Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
“You look like that and you still work out? If you weren’t so damn nice, I’d hate you. A lot.” Kat’s blunt words never failed to put a smile on my face, and I took a step back and waved her inside.
“It’s not like I have a lot else to do right now,” I answered, “other than take care of you, of course.” She rolled her eyes and followed me down the hall and into the living room. “If it makes you feel better, I spent half an hour debating on whether or not to use the weight room or go to an actual gym.”
Her blue eyes widened in surprise and then she let out a loud, boisterous laugh that showed signs she was finally returning to the bubbly, outspoken woman she’d been before she was shot. “Why?”
I shrugged, unsure how to explain it without seeming like a grieving weirdo, but I realized this was Kat. She’d been kind to me from the moment we met. If she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, I shouldn’t be either.
“This house is great. It’s my dream home, but some days it feels like a prison. I just want to get out and live some life outside the walls. But the cheap part of me says why should I pay for a gym membership when I have a perfectly good gym here at home. Does that make sense?”
Kat nodded. “Other than the whole working out part, it makes perfect sense.”
My shoulders relaxed at her words, and I said, “Coffee?”
“Nope,” Kat said. “We’re going out.”
“We are?” I looked down at the towel wrapped around my torso and remembered the yoga pants and oversized Navy t-shirt I had planned to wear for the rest of the day. “Like out out or running errands out?”
“Put on something dazzling but comfortable. I’m sick of being stuck at home or confined to my office for just a few hours a day. I want to get out, breathe in some fresh air.”
Twenty minutes later we stepped out of her car in front of The Siren Resort & Casino in Mayhem. “Is this the fresh air you were talking about?” I said as we walked into the private luxury mall.
Kat shrugged, looking totally unapologetic as her smile spread. “This place has pure oxygen constantly pumped into it. Can’t get fresher than that.”
“I mean technically you could get actual fresh air from outside, but this is all right too.”
Kat rolled her blue eyes. “Yes, but outside doesn’t have shopping or a brand new seafood restaurant where we can eat before heading to Wicked Wedding to meet Maisie.”
What followed was an over the top shop fest that lasted until lunch. We juggled our shopping bags, and I put my arm in hers and said, “Let’s go stuff ourselves with seafood. Where is this place you told me about?”
The Ashby name was gold in Mayhem because we didn’t have to wait more than sixty seconds to get a seat at the packed new restaurant.
“This place is gorgeous,” she said when were seated. “You’d think the whole sea motif would be tacky or overdone, but it’s not. At all.”
It was the nicest restaurant I’d ever been in. The kind of place with tons of gold flatware, most of which I had no idea how to use. “It’s great, but isn’t this kind of fancy for a mid-week lunch?”
“Not at all, Vanessa. This place is perfect.”
She clapped her hands excitedly and when the model beautiful waitress came to our table, she ordered a tasting menu that would take nearly two hours to finish. After handing the menu back to the server, she explained, “This way we can both try everything and if it’s fabulous, you can help me convince Terry to give this place a try. He won’t eat seafood that isn’t poached or deep fried.”
Her pretty laugh sparkled like crystal, drawing a few glances from nearby diners.
I couldn’t help but join in because the look on her face, the pure joy when she spoke of him, the love that shone from her face was electrifying.
“So, things with you and Terry are going well?”
“Very well.” Then she added quickly, “So far. I mean, we survived my stupid brother, me getting shot, and plenty of danger and drama, so I have confidence we can weather just about anything. But I want to date for a long time just to make sure we don’t fuck this up.”
I toyed with a fork that I’d never seen before, with just three tiny tines that didn’t look like they’d pick up sweater fuzz.
“That’s a good idea,” I said. “Lance and I dated for about seven years before we actually got married. It gave us time to grow together and to learn about each other, the good and the bad. Even the ugly.”