Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22667 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22667 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
I wonder if it still will be? Or if this sense that no time has passed between us will fade if our clothes come off?
“What about you?” she continues. “Any injuries while you were in the water? There’s so much junk drifting by right now—logs and boat parts and stuff from camps farther up the river. I saw half a dozen coolers float by before it got too dark to see the water as clearly.”
“No, I’m fine,” I say, my stomach choosing that moment to snarl angrily beneath my ribs. She arches a pointed brow, and I add, “Starving, but otherwise fine. I was about to start dinner when I heard your message.”
“I’m so glad you heard my message,” she says, leaning closer. “But you shouldn’t be working on a Saturday. You deserve time off.”
“You’re right. I just…haven’t had much going on aside from work lately. The rugby rec league is on break, and all my friends are headed into holiday mode with their girlfriends and families.”
“How are you still single?” she asks in a softer voice, one that truly seems to find the fact shocking. “Are all the women in Bad Dog blind these days?”
I smile. “You’re good for my ego.”
“I’m honest,” she says without missing a beat. “You’re a snack, Theo, and even if you were a hideous beast with a creepy moustache, you’re one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Like, truly kind, not one of those nicey-nice people who act like they’re kind but dump you as soon as their travel channel becomes more famous than your travel channel.”
“Who was she?” I ask, narrowing my eyes. “I’ll go leave her videos a dozen one-star reviews.”
She laughs, the sound warming me more than the fire. For the first time in so long, I don’t feel like I’m on the outside looking in at all the love in the world. “No, you don’t have to do that. I don’t play dirty, and she’ll self-destruct on her own, sooner or later. She’s one of those people who’s never happy with what she has, you know? She keeps setting bigger goals, thinking once she reaches the next level, she’ll finally find the peace and sense of accomplishment she’s been looking for. But that feeling never comes.”
“Because it doesn’t come from the outside,” I say, understanding completely. I have friends like that, people who think the next promotion or a fancy house or the “perfect” girlfriend is all they need to banish the empty feeling inside.
But as far as I can tell, the only way to banish the ache is by loving yourself and your people with everything you’ve got. Love is the opposite of emptiness, not money or fame or your status symbol of choice.
Still…
“But you didn’t deserve to be treated that way,” I add.
Her lips hook up on one side. “Well, thank goodness we don’t always get what we deserve. I also didn’t die in the woods after I forgot to have a backup plan to my backup plan, broke my ankle, and my satellite phone wouldn’t connect.”
My stomach drops. “Fuck.”
“Yeah, it was terrifying.” She glances over her shoulder with a smile. “But Pippa Jane came to the rescue. Because she’s the smartest, bravest pig ever.”
Pippa oinks in agreement before turning back to her supper, making us both laugh.
“So, what do you want food-wise?” Macy asks. “I have pasta sauce, a few apples, and peanut butter I managed to rescue from downstairs, but nothing to put the peanut butter on except the apples, and Pippa will have a fit if we eat her apples. All apples are her apples.”
Pippa Jane grunts again before trotting over to flop down onto her bed nearby with a heavy sigh, clearly exhausted by the day’s adventures.
“I have trail mix bars, canned chili, and a handful of canned soups, but everything else was probably ruined by the water.”
“Let’s take a look,” she says, shifting to grab the orange backpack from where it’s leaned against the wall closer to the fire. “I grabbed the medical kit from the top but didn’t want to go through the rest of your bag without you.”
“You can go through my bag anytime,” I assure her, summoning a teasing smile to her lips.
“Oh yeah? Any time?” she murmurs, her brows lifting. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Are you flirting with me, Ms. Mallard?” I ask as she begins to pull items out of the still soggy pack.
She nods. “Absolutely. It’s been a long time since I’ve flirted, though, so feel free to ask if you have doubts or need confirmation.” Her smile widens as she pulls out the small bunch of bananas, I’d forgotten I threw in on my way out the door. “I’m not flirting when I say peanut butter smeared all over these bananas sounds amazing, though. I’m just hungry.”