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)
We load into the fishing boat Drew and Christian tied to the fallen tree, puttering away just as a fat gray squirrel leaps out of a clutch of limbs, shaking its tiny fists in our direction. Thankfully, Pippa is on the floor of the boat, too low to see the furious creature, but I’m not, and those fists feel personal.
And deserved.
How can I say I love Theo and be so selfish at the same time?
The fact is…I can’t. Which means I have two choices—end this second chance now, before we get in any deeper than we are already. Or suck it up and put down roots in Bad Dog.
Surely, if Theo loves it, I can learn to love it, too. I’m older now, wiser, more certain of my place in the world.
I’ve halfway talked myself into giving small town life another chance when we get to The Fat Rooster and my past comes back to remind me why this place can never be my future.
Chapter Nine
THEO
We arrive at The Fat Rooster at the same time as Starling, Christian’s girlfriend, and my one-time crush, and get on the waiting list for a table for seven. But even though Starling is as beautiful as she ever was, when I glance her way, I only feel friendship and gratitude that she’s happy with my cousin.
She’s Christian’s person, after all, and Macy is mine and all is finally as it should be. Despite the loss of my boat and my phone, I’m the happiest I’ve been in years.
I barely feel the nip in the early winter breeze as we settle at the outdoor picnic tables to wait for our party to be called, and Drew steps away to call Tatum and tell her not to rush to get out of the house. The hostess assured us it would be at least twenty minutes before we could be seated.
But we can use the bathrooms and after making sure Pippa Jane is content in the small fenced-in area in front of the restaurant—a feature that makes The Fat Rooster a favorite of dog and more exotic pet-owners alike—Macy and I make the most of them. Thankfully, my toothbrush and deodorant survived my plunge into the floodwater last night, and I emerge from the small men’s room feeling much more fit for polite company.
Macy, as always, looks beautiful, even in her pajama pants and an old sweatshirt with her hair pulled up into a bouncy ponytail.
She greets me as I emerge from the restaurant with a big smile and reaches for my hand, “Look,” she says, pointing toward the enclosure, where Pippa Jane is now leading Christian’s de-scented skunk, Bella, around the area in what looks like a game of follow-the-leader. “She made a friend.”
“Well, of course, she did,” I say, squeezing Macy’s hand. “She’s a sweetheart. And a natural leader.”
Macy laughs. “She is. But she would kill me if I tried to put a pink ribbon around her neck like Bella’s.” She makes a soft cooing sound. “But oh, it’s so cute. Don’t you think Pip would look adorbs in a big fluffy ribbon?”
“Adorbs,” I agree, making Macy snort. “But not pink. I think blue is her color.”
“Or yellow,” Macy says, cocking her head. “Maybe yellow and blue stripes?”
“Perfect. I’ll start looking for one online as soon as I get a new phone.”
We settle on a bench and Macy leans her head on my shoulder, “Sorry about your phone. I can buy you a new one. Since it was my fault that you were out in the flood in the first place.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” I say, wrapping my hand around her thigh just above her knee. “I’ll take care of it on Monday. And maybe look into what they have available for mobile hotspots, since I’ll need reliable internet while we’re on the road.”
“I can help with that,” she says. “I’ve had one for years, but let’s not pull the trigger on anything yet. We should do some planning and talking first, see how we really want the next few years to play out.”
“Sounds good,” I say, not worried about that conversation at all.
As long as we’re together, I don’t have many other preferences. Though I would like to avoid taking an RV anywhere near the Artic Circle. I’ve watched too many vampire movies set up there and have a real aversion to freezing to death.
As far as whatever other adventures Macy has in mind, however, I say, bring it on, though I’m sure some of my family members will think I’m crazy. They’re already giving my cousin Matty shit for wanting to live in a van while he drives through Mexico into Central America, and he’s always been a less traditional person than yours truly.
But that’s fine. I can handle my family’s game of twenty questions. I feel like I can handle anything right now.