Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
But I felt the opposite of that, now.
I really did want to kiss him again. I felt safe, even, and I couldn’t explain why.
Everything was different with Perry.
I kicked a pile of thin metal firecracker discards with the toe of my walker boot, watching them barely move in the plush green grass. I adjusted my hat, running my hand through my hair.
“I need to find Cursehound and confiscate these damn things today,” I said under my breath.
“What?” Perry asked as he sat down in one of the pristine white folding chairs at the table nearby.
We were out in the garden again, but everything looked different today. Even though the temperature was nice and balmy, the sky was overcast. Outside, tons of long, white tables and chairs had been set up, and there was a big board at the front of the seating area. We were some of the first people downstairs this morning, even though it was nearly eleven in the morning.
“No more firecrackers,” I said.
“He’s just a kid having fun.”
“I had a nightmare about one of these things setting off a blaze,” I said. “They make me nervous.”
“Is that why you tossed and turned all night?”
I smiled. “Part of it. Other part was wanting to get closer to you.”
Perry was decked out in the hangover standard—dark sunglasses and a vest that he probably wished was a piece of armor. My own hangover wasn’t too bad, but Perry clearly had felt something today, because he’d been acting like he was in another world all morning.
“Anyway, this is the proof in the pudding,” I said, nodding down at the remnants of the little firecrackers. I sat down in the folding chair next to Perry, swinging my walker boot forward. I reached down, picking up the scrap pieces of flimsy metal.
“I can talk with him,” Perry said. “You don’t have to worry about it.”
“I have to give lectures to kids about fire safety multiple times a year,” I said. “We go around to schools. I know how to make it fun.”
“Please, just let me handle it?” Perry asked. There was a thread of exasperation in his voice.
“I’m sorry, babe,” I said, leaning in to bring him into a hug. His touch was light, though, and he barely hugged me back. I pulled away, cocking my head at him. “You all right?”
From this close, I could just see his eyes behind his sunglasses. He cleared his throat, his steely gaze somewhere on the horizon. “Just… hungover still. I need a little space today, okay? I’m sure you understand.
“Right,” I said. “Of course.”
But the truth was that I didn’t understand.
I didn’t feel like I needed space at all, actually. After last night, I felt like Perry and I had broken through a wall with one another. I trusted him, and I was fairly sure that he had grown more trust for me, too.
So where was the magic, now?
“Perry! Rock!” Merrilyn’s voice came from behind us.
Today’s only big reunion activity was family trivia. Before we’d gotten to the reunion, Perry had mentioned the trivia multiple times—he was usually the champion at any trivia he did, apparently, and he had been so excited for the Erickson family version.
“Morning, Merrilyn,” I said, smiling at her. The least I could do was help Perry wrangle things socially while he recovered from his hangover.
“Goodness, where is everyone?” Merrilyn said as she approached. She was wearing a baseball cap too, her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
“They’re all as hungover as us, I think,” Perry said.
“Merrilyn,” I said. “I like the hat, but I think you’re copping my style.”
“Copping your style?” she said, winking. “I’ve been wearing baseball caps since before you were born.”
I grinned. “Next you’re going to be calling me a whippersnapper, huh?”
She let out a quick laugh, leaning in to give each of us a small hug before she sat down next to Perry.
“I couldn’t sleep last night,” she said. Her expression faded into a general nervousness.
“Really?” Perry asked.
“Not longer than about two hours,” she said. “I kept thinking of all the things that could go wrong. Kept worrying. Did you know that Rachel was flirting with one of the caterers last night?”
“No she was not, Ma,” Perry groaned.
“Well, she certainly was talking to him for quite a while,” Merrilyn said, clicking her tongue. “Imagine that.”
“Is Cam doing okay this morning?”
“Define okay,” a deep voice said. It was Cameron, coming up to take the seat beside Merrilyn.
“I guess the entire world other than me is hung over this morning,” she said. “You all need to learn to drink water with your damn liquor.”
“Love you too, Mom,” Cam said, and I gave him a sympathetic smile.
“And it looks like it might rain today,” she said, glancing up at the light grey sky.
“Whatever happens will be just fine,” Perry said. “Let that be the least of your worries.”