Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Maggie laughed, and the sound mixed with Eli’s deep chuckle.
“You just keep thinking that,” he told me. “If you thought my wife was the most beautiful woman you’d ever seen, I’d have to kick your ass.”
“Stop being such a Neanderthal,” snorted Maggie. Then her gaze landed on me once more, and she smiled. “No offense taken. I imagine she was truly magnificent.”
I nodded but remained quiet. This interaction had been fun, and it had given me a reprieve from everything on my mind, despite reliving the whole story. But I was ready to return to my solitude and continue wallowing.
“I can see you’re ready to get back to your cabin and brood some more,” Maggie said knowingly.
My brow shot up in surprise. “Can you read minds as well?” That thought was unsettling considering all of the filthy parts of my dreams I’d left out.
“No, she can’t. Thank fuck,” grunted Eli. “But she is very intuitive.”
Maggie changed the subject. “I run a shop in town called Something Wicked. If you’re interested, I just might have something that could help with your eyesight.”
Hope sparked inside me, and while I would have admonished myself for indulging in such tomfoolery at any other time, I was staring at the Headless Horseman and the Wicked Witch of the West. And I’d seen the proof that she had magic abilities for myself.
Suddenly, the idea that she could cure my eyesight didn’t seem so far-fetched. I couldn’t fault my subconscious for hoping that it might be true.
“Thanks,” I said with genuine appreciation. “I’ll try to carve some time out of my busy schedule of eating, sleeping, and wandering in the woods to come see you.”
Maggie laughed and wagged a finger at me. “I’d come sooner than later, before that frown becomes permanent.”
I lifted my chin in farewell as Eli encouraged Gunpowder to get moving again.
Was it really so far-fetched?
At this point, if I was still in a coma, I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to wake up. At least in this world, I could believe that my Valkyrie was real.
4
ISLA
I hadn’t been able to get Jackie’s suggestion out of my head since I had lunch with the girls yesterday. So when my phone rang, and I saw that it was Juniper calling, I expected her to push the idea of me hunting down the pilot I’d saved. Bracing myself, I accepted the call and said, “Hey, Juniper. What’s up?”
“I’m so sorry to bother you,” she apologized. “I know you’re just wrapping up at work and probably want to get home, but I was hoping you could pick up an order from Love at First Bite for me. Silas and I are headed to Something Wicked, but I’m having a serious craving for cupcakes. I figure Maggie will also probably want some, so you’d have both of our eternal gratitude.”
Laughing softly, I pushed my chair away from my desk and stood. “Sure, I can definitely do that. Did you already place the order?”
“Yup, two dozen delicious cupcakes in a variety of flavors. They even have banana bacon today! Yum, I can’t wait to try it. I got one for Maggie, too.”
Banana bacon? Blech.
“I think I’ll pass, thanks. It sounds like a flavor they did for those of you who are having pregnancy cravings, and that’s not me.” And it never would be at the rate I was going since I hadn’t even kissed anyone in all the years since I became a Valkyrie.
“You might be right. The things this baby has made me want to eat would blow your mind.”
I heard the deep murmur of Silas’s voice in the background, followed by Juniper’s giggle. Assuming he was making some kind of sexual innuendo, I mumbled, “On that note, I’m heading out so I can grab those cupcakes before Love at First Bite closes.”
“Oops, sorry. And thank you,” she called out before I disconnected.
Rounding my desk, I grabbed my favorite leather crossbody bag and exited my office. Braylon was tapping at the keyboard of his computer, grumbling beneath his breath. He was one of my best employees, even though he’d been grumpy ever since he was turned partly into a hippogriff with his large eagle wings and horse hooves for feet. “Not another one.”
“What’s wrong?”
His head swiveled toward me at my question, and he huffed angrily. “I got another bad rating on an order I delivered yesterday.”
Leaning over his shoulder, I peered at the screen, laughing when I saw what he was complaining about. “Four stars isn’t bad.”
“Four out of five is like getting an eighty percent, which is a B.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his broad chest. “My deliveries get there faster than anyone else. I do a fuck of a lot better than a B.”
“Ratings aren’t the same as grades, and we’ve been out of school for a long time.” I patted him on his shoulder. “But if it bothers you that much, maybe try to smile when you’re making a delivery every once in a while.”