Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 74227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Starting the beginning of next month, Harold would be on his own, and he knew it.
“You ready for lunch?”
My mouth dropped open a little bit.
“It looks like you started without me,” I pointed out, trying to stay calm.
He grinned, then looked down at his shirt. “It was a snack.”
I snorted.
“Uh-huh.” I started toward him, looking at Dr. Castleberry. “I’ll be back in an hour, okay?”
The old doc winked at me. “Yes, ma’am.”
I shook my head and rounded the counter, walking up to Baylor’s side.
He immediately enfolded me under his arm and brought me close to his chest, offering me silent support.
I could’ve told him that I was actually okay, but I kind of liked where I was. I liked that he was so protective. I loved that he was here.
I knew he would be. Which, in all honestly, was the most special feeling in the world. To know that you had someone who would always be there for you, not to control you but to support you, was quite exhilarating.
Sal didn’t say a word as we passed, but I felt him when he got up and followed us out the door.
He continued to follow us to the parking lot, but in his desire to follow us, he’d had to hurry to his car to follow since Baylor had pulled over near the front door.
We were halfway down the street before he’d pulled out into the road to follow.
“You okay?” he asked.
I bit my lip and nodded. “Surprisingly…yes, I am.”
His smile was fierce. “I fucking love you. I’ll never let anything happen to you.”
I looked down at my hands. “I was going to try to eat a little healthier today, but I’m craving tacos.”
He winked. “I love those curves, anyway. I think I’d cry if they went away.”
I snorted.
Then we walked hand-in-hand to the Taco Shop.
We ate. We studiously ignored the man who followed us inside and was sitting in the corner. The man who was clearly a cyborg because not once did he touch the chips and salsa in front of him.
We ignored. We talked. We enjoyed our meal and each other’s company.
I overcame.
Fifteen minutes into my gorging of chips and hot sauce, I finally caught on that Baylor was doing something that he wasn’t supposed to be doing.
He’d been playing on his phone on and off, texting with Tate and Travis, keeping them updated on what he was doing. Then Tate had said something to him that caused him to furiously start playing with his phone as if he was on a mission.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
Baylor grinned. “Tate got a new thing from Amazon for his wife, and he let me connect to it to help set it up.”
I blinked. “Okay, but what are you doing to it right now?”
He pressed a few buttons, then leaned over so he could show me.
“Playing with the music. He fucking hates rap…guess what I just found? The most gangster rap station on Pandora.”
I started to shake my head, then grinned when I saw Hennessy walk in the door.
She saw us immediately and came to sit down with us, sighing. “Please, save me from stupid people.”
“What happened?” Baylor asked, biting his lip between his teeth and pressing more buttons.
“I have a new patient that’s…let’s just say…colorful.” She snorted. “Seriously, colorful is about all I can come up with for him. He hates me.”
“Think Tate hated you a little bit, too,” Baylor pointed out, still not looking up. “You got him to like you.”
Hennessy snorted and her eyes fell on our chips and salsa. “Can I have some of that?”
I nodded. “You can.”
Then I pushed the basket toward her. “If I eat anymore, I’m not going to finish my lunch.”
She snorted. “You never know how little self-control you have until chips and salsa are set down in front of you. Lord help me if there’s queso.”
That was the truth.
“What is he doing?”
Hennessy indicated Baylor with her head, but before I could answer, her phone rang.
“Hello?” she answered. “Slow down, Tate! Do not, under any circumstances, shoot my Alexa! I love her!”
Heads turned at that.
“No, I don’t know why it’s playing gangster rap, but I swear to God. I will kill you if you do anything to my favorite new toy.”
Baylor started to laugh at that, and I joined right along with him.
Whatever Baylor had been trying to accomplish by making me laugh, he’d done it.
When my head turned in Sal’s direction once I’d regained my composure, it was to find him glaring at all of us with equal amounts of hate.
Fuck. Yeah.
***
I ended up not going back to work, and Dr. Castleberry was completely understanding about it when Baylor and I ran by to gather my college application papers and to give my excuse.
With Sal following our every move, Baylor didn’t feel comfortable leaving me alone.