Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 106839 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106839 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
I’m sitting on the porch having coffee when Amon comes back, jingling his truck keys and smiling like a boy. “I like that dress.”
I stand up and smooth out some wrinkles. “This old thing?” Then I bat my eyelashes at him and do a twirl to properly show off this outfit.
It’s not an old dress, it’s actually rather new, since the one I’ve been wearing on Fridays all season got a tear in the sleeve and MacyLynn’s twin sister, MaisieLee, hasn’t had a chance to fix it yet.
Disciple’s weekend fashion is just as fictional as the Revival itself—a blend of Twenties high-society, summer garden-party, and a dash of flapper thrown in for good measure. My dress today is made of pale blue silk velvet and tea-stained lace in the vein of ‘robe de style.’ Which means a fitted bodice with dropped waist, as was common in the era, but with a full skirt that looks especially nice when twirlin’.
This particular skirt is adorned with silk flowers and glass-beaded stems, giving it a bit of weight. And the lace acts not only as a sort of outer petticoat, but as a shawl too. It is a gorgeous example of MaisieLee’s talent.
When my twirling ends, Amon is grinning at me so hard, I burst out laughing myself. “I’m being silly, aren’t I?”
“Rosie, your silliness is an absolute delight and a big part of the reason why the whole world loves you. So don’t ever stop on my account.”
I blush. I can feel it. And it’s a very nice compliment, but there’s a little part inside me that wants to object. To tell him that the world doesn’t love me. Because I was a teenage mom who had big dreams. Who thought she could break the rules and buck the system and still come out shiny and new on the other side.
And while I would not call myself used up in any sense of the word, my place in the world changed the day Cross was born and even though I held out hope for a few years that I could push it back into some semblance of what I was, it’s just not true.
That girl before Cross is gone and she’s never coming back.
This whole time I’ve been thinking, Amon has been watching me carefully. Like I’m a painting in a museum that must be deciphered. He can feel these doubts inside me—which have nothing to do with him—and he’s not sure how to approach it.
So I take over. “Can you drop Cross and me in town?”
Cross pushes his way through the screen door. “Town? I don’t wanna go into town. I wanna hang out here, Ma. Can I?”
“It’s not up to me, Cross. It’s up to Amon. And I’m sure he’s busy today and not in the mood to babysit you.”
“Actually, I’ve gotta go into town too, Cross. To talk to Jim Bob about something.”
Cross makes a face. “Well, what am I supposed to do while you guys are busy?”
I roll my eyes at my son. “Same thing you do every day while I’m working. Hang out with those friends of yours.”
“Actually…” Amon hedges. “Maybe it’s better if he does stay here. Collin’s gonna be here all day.” He looks at Cross. “You can hang out with Collin. I won’t be long. Then we’ll… I dunno. Go shoot some targets on the range.”
This delights Cross to no end. “Deal.” Then he takes off down the porch steps, jogging his way up the driveway where Collin is barking out orders to these men of his.
“Are you sure he won’t be in the way?”
“Shit, Ryan will put him to work digging ditches, probably. He’ll regret this decision by lunchtime.”
I chuckle. “You’re good with him. I appreciate that because I know you don’t have to be.”
“I like kids, Rosie. And while it’s probably too soon have that conversation, I might as well put it out there.” He throws me a weighty look. “I like them. And I would like them.”
“I see.” But though my words come out innocuous, inside I’m sighin’. Because I would love a big family like the one I came from and Amon Parrish would be a perfect father in my opinion.
“Like I said”—he winks—“too early. Come on, let’s go to town.”
The rain starts just as we get to Disciple and Amon parks in a covered spot marked for security just outside the east gate.
We both get out. “I’ll check in with you after I’m done with Jim Bob. If you go anywhere else but here”—he points to the ground—“you text me, OK?”
With all the excitement of seeing Amon’s house, and choosing where to sleep, and chatting with Collin and Lowyn, it was easy to put aside the real reason why Cross and I were out on the Edge compound to begin with. But after he says these words, it all comes back.