Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 28557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
“Goodnight,” she calls behind me as Winnie, the traitor, stays behind to hang out with her.
I head to my room, past the never-ending piles of papers to grade. As I brush my teeth and pull on my pajamas, persistent thoughts of Ian tease my mind.
I crawl into bed, pulling the soft, cool sheets over me and resting my head on the pillow, expecting to sink into the comforting embrace of sleep. Instead, my mind becomes a turbulent ocean of what-ifs, tossing me around. I replay every word I exchanged with him, dissecting each phrase and nuance in painstaking detail. The way his dark blue eyes held mine captive. A shiver runs through my body at just the thought of his warm touch. I’m in so freaking much trouble here.
Hours pass like this, until finally, exhaustion takes over, and I drift off. My dreams are vivid, filled with steamy encounters that leave me tossing and turning, rendering my rest fitful and unsatisfying.
When morning light seeps through the curtains, I wake up ensnared in a tangle of sheets, my skin flushed and a sheen of sweat clinging to me. I feel both worn out and inexplicably stirred, a mix of fatigue and lingering excitement coursing through me.
At least it's finally Saturday, which means I don't have to spend the entire day wrangling sugar-fueled eight-year-olds. The thought of a peaceful day was comforting, but unfortunately, Winnie has other plans. She decides today is the perfect time to put a significant dent in my savings by pretending to be sick, turning my anticipated day of relaxation into yet another unexpected challenge.
My eyes pop open on a memory, the flicker of Sage's smile burning through the haze of sleep. The first dim light of Saturday barely creeps through my window, but I’m already swinging out of bed, ready to face the day. The room's chilly, air humming with the low rumble of a late spring storm moving in, but the real buzz comes from my racing mind.
I haven't moved this fast before six a.m. since the time I was on-call and Beckett forgot to take his phone to the gym. I snag my phone off the nightstand and scroll for River’s number. By the second ring, I've already got his name halfway growled. "I need a favor."
His voice is a grumble on the other end. "Do you own a goddamn clock? It's too early for favors."
I'm practically bouncing on my feet, though they’re freezing against the hardwood floor. "Yeah, about that. This couldn't wait."
"What can’t wait?" His tone flips from irritation to curiosity, but I can tell he's still got his eyes closed.
"I met a girl," I drop my little bombshell, pacing the room and trying to stay warm.
River’s finally awake. "No fucking way. Who is she?"
"Sage Higgins."
He goes quiet for a second, and I picture his wheels turning. "I don’t know much about her," he groans, “but I know she’s way too goddamn young for you. She’s around Echo’s age.”
I let out a sharp laugh, shivering as I head to the thermostat to turn down the air conditioner. "She isn’t that much younger than me." Echo, his little sister, is only six or seven years younger than us.
"Whatever you say." He yawns, the sound dragging out over the line. "I’ll ask my sister what she knows once the sun comes up."
"Fine, fine. Just call me back once you find out what she knows."
River’s halfway snoring as he promises to do just that, and I click off, tossing the phone onto the bed. I rub my hands together and look around the room, too keyed up to just stand around.
I walk over to the window, dragging open the dusty blinds. Early morning gray clouds are muscling in over Riverbend Ridge, the quiet just a placeholder for the usual spring weather chaos. But I don't mind.
The phone buzzes, jerking me back to the present, and I nearly knock over the lamp trying to answer. "That was fast."
"Echo says she’s twenty-three, new grad out of UT Austin, first-year teacher," River reels off. I can hear him gloating all the way from his house. "Lives with her best friend and there’s no man anywhere in the picture."
I punch the air and start doing mental jumping jacks. "Wow. What else?"
"Dad’s a retired postal worker. Mom’s got that flower shop downtown, Petals and Pearls."
I’m grinning like an idiot, finger drumming on the countertop. "Did you get her shoe size, too?"
"Size eight,” he teases. At least, I hope he’s teasing. “She’s way too sweet and beautiful for your ugly old ass." River's trying to get under my skin, but he's got nothing on me today.
"Real cute. Thanks for the intel. I owe you."
"Damn right you do," he chuckles, and I hang up, flicking the phone back on the bed. It's not even seven a.m. and I've got more energy than the day I made lieutenant.