Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 103428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
I bit into my delicious hot dog and spoke with my mouth full. “Nope. Just one who needs a home.”
“Did you ever have a dog?”
I nodded. “Once. For a week. Arnold was the best dog ever.”
“Why’d you only have him for a week?”
“He bit my dad when he…you know.” I grinned. “That’s why he was the best dog ever.”
Merrick frowned. “I guess that’s why he only lasted a week?”
“Yeah.” I wiped the corner of my mouth. “What about you? Ever have a dog?”
“Once. Growing up we had a black lab. It got sick when it was maybe five or six and died young.”
“I’m sorry. Is that why you have fish now?”
He shook his head. “I inherited them. They were Amelia’s.”
“Oh.”
“She always had pet fish. She had a lot of trouble sleeping, so she would keep them on her nightstand and watch them swim when she went to bed at night. The funny thing is, they never lasted more than a year until they became my problem. It’s been years now.”
I was quiet for a minute. Then Merrick caught my eyes. “What? Does it bother you that I still have them?”
“No, of course not. It would bother me if you flushed them.”
“Then why does it look like something’s bothering you?”
“I don’t know. I guess...” I shook my head. “I noticed they’re still on the nightstand. So you haven’t moved them or anything in the last three years?”
Merrick looked back and forth between my eyes. “Where am I supposed to put them?”
I waved him off. “Sorry. You’re right. I’m being silly and reading into something. It’s an occupational hazard.”
Merrick nodded but was quiet after that. At least I thought he was, but maybe he was just chewing and I was doing it again. When we were almost done, my phone rang. “It’s my sister. Excuse me for a second. I’m going to answer it just in case she wants me to pick up something on my way home.”
“Of course.”
I swiped and brought my phone up to my ear, though I could have left it on the table and heard her the way she screamed. “Why aren’t you answering my texts?”
“I was looking at apartments and then eating. Is everything okay?”
“No!”
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m pregnant!”
“What? Oh my God. Are you serious? That was so fast! The implantation was only a little over a week ago.”
“I know! Apparently, soccer loving, tech guru number 09376230 has super swimmers!”
I laughed and held my hand over my heart. “I’m so excited! I’m going to be an aunt!”
“Now you need to hurry up and get pregnant, too. How’s hot boss’s sperm count?”
I looked at Merrick to see if he’d overheard. His arched brows told me he had. I shook my head. “I’ll be home in a little while. I guess I’ll have to drink both our wine to celebrate!”
“Ugh. Don’t remind me. No wine for soooo long.”
I heard someone knock on a door through the phone. “Greer? Are you in there?”
“Yes, I’ll be right out! I’m on the phone.” She came back on the line and whispered. “Shit. I didn’t think he’d be home for another hour. Don’t tell him I told you first or he’ll be upset.”
My eyes widened. “You didn’t tell Ben yet?”
“He worked late and wasn’t supposed to be home until ten. I wanted to tell him in person. But I had to tell someone!”
“Oh my God. Go tell the poor man!”
“Alright. But hurry home. I want to start a list of potential names!”
I laughed. “I’ll see you in a little while. And congratulations, Greer.”
As soon as I hung up, Merrick smiled. “I guess your sister didn’t need me after all?”
“I can’t believe the artificial insemination worked the first time.”
“That’s great. Congratulations.”
“Yeah. They’ve been trying for five years. I’m so happy for them. She’s going to make such a great mom. Greer was like a second mother to me in a lot of ways because she’s ten years older. She’s a natural caretaker. Which reminds me, I told her about us when I got back from Kitty’s, and she’s already bugging me to invite you to dinner one night.”
“Should I bring a lab report with my sperm count when I come?”
“You heard that, huh?”
“It was kind of impossible not to.”
I sipped my soda. “Do you want to have kids someday?”
Merrick looked away. “If you’d asked me a few months ago, I would’ve said no.”
“And now?”
He reached across the table and took my hand. “I don’t know. Things can change, I guess. I’m only now realizing how much I’ve let my past control my future. I don’t want to do that anymore.”
“You mean things with Amelia?”
He nodded.
A worker walked over and pointed to the trays in front of us. Our plates were both empty. “Can I take those?”
“Oh, that would be great. Thank you.”
Merrick took out his phone. “I was planning on kidnapping you and bringing you home with me. But it sounds like you need to go home to your sister’s.”