Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
And, cue the tears. Damn these men and their sweetness!
“See? Just because we argue or yell doesn’t mean we leave, Alex.”
“My friend’s parents used to yell at each other all the time, and they got divorced. Are you going to get divorced?”
“We aren’t married,” Max reminds him. I cover my mouth, tears running unchecked over my fingers.
“It could be cool if you got married,” Alex suggests. “’Cause then you’d be here all the time, not just after school. And you could come to my school on Dad Day.”
“There’s a Dad Day?” Max asks.
“Yeah, Grandpa usually goes with me.”
Oh, my heart. How did I miss that my boy needs a father so badly? Was I just hopeful that my love would be enough for him?
“But you can’t marry her if you’re just gonna get divorced,” Alex says as if he’s thought this all through. “Because I don’t think it would be good if someone else leaves.”
“Who else left?” Max asks.
“Dad.”
I have to walk away from the door. I can’t hold the sobs back anymore, and I don’t want Alex to know that his sweet words made me cry.
By the time Max comes out to the living room fifteen minutes later, I’ve controlled the tears and turned on the TV to the home and garden station, watching a couple trying to find the perfect mountain cabin tour homes in North Carolina.
“That took a while,” I say when Max walks into the room, looking far more exhausted than he did when he left.
“He apologized,” he says as he sits next to me and takes my hand in his, kissing my knuckles. “And he’s a talker.”
“That he is.” I laugh, remembering the few minutes that I heard. But I don’t bring it up. It was a private conversation between Max and Alex. “I’m glad he apologized.”
“He was worried that because we had an argument, I wouldn’t want to come around anymore.”
“What did you tell him?” I turn toward him and plant my elbow on the back of the couch, leaning on it and watching Max’s handsome face as he thinks the past thirty minutes over.
“That it doesn’t work that way. People argue, but it doesn’t mean they leave.”
“How many stories did he make you read?”
“No stories.”
“I’m sorry, did you tuck Alexander Cary Monroe into bed?”
Max laughs and nods. “Yeah, but we had too much to talk about. It ate up all of story time.”
“Sounds like it was a serious conversation.”
“Pretty serious. Guy stuff,” he adds, making me grin. “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you, and that would be unfortunate because I’ve grown rather fond of you.”
“Well, then, we can’t have that, can we?” I lean in and kiss his cheek. “Did Alex mention that Cary’s parents are coming to town next weekend?”
“He did, actually. Do they come often?”
“Every few months. They miss us. It’s always good to see them.”
“I think that’s great.”
“I’m nervous to tell them about you,” I admit. “Not because I think they’ll be angry or ugly about it. They’re not like that. I just don’t want… I don’t know.”
“You don’t want to hurt them,” Max finishes for me. “And that makes you a wonderful person, Willa Elizabeth.”
“You’re the second person to use my full name today.”
“Who was the other?”
“My mom.”
“Uh-oh, were you in trouble?”
“Maybe.” I giggle, the weight of the day finally rolling off my shoulders. “Or maybe she was just making sure to drive her point home.”
“Like me,” he says, leaning in to kiss my forehead, then down to my nose. “You’re the best there is, Willa Elizabeth.”
“You can just call me Wills.”
Chapter Fourteen
~Willa~
“THEY’RE HERE!”
Alex is jumping about the living room, Rocky on his heels, barking and dancing, sure that his master is trying to play with him.
It’s chaos.
I don’t hate it.
“Well, go open the door for them, silly.”
I’m in the kitchen, tossing a salad and just as excited as Alex to see Jean and Dan Monroe.
“Hello, darling,” Jean says, folding Alex in her ample arms, holding him close. Jean is a grandma, through and through. Gray hair, a round figure, and the happiest face on the planet. She makes you just want to curl up beside her and listen to her tell stories.
Dan walks right up to me and kisses my cheek. “How are you, sweet girl?”
“I’m great,” I reply with a smile. Dan’s face has more lines than it did when his son passed away, but his hair is still as dark as can be. He’s a big man. Brawny. He looks like he could lift a car off the ground.
He’s also the most gentle man I know.
“I need to hug my girl,” Jean says, holding out her arms for me and hugging me close. “You’re gorgeous as ever.”
“Thank you.”
“Mom, they brought presents,” Alex exclaims in delight. “And it’s not even my birthday anymore.”