Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“Nothing I can’t handle, Mack,” I said.
He looked at the police officer. “Dan? What’s up?”
Dan.
Dan.
The reason he looked familiar was the fact that he was the guy who crowded Hannah on Saturday. The one interested in her. Suddenly, I wanted to laugh. He was pissed, and he was going to give me a ticket for jaywalking. Cause me some inconvenience.
I waved off Mack. “Don’t worry, Mack. Officer Dan here is teaching me a lesson in civic duty. I was jaywalking.”
Mack laughed. “Stop fooling around, Dan. Everyone walks across the road. You’ve done it yourself a hundred times. I’ve seen you.”
Dan frowned, snapping the book shut. “Don’t let me catch you doing it again.” He stepped closer. “I’m watching you,” he added in a low voice.
“I feel so much safer now.”
He tugged down his glasses, glaring. “You shouldn’t.”
Then he stalked away, disappearing around the corner. I heard the slam of a car door, and a minute later, his cruiser tore out of the back parking lot, his tires squealing on the road. I watched him disappear around the bend, and I shook my head.
“What was that all about?” Mack asked.
I was honest. “He likes Hannah. Doesn’t think I deserve her.”
He laughed. “So he was gonna give you a ticket?”
I shrugged. “Can’t give me one for stealing the girl, so that was all he could come up with, I guess.”
Mack shook his head. “Always been a hothead that one. Went to school in Littleburn, and they moved away when he was in his teens. Bit younger than you.”
“Yeah, name doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Anyway—ignore it and don’t let it ruin your day. Enjoy your evening.”
“You too, Mack.”
HANNAH
I stirred the taco meat, inhaling the spicy aroma. I knew Chase loved tacos. He’d mentioned it once, and Charly had told me as well. They were easy and fun, and I wanted to do something nice for him today. He’d been so sweet the night before. I hadn’t planned on crawling into his bed, but as soon as I was alone and the room was dark, the images from that awful day haunted me and I couldn’t escape them. Tucked beside him with his arms around me, I felt safe and protected. I slept all night without a single nightmare. I’d been busy all day, enjoying puttering around the house. I had spent a little time in the garden out back, pulling weeds and tidying up the overgrown plots. At some point, it had been a well-laid-out garden, and I wanted to get it back to being usable. My mom and I had always lived in apartments, but whenever we could, we were part of community gardens, and I loved the idea of having my own to tend, being able to grow some vegetables and flowers. I was excited at the thought of sharing my bounty with my friends and Mom.
I heard Chase’s truck, so I slid the shells into the oven to warm. He came in, and I grinned as I heard his keys being tossed into the bowl and his footsteps getting closer. “Cinnamon?” he called.
“In here.”
He paused in the doorway. “God, supper smells incredible.”
I turned and grinned. “Tacos.”
His face lit up. “Awesome.”
“You got the sour cream?”
He walked in, holding out the container. “Yep.” Then from behind his back, he produced a stunning bouquet. It contained carnations, alstroemeria, hydrangeas, freesia, lilies, baby’s breath, and the most perfect red rose in the middle. The ferns and leaves were lacy and pretty. It was incredible.
Chase looked shy as he held it out. “For you.”
I took the flowers, burying my nose into the fragrant bundle. I shook my head. “I’ve never gotten flowers before.”
He grinned. “I’ve never bought flowers before. See how perfect we are for each other?”
“I don’t think we have a vase.”
He laughed. “I have one. Charly gave it to Brett and me and told us every house had to have a vase. We kept it to appease her, but we never used it.” He opened a cupboard and pulled out the large clear container. “It’s a bit dusty. I used to use it for coins for a while, but she gave me shit.”
I laughed and rinsed it out, putting the flowers in it. “Oh, they are so lovely.” I set them on the table. “Look, how beautiful, Chase.”
“I am,” he said, but when I looked at him, his gaze wasn’t on the flowers. It was on me. He touched my cheek. “The most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”
“Chase,” I murmured, awed by the intensity of his gaze.
“I want to kiss you.”
“I’ll kiss you right back.”
“Yeah? I can?”
“You never have to ask.”
He tugged me into his arms, his mouth covering mine. The kiss was sweet and sexy. Our mouths moved together, our tongues meeting and gliding. It was a kiss of hello and thank you. One that said I missed you and I’m glad you’re here with me. He held my face between his hands, stroking his thumb in small circles on my cheeks. When he eased back, he stopped and kissed my forehead, then the end of my nose.