, grabbing my hand in the next instant.
James watched warily as I made my way up to the house that Janie’s mother, Anna, was currently occupying. His sharp gaze was practically burning a hole in my back. We’d discussed it, yet I knew he still had a hard time letting me watch over Janie, even though I knew he trusted me.
Even with all the trust in the world, I knew he would be sitting in the exact same spot across the street when we were done in four hours. I also wasn’t surprised when I heard the sound of two more motorcycles coming down the road, and coming to a halt beside James. All the men I’d met that somehow belonged to my brother were great men, and Janie had each one of them firmly wrapped around her little finger.
Anna’s home wasn’t a bad place, and the smell of cut grass showed me that it’d just been mowed, making me wonder if it was just for our benefit. Then I got to wondering how she afforded a place like this. It was in a nicer area of Longview, a city just thirty minutes away from Kilgore.
Janie and I drove to Longview in my new company car, after getting permission from my boss, Lillian, of course. James followed at a safe distance behind, never letting us out of his sight.
This wasn’t the first time I’d done the ‘supervised visit’ thing, but it was the first time I had such a vested interest in the child that I was charged with watching over. That’s not to say that I didn’t watch over them the same as I would any child, though. It just meant that I knew this child personally, as well as Janie’s father.
“I don’t want to go, ‘Loh.” Janie exhaled on a sigh.
‘Loh was a new name that Janie was calling me. She’s said that my name was too long, and then went about shortening it.